Coach Li
A Famed International Coach
Previously Coached:
·Ryu Seungmin (2004 Olympic Gold Medallist) [Korea]
·Vladimir Samsonov (1999 World Longlist Rating 1, World Cup Champion, European Champion) [Russia]
·Michael Maze (2005 World Championship third place winner, 2004 Olympic bronze for mens double) [Denmark]
·Koji Matsushita (Japanese Champion, World Championship third place winner for teams, also third place for doubles) [Japan]
·Erick Lindh (World Championship 3 time team champion, bronze metalist for Olympic mens single) [Sweden]
YuXiang Li is the head coach of NYITTC. Li has more than 40 years of history in the sport of table tennis. He started to play table tennis at the age of 6. At the age 10 he was given professional training and in 1976, he won the Chinese national singles table tennis tournament. From there he was accepted into Team China. Li started touring the world playing table tennis, in 1977 he went to England for the 34th world invitation after he won the national championship for double table tennis tournament in China. Later on Li's group won the best overall team for the Chinese national championship.
Li entered the scene of international table tennis in the year of 1985 as a professionalindividual. He got invited to different associations and clubs as a sportsman and as a coach all over Asia and Europe. It was then he started to train talents for different countries, including: Sweden, Germany, Japan, Denmark, England, etc. He spent more then ten years living in Germany and was constantly invited to group training the German national team. His spirit and talent was recognized throughout the world. It is there that he trained Erik Lindn of Sweden, Li got invited by STIGA and trained Erik for 2 month. Erik Lindn won the bronze medal for the singles in Olympics of 1988.
From 1996 to 1998 Li went back to playing and represented Germany to play in the ITTF World Veterans Championship and he won over 40 titles in single and double area.
Li got hired by the prestigious Borussia Dusseldor of Germany. He have worked with some international stars while he was there, including: Ryu Seungmin (2004 Olympic singles champion) Vladimir Samsonov (1st place in 1999, world cup in single of Europe) Michael Maze (3rd place in 2005 for world invitational, bronze for doubles in 2004 Olympics) Koji Matsushita (Japanese champion, means double bronze in World Invitational). With Li's support, Borussia Dusseldorf ranked best in European Table Tennis Clubs.
Ever since Li came to the United States, he has been helpings young talents improve. The United States Table Tennis Association have recognized Li's talent and skill, many experts have seek his guidance. Li entered 2005 USA Open and he won 5 champions, 1 second place. Li have a unique way of training youth. He mimics the way of how a puppet works and mold the movement of table tennis into live steps. As a result, the learning curve of new players into the world of table tennis is greatly reduced.