Executive Director's Report

By Teodore "Doru" Gheorghe

The Nationals are coming soon and I am sure most of you have made your travel arrangements and are training hard to get in good shape to win trophies or prize money.

USATT will try to make your stay in Las Vegas comfortable and pleasant. The Stratosphere Hotel and Convention Center are ready to welcome you for the 2003 USA National Championships.

Last year there were problems with the slippery floor on one side of the hall. We are trying to solve this problem. The problem is the sealer that the Convention center used when they built the hall. If we cannot find a solution to this problem we will try to change the hall. If it is changed, we will inform all the players with the entry confirmation letter. The information will also be posted on the USATT web page (www.usatt.org).

If you win an event at the U.S. Nationals, please be available for the award ceremony. The schedule for the award ceremony for each event will be posted in the convention center hall at the registration desk.

During the finals we will have door prizes with many surprises. Each player will have a ticket that so they can take part in the draw. Anybody can buy extra tickets if they would like to have more chances. Only those present in the hall at the time of the draw will be awarded if their tickets are drawn.

Please don’t forget to send your entry for the U.S. Nationals on time.

The USATT Strategic Plan was submitted to USOC for approval on August 29, 2003. We are waiting for the approval and/or discussions.

I would like to have more information about table tennis programs run by individuals, companies or communities so we can know more about the various programs being run throughout the country. If you are running a table tennis program anywhere in the USA, please write us and let us know about it. Sometimes this information may be useful for both of us, as we can direct contacts in your region to you. Any information regarding the program, facility, players, coaches, volunteers, local clubs or organization could help us in implementing the USATT Strategic Plan, and all of you can be a part of it.

The USOC Executive Committee approved the 2004 Olympic Selection Procedures. Players interested should keep an eye on the USATT web page to find out the venue for each Trials, and to make travel arrangements.

If anybody interested in participating in the Trials has doubts regarding his/her eligibility, please contact me at ed@usatt.org.

There are misleading rumors about the decertification of USATT by the USOC. We had a meeting with the USOC Membership and Credentials Committee on September 13, 2003, in Denver. The meeting went well and the committee congratulated USATT for the progress made in the last five months. USATT is ready to answer your questions, so please do not hesitate to call headquarters.

The City of Chicago, through Robert Blackwell, has applied to host the 2007 World Championships. We received letters of support from the Mayor of Chicago and the Governor of Illinois. There are three other applications on behalf of Croatia, Sweden and Korea. The second step of this process is that the City of Chicago must come up with the sponsors and the necessary funds in order to support the bid. USATT will make sure that all the necessary funds are secured before taking the next step in this bid.

On September 12-14, 2003, I attended the U.S. Paralympics here in Colorado Springs. I would like to congratulate the participants for their performance and will to compete. I wish more members of USATT, players and officials could see how these athletes put above everything the will to improve and be the best, in spite of all the physical problems they have. I was thrilled and honored to be in the same hall with them. All my problems were forgotten during that tournament.

I would like to thank all of you who wrote me and gave your thoughts and advice on various aspects of USATT activities. I am looking forward to receiving more ideas and suggestions regarding the improvement of USATT activities and programs.