DUTCH OPEN PARA MAGAZINE

Preface ITTF

Dear Para table tennis family,

On behalf of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) I would like to welcome you to the Dutch Open Para 2019 in the city of Stadskanaal.

It is a great pleasure to see Para table tennis tournaments organized again in the Netherlands, a pioneer country that held the first European and World Championships back in the 80s and the 90s. The Netherlands is certainly a model to follow when we speak about sports integration. Not only the table tennis association integrates Para table tennis in their regular structure but also the Olympic & Paralympic committees are the very same organization.

I am most grateful to the Table Tennis Association of the Netherlands to organize this event that has attracted huge interest from countries all over the world. We will have the opportunity to enjoy the amazing performance of 200 athletes seeking their place in Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

I wish all players and coaches the best of luck and all umpires, sponsors and officials a nice stay in Stadskanaal.

Pablo Perez
ITTF Para Table Tennis Events Manager

Preface Pagedal Venue

Dear all,

On behalf of Pagedal, I would like to welcome all athletes and coaches to Pagedal.

Pagedal has profiled itself as an event location for international sporting events in the last 10 years. Most sporting events that took place at Pagedal are para related: athletics, swimming, archery, wheelchair fencing and now also table tennis.

We are happy with our collaboration with the Dutch Table Tennis Federation and that we can organize this Dutch Open Para as partners.

The first result is there, a maximum occupancy for this tournament. We wish all teams a good stay and the best of luck in the competitions.

Stadskanaal is once again the para sports city of the Netherlands and we are proud of it!

Kind regards, on behalf of the entire Pagedal team,

Edwin Postma
Commercial Director Pagedal

 

 

 

 

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General Schedule

The general schedule for the tournament will be as follows:

Arrival day for players to be classified October 30
Classification day 1 October 30
(14:30-19:30)
Classification day 2 October 31
(09:00-12:40)
Practice days October 31
General arrivals October 31
Competitions dates November 1-3
Single events November 1-2
Team events November 2-3
Departures November 4

detailed schedule single events

detailed schedule team events

 

 

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Participants

 

All participants

 

 

Dutch participants (class)

Mark Alberti (6) ??
Max van Amerongen (8) ??
Israel Bartelink Groeneveld (9) ??
Erwin te Boekhorst (5) ??
Mariëlle Boers (1) ??
Roy van der Burg (8) ??
Femke Cobben (2) ??
Eddie Duursma (1) ??
Dustin Eier (7) ??
Gerald van Grunsven (5) ??
Tonnie Heijnen (9) ??
Bas Hergelink (10) ??
Frederique van Hoof (8) ??
Mees Kant (8) ??
Suzan Klomp (8) ??
Paul van Oord (8) ??
Yannick Paredis (7) ??
Sem Roelofs (5) ??
Demi Ronda (9) ??
Hans Speek (7) ??
Christiaan Sterenborg (2) ??
Devin Wassink (8) ??
Bart Zanden (9) ??
Kelly van Zon (7) ??

 

 

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Kelly van Zon:
‘Great to play a big tournament in my own country’


Kelly van Zon (32) is the most famous Dutch player at the Dutch Open Para (DOP) in Stadskanaal. The international para table tennis player of the year 2018 is looking forward to the first edition of this tournament at Pagedal Sports and Recreation center.

 

 

She is traveling the world for years and years, but it is only the third time in her career that Kelly van Zon plays a big tournament in her own country. After a tournament in the city of Emmen in 2004 and in Rotterdam and 2011, The Netherlands hosts the best para table tennis players in the world for the first edition of the ITTF Dutch Open Para Table Tennis 2019 in the weekend of November 1-3. “It is great to play all around the world, but it’s also nice to join a tournament in my own country”, says the 32 year old- offensive player. “The DOP feels like a home game for me. It is a chance for my family and friends to see me play and I will try my best to make them happy by winning the title.”

 

Magnificent career
Van Zon has won many trophies so far in her magnificent career. She won two gold medals at the Paralympic Games (in London in 2012 and in Rio de Janeiro in 2016), three gold medals at the World Championships and is the number one on the Women’s single ranking for years. The Dutch star’s fine achievements were recognised by last year’s Female Para Table Tennis Star award, presented at the 2018 ITTF Star Awards in Korea, where she was crowned to best female Para Table Tennis Star of 2018. It is not a secret that she is one of the big favourites in class 7. As an experienced player, Van Zon has high expectations for a good first DOP in Stadskanaal. “The world of para table tennis is very professional nowadays. Many players like me are fulltime professionals and the level at big tournaments is high. I am sure that the spectators in Stadskanaal will see spectacular matches.”

