The ITTF Sports Science and Medical Committee, together with the Local Organising Committee of the ITTF World Team Championships Finals Busan 2024, seized the opportunity to promote table tennis research programs at the university level.

Members of the ITTF Sports Science and Medical Committee, along with ITTF Sports Director Mikael Andersson, visited Pukyong National University during the event. They met with researchers including Siddhartha Bikram Panday from Hanyang University, Angelita Bautista Cruz from Keimyung University, Amir Kamandi from FastPong Corp., and the host, Pukyong National Universitys Jongchul Park.

The three universities are prestigious private and public institutions located in major cities within the country. Each offers well-established physical education and sports science programmes. Pukyong National University, situated in Busan, has nearly 300 undergraduate and graduate students studying in the Department of Marine Sports under the Division of Smart Healthcare at the College of Information Technology and Convergence. Keimyung University, located in Daegu, accommodates over 800 students at both undergraduate and graduate levels in its College of Physical Education (PE). The College of PE comprises four major departments: Kinesiology, Taekwondo, Sport Marketing, and Silver Sports. Hanyang University, located in Seoul, enrolls almost 300 undergraduate and graduate students majoring in either the Department of Physical Education or the Department of Sport Industry within the College of Performing Arts and Sport. Meanwhile, FastPong Corp. is a company that manufactures, distributes, and sells a table tennis training system incorporating visual stimulations to facilitate the learning and performance of players of all ages.

ITTF is seeking sports scientists involved in scientific work in table tennis. Meeting with colleagues from all over Korea Republic provides an excellent opportunity to forge new paths and discuss options for joint projects. We are aware that success in table tennis is much more likely if players follow a sound training program based on scientific training principles to prepare themselves physically and mentally for the rigorous demands of national and international competitions. Coaches are therefore obliged to encourage players to base their training on scientific principles to enhance their performance and remain injury-free, pointed out the chair of ITTF Sports Science and Medical Committee, Prof. Miran Kondric. We are delighted to see the very active role of South Korean researchers, and we are keen to follow up on their studies published in Korea. Our aim is to present the results of Korean studies to foreign researchers and connect them to cooperate at different levels of interest, he added.

Im very pleased that members of the ITTF Sports Science and Medical Committee and ITTF officials were able to visit Pukyong National University. Showing our facilities and sharing our research projects with them were great opportunities not only for me but also for my students, expressed Professor Park.

Professor Siddharta was also delighted about the meeting. With the FastPong table tennis training system we are currently testing, we look forward to sharing our results with the table tennis community.

Furthermore, with table tennis-related data accessible in real-time, coaches, teachers, and even players can benefit from using the system when examining training progress and performance, added Mr. Amir, FastPong CEO.

Finally, after hearing about the goals of the Sports Science and Medical Committee, While it is not going to be easy, I believe that our group is definitely up for the challenge to be research collaborators and supporters of table tennis, said Professor Cruz with enthusiasm.

The ITTF Sport Science and Medical Committee is dedicated to advancing the field of table tennis through increased investment in research, ensuring coaches and players have access to cutting-edge scientific resources, and enhancing performance and medical standards on the global stage.