Southern Region Training Camp
TTNZ Regional Camps Brought Players Together for Learning, Development and High Quality Training
Central Region Training Camp
Players Gathered Across New Zealand
A fantastic weekend of learning, development and table tennis took place across New Zealand on 16 to 17 May 2026 as players gathered for the recent TTNZ Regional Camps.
Held across the Northern, Central and Southern regions, the TTNZ Regional Camps brought together players from a range of levels for high-quality coaching, match play and development opportunities closer to home. The camps are an important part of the TTNZ player development pathway, helping players continue to improve their technical and tactical skills in a supportive training environment.
A total of 72 players attended the camps across the country, with 36 players at the Northern Region Training Camp, 19 players at the Central Region Training Camp and 17 players at the Southern Region Training Camp.
The Central coaching team featured Rishabh Kumar, Matt Ball and Martin Da Costa.
National Coaches Supported Regional Player Development
The camps were supported by a strong team of national and regional coaches.
The Northern coaching team included Albert Cheng, Roger Wang, Kim Wang, Liting Guo, Aleksey Yefremov and Sukitha Samarakkody.
The Central coaching team featured Rishabh Kumar, Naina Suri, Matt Ball and Martin Da Costa.
The Southern coaching team included Jaafar Moussa, Ben Duffy, Helen Beumelburg, Aarya Advilkar and Liz Franz.
Logan Lin and Payas Jaja training together at the Northern Region Camp
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National Squad Players Joined Regional Training
One of the highlights of this year’s camps was the first time TTNZ National Squad players joined the Regional Squad training sessions. This created valuable learning opportunities for younger and developing players to train alongside some of New Zealand’s top athletes.
National Squad player Jocelyn Lam said the experience was also beneficial for senior players.
“It allowed me to go back to the basics. It was a good reminder that training is not always about high-level drills and that strong basics are important groundwork.”
Liu Chi-An with junior athletes Liu Ting-Kuan and Deanne Samarakkody at the TTNZ Northern Region Camp.
National Squad player Payas Jaja had the opportunity to train with younger player Logan Lin from Waikato. Both players shared an attacking playing style and Logan said it was a great opportunity to play against someone he had previously only watched compete.
Payas said that teaching Logan during training also helped his own development.
“Having to explain techniques made me more mindful about the details of what I was teaching. It became a good reminder for myself as well.”
Logan shared that one of his key takeaways from training with Payas was learning how to block loops more effectively, an area he had previously found difficult.
Junior athletes Liu Ting-Kuan and Deanne Samarakkody from Auckland also enjoyed the opportunity to train with a wide range of players throughout the camp.
The young players laughed as they shared that many of the athletes at the camp were “so tall”. They said it was exciting to play against different players and a great opportunity to learn from others, especially the National Squad players.
Samuel Chun and Jherianne Caeli D Siwa from Northland at the TTNZ Northern Region Camp, with Samuel attending the camp for the first time.
TT Kidz Pathway Continued to Grow
The camps also highlighted the strength of the TTNZ player pathway. Jherianne Caeli D Siwa from Northland started playing table tennis through the TT Kidz programme in 2024 and, within two years, earned a place in the Regional Squad programme.
Jherianne said she was excited to make new friends while continuing to improve her game and learn new techniques.
Dimitri Bell
Players Learned from Different Styles and Coaches
Players also enjoyed the opportunity to train with athletes and coaches from outside their home regions.
Dimitri Bell from Nelson said his favourite part of the camp was training with players who had different playing styles from those he normally trained with.
“One thing I improved on was my short game technique and feel. I also enjoyed learning from different coaches like Ben Duffy and Jaafar Moussa. Thanks TTNZ for the amazing experience. I learned a lot.”
Harper Grace Matena from Hawkes Bay said she enjoyed playing against different players across a variety of skill levels.
“I got better at my backhand block as well as my footwork.”
Thank You to Everyone Involved
TTNZ would like to thank all players, coaches, volunteers and supporters who helped make the camps such a success and continue to support the development of table tennis across New Zealand.
2026 Northern Region Training Camp
2026 Southern Region Training Camp