 

Power of sports
Van Zon is always looking forward to nice tournaments like the DOP, where she meets many international para table tennis players. Some of them are close friends of the Dutch World Champion. “I’m in the game for years and I have good contact with lots of players. People from all around the world are coming together in Stadskanaal and it’s great that sports unites nations and cultures. That’s one of the beautiful aspects of an international tournament like this one. I’m looking forward to see matches of new, talented players. I hope that I can with this tournament. I wish all the players good luck.”

 

 

 

 

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Local Organizing Committee

 

Chairman: Edwin Postma – Commercial Director Pagedal
Tournament Director: Robbert Stolwijk
Competition Management: Sven Monshouwer
Coordinator: Ineke de Graaf
Media: Dennis Rijnbeek
Special Advisor: Igor Heller

 

 

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Referee

Referee:
Albert Rooijmans (Netherlands)

Deputy Referees:
Jacky Simon (France)
Pieter van der Hammen (Netherlands)

Natalia Partyka: Paralympic Champion

 

 

 

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A wish comes true for Christiaan Sterenborg

Christiaan Sterenborg (48) is the one and only local player from Stadskanaal this weekend. The Dutchman plays the Dutch Open Para Table Tennis (DOP) in his hometown. He trained hard for the tournament and he recruited many volunteers for the event.

“Pagedal Sports and Recreation center here in Stadskanaal is a good accommodation for para sports events. I visited a big sports event for disabled people there in 2017 and thought: perhaps we can organise a big para table tennis event here.” These are the words of local player Christiaan Sterenborg, creator of the idea for the Dutch Open Para Table Tennis. He shared his idea with the director of the Dutch Table Tennis Association and the director of Pagedal and they made a successful plan. Approximately 18 months later more than 200 players from more than 30 nationalities are together in the first weekend of November in Stadskanaal for the first edition of the DOP. The Dutchman is a proud man. “I’m looking forward to this great tournament and I’m sure that everyone is having a nice stay here at Pagedal. The facilities are good and the venue and the accommodations are in the same area, a unique situation.”

90 Volunteers
Sterenborg plays the individual and the team tournament at the DOP in his wheelchair. He is playing international tournaments for two years now and he knows what it takes to organise a good para table tennis event. “It’s crucial to recruit lots of volunteers, especially ballboys and ballgirls. We visited schools, we made flyers and we promoted this tournament in the local media. We worked hard and our plan succeeded. I’m so grateful that there are more than 90 volunteers this weekend at Pagedal. We could not play this tournament without their help. I want to thank them all for being here.”

Does Sterenborg sees himself as a candidate for the prices in Stadskanaal? “Honestly I don’t think so”, is his answer. “Normally I’m not able to defeat the top players in the world. I play in my hometown so of course I do what it takes to make my family and friends proud. However, it’s a big tournament, the best para players of the world are here. I’m sure that I will enjoy this tournament and I hope everyone does. I hope to see a lot of fans in the Pagedal Sports center this weekend and wish all the players good luck.”

 

 

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Johan Cruyff Foundation: Creating Space

The Cruyff Foundation is a important partner of the NTTB, the Dutch Table Tennis Federation. The Johan Cruyff Foundation supports and develops sports activities for children all over the world with focus on children in need. Through sports projects for children with a disability and projects like the Cruyff Courts and Schoolyard14, the foundation creates space for these children. Space to grow, space to make friends and space to improve physical and mental health. Space to become who they are.

DISABLED SPORT
The Johan Cruyff Foundation supports children with disabilities. Sport and play are especially important – not only in terms of their health, but also in terms of their social contact with others. Unfortunately, it is not always easy for these children to participate in a sport, because there are few facilities and the equipment required is generally expensive. Through a variety of partnerships, the Cruyff Foundation is working to increase the sports available to children with disabilities and to make these sports more accessible so children with a disability also get the space to discover their talents.

CRUYFF COURTS
Children need a safe place that encourages them to play outside. That’s what Cruyff Courts are: a safe place to get together and where children get to know the importance of togetherness, making friends, discovering your own talents, and winning and losing. All are valuable experiences that they carry with them as they develop physically and mentally, and as they move into society.

HEROES OF THE CRUYFF COURTS
The goal of Heroes of the Cruyff Courts is to turn young people into role models for their neighborhood and get them involved with the community and the Cruyff Court in the long term. The project trains Cruyff Foundation Coaches who then coach young people to organise a sports event for children in the community. By organising events, the young people are given an opportunity to discover and develop their talents while also being challenged to try something new.
Every week the JCF gives thousands of children the space to sport and play. Because every child deserves a healthy future.

 

 

 

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