Strengthening The Base: Inside Australia’s Para Table Tennis Hubs

“We’d been really strong at the top,” says Alois Rosario, national athlete and coach development manager (Para) at Table Tennis Australia, “but we were very aware we had a pretty skinny base.

“Previously, the focus was always on medals and there was very little time or space to shine any light on the pathway. That was really the spawn of thinking for the Para table tennis state hubs.” he added.

It’s an observation that carries the weight of decades inside the sport.

Rosario began playing table tennis at just five years old, dominated state junior championships across every age group and represented Australia internationally, including at two World Championships. 

Transitioning to coaching in 1986, he guided junior champions, Olympic athletes and Paralympic medallists, including Samuel Von Einem, whose silver at Rio 2016 ended Australia’s 32-year Paralympic medal drought in table tennis.

“We needed a system where athletes could see the pathway clearly and where coaches could develop alongside them,” Rosario reflects.

The conversation that initiated the Para State Hub idea came in 2022 with Sue Stevenson, General Manager – National Paralympic Program at Table Tennis Australia. Together, they envisioned a structure that could nurture athletes from grassroots through to international competition, while simultaneously developing the coaches to guide them along the way.

Rosario says the timing was serendipitous: “It came at a nice time with the National Para Uplift, which made things somewhat easier. We had a plan in place post-Paris and the environment was ready to grow the base.”

Five hubs were established across Australia, each led by a dedicated Para coach and linked to state associations and Para Units in State Institutes and Academies of Sport. 

The aim was simple but ambitious: expand the athlete pipeline, strengthen coaching capability and connect local environments to national performance outcomes – benefitting both emerging players and national squad members.

The model also aligns with Paralympics Australia’s broader strategic direction towards building a stronger, more connected performance system and increasing the depth of athletes progressing through classification and development pathways in the lead up to LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games.

Rosario explains: “We initially set up the hubs to help us identify new athletes and develop coaches that we could bring along on the journey. The key was finding the right people – not just high performance coaches, but people who could do both: coach at a high level and nurture emerging talent.”

For 12-year-old Nathan Wickham, the hubs have opened doors he never knew existed. A manual wheelchair user diagnosed with arthrogryposis; he discovered table tennis through the SASI Para Unit Launch Pad Program.

“When I first came to the hub, I was nervous because I didn’t know anybody,” he says. “Before the term ended, I was staying for extra sessions every week. Table tennis has been so rewarding – it makes me feel welcomed and proud of myself. I enjoy it and I’m competitive about it too.”

Since joining, Wickham has mastered forehand and backhand topspin shots and begun consistently winning matches: “Being around mentors, trainers and other Para athletes has shown me what’s possible,” he says. “I feel like I have a real chance to represent South Australia or even Australia if I stick at it.”

South Australian hub coach, An Phan, describes a typical session as “highly inclusive, structured and adapted for players with different impairments. The players range from social beginners to national squad members and I try to create an environment where everyone has a sense of belonging, with a clear pathway to represent Australia at the highest level.”

Reflecting on Wickham’s early promise, Phan adds, “Nathan is highly competitive and talented. What stood out was his passion for the sport – that’s the key sign that got me excited about his potential.”

Rosario notes the hubs’ impact extends well beyond weekly training: “Each hub runs at least two sessions per week. Coaches deliver sessions, work individually with athletes and scout new talent. That includes emerging players and national squad members – it means everyone benefits from more attention and our top athletes get the coaching support they need while the pathway keeps growing.”

Over the last year, hub coaches have had contact with 145 athletes, with 60 to 70 athletes participating regularly.

“That’s real impact – athletes developing, coaches developing and a pathway that works,” says Rosario.

For Phan, there was one moment that made him realise the hub model was working: “I paused during a session and noticed athletes of different impairments and standards staying engaged, working collaboratively and focused on their goals.”

“That’s when I thought, ‘we are on the right track.’”

“The hubs are genuinely game changing,” says Ben King, Performance Pathways Specialist at Paralympics Australia. “They’re nationally aligned but delivered locally, connecting athletes to pathways from grassroots to podium. That depth is critical as we look toward LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032.”

For Rosario, the hubs represent something more than medals or rankings. 

“This isn’t just about the next Games,” he says, “It’s about building a system that works for everyone. We want athletes to know they belong, and we want coaches to feel confident guiding them. That’s the legacy we’re creating – a pathway that can support future generations of Australian Para table tennis players.”

By Ashley Gillespie, Paralympics Australia.

Published 20 May, 2026.