At the end of HITTA's Fun Summer Camp two weeks ago, the club principal Wang Hui, coaches Wantong Liu, Hangyu Li and I went on a trip to Puerto Rico. Why Puerto Rico? Other than it's where I was born and raised, many other reasons.
The friendships, the people, the culture and table tennis to name a few. And why not?
Since 2018, when PR national players first came to train at HITTA, we have hosted a number of players from different parts of the World to improve their level and performance. We currently have members from the USA, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Croatia, Turkey, Pakistan, India, Syria, Venezuela, Argentina, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Mexico and the Caribbean with Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Cuba accentuating our "international" heritage. I'm sure a few places escape my memory.
Although we did enjoy the beaches, the rain forest, the mountains, the landscape and all the glorious food you can eat, in the end it was table tennis the ties that bind us. From Guaynabo, to Vega Alta, to El Albergue in Salinas to Utuado, across the mountains and around the beaches it was a mixture of memories and anticipation for me. What follows are a few pictures of our trip and memories that will endure time!
Gracias a Hector Berrios, Melvin Avila, Jorge Naranjo, Francisco Gonzalez, Edgar Alexis, Carlos Gracia, Edgardo Vazquez, Bladimir Diaz y Nune Afanador por permitirnos venir a visitar y compartir con ustedes esta pasion del tenis de mesa! Very special thanks to our friend Jose Bondi Davila who so graciously hosted us and made us feel like family during our stay. Puerto Rico, we will return soon!