Southbank resident Chau Giang is a veteran table tennis player and Table Tennis Australia registered coach. Through the support of a City of Melbourne Connected Neighbourhood Small Grant, she’s offering Southbank residents twice-weekly free table tennis coaching at Boyd Community Hub.

We talked to Chau about her neighbourhood and what she loves about table tennis.

What do you like about living in Southbank?

Southbank is a vibrant and beautiful space to live. It offers convenient access to modern city living, unique cultural landmarks and international art performances and sports entertainment. There are so many beautiful things to do in Southbank all year round.

My favourite recreational activities and events include free tram rides, relaxed river walks, picturesque bay rides, entertaining street arts and performances, gastronomic food, and the international comedy festival.

Tell us about you and your connection to table tennis.

I am a retired engineer and IT professional and a registered table tennis coach. I love the game and am always happy when I get to hold a bat either to play or to coach. I started playing table tennis in my early teens when my dad bought a table tennis table for our family to play and enjoy the game. I carried my dream to play in the veterans after winning silver in the women’s doubles at the Australian Corporate Games.

I moved to Melbourne to train and compete at state, national and international levels. 2019 was a bumper year for me when I teamed up with a Chinese player to win bronze and silver medals at the World Veteran Tour in Townsville.

I now coach table tennis to students from years 1-12 at several schools in Melbourne and to seniors at Chinese senior citizens clubs.

Why did you decide to start a local table tennis group?

I truly believe that table tennis is a sport for everyone. Commonly known as ping pong, table tennis is a popular game for individuals to learn, exercise, and connect with family and friends in their neighbourhood. At a professional level, highly skilled table tennis players can train to compete in state and national championships, international tournaments and at the Olympics.

Support from the City of Melbourne has made it possible to promote this highly competitive sport to a wider population and to provide access to sporting facilities and coaching for residents to participate, learn, play and stay healthy.

How does table tennis at Boyd benefit the community?

In partnership with the City of Melbourne libraries, this program provides residents with easy access to a sporting facility to play, exercise, and stay connected in their neighbourhood. As a low-impact physical activity, table tennis provides an ideal way for seniors to participate, stay active and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Table tennis is a competitive sport that is competed in primary and secondary schools in Australia. For younger players, having access to local table tennis facilities and coaching will enable them to learn, improve their skills, play and become professional athletes in the sport.

Table tennis is an excellent and fun game for all ages. It brings people together, stimulates social interaction and creates a positive impact on intergenerational wellbeing and a strong sense of community among the residents.