July 26, 2010
Doubles Day but Time for Change in Latin America
 Trevor Farley (front) and Rober Roberts (rear) of Barbados in action in San German Photo By: Fernando Aguilar |
Courtesy of ITTF It’s the Latin American tradition. |
You start with the team events, then you play the doubles and finish with the singles.
I accept it’s logical and relatively straightforward to schedule but is it time to change?
Great Atmosphere
Certainly, the crowd responded on day four.
They cheered their favorites to the rafters; there was no lack of atmosphere. Not quite the atmosphere of two days earlier when the host nation beat El Salvador in the quarter-finals of the Men’s Team event to guarantee a medal.
On that occasion the roof was raised a few meters and great credit must go to the Puerto Rican crowd and all other participating countries. There is never a dull moment in the Gymnasium of the Universida Interamericana.
Tradition
However, may I respectfully suggest that a change to the traditional scheduling is needed and that every day singles matches, whether as part of a team event or in individual competition are staged.
Tradition can hold back progress.
Watch Wimbledon
The world sees racket sports principally as a contest between two people.
Most can tell me who won the Men’s Singles title at the recent All England Tennis Championships at Wimbledon but can you tell me who won the Men’s Doubles crown?
Also, did any day at Wimbledon transpire without a singles match?
ITTF Pro Tour
Notably, at the current ITTF Pro Tour tournament in Morocco, neither Vladimir Samsonov nor Jean-Michel Saive has entered the Men’s Doubles event and on the ITTF Pro Tour no day progresses without singles competition.
I am not suggesting the end of doubles but it’s time for a re-think, a time to change in Latin America. No day at the 2009 H.I.S. World Championships in Japan was scheduled just for doubles, nor at the highly successful Volkswagen World Junior Championships in Colombia later in the year and, of course, the 2010 Liebherr World Championships was dedicated just to team competition.
Team Event Perfect
Table Tennis, of all the rackets sports, lends itself the best to team events and the media is interested in the team concept; so everyday either team event or singles please.
Even if it is the World Championships would the media attend in such numbers if the only event on show for the day was doubles?
Now for Latin America it’s time to look how the ITTF Pro Tour tournaments are organized and how World title events are planned.
Great Potential
There is so much in the continent that is so good, immense progress has been made, the potential is there; now let’s put the icing on the cake.
Let’s make another step forward.
Participants
Full list of countries competing
Full list of teams competing
Full list of players competing
Final Results: Team Events
Men’s Team Final Draw
Men’s Team Full Results
Women’s Team Final Draw
Women’s Team Full Results
Latest Results: Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles
Men’s Doubles
Women’s Doubles
Mixed Doubles
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