September 2020
A new partnership between Table Tennis Australia (TTA) and Special Olympics Australia is set to help people with an intellectual impairment maximise opportunities available in the sport nationally.
Special Olympics is a global inclusion movement that offers regular training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The partnership reinforces TTA’s commitment to provide participation opportunities to all Australians of all ages and abilities.
As part of the agreement, TTA’s affiliated table tennis clubs and associations will now be able to link in with Special Olympics Australia through their free affiliation program, and will therefore be able to reach out to a bigger audience than ever, with increased exposure through Special Olympics Australia’s platforms and competition pathway.
The Special Olympics Australia pathway includes regular competitions, annual State Games, National Games held every four years, and of course, the movement’s pinnacle event, the Special Olympics World Games, also held every four years.
TTA’s National Participation and Development Coordinator Egon Loh said the partnership with Special Olympics Australia will be instrumental in helping more Australians access the physical and social benefits of the sport.
- Egon Loh, TTA’s National Participation and Development Coordinator
“Special Olympics gives people with an intellectual disability a platform to be included and succeed, and it also has the power to inspire people to reach new heights,” Loh said.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Special Olympics Australia, and we’re looking forward to setting up a structured participation pathway through our network of affiliated clubs and associations, to help more Australians of all ages and abilities experience the benefits of table tennis.”
Special Olympics Australia’s National Sports Partnership Manager Yvonne Snell said:
“We are excited to partner with Table Tennis Australia! We look forward to working with table tennis clubs to welcome new players into the Special Olympics movement, and potentially progress through the competition pathway,” she said.
“This partnership also offers our athletes a great opportunity to play a new sport and learn new skills, ” Snell concluded.
Find out more about the partnership here.
View our Memorandum of Understanding with Table Tennis Australia here