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Eddy Tay has been the team manager for the Singapore national team since 2008. Notably since his appointment, Singapore won the women’s title at the Liebherr 2010 World Team Championships in Moscow; in addition he received the Coaching Commendation award in 2003 from the Singapore Sport Council
“It has been a good learning journey for me to be a course conductor. I feel honoured and I am delighted to share my experiences and contribute to table tennis in Singapore.” Eddy Tay
Vast experience in coaching and management for the national team made Eddy Tay the ideal candidate to be an ITTF/PTT Level One coaching course conductor.
All responded to the efforts of Eddy Tay, none more so than Tay Jit Kiat, 24 years old, a former Singapore team youth player.
“I feel the coaching course and the instructor taught me a lot of basic knowledge while keeping it interesting. The para portion was very new to me because I never experienced it before and I feel it is quite challenging. The course was conducted in a very professional way with a lot of knowledge.” Tay Jit Kiat
Likewise former junior international, Yin Jingyuan, 22 years old, was most positive.
“This course allowed me to explore different types of coaching styles. The course conductor was also able to share his vast experience and explain the latest developments in table tennis. I have also learned a lot about the application of sport science in table tennis and various factors to consider when conducting training and competitions which will go a long way to help me to be a better coach. Most importantly, I met other coaches. My instructor, Eddy Tay, shared with me the experiences as a coach and team manager, broadening my horizons.” Yin Jingyuan
Overall, a total of 17 participants passed the course.
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Notably in addition to the hosts, players and coaches from Burundi, Congo Brazzaville and Gabon attended.
Overall the initiative proved a great success, all the players and coaches responded; the local media taking a great deal of interest in proceedings.
Most notably there were 12 features on television; also, six radio stations in addition to four local newspapers covered the event. In particular,on Sunday 28th April from 3.30 pm to 6.10 pm there was live television coverage.
Present for the occasion was Jean Marie Okouna Olandzobo, President of the African Central Region, as well as President of the Congolese Table Tennis Federation.
It was a great opportunity to discover African talents; thanks are extended to the International Table Tennis Federation, the Africa Table Tennis Federation and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Proceeding concluded with the Challenge tournament, one in which the host nation excelled. Exauce Ngefuasa and Lily Dinanga won the respective cadet boys’ singles and cadet girls’ singles title. Similarly, Malola Fernando secured the under 12 boys’ singles title. The one title to elude the Democratic Republic of the Congo came in the under 21 girls’ singles competition, the event being won by Burundi’s Gateka Yakin.
A busy week, most rewarding and one from which the region has most certainly benefitted; the potential was evident, the task is nurture and develop the unquestioned talent.
The next competition in Kinshasa is the Continental Cadet, Hopes Week and Challenge to be stage at the Pullman Hotel from Saturday 8th to Saturday 15th June.
2019 Central Africa Regional Cadet, Hopes Week and Challenge: Full Results (Sunday 28th April)
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Overall, a total of 30 coaches attended, most significantly there was a vast age range, the youngest member being 16 years old, the most senior 60 years of age.
“The Delhi Public School has a distinct focus on table tennis with a world class facility. The school’s table tennis facility is fast becoming famous globally as a high quality table tennis destination and has a name of its own “Pinnacle Table Tennis Academy”. In past the school has produced many junior and senior level champions and boasts names of the many coaches who are Level One and Level Two certified.” Harpreet Singh
Supported by Mrs Rajoo Mann, the Chair; the Head of Sport at the Delhi Public School is Dr. Virender Rana, a National Institute of Sports graduate and former table tennis player. He leads a young and dynamic team, focusing very much on the development of the individual whether it be players or coaches.
“When we started to build the table tennis facility, people were ok to have a small facility but we never settle for second best. We ensured that we created one of the best facilities for table tennis in India.” Rajoo Mann
A most successful initiative, it is one that sets a splendid example.
