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BTT tours Yale University with Yale Table Tennis
by Enya
Members of BTT visited Yale University on Sunday, October 5th to explore the campus with Tour Guide Professor Zheng. We first enjoyed a variety of pizza at BAR. Members then visited Yale Peabody Museum, the President's House, the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale School of Medicine, and were allowed to learn about their lab work on neuroscience. Afterwards, BTT and Yale Table Tennis held a friendly doubles competition. Congratulations to all who competed and to our winners from BTT: Anna, Adelaide and Olin! We encourage more members to join in future opportunities for visits and chances to play with other talented players.
MY VERY FIRST EVENT AS A MEMBER OF BTT
by Olin
At the beginning of October Jerry, a veteran of Behind The Table, texted that he had an engagement and would have to skip our group lesson at Joyous TT Club. He was to visit Yale and then play a friendly doubles tournament at the Peach Blossom Haven Community Center (PBH), together with members of the Yale TT Club. The event was organized by BTT and he asked if I was interested to join. I did not hesitate. I had thought for a while of ways to promote my favorite sport and seeing others interested in the same goal was exciting.
While I was not able to join the Yale tour due to my school work load, my parents drove me to PBH some time after 5pm for a dinner with all the participants, followed by the doubles tournament. We were met at the door by the friendly staff at PBH and we lent them a hand in setting up the tennis tables while waiting for everyone to arrive. Slowly familiar faces began to trickle in. While table tennis is always listed as one of the top 10 most popular sports in the world, it resembles a village in the US, where most participants have crossed paths at some point in time. I saw Ishan from Match Point, whom I had played at the Westchester Open and then came in Emma and her mom Wen, who was busy organizing the dinner for everyone. Some of the members of the Yale TT Club were familiar as well, and then others whom I expected to see, turned out had already graduated. By the time everyone came, close to ten tennis tables were set and the players were busy loading up on calories from the tasty Japanese food BTT had ordered for everyone.
Before the tournament started all twenty two of us took a group photo. You can see me in the back in the green T-shirt, behind Jerry (on the left) and my doubles partner from the Yale TT Club (on the right):
Everyone was paired up, but as I joined the event at the last moment, my name had slipped out of the preliminary matching. Nevertheless, the issue was quickly resolved and I found myself on the same team as one of the Yale players, who was rated over 2000. Before the matches, I received my inaugural BTT T-shirt and we all gathered for some last minute instructions.
The energy was high, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, while still putting effort to reach the finals. Unlike a rated tournament, where participants stress over lost games, missed points, loose nets, edges and illegal serves, this community event was warm, welcoming, full of laughter and cheer. I had played some of my opponents in the past and others I had simply crossed paths with at tournaments, but playing them in this friendly environment built deeper connections.
Time flew by, and after winning three matches, my doubles partner had to leave to prepare for her work week — pursuing a PhD in biomedical research at Yale is no joke! Instead I joined forces with one of my opponents from our third match, whose doubles partner also had to leave, and we headed into the semifinals, where our opposing team gave us trouble but we still prevailed. While the matches were lots of fun, especially on tables 1 and 2 where we enjoyed an audience of onlookers and parents, the highlight for me was playing between matches with Kevin Guo, a current Yale math student, and former member of the Canadian National Team.
Time flies when one is having fun and before we knew it it was close to 8:30pm. PBH was about to close and we needed to wrap up faster than anticipated. The solution was easy: why not have 4 winners, rather than only 2?! The more the merrier.
We got home around 10:30pm. I was exhausted, yet content. At the end of the day, I felt fortunate to have found a community of like-minded people, willing to put time and effort in promoting table tennis. As the first member of BTT from New York, I am happy to help BTT extend its reach beyond New Jersey. And the cherry on the cake was winning the tournament. Jerry rightly pointed out that I did have an advantage, having initially been paired with another 2000+ player. However, that was beyond my control—as a new BTT member, I suppose I just had some 'beginner’s luck'. 🙂
BTT honor members Shine at the 2025 ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge in Sheffield
The 2025 ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge brought together 40 of the world’s most promising Under-12 table tennis players at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield from 13–19 October. This elite gathering capped a year-long talent identification pathway that began with national and continental Hopes Weeks across five continents and culminated in intensive training and competition. Youth athletes benefited from five days of world-class coaching focused on technical, physical, and tactical development, as well as educational sessions linking sport with broader values such as sustainability.
The week concluded with the Hopes Challenge competition, using an innovative format that combined group play and knockout rounds. In the boys’ final, BTT recent honor member Jacob Kordus finished runner-up to Uganda’s Joseph Sebatindira, demonstrating strong competitive form. On the girls’ side, Japan’s Kaede Neya secured the title, with BTT honor member Emma Yang earning selection to the Hopes Team through holistic evaluation of performance, attitude, and potential. Both Jacob and Emma, proudly representing U.S.A Junior nation team, were named to the 2025 Hopes Team, unlocking progression onto the ITTF High Performance pathway with additional support and opportunities.
The event not only showcased elite youth talent but also reinforced the ITTF’s commitment to developing the next generation of international table tennis stars.
BTT promoted Table Tennis at Newark Academy
Thanks to BTT Honor Members Rassi and Wynn, the school achieved a historic milestone by introducing table tennis as one of its major activities for the first time in its 250-year history. This significant addition marked a new chapter in the school’s sporting tradition, broadening opportunities for students to engage in a fast-paced, inclusive, and skill-based sport.
The initiative was warmly welcomed by both students and teachers, who praised the energy, accessibility, and competitive spirit table tennis brought to campus life. Its successful launch reflects the school’s commitment to innovation, student well-being, and embracing modern activities while honoring its long-standing heritage.
BTT member volunteered at senior daycare center
BTT member volunteered at senior daycare center
James Yang performed at Cedar Knolls Adult Medical Day Center event hosted by GPA (Greater Princeton Alliance) on 10/02/2025, Volunteered for 3 hrs total.
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