By Dhammika Ratnaweera
Belarus’ high performing Table Tennis coach Aleksey Yefremov said that Sri Lankan paddlers should be much stronger in concentration in the final phase of the matches along with their dedication to making a good impact to the final result. “Dedication of these players are very good, but they need to improve to retain the concentration until the end of the game, which is an important technical aspect of this game,” he said.
‘Sri Lankan Table Tennis players need more endurance power and mental strength to be able to come out strong in the final phase of a match’ said Belarus high performances TT coach Aleksey Yefremov who visited Sri Lankan for a two-week training camp organised by the Interim Committee of Table Tennis in Sri Lanka. The event was supported by the Asian Table Tennis Union and the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka.
“Actually I was invited for a two weeks training camp only but I spent more time with the National TT players who selected for the South Asian Games in coaching and also conducted three coach education sessions for approximately 45 table Tennis coaches. It is not possible to change the skills over two weeks but can improve different aspects of the game. I taught some of the tactics and movements. They can use those techniques depending on the situation to win or change the match” added Belarus coach.
Yefremov who is also a Psychology expert added that Sri Lankan paddlers don’t need any extra motivation. “Every member of the team, Men and Women, realize the task ahead of them and know what is expected of them, which is a very good sign. They only need more practice,” he explained. ù
He said that 5-6 hours of practise sessions a day at a stretch, were too long and that they must practice in short spells; two hours of hard practice in the morning and another two hours in the evening. They must save their energy for the big event and must take care of their physical condition and, if necessary, I had an opportunity to help them in motivation,” said the coach. That is a more important part for the players.
Meanwhile, Belarus coach noticed Sri Lankan paddlers skills and said Sri Lanka has a very good chance in the Mixed Doubles at the SAG, with the potential to do well in the other events as well. As for its standard, Sri Lanka is on par with India and Malaysia. He also highly appreciated the inclusion of three school players for the SAG squad. “This is a good move for the future of the game in Sri Lanka. SLTT should select the best young talented players and send them for overseas training. When they get experience in foreign training, he is sure that they will give better results and this is a good move for Sri Lanka TT” added Yefremov.
He praised that the Lankan paddlers’ foot movements are of a high standard which is important for a good TT player. He also said about the importance of physical fitness to continue the game. This is a very fast racket game and players should be realized about this. Yefremov already got a chance to do the special training for various countries under Asian TT Union. Sri Lanka has highly talented players, who needed more guidance from foreign coaches and foreign exposure. He also highly appreciated the Chandana Perera the member of the TT Interim Committee who gave god support to success this training program with good coordination ability.
Caption
Belarus high performances TT coach Aleksey Yefremov receiving a special memento from National TT player Ishara Madurangi after the successful training camp. TT Interim committee member Chandana Perera and head coach of the SAG training squad Buddhika Dikkumbura also in the picture.
Be the first to comment