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The ping pong ball bounced back and forth at the Debrecen Vocational Training Center’s Santa Cup Table Tennis Tournament at “Keri” (Commercial and Catering Vocational Training School in Debrecen). As part of the “Move, Debrecen!” school program, sports again played a significant role among high school students. Based on the idea of the Debrecen Vocational Training Center‘s Commercial and Hospitality Technical School and Vocational Training School, the amateur sports championship was held on the 5th of December 2024, with 12 teams participating.
The Debrecen Vocational Training Center joined the “Move, Debrecen!” school program in 2023 to popularise sports and encourage a healthy lifestyle among the youth as widely as possible.
As part of the school programme, the Centre’s institutions organise tournaments with the help of school coordinators. These tournaments are aimed at students who do not regularly participate in physical activity or sports in an organised setting. The main aim is encouraging as many young people as possible to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
12 teams participated in the Santa Cup:
Debrecen Vocational Training Center, Péchy (1 team). Debrecen Vocational Training Center, Baross (1 team). Debrecen Vocational Training Center, Beregszászi (1 team). Debrecen Vocational Training Center, Bethlen (1 technical school team + 1 dormitory team). Debrecen Vocational Training Center, Brassai(1 team). Debrecen Vocational Training Center, Construction Technology (1 team). Debrecen Vocational Training Center, Irinyi (1 team). Debrecen Vocational Training Center (1 team). Debrecen Vocational Training Center, Creative (1 team). Debrecen Vocational Training Center, Chemical (1 team); EURO Baptist Bilingual Secondary School and Technical School (1 team).
At the competition’s opening, Anita Deák, the Head of the Commercial and Catering Technical School and Vocational Training School of the Debrecen Vocational Training Center, talked about how the school organised the cup to create a tradition. She said that sports teach us many things; students can become much richer through cooperation, team spirit, motivating, supporting, helping each other, and sportsmanship. She believes that a competitive spirit, perseverance, self-discipline, and motivation are necessary for someone to be successful and productive.
According to Diána Széles, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen, the aim of the “Move, Debrecen!” program is to get young people out of the digital world, at least for a little while, so that they can develop their skills in the analogue world too. She said she is grateful that the institutions give space to various sports competitions and believes each will make this movement more successful. Regarding the event, the Deputy Mayor explained that the Debrecen Vocational Training Center institutions fully support community events. The Santa Claus Cup was also the institution’s idea. Table tennis has now appeared as a new sport in the program’s life. Diána Széles sees the instructors of the vocational training centre as innovative and cooperative. She emphasised that it is essential for children to experience a sporting event similar to a community experience, representing their school, which previously only elite athletes may have had the opportunity to do.
Zsolt Tirpák, Chancellor of the Debrecen Vocational Training Centre, said that he often reflects on the fact that the labour market opportunities in Debrecen are becoming more and more colourful, and there are more and more opportunities to fulfil oneself in the professions studied. It is essential to remember and necessary that young people are also in the community. This is also a fundamental objective of the “Move Debrecen!” program, which is one of the basic programs of the Caring City program. This movement is looking for people, looking for youngsters, so they are successful at work and healthy, friendly, happy, and balanced people. Zsolt Tirpák expressed his gratitude to everyone who participated in implementing Thursday’s sports event and wished the students that the competition would be a big, small pillar in achieving their goals.
Competition results:
Boys:
1st place: Levente Varga (Debrecen Vocational Training Center, Péchy)
2nd place: Zsolt Zagyva (Debrecen Vocational Training Center, Bethlen)
3rd place: Tamás Balogh (Debrecen Vocational Training Center, Construction Technology)
Girls:
1st place: Ágnes Szilágyi (Debrecen Vocational Training Center, Brassai)
2nd place: Fanni Kovács (Debrecen Vocational Training Center, Creative)
3rd place: Dzsenifer Gál (Debrecen Vocational Training Center, Commercial
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