“The Pinnacle Table Tennis Academy in Sonipat has set the standards in India for residential table tennis academies and shown a way for other schools as well how to set up such facilities which will produce champions.” Harpreet Singh
All responded to the efforts of Harpreet Singh in what was a ground breaking venture.
“Even though it was a first time experience for the Delhi Public School to conduct an ITTF/PTT Level One course; the team of Miss. Komal Dhamija, Mr.Ashutosh Sharma and Mr. Mohan from Tenvic were able to pull everything together with great efficiency.” Harpreet Singh
A fruitful endeavour and one appreciated by M.P. Singh, Secretary General of the Table Tennis Federation of India.
“The Table Tennis Federation of India is committed to encourage such enthusiasm for creating world class table tennis facilities in India, which will enable all players and coaches to have right environment to practice the sport and be the best in the world.” M.P. Singh
Enthusiasm combined with effort was plentiful; it was for all a most rewarding experience.
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Furthermore, it was success for the host nation. Nathan Pellissier, Trevor Hirth and Joel Coughlan secured top spots without experiencing defeat.
Nathan Pellissier, the top seed, accounted for colleague Jake Ballestrino (11-6, 11-7, 11-7) and New Zealand’s Matthew Britz (11-2, 11-5, 11-4). Similarly Trevor Hirth, the no.2 seed, was in form. He beat Connor Holdback (11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4) also from Australia, prior to overcoming Fiji’s John Christopher (11-7, 11-5, 11-4). Meanwhile, Joel Coughlan, the no.3 seed, prevailed in opposition to Tonga’s Iotili Loamanu (11-5, 11-3, 11-2) and when facing New Zealand’s Victor Kamizona (11-8, 11-2, 11-6).
First places determined, the question in the one remaining match in each group is as to who gains second place and thus progress to the main draw.
Similarly, in women’s singles class 6-10 where there are two groups in the initial stage of play, the leading names, both from the host nation, posting convincing wins in their one and only matches on the opening day. Both opened their accounts with successes against compatriots. Melissa Tapper, the top seed, beat Rebecca Julian (11-2, 11-4, 11-1), Andresa McDonnell accounted for Christine Wolf (11-4, 11-2, 11-4).
Outcomes as very much anticipated but in the one further event that witnessed play on the opening day, there was a surprise. In men’s singles class 3-5, Shadrack Timothy, the top seed, was beaten by Australia’s Caleb Crowden (11-8, 11-8, 11-8); an upset but not in the corresponding group, also from Australia, Chen Junjian, the no.2 seed and winner two years ago in Suva of the men’s class 2-3 title, was in no mood for charity. He beat New Zealand’s Patrick Todman in three straight games (11-2, 11-3, 11-2).
Play concludes in Darwin on Saturday 4th May.
Para Oceania Championships 2019: Latest Results & Draws
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Each day play commenced at 8.00 am and ended at 6.00 pm, matters concluding with the traditional competition from which the leading players progress to attend the Continental Hopes Tournament scheduled to be staged in June in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Uganda emerged the most successful nation. Amaniyo Flavia and Kasoma Tendo won the respective under 15 girls’ and under 15 boys’ events; Wabugoya Juma emerged the under 12 boys’ champion. The one interloper was Rwanda’s Hirwa Kelia, she won the under 12 girls’ event.
Understandably, Jiagwe Robert, President of Uganda Table Tennis Association, was delighted, the success a reward for the efforts made in the past two years.
“This marks the very first time in the history of Ugandan Table Tennis that we are sending a team of cadet and hopes players to the Continental African Championships. There has always been some neglect of these young ones but we have now put good eyes on them and these are the fruits of our efforts and the extra ordinary work being done by our coaches, clubs and schools.” Jiagwe Robert
Delighted with the results, Jiagwe Robert was most positive about the future.
“This performance is proof that table tennis now has a very clear and admirable future. We have very many young players now and to have these young ones performing. We are extremely excited that it is the young ones who have helped Uganda to finally conquer our Eastern Zone of Africa.” Jiagwe Robert
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BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — May 1 marked 25 years since the death of racing legend Ayrton Senna.
