T.T.A.B.L.E. (Tennis table Training and Activities for the Benefit of Living together and Equality): Challenging differences through tennis table between host and refugees in Italy and Turkey

T.T.A.B.L.E (Tennis Table Training and Activities for the Benefit of Living together and Equality) is a project that addresses cognitive, social, educational, and physical capabilities of children from 6-17 through table tennis sport pedagogy, training and activities in Italy and Turkey, involving both host countries citizens and specifically targeting refugees. It involves super-coaches (4) and trainee coaches (50) which will learn ways to transfer technical and behavioural skills to beneficiaries. The programme will be implemented in large sport clubs, NGOs and the Kilis Youth Sports Provincial Directorate for training and activities both in Rome and in Kilis and Gaziantep (on the Turkish-Syrian border). Activities will involve children and youths (with age specific activities), for boys, girls, and disabled children for a total of 600 children, ending with a tournament in both countries. Methodologies involve activities to promote sport/physical activity, gender equality and social inclusion in sport; foster friendship, solidarity between peoples and knowledge of different culture under principles such as social inclusion, sustainability, volunteering, and disability, involving the whole community especially younger generations, but also stakeholders and citizens in general. Among the aims of the project is to produce a set of tools (both in paper and digital form, in English, Italian, Turkish and Arabic) with best practices, guidelines, exercises and video lessons, and progression activities and will be accompanied by a YouTube channel and multilingual website following all steps of the project making it scalable and sharable in different contexts. A report based on pre-training and post-training skills will be provided as well as a report of acquired abilities and perceptions of participants of all ages, led by Sapienza University of Rome for psychology/ pedagogy of sport.