TMB BY THE STATES – Maracaju reemerges as a table tennis powerhouse in Mato Grosso do Sul

TMB BY THE STATES – Maracaju reemerges as a table tennis powerhouse in Mato Grosso do Sul

New partnership boosts project to train young talents and promote sport in the city

By Table Tennis Federation of Mato Grosso do Sul

A few years ago, Maracaju stood out as one of the main delegations in table tennis competitions in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Under the command of professor José Carlos, Maracaju Atlético Clube (MAC) achieved victories and had athletes called up for the state selection in the Brazilian Championship.

After some time, the city is waking up to the sport again, thanks to a joint action between the Sports Secretariat, represented by Professor Erlei Pires, the new president of Maracaju Atlético Clube, Matheus Soares Bueno, the financial director Vinicius Aguilhera and the councilor Rener Barbosa.

Leading the classes is physical education teacher Mariele dos Santos Ribeiro Costa, who teaches table tennis classes in schools through a municipal project to encourage the sport, made possible by the City Hall.

“We are starting work that is slow, requires care and needs support in acquiring equipment such as tables, rackets, balls and the cost of travel to competitions, which is what motivates the students. I have no doubt about the success we will have, as the children will realize that they can become good players, but our main objective is for them to understand the importance of becoming great citizens” says Mariele.

For Erlei Pires, Municipal Sports Secretary, “occupying the new arena with other sports is our daily task. With these partnerships, we will be able to bring important events to Maracaju, moving away from futsal. Table tennis is well accepted by children and we will encourage their participation in competitions, within our resources, of course. The ideal is that we have the cooperation of the private sector in this project, which would give a huge boost.”