By Leandro Olvech
Best Players Rio 2007
During this championships it was organized again, the ceremony of awards for the best Pan-American players, as we use to do since 2003. The used system is the same in the 4 regions. The results are calculated based on individual events of all participating athletes.
It means the awarded players are not elected, but they are selected using a mathematic formula.
The Best Players of the Parapanamericans Rio de Janeiro 2007 in Table Tennis were:
Wheelchair Ladies: Yanellis Silva – CUBA
Standing Ladies: Jane Rodrigues – BRAZIL
Wheelchair Gentleman: Claudiomiro Segatto – BRAZIL
Standing Gentleman: Mitch Seidenfeld – USA
“Player's Player”
In the other hand there exists another award granted to the “Players´ Player”
In this case, it is an election and takes in account not only the last Parapanamericans but all the competitions from the last regional, it means since the end of Mar del Plata ´ 05 up to Rio ´ 07.
Not only the performance on the tables has to be considered but also the behavior inside and outside of the field of play.
In contrast to past editions the electoral system was indirect. Previously the players, trainers and international present officials simply were voting and the counting was realized.
As the denomination of the award is “Player of the Players” it is logical that only they can vote, and in this way they did it, but the votes of every delegation were processed internally (or they discussed for consensus) and every country had two votes for the masculine award and two for the feminine one with the obligation not to vote two players of the same country.
In this way, the size of the delegations has no impact on the results of the elections.
The elected “Player´s Player” of Americas 2005/2007 were:
Ladies: Yanellis Silva – CUBA
Gentlemen: Erich Manso – CUBA
Thanks CORIO!
Finally there was realized the delivery of a commemorative present of ITTF – PTT to the Organizing Committee of the Games, in its representation it was received by Toshimi Nakashima, Table Tennis Competition Manager. Our most sincere gratitude goes towards him and his team and to all CORIO with the most effusive congratulations for the big success that the games were.