Local table tennis scene on the rise

St. Vital

Wildwood

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This article was published 23/08/2023 (1116 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The future of table tennis in this province looks bright.

Carlos Cuadra, executive director of the Manitoba Table Tennis Association, has been in the role since April, and he’s excited how the landscape of the sport looks at the grassroots level.

The 27-year-old native of Nicaragua said one of the things he loves about table tennis is the complexity of the sport, not least the fact it involves lots of moving parts that happen in a short space of time.

“It’s a fast sport, and you have to strategize in an instant,” said Cuadra, who replaced longtime former executive director Ron Edwards. “Many times, the ball comes at you so quickly, you have no time to doubt what you’re doing. You need to rely on yourself and rely on your training.”

To help spread the word and promote the sport, the MTTA has partnered with The Forks and is currently holding table tennis session on Tuesday nights from 6 to 8 p.m. until Sept. at 1 Forks Market Rd. The session take place at outdoor table tennis stations near the CN field, where interested individuals are invited to come by and pick up a paddle and learn a few new skills and tricks of the game.

In July, at the national table tennis championships in Drummondville, Que., the Manitoba trio of Samantha Belches, 15, and sisters Victoria Lee, 14, and Alexus Lee, 12, brought home gold medals for Manitoba in the U15 girls team event, under the guidance of coach Terry Zhang.

The girls have also practised as a team with provincial coach Arvin Tronco.

Victoria and Alexus’ mother, Joanne Zhang, is an active volunteer and coach in the local tennis table community, and she was thrilled by the recent success of the trio.

“It’s very exciting,” said Zhang, who lives in St. Vital, noting Victoria attends St. John’s-Ravenscourt School, while Alexus goes to St. Emile Catholic School.

“There was lots of drama at nationals, and some highs and lows, but it was a very satisfying result in the end,” she added.

As a part of the coaching crew in Quebec, Zhang said it was tense knowing her daughters were playing while she was coaching another game.

“I had to focus on the game I was coaching, so it was a little nerve-racking,” she said.

Cuadra said the future of the sport in Manitoba looks positive, and he’s thrilled to be part of it moving forward.