Coach wants more females in table tennis

Jamaica's Japanese table tennis coach, Satoshi Takashima, wants to see more females participating in the sport.

Takashima also called for an Under-8 competition to encourage development from an early age.

Speaking at the ISSA all island table tennis finals at Excelsior High school auditorium on Tuesday, Takashima said the overall participation of females in the local high school competition was lacking.

"Unfortunately we don't see many girls in the ISSA competition," he noted. "In the future I hope to see more females in this competition. And for younger kids we have to start their training when they are young, so after five, six years we will see a higher standard," he said.

Meanwhile, coach Sandra Riettie, a former national female player, said females usually get distracted after leaving primary school and called on high school coaches to give greater attention to female players.

"As a past player and national representative, I would also love to see more females competing," said Riettie who coaches Under-16 and Under-19 girls at both Ardenne High and Campion College. She added that at co-ed schools especially, male players dominate.

She noted that some coaches do not spend enough time with the females and there was a need for them to 'try harder with the ladies'.

"We really need more females in the school system and after school. After primary or prep school they just get distracted or more out of the sport. At high school there are other sports they may be drawn towards, and some high schools and universities don't play the sport so they get disinterested," Riettie added.