Werner Schlager Founds Table Tennis Academy
September 24, 2007

Werner Schlager Founds Table Tennis Academy

Courtesy of ITTF The 2003 World champion, Werner Schlager and Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer, presented the concept of the newly-founded Werner-Schlager-Academy (WSA). The main intention is to save the know-how of the current generation of Austrian world class players and coaches. All of them, like Werner Schlager, Chen Weixing, Karl Jindrak or Ferenc Karsai, are involved in the project and will stay in Austria after the end of their active career to hand over their experiences to the next generation.

The WSA will be built 2008/2009 as the main part of a great sport complex in Schwechat, a small town near Vienna.

Schlager's Dream
With the academy, a dream comes true for Werner Schlager: "For more than twenty years, table tennis has been the main part of my life", said Werner Schlager. "It's my dream, to hand over my experiences and my know-how to the next generations; I am sure, with the Werner-Schlager-Academy we are on the right way."

Perfect Infrastructure
The table tennis academy will only be seven kilometers from the “Vienna-International-Airport", fifty meters from the railway station and only a few hundred meters from the highway.

Austrian players and also international players will find ideal conditions, such as at least twenty permanent table tennis tables for practice, a modern fitness area, a medical centre, conference and seminar rooms as well as relaxation areas. Together with a second sports hall in the complex, it will create the option to organize even major events, such as European Championships.

Co-operation with the ITTF
Adham Sharara, President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), was involved in the plans from the beginning and supported the academy from the first moment. The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) has also prepared development plans.

Therefore the WSA will become a real world training center.

Open for Disabled Sport
As a special wish from Werner Schlager, his academy will be open for disabled players too; this worldwide unique integration of disabled players in the everyday training life of national players will set totally new concepts.