Press conference for the first ever Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championships on April 23rd 2019 in Budapest at the World TT Championships.
Nenad Bach, Zoran Primorac, Leandro Olvech, Steve Dainton, Thomas Weikert. 1st ever Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championships,
will happen on October 11-13, 2019 in Pleasantville, New York USA at the Westchester Table Tennis Center
Press conference on April 23, 2019 in Budapest. Video taped by Kriston Reinmuth. Thank you Kris! Nenad Bach
Nenad Bach had been a globally acclaimed musician for almost forty years when his performing career was abruptly cut short by the onset of Parkinson’s Disease. Though there is no known cure, Nenad was determined to perform in front of audiences again, so he took up ping pong as a form of therapy. After playing several times a week for over a year, he was not only able to halt the progression of the disease, but has reversed his symptoms enough to once again take the stage. He recently completed his first international concert tour and founded the Ping Pong Parkinson organization, a support group that helps people suffering from Parkinson’s to conquer their illness through table tennis. In this short documentary, he talks about his journey to recovery in hope that others will be able to benefit as well.
| Everything is better than it used to be 23 Apr 2019 Croatian by birth but resident in New York since 1984, Nenad Bach has delivered his message far and wide through music; his singing and song writing skills resulted in number one albums in Europe in both 1980 and 1988. On Tuesday 23rd April at the Liebherr 2019 World Championships in Budapest, he delivered another powerful message “Everything is better than it used to be”EUR. All smiles and a warm handshake between Leandro Olvech (left) and (right) Nenad Bach to stage the first Parkinson World Championships (Photo: Richard Kalocsai)
by Ian Marshall, Editor EURoeParkinson’s is not a disease, it is a diagnosis.EUR Nenad Bach
Now, following the signing of a contract with the ITTF Foundation, the inaugural Parkinson World Championships will be staged from Friday 11th to Sunday 13th October at the Westchester Club in New York, the club owned by Will Shortz, the man who designs the crosswords for the New York Times.  Nenad Bach, always positive (Photo: Richard Kalocsai)
Present for the signing in Budapest was Thomas Weikert, ITTF President alongside Steve Dainton, ITTF Chief Executive Officer, Leandro Olvech, ITTF Foundation Director and fellow Croatian, Zoran Primorac, Chair of the ITTF Athletes’EUR(TM) Commission.
 Zoran Primorac delighted to support and delighted with the support received (Photo: Richard Kalosai) A motivated Zoran Primorac, now there is a highly inspired group of delegates, Marko Spes, Kreso Grobenski, Silvio Grobenski and Danijela Pospis all actively supporting the initiative of the championships.
 Thomas Weikert turning to address Nenad Bach underlined the importance of health within the concept of the ITTF Foundation (Photo: Richard Kalocsai)
Moreover, Nenad Bach demonstrated the fact that table tennis has helped his musical ability by playing the guitar to the strains of a song written for the occasion.
The music was appreciated by all, most certainly in Steve Dainton, Nenad Bach has a fan.
 Steve Dainton enjoying the music an enthused by the progress made (Photo: Richard Kalocsai)
In Budapest from all concerned there is a sense of anticipation, a sense that table tennis can achieve what no other sport can achieve; a sport that is to the benefit of mankind, a sport that is ahead of the field. |
