A busy schedule lies ahead for the 68 players and associated coaches, all with aspirations of following in the footsteps the young Chinese players and perhaps even going beyond.

However, the ITTF World Cadet Challenge, with a well-established tradition is much more than just another table tennis tournament; similar to the recent ITTF Parkinson’s World Championships which brought players together in a spirit of harmony and understanding, the gathering in Wladyslawowo does the same.

It gives young players an education that no classroom in any school can provide; young people in their formative years meet like-minded from different cultures, religions and societies. Arguably amongst the initiatives propounded by the International Table Tennis Federation this century, it is very much at the top of the list where “taking part” is measure.

Schedule

Matters commence with a three day training camp on Wednesday October, the programme being under the guidance of Poland’s Lezsek Kucharski. Now 60 years old, a wealth of experience, he was a member of Poland’s bronze medal winning team at the 1985 World Championships in Gothenburg, later in 1987 in New Delhi in the men’s doubles event he secured the same colour medal in harness with colleague Andreij Grubba, before in 1989 in Dortmund emerging the silver medallist in harness Zran Kalinic, representing the country at the time known as Yugoslavia.

Three days of training in which each of the eight teams practise against each other; competition commences with the team events on Saturday 26th October. On Monday 28th October there is a break in proceedings for cultural day, the individual events beginning on Tuesday 29th October, matters concluding on Thursday 31st October.