The ITTF Team World Cup took place at London’s Copper Box from 22 – 25th February 2018. As the second most prestigious competition in the table tennis international calendar, it means the world’s best players came to London and millions of fans watched from around the globe. The event was shown live on the BBC Sport website and England won a bronze medal in the men’s competition.
The major event has created a unique opportunity for Table Tennis England to deliver a lasting legacy project that will benefit grassroots table tennis and improve the lives of people living, working and studying in East London.
This piece of work is being supported by the Mayor of London and is part-funded by the Greater London Authority’s Major Events Engagement Fund.
Matthew Ryder, Deputy Mayor of London said: “I am honoured to be working with Table Tennis England by supporting their Team World Cup Community Legacy programme. It’s giving Londoners of all ages and backgrounds a chance to try table tennis for themselves at home, at work and in their communities. It’s also given 2,000 London school children the chance to enjoy the Team World Cup Event for free.”
Table Tennis England will create unique experiences for table tennis players – including making the game more accessible for children and young people in London and South East England. The project has supported building club and school links to break down barriers to make table tennis a sport for all.
The project includes:
- 10 club-school table tennis table packages including coaching and a TWC themed event
- Free tickets to the event for schools involved
- Young Leaders Course for pupils involved
- Teachers course to help teachers support table tennis in their schools
- Discounted Level One Coaching and Umpiring courses
Liz Morpurgo, PE co-ordinator at Sir Thomas Abney School, London said: “The kids were really excited about coming and seeing the players for themselves. We have a table tennis team at school and they felt really motivated by coming to watch the players. The atmosphere has been amazing. They loved the fan zone and meeting the players. They have been really inspired by it.”
The project will inspire thousands of East Londoners to lead more active lifestyles and enjoy the benefits of social sports participation – however busy everyday life gets.
The project focusses on five East London Boroughs (Newham, Hackney, Barking & Dagenham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest). It is being delivered through partnerships with London borough councils, businesses and community organisations who want to use table tennis to improve people’s quality of life.
