Former European champion Badescu starts work for GTTA
FORMER European women’s singles champion Otilia Badescu has started her new job as Guernsey’s table tennis development officer.
Badescu, 46, has signed a five-year contract with the Guernsey Table Tennis Association whose president, Derek Webb, is ecstatic at finding such a quality successor to Becks O’Keefe, who left the role after 15 years.
‘This is an exciting period for us – a transitional one,’ said Webb.
‘Otilia hit the ground running in terms of coaching on Monday and she will have 90 children under her umbrella, from beginners through to the more experienced youngsters playing leagues,’ he added.
Badescu, who is contracted to do 20 hours of coaching per week, was part of Romania’s 2005 European Championship winning team, which came two years after she won the European women’s singles title.
Ten years earlier, aged 23, she won the individual bronze medal at the World Championships in Gothenburg.
‘To get a quality player like that and as a coach, we have done well, to be honest,’ said Webb.