The weekend of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix was a horrible one. Roland Ratzenberger was killed in an accident during qualifying and then Senna lost his life in a single-car crash during the opening laps of the following day’s race.
Back in 2004, 10 years after Senna’s accident, McLaren team boss Ron Dennis met with a small group of journalists, including yours truly, to reflect on the life and times of the Brazilian who drove for McLaren from 1998 through 1993 and won three world championships with the team.
“When he joined our team, he did not have a sense of humor,” Dennis recalled. “That doesn’t really go down well in our team. Some of you consider us gray and uninteresting and lacking passion and ‘esprit de corps.’ But it is just not like that inside the team. If I reflect back, he didn’t have a sense of humor, and it was important that he had one.
“I started the process of trying to give him an understanding of the value of laughter, and what a great way it was to break tension in a situation. Of course, it became an amusing mission for (teammate) Gerhard Berger and myself. Practical jokes ran consistently through the team and they were sometimes extreme.
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The practical jokes between Senna and Berger were wild indeed.
“In Australia, Gerhard stole Ayrton’s passport,” Dennis said, “and we surgically removed the picture from the passport and cut out of a very dubious magazine an equivalent sized photo of male genitalia and carefully put it back with cello tape so that at a glance you didn’t realize that anything had taken place.
“When Ayrton came back to Europe he immediately got on an airplane and flew to Brazil. He had to go through Argentina and that was the first time anybody looked at his passport. They were not amused and he spent 24 hours in Argentina because they would not allow him to pass through Argentina without the passport being rectified.”
Senna was a tough negotiator when it came to contract time. During one negotiation, Dennis and Senna were half-a-million dollars apart.
“It became a point of principle — who was actually going to win that last part of the negotiations,” Dennis said. “His English wasn’t perfect at that stage, so the moment came when I suggest to breaking the deadlock by tossing a coin. It was something that clearly didn’t happen in Brazil — the concept of tossing a coin to break a deadlock. So it took a while to explain it. Then, of course, it got quite serious because we realized that if we were going to do this as a way to break the deadlock we should be very clear about the rules. I literally had to draw a picture of a head and a picture of a tail and select a coin and say this is you and this is me, it can’t land on the side. It has to be flat.
“When we got the rules and had been over them several times, then it was who was going to toss the coin, were we going to catch it, was it going to fall to the ground?” Dennis explained. “We had a couple of practice runs. It was a very small office with a brown shag carpeting, so it was not a particularly good surface on which this coin was going to land. We threw the coin, and it rolled under the curtain. He lifted the curtain and it was flat, it rolled off the side of the curtain onto the parquet flooring. I won the bet.
“It wasn’t until I was driving away that I realized that it was a three-year contract and in fact $1.5 million that we had thrown a coin for,” Dennis added. “I somewhat doubt that anyone has tossed a coin for $1.5 million. That sounds like we were disrespectful for money, but it was nothing to do with that, it was simply a way to break the deadlock.”
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CONCORD, N.C. – On Tuesday, multi-time AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Series champion car owner Richard Hoffman passed away after a recent illness.
Hoffman was a major part of the United States Auto Club pit area for more than six decades, following in the footsteps of his father Gus, and the immense outpouring of memories and support on social media in the wake of his passing directly reflected his impact within the racing industry.
SPEED SPORT has collected a sampling of those Twitter messages, which can be viewed below.
