OTTA signs deal with Salalah club to form TT Junior centre

MUSCAT, Jan 9 - Oman Table Tennis Association (OTTA) signed a deal with Salalah club to establish a junior talented table tennis centre. The signing function took place at the Al Saada Sports Complex as apart of the underway monthly camp of the junior talented table tennis centres. Abdullah BaMukhalef, OTTA chairman, signed on behalf of OTTA while Shaikh Ali bin Awadh al Rawood, chairman of Salalah club, represented the club party. Table Tennis Junior centre is part of the OTTA initiatives to focus on the potential faces that will contribute positively to the national teams in the near future. Also, it is on OTTA objective to ensure proper spreading of table tennis in all the wilayats of the Sultanate. The centre will target the junior age group from 8 to 12 years old under direct supervision of the experienced coach, Mohammed Atoum, Oman national table tennis head coach and the centre’s coaches including coach Ahmed Helmi, coach of Salalah talented centre. Salalah’s junior talented table tennis centre will be added to the list of centres under the supervision of OTTA. The other centres are Sultan Qaboos sports complex (Muscat), Al Saada Sports Complex in Salalah, Al Ettifaq, Ibri, Saham, Al Nasr, Seeb and Salalah. According to the clauses of the agreement, OTTA to provide four tables of STAG brand, which was approved by ITTF and the club to arrange a suitable venue for the training purpose. OTTA will supply 600 STAG balls, 15 rackets and table tennis outfits for the players and coaches. The club will get a corporate rate from STAG for any table tennis related procurement stuff. The second party, club, to sign an agreement with head coach who will supervise the training sessions in the centre. Also, the club to secure the transportation of all the players to attend four training sessions weekly. Speaking after the signing function, the OTTC chief said that OTTA is keen to shape and prepare the youngsters with the required skills prior to joining of the national teams. “The existing table tennis junior centres are performing well. There is a contentious follow up and monitoring from the head coach of the national team on the progress of centre’s players. We are looking for more contribution from the clubs to accomplish the desired targets in short time,” he ended. On the other hand, Shaikh Ali bin Awadh al Rawood, chairman of Salalah club, thanked all the OTTA efforts towards the development of table tennis domestically. “I believe these table tennis Junior centres will add better technical values towards development of the national table tennis meet. We are very keen in Salalah to form a strong team and compete at different domestic competition levels,” he concluded. Adil Al Balushi