The Federation of Irish Sport created the Volunteer in Sport awards to ensure the Sport’s Volunteer is recognised and celebrated on a national scale. The Federation are delighted to partner with EBS to recognise the dedication and passion of these volunteers by heroing them at an awards ceremony.
Nominations are open to all members of the public and the award ceremony is due to take place virtually in December 2021.
To nominate an everyday hero, and to be in with the chance of winning €1,000 for your local sports club, simply visit www.volunteersinsport.ie. Nominations can be made by a club, individual or sporting body and are open from September 7th 2021, to October 17th 2021.
On Tuesday the 6th of April we at Table Tennis Ireland celebrated World Table Tennis Day. We hosted an online live session with 2 of our female players and coaches. We hosted the event in conjunction with the ITTF Foundation #FEMpowerment movement.
Our inspiring hosts showcased many skills and tricks to those that attended and brought them through a live Table Tennis session. As one of the ITTF Foundation promoters for World Table Tennis Day our event was a huge success, and we had a record number of approximately 50 attendees who joined in on the session.
We would like to thank Craigavon for their help and support in allowing us to have access to their venue to host our event. In addition, thanks to Joe Colvin who provided all necessary support to ensure that we hosted a successful live session.
Throughout the day many of our female members set skill challenges for everyone to try out. Many participants have also entered in various skill competitions to win some cool prizes.
We would like to express our gratitude to our female members who helped us promote and run our event. They have inspired many women to participate in sport. A special thank you to Rachael Scott, Rebecca Finn, Erin Thompson, Claire Heller, Mia O’Rahilly Egan, Nicole Scott, Amanda Taylor, Rachel Taylor, Lucy Johnston, Lucy Craig, Thuy Linh Cashman, Tara Fusco and Sophie Earley. Their participation ensured the success of our event and helped spread awareness and visibility of Women in Sport within the table tennis community.
Check out our video below, the highlights of how we celebrated World Table Tennis Day.
World Table Tennis Day Skills Competition
We wish to thank everyone who took part in our World Table Tennis Day skills competition. We had many great entries but there could only be a few winners! We wish to announce our winners of the skill competitions:
Overall Female Winner – Emily Kidd
Joint Overall Male Winner – Boris Bonchev
Joint Overall Male Winner – Stefan Bonchev
Coach Rebecca’s Choice – Eimear Hutchinson
Coach Rachael’s Choice – Ciara Hutchinson
Best short touch Challenge – Rachel Taylor
Best Keep-Up Challenge – Amanda Taylor
Best Accuracy Challenge – Sophia Cogan
Best Creative Entry – Emma Rowe
Best Side Edge Challenge – Dilyara Boncheva
Congratulations to all of our winners!
We had a very successful and enjoyable World Table Tennis Day as one of the promoters for the ITTF initiative for #FEMpowerment. We can’t wait for next year’s World Table Tennis Day.
The Events Committee has decided that the competition calendar will be suspended until 2021. Gatherings of players for events continues to be suspended, no competitive tournament or league activity can take place.
The Committee will be working with the Branches to identify suitable alternative dates for affected Provincial Opens, however the outlook into 2021 remains dynamic, and the situation may for some time continue to be unpredictable.
Subject to restrictions, the situation regarding National Squad activity and Camps will be reviewed again in November, to evaluate the possibility of some limited resumption, before the end of the year, in this area.
The Association will also be organising additional online development modules over the next number of weeks, details of which will be issued in advance.
The situation for Clubs/individuals is as per the TTI Return to Table Tennis Framework, but may also be subject to additional local, travel or jurisdictional restrictions. Most leisure facilities will be closed in accordance with their limitations under national guidance, and the TTI Protocols or Framework do not supersede such directives. Any table tennis ‘businesses’, open access facilities, or pay as you play facilities, are also bound by national guidance, limiting commercial activity to specific sectors/companies and categories of worker, and as such should also be closed. Limited individual activity may take place, in accordance with general governmental guidelines, and only on condition that all necessary hygiene, distancing and facility based protective measures are taken, however all participants should err on the side of caution, subject to the limitations of the space in which they are practicing. Players should only train or exercise in their own Club, and should not be participating in activity in different Clubs.
