Instead of compass’s big annual summer camp, the foundation decided to organise several smaller camps in August 2025. The action took place in Eslöv, Saarbrücken, Ochsenhausen and Hungary, and the participants and their parents were overwhelmed.

The youngest players gathered in Eslöv, the hometown and club of Truls Möregårdh, situated 40 km from Malmö in southern Sweden, on 18-22 August. Attendees included prospects Simon Larsson (Sweden, born 2015), Emre Bucak (Turkey, born 2014) and Taavi Samaraweera (Sri Lanka, born 2015). So did compass supported Arthur Stribeck (2015) and sparring partner David Larsson (2011). Five coaches were on site, meaning an extremely high coach-to-player ratio of one trainer per child!

As head coach, compass expert coach Oliver Alke directed the camp with great dedication, creating a pleasant atmosphere that combined serious practice with playfulness — the perfect combination for ten-year-old players. “Olli” was assisted by two young, dedicated trainers from the TTG Hamburg Nord club: Jan Rüssmann and Jonas Winkler. The players’ backhand and forehand loops, as well as their serves, were documented using the Spinsight app, a device that digitally measures the exact speed and spin of the ball.

During one of the morning sessions, the camp was visited by Carl Möregårdh, the father of the vice Olympic champion and world number five, Truls Möregårdh. Carl gave a passionate lecture on Truls’ development as a player from an early age, as well as on talent development in general.

Hasitha Samaraweera, Taavi’s father and coach, had travelled all the way from Sri Lanka. He was impressed by Oliver Alke’s high-quality coaching, as well as that of the young coaches.

“There was a good balance of multiball, match play and physical training. The sessions were well-structured with clear focus areas. The environment was very positive and supportive for the children.”

From 11th to 17th August, compass expert coach Bogdan Pugna led a training camp in Ochsenhausen, Germany.

“The purpose of the camp was to continue the work with Ladimir and Görkem that we started several years ago,” Pugna summarised. “We had different goals. One was to give them the opportunity to learn more about prevention exercises, led by Krisztina, which will continue afterwards. The camp finished very well. The two young players showed their potential to be among the top U15 players in Europe. The question now is how to prepare them for the senior level. Many want to progress quickly, but we will ensure that we lay the right foundations for their future development. I am happy to see that they are both very passionate about the sport, very focused, and even more eager to learn than before.”

compass supported Danilo Faso, the three-time European U15 champion from Italy, took a break after the successful championship in July. He then went to France for training before travelling to another compass hub – Saarbrücken, Germany.

“Danilo was there from the 11th to the 15th of August and got some excellent practice,” said his father, Marco Faso. “The goal of the week was to get Danilo to engage more with his table tennis, especially in terms of using the strength in his legs to make more powerful shots. Danilo played with many high-level players and also met with his sponsor Tibhar, which was very interesting and enjoyable.”

Between 18 and 28 August, Ladimir Mayorov attended a ten-day camp in Hungary.

“The training was very well structured, with excellent sparring partners,” said Ladimir’s father, Eduard Mayorov. “He worked closely and intensely with Krisztina Szvitan, a prevention specialist who works with compass, which was something we specifically requested since, at this stage, the most important thing for Ladimir is to improve his physical conditioning. The physical preparation programme was also very well thought out.”

Tests were carried out beforehand to determine what to focus on during the training.

“Everything was at the highest level, from the professional training programme to the overall environment. The training focus was exactly what Ladimir needed. Surrounded by friendly people, great food and a beautiful city, we all left with unforgettable impressions.”