We are deeply saddened by the loss of a great man. Please keep your thoughts & prayers with the family of Richard Hoffman. It’s truly been an honor to drive for him over the last several years and the relationship we were able to build over that time is something I will cherish. pic.twitter.com/djWjTaSNxT
— Brady Bacon (@BradyBacon) April 30, 2019
Heartbroken to hear the loss of a great businessman, a great car owner, a great man and a great friend. @richhoffman69 you will be so missed by many. Rest In Peace Sir. pic.twitter.com/VncckNXaZi
— Chad Boespflug (@ChadBoespflug) April 30, 2019
Saddened to hear the passing of Richard Hoffman. Thoughts and prayers to @hoffmanracing and the Hoffman family. ?? #69
— Landon Simon (@LandonSimon24) April 30, 2019
Richard Hoffman was one of the most intense competitors I’ve ever met. He’d been winning since before his current drivers were born, and all he wanted to do was keep winning. And setting fast time. It was kind of a running joke that they might not always stay in palaces…
— Kirk Spridgeon (@KirkSpridgeon) May 1, 2019
We’re going to miss a guy who set the bar for the rest of the series. He & his team were the mainstays. The team you had to beat, no matter the year. I always appreciated his constructive criticism, and his support & praise meant more than anyone.
— Kirk Spridgeon (@KirkSpridgeon) May 1, 2019
RIP Richard Hoffman, a man who has done so much for the racing community. I enjoyed speaking w/ him last summer in Indiana. He spoke of the long list of great wheelman that drove his car, seemed very proud, for good reason. Thoughts go out to his family, friends & @hoffmanracing pic.twitter.com/yHh0xqyDHk
— Brent Anderson (@FireDownBA) May 1, 2019
My thoughts and prayers are with Richard Hoffman’s family and friends and the entire @hoffmanracing team through this difficult time. Richard was an important part of a great legacy and I will cherish the few conversations that I was able to have with him. ??
— Isaac Chapple (@IsaacChapple52) May 1, 2019
?? Thoughts & Prayers to the entire @hoffmanracing Family during this very difficult time on the passing of Richard Hoffman. We appreciate the fast racecars, friendships & memories together during our time in the famous #69 @USACNation Sprint Car! RIH R.H. ? pic.twitter.com/rSXYC5BHW4
— Dave Darland Racing (@DaveDarland) May 1, 2019
Saddened at the passing of Richard Hoffman @hoffmanracing he will be sorely missed.
— Keith Kunz (@KeithKunz) May 1, 2019
This is so sad to hear of the passing of Richard Hoffman. He was a special man. RIP
— Bob n Monica Clauson (@mowerman677) May 1, 2019
Condolences to the family, friends and fans of the legendary @USACNation car owner Richard Hoffman. Hoffman's team won an amazing 11 @USACNation National Sprint Car owner titles. Richard Hoffman was a 2013 inductee of the @sprintcarhof. pic.twitter.com/QgGEYxNlwz
— IMS Museum (@IMSMuseum) April 30, 2019
Saddened to hear about the passing of Richard Hoffman. He always came by our pit to ask about @John_Andretti. His passion for sprint cars was second to none. #RIP
— Jarett Andretti (@JarettAndretti) April 30, 2019
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HOLLY, Mich. – As the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series presented by Engine Pro season prepares to kick off this weekend at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway, one of the prevailing storylines circles around the impressive class of rookies that will take to the track this season.
In fact, more than a half-dozen rookie contenders are entered for Saturday’s Must See Racing 50 at the high-banked, quarter-mile Indiana bullring, a testament to the growth and stability of the series.
This year’s Must See Racing rookie battle will be led by an open-wheel veteran in Joe Liguori, who has a wealth of experience in midget and USAC Silver Crown cars through the years, but will be embarking on his first season of touring action in a winged 410ci asphalt sprint car.
From Lebanon, Ind., Liguori is a past recipient of the Rumble in Fort Wayne’s David Lesiecki Award for Untiring Dedication and Devotion to Motorsports, as well as a multi-time feature starter at the historic indoor midget event. He earned three top-10 finishes in four Silver Crown appearances last season.
Liguori is excited by the new challenge of pavement 410ci sprint car racing, as well as looking forward to competing at Anderson, a track he’s had plenty of experience at over the course of his career.
