Download The Royal Air Force Table Tennis Team (RAF TTT) is set to become

The Royal Air Force Table Tennis Team (RAF TTT) is set to become the first
single-Service sports team ever to tour China. Report by Sal Davidson (MOD).
The team, drawn from units across the UK, will tour the home of world table tennis,
between 10 Sep and 22 Sep 07. The tour will be the first time that any single Service
has been hosted to play sport in China. It will provide valuable opportunities for team
members to play as well as getting coaching tips from the Chinese National Squad,
which includes the current Men's world champion.
The RAF team has enjoyed much success over the years; they are unbeaten in the
Men's Inter-Services Championships having gained the title for 24 years in succession
and received the Combined Services Sports Award for 'Team of the Year Award' in
March of this year, which prompted them to pursue this opportunity. John Edbrooke
has been a mainstay of that team for several years.
However the team's visit will not just focus on sport; it is formally recognised as part
of the UK's bilateral defence relationship with China. The visit has involved months
of planning through various departments such as the MOD, the office of the Chinese
Defence Attaché in London and the British Embassy in Beijing - all pulling together
to facilitate the tour.
While in China the team will be hosted by the Peoples Liberation Army, Air Force
(PLA AF). The PLA AF itself has many skilled table tennis players so part of their
remit will be to play against and impart coaching tips to the UK team. It is hoped that
the RAF Odiham team will be stronger for the increasingly competitive BTT league,
this year
After kicking off their tour in China's capital, Beijing, the team will visit some of the
country's most famous sights such as the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square before
travelling to Xian, the home of the Terracotta soldiers and the PAL AF Engineering
University. At this point the focus will turn to business; a day will be spent at the
university where the RAF team will brief their hosts on the role of the RAF and its
current capabilities.
The RAF TTT has enjoyed various international trips in the past few years including
visits to Germany and more recently Baltimore, USA, where they competed in an
international competition. With over 1,000 entrants from all over the world and 14
divisions, the RAF TTT finished in the (very respectable) fifth division. It is evident
that the women's game is progressing with increasing numbers participating and their
calibre reflected in their recent achievement of winning the Inter-Service title in 2007.
Squadron Leader Chris Coombes, Deputy Chairman of the RAF Table Tennis
Association and tour organiser, said:
"The visit to China by the RAF TTT presents a unique opportunity for our personnel
to play against and be coached by the Chinese; the best players in the world.
"We are extremely grateful for the magnificent support given by the Chinese to make
this trip achievable. e look forward to playing world class standard sports people and
experiencing the ancient culture and sites of this exciting country."
The Chinese PLA AF will undertake a reciprocal visit to the UK in April 2008 to
coincide with the Inter-Services competition when it is the hoped that the RAF TTT
will retain their title, unbeaten for a quarter of a century
Below: John Edbrooke in action