First Romanian International Table Tennis Open (RITTO)
for People with Physical Disabilities
16-20 May 2007
www.ritto.ro
REPORT
This competition was the first of its kind in Romania – one that awards World Ranking Points (WRP) for every match win ensuring a place in the World Ranking List (WRL) of the International Paralympic Table Tennis Committee (IPTTC). There are ten classes in the WRL ranging from the very disabled (1-5 in wheelchairs) and 6-10 (Standing). The selection for the Paralympics every four years depends on the number of WRP’s every player has and therefore as the European Championships are in Slovenia in October and Beijing is in 2008,a very high level of players was assured in Cluj. In fact in every class – female and male – there were at least 5 of the top world players present.
In this first Romanian Open for people with disabilities, 105 players represented 16 countries: Brazil, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Norway, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Russia. Including staff (coaches, carers etc), umpires from four countries, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and also IPTTC officials, there were 165 people accommodated in four hotels in Cluj. The Opera Plaza hotel was used for wheelchair players and staff, the only hotel in Cluj with 80 cm doors to the bathroom, Hotel Rimini for IPTTC officials and standing players, Hotel Cristal for the umpires and Hotel Sport for the Romanian players outside Cluj.
The Local Organizing Committee comprising staff from the Lamont Centre, the Little People Association, the Cluj Sport headquarters, all had a tremendous task to do. This competition depended on the sponsorship provided by the Romanian Sports Federation for People with Disabilities (FRSPH) through the Romanian National Association of Sport (ANS). Aileen & Susan, two British friends of mine, were in charge of the information desks at the Hotel Opera Plaza and Hotel Rimini as well as the Sports hall; Anca Chereches, Director of Sport at the Lamont Centre, was responsible for the tournament equipment, arrangement of tables, etc at the Sports Hall; Ileana Aciu and Elisabeta Serbanescu were the computer people assisting the referee from France with all the results and order of play; Elisabeta Vuscan, Secretary of the Lamont Centre was in charge of the reservations at the hotels as well as assuring that in both the Hotel Opera Plaza and Hotel Rimini a toilet for disabled people was built in their restaurants. Katie Rizvi and Serghei Pinzaru from the Little People Foundation were in charge of the 150 volunteers from universities and two schools in Cluj, the Georghe Sincai and the Emil Racovita school and the Ratiu Foundation, Turda. Their responsibilities were the transport from the airport for all foreign players and staff, and for the transport from and to the sports hall and the hotels. In addition, Katie and Serghei’s job was to provide ball boys/girls for every match, to make sure that there was water in every drinking fountain, to help with the distribution of the lunches, make sure the toilets were clean and had soap and toilet paper, serve coffee and biscuits to all umpires and IPTTC staff etc.
The competition started on Thursday 17th May at 8.30am and finished on Saturday 19th May at 18.00. The Opening Ceremony took place at 12.00 on the 19th May and was attended by the British Ambassador, Robin Barnett, the Mayor of Cluj, Emil Boc and various other dignitaries. Both the British Ambassador and the Mayor spoke and then played an exhibition match, the winner playing against Dacian from the Lamont Center. Dacian won against the Mayor and all three were presented with medals. It was a marvelous gesture by both the British Ambassador and the Mayor to give us their valuable time and attracted a great deal of publicity.
This was the first edition of the Romanian Open for People with Disabilities and it was a wonderful success. The Directorate of Sport in Cluj with the help of sponsorship from the Mayor’s office had renovated the Horea Damian Sport Hall in Cluj providing 4 toilets and two special showers for wheelchair players. There is no other Sports Hall in Romania with these facilities. The volunteers were truly amazing and this is due to Katie Rizvi’s training and Serghei’s guidance. The IPTTC officials, every umpire, the players themselves were unfailing in their praise for their capability, their attitude, their language ability and their overall willingness to make sure the competition was a success. I really was very proud of Romania and its young generation throughout these days!
Of course we made some mistakes and we shall rectify these for next year and we have already noted what we need to change next year. However, I am sure with this Team, RITTO can be an annual highlight in Cluj. My objective was to raise awareness of Sport for the Disabled, to dispel the prejudice against the disabled and to promote Cluj as an international city capable of organizing a high level European event. In 2007, the year Romania entered Europe, we achieved this. Thank you everyone!
The Romanian team did win some WRP’s and three of their players won bronze medals and for most of them it will be the first time that they will be featured in the World Ranking List from July 2007. The results are below with the approximate WRP’s awarded.
RESULTS
Maria Stanescu (Iasi) 420 WRP Bronze medal at the Singles
Gabriela Constanta (Bucharest) 60 WRP
Petru Ifrosa (CCSH Lamont) 230 WRP Bronze medal - Team event
Dacian Makszin (CCSH Lamont) 200 WRP Bronze medal - Team event
Mihail Sargu (CCSH Lamont) 290 WRP
Bobi Simion (CCSH Lamont) 70 WRP
Alin Nicolae (OK Bucuresti) 120 WRP
Florin Cojoc (Iasi) 100 WRP
Victor Doana (Lugoj) 60 WRP
Georghe Brehariu (Lugoj) 60 WRP
Marian Puiu (OK Bucuresti) 60 WRP
Dan Nasui (CCSH Lamont) 10 WRP
Sally Wood-Lamont, 5 June 2007
