RTTF Strategic Plan
Executive Summary
The Rwanda Table Tennis Federation (RTTF) was officially registered with the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) in 2017 and in 2019 it embarked on a 5-year strategic plan as part of the strategy of achieving its main goal of developing the table tennis sport in the country and with a vision to make Rwanda one of the top table tennis nations in Africa.
The strategic plan has the following key areas of focus; player development, training of coaches and umpires, equipment, tournaments, playing facilities, table tennis for all including para table tennis, and good governance. Our annual tournaments are the National League, Genocide Memorial Tournament (GMT), Chinese Ambassador’s Cup (sponsored by the Chinese Embassy), and the National Ranking. We also endeavor to participate in some select regional, continental, and international tournaments, e.g., the Africa Cup, East Africa regional championships, etc.
As RTTF, we are proud of what we have achieved in the past 5 years despite the challenges faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. New clubs and new initiatives have emerged, many training programs including academies are now in place, and many events have been organized; the future is bright. We have come from approximately less than 100 people playing the sport to now more than 1,000 of which over 90% are youth below 18 years of age. This is a step forward towards developing, popularizing, and increasing awareness of table tennis in Rwanda.
RTTF Strategic Pillars
- Player development
Our aim is to develop players to a professional level and starting the grassroots to national levels. We have been lucky to get support of the Chinese Embassy which has sponsored some of our national team players to international training camps in China, and we have also organized several training camps over the past few years.
- Training of coaches and umpires
The target is that RTTF attain quality standards in all aspects with well thought-out programs of education and awareness. This goes for players, club administrators, coaches, umpires, tournament organizers and the federation staff. This is also to learn the rules of the game and enforce them in training and in competitions, learn the ethics of the game; players shall respect opponents and umpires and uphold the rules in national and international events.
3) Equipment
Through several avenues through which the federation should mobilize equipment mainly both internal and external; The President of RTTF donated 13 tables and 13 nets in 2017 and 2018, The Chinese Embassy donated 30 tables, 30 nets, 5 robots, 60 rackets and 300 balls in 2018, ITTF donated 6 tables and nets, 6-score boards, 80 rackets and 1,000 balls in 2018 and an additional 15 tables, 15 nets, 60 rackets and 300 balls in 2019. As of 2023, most of the equipment is now old and RTTF is seeking more sources of equipment. Our strategy is to focus on local manufacturing for beginners’ equipment and source for donations for advanced professional equipment and ensuring proper maintenance of the equipment.
4) Tournaments
Tournaments shall be a positive experience and attractive for players, leaders, officials, parents, the public and the organizers. Different tournaments have different goals. Sometimes the emphasis is on the players and sometimes it is commemoration of significant events like the “Genocide against the Tutsi”, sometimes it’s for purposes of promotion and fundraising for specific missions. We now have an annual calendar, which has a spread of tournaments and activities over the whole year and achieving different objectives; National League, Schools Tournament (primary and secondary), The Annual Genocide Memorial Tournament (GMT), Chinese Ambassador’s Cup, Rwanda Open Annual Event, International and Regional Tournaments participation.
5) Facility development
Rwandan table tennis hasn’t reached levels to be known as of high quality internationally in all that we do. Globally all sports organizations target to increase their audiences, sponsors and more media time, all this puts higher demands on quality. Improving the playing facilities is a core part of the improvement of quality of play and presentation of the sport to sponsors. The target is to set up better facilities in schools, community centers and clubs. In 2019, we designed the “Kigali Table Tennis Center” project, an international table tennis facility for training and tournaments. We are currently seeking support from the Ministry of Sports and other sponsors for the project.
6) Table tennis for all – Community & Social programs
As a sport, table tennis must be open to all including young children 7 to 15 years old, teenagers, women, the disabled people, and the veterans as well. Our member clubs give equal opportunities and conditions for all those interested in developing themselves and their game. Apart from well-developed tournament programs, we want to use table tennis for social development through existing social programs. This is in line with ITTF’s “Table Tennis for All” global initiative.
6) Governance & Sponsorship
To achieve all our objectives, we must have good governance and be able to raise funds to support our core activities. We are targeting corporate sponsors by creating value for their businesses and enabling them to fulfil their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) objectives. Currently we are seeking a national league sponsor whom we hope to get by the end of 2023. We are willing to work with various partners to support social-economic development through sports.
Conclusion:
After 5 years of foundation building, we believe we are poised for greater success and our AGMs have been fundamental in changing the structure of the federation to be more robust and efficient. Perhaps two things we are yet to succeed in are getting corporate sponsors and having a better communication and media strategy. These two are critical as they come in to complete the efforts of RTTF and the ever-present support of the Chinese Embassy, the Ministry of Sports, RNOSC, ATTF and ITTF.