Aspire Academy has hosted a highly successful table tennis training camp, which included players from Sweden, India, and Croatia.
They were joined by four Aspire Academy student-athletes and two players nominated by the Qatar Table Tennis Federation.
The 10-day camp was led by Aspire’s Head Table Tennis Coach, Peter Karlsson, who was assisted by his senior coach, Jakov Krivic.
Along with the young players, there were visiting coaches from India and Croatia.
Their visit was not limited to table tennis but included sightseeing and a trip to the desert to highlight and promote all that Qatar has to offer.
Josip Jerkovic, part of Croatia’s national team coaching staff, was overseeing the progress of two 17-year-olds from the junior ranks.
He highlighted that the training offered the chance to work on things such as leg strength and improving mobility, and it was not purely about the technical side of the game.
He was impressed by the facilities and the support staff, such as strength and conditioning experts and equipment staff, who worked with the main coaches.
The coach was delighted that his two youngsters were getting the opportunity to play against and train with a variety of opponents.
“So, most of the time, they only get to play against each other – there are limited opportunities for them to spar against other players,” he explained.
So for us, it’s very, very important to come to camps like this and travel around the whole world as much as we can to play with other players.”
“It is here that we see how other players serve and spin the ball to get results—not to mention differences in equipment, too. For example, we have seen a player here with a different rubber on his bat.”
Jerkovic was also full of praise for the facilities at Aspire as well as the coaching staff.
“We have learned a lot from Peter (Karlsson), who, as a player, was very focused and combative and is now very calm and patient with the youngsters, which has helped me learn how to manage the players.”
“The facilities are incredible. Our boys have had the chance not only to play table tennis under great conditions but also to explore other sports here at Aspire.”
“Away from the sport, we have seen everything Qatar has to offer, as well.”
One of the Swedish players, Isak Alfredsen, said that he had been using the camp to work on the psychological side of his game, taking on opponents from around the world.
“I’ve been working on my mental game; I think playing many matches against different opponents is good to practice mentally,” he explained.
“For example, the Croatian players play a bit more backhand, and the Qatari players like to play long services and then just start the game quickly.”
He will also be returning home with great memories from his visit to Qatar.
“Qatar as a country has been surprising. It’s been so good. We went sightseeing one day and saw places like Lusail Marina and The Pearl, which are both beautiful. Not to forget the desert, that was really nice.”
Rishabh Saini, the senior coach at the Anshul Garg Academy Foundation in India, accompanied four players aged between 13 and 19 and was full of praise for the time his team spent at Aspire.
“Aspire is one of the very best academies, with excellent facilities. It has offered great hospitality and created a very good atmosphere here,” he said. “It’s very important for us and the other players to play against players of other nationalities and experience different styles and approaches to table tennis.”
For the Aspire and QTTF players the camp is preparation for the West Asia event at the end of August in Jordan.
Aspire coach Karlsson was keen to point out that these training camps are not simply about table tennis development.
“The interaction away from the tables is also important for these kids to learn and meet people from different parts of the world,” he said.
“When these international players go back to their countries, we want them to say, ‘Wow, what a camp.’”
“We should use the unique opportunities we have in the country, and when the boys go back, they can be great ambassadors, not only for Aspire but also for the country.
“We want them to be talking not just table tennis but about their whole visit to Qatar.”
The West Asia Championships will begin in Amman, Jordan, on 26 August and run for five days featuring under-11, under-13, under-15, under-17 and senior categories. The players will travel on 24 August.
