LAST May 30 and June 1, a seminar on “New Trends in Teaching Table Tennis for PE Teachers” was held at the Blue Eagle Gym.

This seminar, aimed to standardize the curriculum of table tennis throughout the country, involved PE and varsity coaches from various schools. It was organized by the Table Tennis Association of the Philippines in coordination with the University Athletics Office of Ateneo.

The seminar was created because of unawareness of the implementation of the rules and teaching methods in the world of table tennis throughout, even at competitive levels. The program looked for trends abroad that can be adapted by the participants.

“We teach them the basic fundamentals and laws of the sport and brief them on the situation of the curriculum of the sport as shown by the DepEd (Department of Education)”, explained Oscar Yoshihiro S. Santelices, an organizer of the event and member of the UP Diliman Human Kinetics Department.

He added that this is the first in the series of seminars that will eventually spread to the different provinces in order to improve the state of table tennis in the country. ‘I even asked the DepEd to make table tennis part of the curriculum,” said Santelices.

Ateneo’s involvement comes as the Blue Paddler’s nest at the Blue Eagle Gym has now been renovated and now a top-class table tennis facility. This was a result of this proposal to use it as a National Training Center.

“Soon this will be launched as the National Training Center, and the first step is this seminar to stabilize teaching table tennis in the country,” said 6-year Blue Paddler’s Coach Floyd Lobaton. Lobaton is also one of the major players in this innovative movement.

Many departments of the school were involved in this event including some of the Blue Paddlers themselves.