Richard McAfee Enters the Kingdom of the Dragon and Survives
8/15/2006

 
Bhutan, situated between India and Tibet, is one of the most unspoiled natural environments in the world.
“It is a unique example of the original Himalayan culture and is the only country in the World to adapt Mahayana Buddhism in its Tantric form as its official religion”, said Richard McAfee of the United States, the coach on duty for the Olympic Solidarity Course in Bhutan from 1st to 10th August 2006.

The ten days was part of the ITTF Development Programme and focused on the ITTF Level One Coaching Course.
Surreal
“Just getting into the country is a surreal experience as your airplane weaves its way between mountain peaks of more than three thousand metres to land at the country’s one runway in Paro”, explained Richard McAfee. “Bhutan is remote, it has been somewhat isolated and protected for centuries by its mountains but the sport of table tennis has a long history with in the Kingdom.”
It may not be the number one sport in the country at the moment but it is climbing the ranking list. “While the country’s national sports are archery and soccer, the popularity of table tennis has been growing for years”, said Richard McAfee. “It was one of the first sports that Bhutan competed in, internationally.”
Attendance
The course was held in the capital city of Thimphu at the Bhutan Table Tennis National Training Centre. “Twenty-five physical education plus sports and games teachers took part”, said Richard McAfee. “The teachers came from every area of the country; some even had to walk many miles from remote villages to reach the main highway to catch a bus into the city!”
Dedication to duty, a desire to learn; it was a situation that was appreciated by Richard McAfee. “The course represented a major effort by the country to develop table tennis throughout its school system”, he said. “It was very well organized thanks to the efforts of Ugyen Tshering, Secretary General of the Bhutan Table Tennis Association and also the Men’s Singles National Champion of the country.”
Organisation
Ugyen Tshering paid attention to detail. “All course participants received complete playing kits and daily training consisted of two, three-hour sessions each day”, explained Richard McAfee. “Training comprised both table tennis theory and lots of practical application work.”
The excellent organisation facilitated a superb working atmosphere and the students responded. “The course participants worked very hard throughout and showed much improvement in both their level of knowledge and in their own personal playing skills”, said Richard McAfee. “The course drew excellent media coverage with several articles appearing in the national newspaper, `Kuensel’ and both the opening and closing ceremonies were presented on national television!”
Busy
It was a busy week for Richard McAfee, not only did he take the ITTF Level One Coaching Course during the day, he worked each evening with members of the Bhutan national team. “The team was in training for the upcoming South Asian Federation Games to be held from 18th to 27th August in Colombo, Sri Lanka”, said Richard McAfee who focused his attentions on service, service return, match tactics, speed work and sport psychology.
Gratitude
The ten days proved an unmitigated success and Richard McAfee was grateful for the support afforded.
“A special thank you needs to be given to the United States table tennis companies of Butterflyonline.com and Newgy Industries for supplying thirty rackets and more than six hundred balls for the course”, he said. “Also, the Leach Family of Denver, Colorado donated more than one hundred sheets of used high level Butterfly Rubber that was used to upgrade the rackets of many of the upcoming young players.”
Remote
Undoubtedly, the help was well received in a country that to some extent has a history of being cut off from the outside world.
“Bhutan is a remote country that is quickly becoming much more connected to the rest of the world”, explained Richard McAfee. “There are now lots of cars and parking problems in the capital of Thimphu, cell phones are everywhere and both the internet and cable television are making inroads into society.”
Keeping Pace
Modern day living has arrived in Bhutan which is striving to keep pace with the twenty-first century but it is a proud country; for economic reasons it must meet modern day demands but preserving its culture is important. Bhutan is determined not to let the past evaporate in the speed of modern day society whilst for table tennis the country is moving forward and for Richard McAfee it had been a most worthwhile visit.

Course members with Richard McAfee Photo by Bhutan TTA