“I grew up racing pavement in Florida,” Liguori noted. “I ran open wheel modifieds, some mini stocks and a handful of sprint car races with TBARA between 2004 and 2008. My record book shows that I’m a better pavement racer than I am a dirt racer, so it made sense as I’ve gotten a little older to come back to pavement racing this season and see what we can make of it.
“I’ve won at Anderson in national midgets, (Ford) Focus midgets, regional midgets and even Kenyon midgets, so it’s a track that I’m familiar with and know how to get around and I’m excited to be back there this weekend.”
Another rookie, albeit less of a household name, hoping to leave his mark on the Anderson quarter-mile this weekend is 14-year-old Brenden Torok, piloting the No. 99 sprinter for car owner Dave Koyan.
Torok will contest select Must See Racing events amid a full-season pursuit of the Crate Sprint championship at Ohio’s Lorain County Speedway, a class in which he won two races last season.
The teenager is eager to get started against the tough competition that Must See Racing provides, especially after spending last season as a crew member for series veteran Charlie Schultz and gaining the opportunity to learn about the mechanics of the asphalt sprint cars he’ll be driving regularly this year.
“I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to race on the stage that Must See Racing provides this season, especially being that I’m just 14,” said Torok. “It’s a great opportunity and one that I’m really thankful for. I’ve already been watching a lot of video to learn as much about the track as I can and I’ll be relying on a lot of the knowledge I gained working with Charlie (Schultz) last season to get up to speed quickly during the race weekend.
“It’s an exciting time and we hope to have a lot of fun.”
Recently announced to the seat of the Mike Blake Racing No. 81 is 15-year-old Clintonville, Ohio, young gun Trey Osborne, who will team with Blake to run six races at Anderson this season, including Saturday’s Must See Racing winged event and the non-winged Pay Less Little 500 on May 25.
Osborne is the reigning United States Speed Ass’n Mel Kenyon Midget Series champion and became the first driver in that series’ history to lock up the championship prior to the final race of the season when he clinched the title a month early in 2018.
Other rookie contenders expected to be in action include Lorain County regulars Tim Henthorne and Joshua Sexton and Indiana hotshoe Tyler Roahrig, who will race at Anderson in the No. 99 entry of longtime asphalt sprint car owner Wayne Stickney.
Roahrig is a pavement late model standout in the Midwest who came back from injury to race again after a frightening super late model crash at Anderson in 2014 forced him to relearn how to walk.
Contending against the rookies will be a loaded crop of veterans seeking to defend their turf, including four-time series champion Jimmy McCune, Anthony McCune, National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Jeff Bloom, former supermodified ace Charlie Schultz and another veteran in Tom Jewell.
Friday evening will see an open practice and cookout for the Must See Racing sprint car teams at Anderson, followed by Saturday’s full racing program.
Pit gates will open at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, with rotating practice beginning at 5 p.m. Qualifying will start at 6:30 p.m. and racing will begin at 8 p.m., immediately following opening ceremonies.
The full night of racing will be broadcast live via pay-per-view on SpeedShiftTV.com, as well as recorded for tape-delay broadcast on MAVTV through the award-winning SPEED SPORT television series. USAC infield reporter Georgia Henneberry will be the pit reporter for the SPEED SPORT telecast.
In addition to the Must See Racing sprint cars, the Mel Kenyon Midget Series, late models, Legend cars and the Midwest Champ Carts will also be on the racing card for the May 4 program.
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR competition officials announced Wednesday that single-car qualifying will return for all three national series at all oval tracks, effective immediately.
In addition, multiple elimination rounds have also been dropped from the qualifying procedure. The changes take effect starting this weekend at Dover (Del.) Int’l Speedway.
Wednesday’s rules adjustment ends more than five years of group qualifying, which was brought into play prior to the start of the 2014 season.
At all tracks larger than 1.25 miles, teams will receive only one timed qualifying lap. Meanwhile, at all tracks that are 1.25 miles and shorter, the best of two timed qualifying laps will be used to set the starting field and determine the pole winner.
