Your Board of Directors wish all our Members a very Happy New Year.
We have continued, in 2010, to be busy with our programmes including the development and launch of the ITTA Participation Intitiative which has streamlined the application process for participation funding, the appointment of Rhona Daly as Women in Sport Co-ordinator and the extension of the STIGA Challenger Series which has been a runaway success. The Senior Schools International 2010 set a benchmark for hosting quality international table tennis events in Ireland, with the facilities and organisation of the event in Limerick of the highest quality – Ireland also recorded a record medal haul at this event. We also continued to support the activities of our elite international teams, with over 20 international events entered over the course of 2010, inculding Paul McCreery, who was the first Irish player to qualify for the World Junior Championships.
2011 will be an exciting year for the Association, with an increased focus on our showpiece domestic events, with the Senior Nationals set to become a 2 day festival of table tennis. We return to Limerick for the Junior/Cadet Six Nations, where we intend to host a fantastic 3 days of table tennis. The Association will also continue its focus on participation and quality participation projects – expect a major announcement in this area in early January. We also will look to work more closely with Leagues and League/recreational players to bring them under the umbrella of their NGB – the launch of the Challenger Series for adults should help in this regard.
Liaison will continue with the provinces, other National Governing Bodies both in Ireland, Europe and the rest of the World, as well as the 2 Sports Councils, the Olympic Council, the Federation of Sports Associations and others.
We would like to thank the many Members around the Island who gave so much of their time and money to support the development of Table Tennis, be they Members of Provincial Branches, Committees, Leagues, Clubs or indeed helped in any way. Without the help of all our sport would be the poorer.
With best wishes.
ITTA Board:
Chairman: Joe Hickey
Secretary: Ken Strong
Finance: Chris Cowan
Technical: John O’Donoghue
Marketing: Tony Farrell