Paralympics New Zealand (PNZ) has successfully completed its third regional community Para sport pilot, Serve, Spin, Smash!, as part of the Collectively Stronger Together project under the Strengthen and Adapt Programme. This initiative, which ran from July 2023 to June 2024, aimed to improve access to Para table tennis for disabled New Zealanders. 

The pilot follows two other successful pilots focusing on boccia and athletics, all aimed at expanding Para sport opportunities across Aotearoa. These initiatives have helped enhance the capability of organisations to deliver inclusive sport programmes while improving accessibility for disabled participants. 

The Serve, Spin, Smash! pilot took place in Auckland, Canterbury, and Waikato, involving several key organisations in its co-design and development. These included Table Tennis New Zealand, Disability Sport Auckland, ParaFed Canterbury, Parafed Waikato, Waitemata Table Tennis, Table Tennis Canterbury, and Waikato Table Tennis. 

The collaborative effort focused on creating new opportunities and improving existing ones, ensuring that disabled people could participate in Para table tennis in ways that worked for them.  

Watch this video to see the impact of the pilot on partners and participants or read the full report on the PNZ website.