The Bangladesh Table Tennis Federation has named Japanese coach Yutaka Nakano as head coach on a two year deal. The move comes as the federation looks to improve results on the international stage.
Federation general secretary Captain A M Maksud Ahmed Sonet expressed hope about the appointment. He said, “We believe that with the experience and skill of Yutaka Nakano, Bangladesh table tennis will reach new heights and achieve more success on the international stage.”
Nakano, a former player from Japan, returns to Bangladesh for the second time as a coach. He earlier worked at Future Sporting Club in 2022. He was most recently with the Samson Dubina Table Tennis Academy in the United States.
A selection camp for the Asian Games will start on April 18. The top 16 male and 16 female players from the national rankings have been called. The coach will prepare them for the coming events.
The federation is now working under an ad hoc committee. Still, it has taken a long term plan. It has already started work for major events like the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships, Asian Games, Asian Youth Table Tennis Championships, South Asian Junior Table Tennis Championships, and the South Asian Games.
He also added, “We have already appointed former national champion Saleha Setu as the women’s team coach for the Commonwealth Championship. Separate squads will be selected and trained for different international competitions.”
According to the federation, Nakano will design and run modern training for senior and youth teams. He will find new talents. He will guide players in matches. He will also track fitness and performance and submit reports.
Recently, the Bangladesh Under 19 boys team won gold at the South Asian Youth Table Tennis Championship. Nafiz and Joy also earned spots in the ITTF ATTU Asian Youth Championship after that success.
