The National Olympic Committee of Cambodia will be embarking on two major initiatives beginning next week at its spacious, newly built headquarters complex.

The first is a table tennis technical course funded by the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Solidarity Commission from August 5-16, with the International Table Tennis Federation naming Egypt’s Ahmed Dawlatly as the expert instructor in charge.

As development officer of the African Table Tennis Federation and also in his capacity as an accomplished coach, Dawlatly has been actively taking part in most of the ITTF Development Programmes for the last several years, including training stints in some of the war-torn African countries under the joint auspices of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the ITTF.

“It is a timely boost for table tennis in Cambodia as we prepare to send some of our players to China for training ahead of this year end’s SEA Games in Myanmar. This course will also be very helpful to our coaches and officials,” NOCC secretary-general Vath Chamroeun told the Post yesterday.

“We are fortunate to have an expert like Ahmed Dawlatly sharing his expertise and vast experience with us.”

Sports medicine lessons offered to coaches

It has been nearly three years since Cambodia hosted a regional seminar on Sports Medicine and Science. Among the elite panel of field experts attending that seminar in Siem Reap was Joerg Teichman, a German sports therapist who had spent three decades in Southeast Asia and is currently with the National Institute of Sports Medicine in Malaysia.

He is now offering a voluntary service to the NOCC to help national team coaches get a good grasp of sports medicine and its applications during a two-day discourse next Tuesday and Wednesday.

It is worth recalling that Teichman had joined hands with Cambodia’s Dr Suy Ravuth in conducting a three-part workshop for the participants of that regional seminar, placing a loaded emphasis on the importance of this special branch of sports.

During his two-day clinic at the NOCC headquarters next week, Teichman, who is bearing his own expenses for the trip, will impart to the participants useful lessons on first aid for some of the frequent injuries players suffer in action.

“Giving an injured player first aid is crucial. The common injuries during play are to the knee, elbow or ankle and during these two days, Joerg Teichman will demonstrate to our national coaches some of the latest techniques in dealing with those injuries without delay,” Vath Chamroeun said.

“We are thankful to Joerg Teichman for sparing his time and effort and coming forward on his own to help us out. We will make sure that every national coach takes advantage of this rare opportunity.”