Star Chinese players for Ping Pong Dubai Festival

Star Chinese table tennis players including the world number one and Olympic champions are due here at the Dubai Mall ice rink arena for the inaugural Ping Pong Dubai Festival from noon to midnight on January 6. Men's singles playing legends Ma Long and Zhang Jike, and the top two women's singles players in the world Liu Shiwen and Ding Ning, will be sharing tips and performing trick shots at the one-day festival.
The festival, entrance for which is free, will provide enthusiasts the chance to watch the legends in action, as well as participate in coaching sessions and prize draws. Dubai are sponsors of the unbeatable and all-conquering Chinese national squad after an agreement in January 2013, which was extended for a further three years in April 2014.
Two days after the one day festival the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Team Cup gets under way at the Al Nasr Club in Karama, Dubai.
UAE champion Majd Albalooshi who will be competing at the ITTF World Team Cup, said: "Table tennis is renowned for its ability to bring people together and its popularity is clearly growing in Dubai. What is particularly great about this sport is that anyone — regardless of age, ability or fitness level — can enjoy playing. The Ping Pong Dubai Festival captures this spirit perfectly and I encourage everyone to get involved.”
The UAE players and coaches will make regular appearances on eight free-to-play tables to help inspire youngsters, as well as guide players on how to get the most from the game. Details of when coaches will be available will be posted on the Ping Pong Dubai Facebook page, along with regular updates on forthcoming events and activities.
"Table tennis is a fun and social way to become more active and through this festival we aim to encourage more people to discover that it is a sport that can be enjoyed by all,” said Will Oscroft, Marketing and Communications Director at Falcon and Associates, which launched Ping Pong Dubai in partnership with the UAE Table Tennis Association and Dubai Sports Council.
"It has been amazing to see the enthusiasm with which the people of the UAE have embraced the sport since Ping Pong Dubai was launched in 2013. Already thousands of new players have been introduced to the game and by staging this festival — and providing the community with an opportunity to connect with the game's greatest players — we look forward to building on that momentum in 2015.”
The Chinese National Table Tennis Team members played alongside the public at Safa Park at the launch of the Ping Pong Dubai Parks Initiative. The Ping Pong Dubai initiative aims to stimulate the game's growth through accessible community events and activities.
It encourages greater levels of participation — at both a social and organised level — and develops the grassroots game by inspiring more youngsters to take part and aspire to play at a higher level. In 2013, China's then superstar Xin Xu joined forces with the UAE team to launch the initiative at the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships in Paris.
The non-profit venture between the UAE Table Tennis Association, Dubai Sports Council and Falcon and Associates has seen novices to experts participate on free-to-use tables, and over 1,000 players have taken part in the open tournaments so far.
Free-to-use outdoor tables have been installed at several parks across the emirate. Also Corporate Challenge events have been staged at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and the programme has touched base during the Art Nights at DIFC.
The Ping Pong Dubai Facebook page has grown unbelievably as a community platform for table tennis fans in the emirate, with more than 17,000 followers.
Ping Pong Dubai officially got under way in June 2013 at Dubai Sports World, the largest indoor summer sports event in the Middle East, and returned to the venue for the 2014 summer session.
Source: Khaleej Times