As previously stated within TTI Return to Play protocols, all guidance around resumption/continuation of sporting activity is provided for volunteers and staff whose health circumstances and demographic places them at low risk of infection. As previously advised, personal or local circumstances, conditions and facilities, including regarding higher dangers of levels of contagion and transmission, and/or the physical layout of particular premises or facilities, may be such as to indicate a longer suspension of activity for certain localities, groups and individuals, according to those specific circumstances. Individuals, or groups, who consider themselves to be ‘at risk’ should, regarding any future return to activity, make the decision which best suits their circumstances and take the precautions they believe are most suitable for those circumstances. Thus, the current period of restrictions may be extended by clubs or facilities, according to their circumstances.
As indicated, the situation remains unpredictable, and will be kept under ongoing review.
The Award recipients are normally announced at the Annual General Meeting, however, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the delayed National Championships, the Awards were deferred.
Principal among the Awards is the Joe Veselsky Award which is presented each season, in recognition of endeavour and achievement in administration, to a person over the age of 35 years, and who has served a minimum of 5 years. The recipient of this season’s award is Brian Finn, who has for many years been involved in running the Veterans area of table tennis.
He had been responsible for undertaking the onerous task of organizing the Home Nations Veterans Championships when they were staged in Ireland in 2013, and is also leading the project for the 2020 Championships, now postponed until 2021. Brian has been integral to the revival and regeneration of the veterans category in Ireland over the last 10 years and is a worthy recipient of the most prestigious award in Irish table tennis.
The Senior Male Player of the Year has been awarded to end of season Irish No. 1, Ryan Farrell, and the Senior Female Player of the Year to Sophie Earley, also ranked No.1 at the end of the season.
Other Awards decided are:
Junior Male Player of the Year: Art McLaughlin
Junior Female Player of the Year: Mia O’Rahilly Egan
Fair Play Award: Jonathan Mooney
Para Award: Eoin Kelly
Male Coach of the Year: Alan Hurley
Female Coach of the Year: Erin Thompson
Volunteer of the Year: Henrik Heckmann
Club of the Year: St. Anne’s, Dungannon
International Performance: Sophie Earley
The presentation of these awards will take place at a suitable time and venue later in the season.
Congratulations to all recipients of these awards.
The deadline for nominations is Friday the 25th September 2020. The Awards are sponsored by the EBS.
The Federation of Irish Sport created the Volunteer in Sport awards to ensure the Sport’s Volunteer is recognised and celebrated on a national scale. The Federation are delighted to partner with EBS to recognise the dedication and passion of these volunteers by heroing them at an awards ceremony. Nominations are open to all members of the public and the award ceremony is due to take place on the 16th November
Table Tennis Ireland invites nominations under its Awards Scheme for the 2019/2020 season. Nominations for all the Award categories must be received on the specified form by FRIDAY 1st of May 2020 at 5pm. Applications can be emailed to [email protected] or posted to Irish Sport HQ, Sport Ireland National Sports Campus, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, D15 DY62.
Please note that there will be two awards made within the Junior Player of the Year category.
Please click HERE for the Nomination Form and please click HERE for the Criteria for the Awards Scheme
Should you have any queries on the Awards Scheme, please contact by email or by phone at +353 1 6251135.
Table Tennis Ireland invites nominations under its Awards Scheme for the 2019/2020 season. Nominations for all the Award categories must be received on the specified form by WEDNESDAY 29th of APRIL 2020 at 5pm. Applications can be emailed to [email protected] or posted to Irish Sport HQ, Sport Ireland National Sports Campus, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15.
Please note that there will be two awards made within the Junior Player of the Year category.
Please click HERE for the Nomination Form and please click HERE for the Criteria for the Awards Scheme
Should you have any queries on the Awards Scheme, please contact by email or by phone at +353 1 6251135.
Pictured are Mary O’Connor (CEO Federation of Irish Sport), Ken Strong and Richie Gernon(EBS). The Volunteer in Sport Awards ceremony took place on Tuesday 12th of November 2019 in Farmleigh House in Dublin. At the ceremony, Ken Strong was announced as the overall winner of the Volunteer in Sport Award for Co. Tyrone respresenting the sport of table tennis. Ken has been involved in many capacities in Irish Table Tennis for 50 years, from Chairman of Tyrone Table Tennis to National Senior Men’s coach at World, European and Six Nations Championships. He has served as Chairperson, Secretary and International Director on the Board of Table Tennis Ireland, as well as on the management committee, followed recently by 4 years as President. His longevity, dedication, personal sacrifice and professional contribution continues to this day. The Federation of Irish Sport Volunteers in Sport Awards recognise the contribution of the 450,000 people who ensure sport in Ireland happens each week. It is estimated that 37.2 million hours of volunteering, across Ireland’s 14,000+ sports clubs and associations, occurs each year.
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