Great news for the Werner Schlager Academy (WSA) in Schwechat. Two and a half years after the official opening of the World Table Tennis Training Center of World and European Champion Werner Schlager, THE accolade was carried out by the World Table Tennis Federation ITTF (which is with 218 member countries the second largest sports association in the world).

The WSA was among the 25 training hot spots of the ITTF (in 18 countries on 5 continents) together with Guangzhou TT TC (China), the Liebherr Masters College Ochsenhausen (Germany), CAR Sant Cugat in Barcelona (Spain), Ormai Laszlo in Budapest (Hungary) and the Swedish International TT TC Köpings (Sweden) classified as "FIRST PRIORITY CENTER".

Thus, there is also a realistic chance that the Werner Schlager Academy receives official "ITTF Academy" status in the foreseeable future.

Since opening the WSA has hosted players and trainers from about 150 nations. 365 days per year between five and nine hours there is training on up to 35 tables.

Due to the establishment of the Werner Schlager Academy about 100 people (with an upward trend) permanently moved to Schwechat. The WSA is (also by the organization of major competitions such as the Liebherr European Championships October 4 to 13) to become a real economic factor for the city, state and federal governments. A Graz Institute has calculated an incredible value at a height of around 45 million Euros for the region Schwechat until the end of 2013.

Particularly honorable mentioned by the ITTF:  the extremely high quality of the coaching staff with Dirk Wagner, Richard Prause, Mario Amizic and the two former world class players Tamara Boros and Aya Umemura, the strong international training group, the excellent conditions and the high professionalism of the Office Staff.

As absolute highlights the WSA can refer to the Europe-Olympic-Preparation-Camp 2012, the World Hopes Week (2011 and 2013), the three-time training camp of the Chinese national team before the world championships, the organization of the European Youth Championships in July 2012, and the fact that the Werner Schlager Academy since the end of 2010 creates a continuous growth in all areas.

With Linz ("Third-Priority Center") a second table tennis center in Austria has managed to the list of hot spots of the ITTF.

The WSA is reacting enthusiastically to the news by the World Federation: "We feel highly honored to have received this accolade by the ITTF as the largest private table tennis center in the world. And we also see this as a mandate to constantly develop our project, "said WSA CEO Martin Sörös.