Por CBTM
During the visit to the Federal University of Amazon (UFAM), Professor Luiz Vilani, who is the Scientific and Technical Coordinator for CBTM, has followed the success of a great idea that has already been consolidated in the Amazon state: Gerontologic Table Tennis.
The initiative is part of the program Idoso Feliz Participa Sempre - Universidade na
Introduced in the Program in 1996, under the supervision of Doctor-professor Rita Puga with the aid of Professor Jozilma Batalha, Gerontologic Table Tennis, also known as geronto-table tennis, demonstrates that "this modality has had an incredible acceptance and improves the technique and agility of the geronto-athletes" as registered by the first professor in her book "Educaçao Física Gerontológica: Construção Sistematicamente Vivenciada e Construída", published in Manaus, 2003 by EDUA.
Vilani, who also followed other activities of the Program held by UFAM, watched over a lesson of geronto-table tennis and was impressed with the idea and possibilities of movements that a senior athlete can make in the sport.
"Geronto-table tennis is not about Master Table Tennis, because most athletes, when they join the Program, have never had the experience of playing a sport with rackets. However, they learn quickly and demonstrate an enormous satisfaction from playing the sport. Of course that the Master can serve as example for the geronto-athletes, as the success of it has taken Table Tennis to the Amazon Olympic Games for the Elderly - JOIA, and this can be the beginning of a much broader program that would stimulate intensely the development of a national table tennis culture", said Vilani.
The Geronto-table Tennis Program is structured in a 60-hour course and doesn't count only with the practicum. The "students" have theoretical classes and are evaluated through papers about the history of the modality and take part of internal competitions.
Professor Rita Pug's book doesn't only tackle the history and the acceptance of the geronto-table tennis program, but also presents all the working plan and units of work inherent to the activities.
"This is yet another example given by Amazon that must be highlighted. Professors Rita Puga and Jozilma Batalha had a great idea and certainly are, today, a reference in this area. It was a very special opportunity to get to know this program, moreover a reason to be proud to see the Table Tennis as a subject of a Physics Education book, which, this time, demonstrates the benefits of the modality to the elderly public. Experiences like this make the sport grow and revive us to keep on our constant struggle in favor of a wider recognition of the Table Tennis in
