Australia’s Scott Houston yesterday morning from Guam to stay here for four days. He will tour schools on Saipan and hold ping pong clinic at the Gilbert C. Ada Gym.
He was invited by Steve Lim, president of Marianas Amateur Table Tennis Association a local sports group that continues to develop pingpong on the island.
Houston has been touring Fiji, New Calodenia, Kiribati, Palau and Guam sharing pingpong lessons and coaching games.
Together with MATTA officers and members, Houston will be visiting schools to demonstrate with students the basics and other lessons about table tennis today, (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday).
On Saturday, Sep 12 he will be conducting table tennis clinic at the Ada Gym from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Houston who assumed his official last January replaced New Zealand’s Andrew Hubbard who has occupied the position since 2006.
He has a degree in International Business recently gained at the University of South Australia and holds a Level Two Australian Coaching Accreditation.
He has been active in the coaching field during the past four years.
In addition he is the current Oceania Men’s Doubles and South Australia Men’s Singles Champion
Houston has also held a High Performance Scholarship with the South Australian Sports Institute for the past three years and has recently completed his ITTF/PTT Level One Course Conductor training in Cyprus.
He also has extensive competitive experience having played in Germany, China, and Austria whilst also spending time on three different occasions at the Training Centre in Chengdu, China.
“I am very excited to have the opportunity to be the Oceania Development Officer, and I look forward to having the chance to be able to give back something to the sport that has given me so much” Houston said.
Oceania President, Patrick Gillmann is also very pleased with Houston’s appointment.
“Having a young and motivated person like Scott is a bonus to Oceania”, Gillman said.
“I have immediately asked him to come to New Caledonia in February to both work with him and to see him work,” he added.
