Kosmas and Koutra are leaving for the huge training camp experience in Taipei

By participating in a strong training camp for young athletes in Asia, the Hellenic Table Tennis Federation begins the actions of utilizing the very important Olympic scholarship, which it secured some time ago, in the framework of the “Olympic Solidarity 2021-2024 Plan/ Development of National Sports System »! Giorgos Kosmas and Yiannis Koutras, two feral athletes, who distinguished themselves in the summer in the Balkan and European championships and at the end of the year will pass from the children’s to the teenage category, are leaving tomorrow 01/10 for Taiwan, in order to experience a unique and very useful experience in their journey so far! They were selected by E.F.O.E.P.A. to participate from 02 to 09/10 in a preparation meeting, at the Academy of the famous champion Chuan Chi Yuan. The children will be technically guided by the national federal coach of the men, Kostas Vatsaklis, and the scientific partner of E.F.O.E.P.A. will also be on the mission. and program rapporteur Michalis Katsikadelis, the man who drafted the proposal to the Hellenic Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee to secure the scholarship in the “Sports Development 2021-24” part of Olympic Solidarity.

The 15-year-olds Koutras and Kosmas were the main athletes of the national children’s team, which in the summer secured promotion to the A division of Europe and won the bronze medal in the Balkan championship (the team’s 3rd athlete in both events was Kostas Fakaros and 4th in the Balkan of Orestiada Petros Liotsis). Koutras has been an athlete of Poseidon Loutraki since childhood. Kosmas is from Ioannina and has been competing in D.A.O. since last year. Taurus. In the current Greek evaluation table they are in the 1st and 2nd positions respectively among children. In the 2023 Panhellenic championship for boys and girls, Kosmas won a gold medal in the children’s singles and doubles and Koutras first in the team.

The opportunity to go, through the scholarships, for a week’s preparation in the territories of a leading country in table tennis is wonderful and can only benefit them in their further development. According to the first information, the training sessions will take place in one of the halls of the five-story modern facility of Chuan Chi Yuan in the city of Kaohsiung. The level will be very high, given that the country’s top athletes will participate and the head coaches will be Chinese. The program includes a total of 10 to 12 training sessions, most days double. But beyond the technical part, the scholarship provides for getting to know the culture of the country, communication with athletes from other countries, therefore the excellent experience for our young champions will not be limited to the competitive part. It should also be noted that Chuan has been Taipei’s top athlete for two decades and, among other great distinctions, he has the world title in men’s doubles in 2013 with his compatriot Chen Chien An.

Besides, as part of the visit to the island state, Michalis Katsikadelis will be on Thursday 05/10 at the University of Taipei as a guest of the member of the Sports Science Committee of the World Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), Chu Ming, to talk to the students about the development of the “Olympic Solidarity 2021-2024 Plan/ Development of National Sports System” program in the Greek federation. The trip to the training camp in Taipei is part of the first framework of actions for the scholarship, the second will have trainings for those participating in the program, support for athletes with a training camp in the country, etc. On the afternoon of Monday 09/10, the Greek delegation will take the return flight and arrive in Athens the following day.