MaltaMedia.com

Last month saw a myriad of activities in the local table tennis scene with members of the Table Tennis Academy being at the forefront of all activities.

The main event was the Junior World Circuit of the International Table Tennis Federation which was hosted in Malta for the first time. Elite cadet and junior players from all over Europe, including Malta, took part in singles and doubles tournaments over 4days – this was preceded by a training camp for these promising players. The Maltese contingent was largely made up of players from the Table Tennis Academy, noticeable among these were the likes of Daniel Vella Fondacaro, Steve Bugeja, Andrew Gambina, James Dawson and Andrea Portelli.

Last Saturday the Civil Service Sports Club in Valletta was a beehive of activity with the 4th ranking tournament for TTA players, all vying for the honors. Events were held for all categories (one star to five star), as well as for boys and girls. The five-star category saw Daniel Vella Fondacaro pipping Steve Bugeja for first place, with brothers Daniel and Marcus Portelli taking third and fourth place respectively.

Soon to take off will be the popular Davis Cup at the Table Tennis Academy with a record entry of 12 teams, each of two players, playing singles and doubles events over a period of two months. Games will be played at the TTA premises in the CSSC, Valletta, under the watchful eyes of head coaches Mario Genovese and Edward Baldacchino. More information about the Academy and its operation can be obtained from the website www.tabletennisacademy.com