Two London Pathway Development Centres (PDCs) are bringing the nationwide network up to seven across the country.
As well as the PDCs at Greenhouse and London Academy coming on stream, a newly appointed Table Tennis England London talent coach – Antony Constantinou – has also taken up his role.
The two centres have slightly different roles. London Academy is situated in a school, where table tennis is the focus sport. Head coach Bhavin Savjani leads the academy, where players can access training during school hours every day of the week. Players in the identified PDC group will typically be those already at the school
Greenhouse PDC will sit as a hub for players from the wider London who are selected by the England talent team. The regular programme there will kick in after January, when Greenhouse’s central venue in Marylebone, which has been under repair recently, is due to reopen.
London talent coach Constantinou will have a remit across a number of areas, including supporting PDC activity at London Academy and leading on the Greenhouse hub.
He will also work closely with players across London who sit in the England Hopes Programme (the U13 national training programme) and support national activity and talent coach development.
Antony said: “Having these centres will provide access to a consistent, high-quality training environment for those hopes and U13 players who want to develop their game and help them progress on to the England Futures programme.
“A key part of my role will be working alongside these PDCs, specifically in the London area, to support their delivery and provide extra coaching and development support. I will also be working regularly with those young athletes in the London area who are already in the England Hopes Squad to help their development, as well as visiting clubs and attending some competitions to try and find the next generation of young talent.
“I think it’s great to be providing these opportunities to these young players who want to do well in table tennis, and I’m very excited to get started.”
London was chosen to host a full-time talent coach role because it is a current hotspot for talent. In consultation with other PDC sites across the country, it was agreed that for now this direction will be taken in London and its impact on player development reviewed.
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