May Tong, Raymond Zhang, Abhinay Vaddi and Vansh Chugh are discovering that supporting athletes with disabilities is not only changing lives — it is making them better coaches.
When we speak about successful table tennis coaches, we usually think about champions, medals and international rankings. But there is another side of coaching, measured in opportunities created, confidence developed and lives enriched through sport.
Four Ontario coaches — May Tong, Raymond Zhang, Abhinay Vaddi and Vansh Chugh — represent different generations, backgrounds and coaching experiences. What brings them together is their dedication to supporting athletes with disabilities and their appreciation of what table tennis can offer beyond traditional competition.
Their stories also reveal something important: coaching athletes with disabilities is not simply about giving back. It is also an extraordinary opportunity to learn.
Raymond Zhang: A Champion Coach Comes to Learn
Raymond Zhang is a busy man. Recognized as Coach of the Year by both Table Tennis Canada and the Ontario Table Tennis Association, he works with some of Canada’s most promising young players.
He is currently in Sheffield, United Kingdom, accompanying Tiffany Zhan at the prestigious ITTF World Hopes Week.
Yet, on October 3, Raymond found time to visit the Canadian Para Championships in Brampton.
He had no athletes to coach, no matches to prepare for and no obligation to attend. He simply wanted to be there.
The experience left a lasting impression.
“As a table tennis coach, I am used to examining every match from the perspective of technique, tactics, and physical fitness. However, at the Canadian Para Championships today, I gained something much more meaningful — a deep understanding of the power of determination, courage and love.”
Watching wheelchair athletes generate power through coordinated movements of their arms and trunks, and standing athletes adapt their techniques to different physical abilities, Raymond began reflecting on his own coaching philosophy.
“With my able-bodied students, I sometimes grow impatient when they progress slowly; but these athletes have shown me that the true obstacle is never physical — it lies in the mind. Their dedication to every point and their respect for every ball embody the purest spirit of table tennis.”
Raymond arrived without a coaching assignment. He left with something valuable for every future coaching session.
Sometimes, the best coaches are those who never stop being students.
May Tong: A Champion Discovers a New World
A former Canadian champion and silver medallist in the team event at the Pan American Championships, May Tong knows what it takes to compete at the highest level.
Today, her greatest satisfaction comes from a very different environment.
For four years, May has coached at the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care, helping older adults, including people living with dementia, enjoy the physical, cognitive and social benefits of table tennis.
Her cheerful personality, patience and ever-present smile make her particularly suited to this work.
Together with Dr. Gabriel Chan and Nicky Lam, who are instrumental in organizing the program, May has helped build an initiative that continues to grow.
May, Dr. Chan and Dejan Papic also completed specialized training organized by a club in Levallois, France, focused on coaching people living with Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Chan subsequently helped extend this approach to people living with dementia.
The results are encouraging.
In 2025, the program made its first appearance at the Canadian Championships with 14 participants. In 2026, that number more than doubled to 33 athletes competing under the name Spirit of Champions.
For May, the experience has opened an unexpected chapter in her table tennis journey.
“I like working with my players. With Dr. Gabriel Chan and Nicky Lam behind the organization of the program, everything fits my personality. It makes me feel accomplished. After my long high-performance playing career, I have discovered a whole new world of table tennis, and I am grateful for that.”
May’s story demonstrates that a champion’s contribution to sport does not end when the playing career is over. Sometimes, an equally meaningful chapter is just beginning.
Abhinay Vaddi: Developing Canada’s Para Performance
Abhinay Vaddi represents another important dimension of inclusive table tennis: developing competitive Para athletes.
Working at BATTS Athletics in Burlington and Brampton, Abhinay also supports athletes training with Spirit Para Sport, a sister club dedicated to Para table tennis.
He is one of Ontario’s four Para technical classifiers, alongside May Tong.
For two consecutive years, Abhinay has worked closely with wheelchair athletes, regularly coaching Canadian champions and medallists Muhammad Mudassar, Mohsin Watto and Asad Murtaza.
In August 2026, he took an important step in his coaching career, joining the Canadian National Para Team at international competitions in Spokane, USA.
He participated in an ITTF training camp and supported Canadian athletes at international Para competitions.
One of the highlights was Peter Isherwood’s breakthrough. The British Columbia athlete reached the international singles podium for the first time, winning silver at the ITTF World Para Challenger and bronze at the subsequent World Para Elite event. Following the competitions, Peter reached No. 16 in the world rankings.
For Abhinay, the experience provided valuable insights.
“The US was a great experience. I communicated a lot with other international coaches. But I also had a chance to learn more about our Canadian players — how they perform under stress, how they communicate and what their attitude is during a demanding, all-day training camp environment.”
He returned with greater confidence in Canada’s potential.
“I believe we can move forward and have a truly competitive Para program here in Canada.”
His experience underlines an essential principle: developing internationally competitive Para athletes also requires developing knowledgeable, experienced and committed coaches.
Vansh Chugh: Fresh Energy and a Different Perspective
Not every meaningful contribution comes from an experienced coach or former champion.
Vansh Chugh, who completed his NCCP coaching certification this summer, is a new addition to the Spirit Para Sport program.
Already close to the athletes, he has generously volunteered his time during training camps and competitions — contributing as a practice partner, coach and organizer.
His enthusiasm is matched by curiosity and a willingness to experiment.
One of Vansh’s training methods is to sit on a chair and simulate the playing style of wheelchair athletes when practising with his students.
“I am glad I can help. I like sitting on a chair and simulating the playing style of wheelchair athletes for my students. Besides helping them, that also gives me a totally new perspective on how table tennis can be played, and on the contributions of the arms and trunk to each table tennis stroke. It simply makes me a better coach.”
His observation captures an important lesson: adapting techniques to different physical abilities encourages coaches to rethink movement, balance and stroke production.
These insights can benefit all athletes, with or without disabilities.
At the beginning of his coaching career, Vansh is already discovering that teaching others is one of the best ways to learn.
Four Journeys, One Shared Commitment
Raymond, May, Abhinay and Vansh are at very different stages of their coaching careers.
One is an established high-performance coach finding inspiration in Para competition. Another is a former champion discovering new purpose through community programs. The third is developing international Para coaching expertise, while the fourth is a newly certified coach bringing fresh energy and volunteer commitment.
Together, they represent an encouraging development in Ontario table tennis — a growing connection between high-performance sport, Para competition, community participation and programs for people living with disabilities.
The 2026 Canadian Para Championships in Brampton demonstrated how these different dimensions of table tennis can come together.
For athletes, the event offered competition, recognition and belonging. For coaches, it offered opportunities to observe, exchange experiences and expand their understanding of the sport.
Perhaps the most important lesson from these four stories is that inclusion and excellence are not competing objectives. They strengthen one another.
Raymond, May, Abhinay and Vansh are helping athletes develop. Equally importantly, their athletes are helping them become better coaches.
And that may be one of the most valuable achievements of all.
This article introduces four coaches whose dedication deserves recognition. Over the coming months, we will publish in-depth interviews with May Tong, Raymond Zhang, Abhinay Vaddi and Vansh Chugh, exploring their coaching journeys, experiences, philosophies and ideas for the future of inclusive table tennis in Canada.