Table service now available every week in Merthyr

Author: Graham Thomas

Merthyr Tydfils’ sporting heritage is rich and well-documented, but a new chapter is being written thanks to an innovative link-up between the towns university and the Welsh Table Tennis Association.

Famous sporting sons and daughters of the old industrial city, such as boxers Howards Winstone and Johnny Owen, judoka Natalie Powell, footballer Mark Pembridge and netballer Chelsea Lewis, could soon join the ranks of the next generation of table tennis internationals.

But as well as creating a high performance center for the sport and a table tennis academy based at Merthyr College, the partnership has also created a new community club for players of all ages and abilities.

Sport Wales have partnered with us to bring table tennis to the community in a big way. Read more about this great partnership and how it will open new doors for table tennis in the region.
https://t.co/qGgtqi5MSs@walesTT @Graham_Thomas @Dai_Sport@ColegauCymru @sportwales

— College Merthyr Tydfil (@CollegeMerthyr) March 28, 2023

Merthyr College, which already hosts a golf academy, hopes their table tennis academy will not only be a game changer for young players, but also change perceptions of the town itself.

Parents who bring their children to attend this college are generally impressed with the building, says Simon Evans, director of data and performance.

They tell me they were expecting a dilapidated school in a poor area, but point out that this one is wonderful.

It’s about overcoming that ingrained opinion of what Merthyr is all about. It is the most difficult obstacle we face. So the High Performance Unit has helped change those perceptions, and so has the academy.

For Table Tennis Wales, the partnership agreement with Merthyr College provides a high quality coaching opportunity for their best young players, but also one that opens the door for the wider community to come and try the sport.

Welsh football and Welsh table tennis were on fire last night. @walesTT @merthyrsport @MsportsacademyC @TeesSport1 @Joshmorgan18 Great session in Merthyr!! pic.twitter.com/psYGzy0xnV

– Stephen Jenkins (@jenkinsTT) March 25, 2022

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They can be young hopefuls who play on a Wednesday and want to take up the game for the first time, or adults who want to play the sport for its fitness benefits and sociality.

Owen Rodgers, chief executive of Table Tennis Wales, insists the strategy to grow the sport in Wales needs to do more than just cater to the 28 existing clubs in areas with relatively good sporting facilities.

Support for our existing clubs is a given, but development must also take place outside these clubs – and this is outside, here in Merthyr, where there has been no table tennis club, he says.

It’s about finding raw talent and developing it for performance goals and trying to help those players go as far as they can.

But we also meet our goals for diversity and equality. That’s why we link up with organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs of Wales because they do exactly the same work.

Tonight was the first session of our new community club at Merthyr College. The hall was full of children enjoying table tennis @sportwales @BGCWales @dsw_news @chwaraeonyrurdd @ActiveMerthyr @MsportsacademyC pic.twitter.com/cWoI7zCpnO

— Owen Rodgers (@owenrodgers4) March 1, 2023

The ingredients for success seem to be a promising modern, high-quality hall and facilities, the energy of the local youth and an inspiring young coach.

We have great facilities here, we have enthusiasm and in this case we just needed a well-known coach, Callum – who attracts people, adds Owen.

We have started a community club and the measure of success is how many are here after three months.

This can go wrong. But if you don’t want to, you’ll never develop things, and we know that our sport has certainly had a diversity problem, as it has in others.

A worthwhile opportunity for Simon Evans to find the next Callum Evans or Team Wales Commonwealth Games medal winners, Charlotte Carey or Anna Hursey and use table tennis to benefit the local area and college.

“Unfortunately, many of our students have never been to Cardiff and are unlikely to be able to afford to commute to university,” adds Simon.

But if they can walk in here and be the next Anna, the next Charlotte or the next Callum, that would be fantastic.

That’s what it’s all about for me. You will give them the best education and improve the image of Merthyr as a town.

And we offer other Academy students the opportunity to enter an area they would never have considered.

Great to be here with the new release @walesTT table tennis club @CollegeMerthyr sessions are running every Wednesday from 5pm! Come down and give it a try pic.twitter.com/blMVcP7sRi

— BGC Wales (@BGCWales) March 1, 2023

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