ITTF HOPES

AROUND THE CLOCK

WORLD HOPES

HIGH PERFORMANCE
& DEVELOPMENT
 The ITTF Hopes Program
goes digital in 2021!

Dear Friends and Supporters of the ITTF Hopes Program,

A
s we are all aware the pandemic conditioned every segment of our lives within the
last 16 months, including sports. It brought with it hardship and challenges, but also
opened up new opportunities to connect and progress.

One of these opportunities is the leap forward in digitalization. As such, we are pleased to
announce the launch of the revisited ITTF Hopes Program in 2021, our “HOPES AROUND
THE CLOCK”.

The Hopes Program is traditionally based on a pyramidical pathway. In 2021, this pathway
will be blended into a hybrid system where online activities will complement onsite
activities where these will be viable within the Continents and replace them where onsite
activities will not be possible to hold.

This will enable our young talents to get back on track, supported by consistent monitoring
through our remote training camps over an extended period of time.

These training sessions will be conducted by the ITTF High Performance Unit in cooperation
with Continental Participation Unit.

True to the objectives of the Hopes Program, this initiative will aim at talent identification
for U12 players globally.

We encourage Member Associations to continue implementing “Hopes Activities” as part

of their Talent Identification Programs, while we will continue to actively take part in the
activities organized by Continental Federations.

We look forward to seeing you online soon!

Polona Cehovin Massimo Costantini

ITTF High Performance & Development ITTF High Performance Elite
Director Coach
 HOPES
AROUND THE CLOCK
OBJECTIVES & VISION

The objective of the online Hopes Around the Clock initiative is to bring the spirit of table
tennis and the Hopes program to all corners of the world, serving and supporting the Hopes
community through intensive online training sessions and the exclusive opportunity to reach
out and collaborate with some of the great names of our sport that we will be hosting.

Hopes Around the Clock, set up as a specific online pathway in 2021 supporting the traditional
ITTF Hopes roadmap, has the ambition to represent an important stepping-stone for young
talented players when embarking on their international journey in the pursuit of international
glory.

As such, it will offer a selection of young promising participants that have shown excellence
and motivation throughout the program the opportunity to train and compete in person at the
2021 ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge, planned to be held in China in mid-December
2021.

Whilst offering promising talents the chance to showcase their acquired skills, the program
aims to foster and encourage Member Associations to participate actively and to promote and
work with young talented players for future success and growth.

In this, the ITTF High Performance Unit will offer expert guidance, incentives and opportunities
whilst focusing on coach education throughout the program by offering expert lectures and
learning opportunities, giving coaches of every level the opportunity to gain new skills and
share knowledge with colleagues across the globe.
2021 PATHWAY
Our remote training sessions will be conducted on all Continents on a rotational basis at
a frequency of two weeks. The participants will be consistently monitored and evaluated
throughout the online phase, which will represent the base for the final selection of the group of
up to 20 girls and 20 boys (1 player per gender per Member Association), who will be invited to
the 2021 ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge.

Online Phase
Each two-hour session will consist of an online interaction between ITTF High Performance
experts and players and coaches.

The sessions will feature a theoretical and a practical part and will be designed by the ITTF
Expert, who will indicate the methods of work.

The online training sessions will start in the week of 28 June and the schedule will be
communicated by 23 June 2021, while the Member Associations will be invited to register for
the Program and this way activate their National Hopes flags prior to that.
 2021 ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge
The selection of the 20 girls and 20 boys will be made based on the combination of elements
of online and onsite activities where applicable.

Where the online activities will be the only evaluation, the Hopes Around the Clock will result
in selecting the players for the World Hopes Week & Challenge.

The evaluation from the online activities will consider common attributes of a player’s
performance and attitude during the training sessions. In addition, the attendance at the
Hopes Around the Clock sessions will also be a relevant element for the final evaluation and
selection.

Wild Card selection will be based on assessment and evaluation of performance over the
entire period of online sessions and having attended the Continental Hopes, if applicable.

The following quota per gender will be applied:

3 places for
each the Americas, Asia,
and Europe

2 places for Africa

1 place for each Oceania and the

Host MA

7 remaining spots for

Wild Cards*

* The selection will be carried out by the ITTF HPD Team and will consider only Players who actively taken part in
the online stage of the program and having attended the Continental Hopes, if applicable. The following criteria
will be used for the allocation of the Wild Cards:
1. Regular attendance in the online training sessions and participation at Regional and/or Continental Hopes
activities, if applicable.
2. Head Coach/Expert players’ evaluation;
3. Performance at events, if applicable.

Additional Benefits of the program

o Opportunity to progress to other High Performance programs

o Interaction with World top players

o Educational sessions (strength & conditioning, sport science, nutrition and other relevant
areas)
HOW DOES IT WORK?

Registration: A Member Association has to submit the registration form by 21 June 2021 via
the following link: https://forms.ittf.com/form/hatc_questions_registration_forms_2021.

Eligibility: During the registration each Member Association shall nominate up to 2 girls
and 2 boys along with their coaches, who commit to consistently take part in the program.
Replacements will not be permitted.

Online Phase Requirements: As the training sessions will be delivered online a smart electronic
device (smartphone, tablet) is needed to connect to the platform that will be used during the
interactions. The smart electronic device should be set on a tripod to guarantee a stable view
and should be connected with a high-speed connection for streaming purposes. An additional
widescreen device (laptop or tablet) is recommended in order to better follow the instructions
of the ITTF expert, during the educational sessions and other interactions.

Training Session on the Member Association end: It is encouraged to arrange training

sessions in one location. However, multiple locations are permitted, whereby each nominated
player should be assisted by their coach. The best possible playing conditions should be
provided, along with a stable internet connection to facilitate high-quality video with the best
view to get proper advice from the ITTF experts. The nominated Hopes players can practice
with each other, or their practice can be complemented by providing training partners; the
choice of the training partner(s) is up to the concerned Member Association.

Table tennis equipment:

Active Participants: • 1 table per participant per location if

• Up to 4 players
• Ideally 4 coaches or at least 1
coach per location
• Up to 4 training partners
each player trains with one training partner
• A minimum of 50 balls per table should
be provided. In case of multiball and/or
service training the participants/Member
Associations will be informed about it in
advance.
WHERE TO NEXT?

Following the conclusion of the 2021 ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge, 8 players per
gender will be selected and form the ITTF Hopes Squad, for which at least 1 follow-up activity
will be held in the period January-August 2022.

Upon this, the ITTF HPD Team will select 4 Players per gender to be part of the ITTF Hopes
Team. The main activities and initiatives, which may include scholarships, training camps at a
higher level, WTT Youth Series event participation etc., will be made available and conducted
from September to December 2022.

THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY AND

CONNECT DIGITALLY!

Massimo Costantini Dominique Plattner

ITTF High Performance Elite Coach ITTF High Performance Manager
mcostantini@ittf.com dplattner@ittf.com

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