The changes came after multiple instances of teams trying to “game the system” this season, particularly in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, where the 2019 aerodynamic package placed a premium on the aerodynamic draft.
In March at Auto Club Speedway, all 12 drivers in the final round of qualifying failed to log a lap before time expired, while two weeks later another messy qualifying session at Texas Motor Speedway led officials to begin considering other options besides the group format.
“(Returning to single-car qualifying) was (a) unified (decision) between broadcasters, teams and NASCAR,” NASCAR senior VP of competition Scott Miller told NASCAR.com. “One of the other things to make a compelling program out of it is (that) we’ve seen the use of the ghost car (on television). That’s going to be a big element in presenting a quality show. I think fans are going to be able to see which drivers drive in deep, which drivers roll the middle faster and get off the corners faster and (it will) really give the talent in the booth something to talk about.
“Another interesting aspect is every team has a good shot of getting covered during the qualifying session,” Miller added. “We’re building in a few two-minute breaks to where TV can get some spots in and not break away from live action. That’s one of the goals in this, and I think with those designated spots and breaks, we will be able to present almost a whole qualifying session live without going away.”
The order for qualifying draw will be determined by the starting lineup from the previous week. In the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the top 20 starters from the most recent race will draw for positions in the second half of the line (21-40), while the bottom 20 starters from the previous event will pull for positions in the top half of the line (1-20).
The group qualifying system will remain in place for the road course events in the three national series.
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Jack Hughes, the likely No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL draft, has committed to play for Team USA at the upcoming IIHF Men's World Championship, a source confirmed to ESPN.
He will join a roster that already includes Patrick Kane, Johnny Gaudreau, Jack Eichel, Ryan Suter and Hughes' older brother Quinn, who made his NHL debut late in the 2018-19 season with the Vancouver Canucks.
At 17 years old, Jack Hughes will become the youngest player ever to suit up for Team USA at the senior world championship. Hockey Hall of Famer Phil Housley, who played for the U.S. in the tournament two months after his 18th birthday in 1982, is the next youngest on the list.
In addition to Hughes, recent New York Rangers acquisition and Harvard junior defenseman Adam Fox, and Ottawa Senators defenseman Christian Wolanin were also added to Team USA's roster, per a source.
Hughes, who is projected to go No. 1 in the draft to the Devils, recently completed a bronze-medal performance at the IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championship in Sweden. The Orlando, Florida-born center notched 20 points in seven games to lead all players in the tournament. It was the second-highest point total for a player in a single tournament in that event's history. Hughes also became the U18 world championship's all-time leading scorer, topping a record long held by Alex Ovechkin, with Hughes having collected 32 points over two appearances.
The last player to represent the United States in his draft season was Quinn Hughes, who appeared in last year's tournament at age 18 before being selected seventh overall by Vancouver at the 2018 NHL draft. Assuming Jack gets selected as high as predicted, the Hughes brothers will become the highest-drafted American brothers in back-to-back drafts. The two also represented the United States at the 2019 World Junior Championship, where Team USA took silver, in January.
Jack Hughes will become the first U.S. player to appear in the U18 World Championship, World Junior Championship and Men's World Championship in the same season.
The world championship will also feature one last head-to-head matchup between Jack Hughes and the consensus No. 2 draft prospect, Kaapo Kakko, who will be representing Finland. Their teams are scheduled to meet May 13 during the preliminary round of the tournament. The two players have faced off in previous IIHF World Championship events, with Kakko and Finland coming out on top in the gold-medal game in both the 2018 IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championship and 2019 World Junior Championship.
Fox, who was acquired by the Rangers in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes Tuesday, completed his junior season at Harvard earlier this spring. The offensive defenseman had 48 points and was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey's top player. Wolanin appeared in 30 games with the Ottawa Senators this season and had 12 points.
Team USA, which claimed the bronze medal in last year's world championship, will open play against tournament host Slovakia on May 10.
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