CONTACT: Andy Kanengiser PHONE: (800) 581-6770 EMAIL: publicrelations@nctta.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

April 10, 2012

Pratt Institute Player Makes NCTTA Championships Debut

China-Born, Jamaica-raised Looks to Forward to Table Tennis Championships in Texas

Part of Brooklyn-based Pratt Institute, PrattMWP is located on the Cultural Corridor in Central New York’s historic Mohawk Valley region between Syracuse and Albany.

The Pratt Institute is home to 4,700 students from all over the USA and the world. 20-year old Meijun Cai is one of them, and he’s starting to make a name for himself in the world of table tennis.

Cai, who would one day like to run an advertising firm, also has big dreams about making his debut in the NCTTA championships in Texas.

Born in China, but raised in Jamaica, Meijun took up table tennis as a fifth grader because his friends played the sport. Soon after that “I ended up playing for my prep school,” he said. “I found out how much I loved competition and table tennis.”

Fast forward to the 2009-2010, and that’s when Meijun began his hectic training routines that have put him among the stellar players in Upstate New York. His rating of 2103 isn’t bad, but look for the China native to get even better in the years ahead.

As Meijun looks forward to playing against the best collegians in North America at the NCTTA’s Big Dance in Plano, Texas, he shouldn’t be too nervous about such high-stakes matches. He’s faced pressure before. “I have represented my high school and country, Jamaica in a number of competitions.”

Cai is majoring in communications design at the Pratt campus in Utica. He’s not quite sure “what my exact career path is yet, but owning and running my own advertising firm would be sweet.”

When he’s not playing his favorite sport, studying at Pratt or hanging out with friends, Meijun enjoys editing videos, getting on Facebook and watching table tennis videos.

PrattMWP stands for the Pratt Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. Meijun Cai, who moved to Jamaica from China at age 6, stands out as a rising 20-something player who’s passionate about table tennis!

At NCTTA headquarters, we say good luck to Meijun Cai and other newcomers at our championship games April 13-15.

Players and spectators alike will enjoy a jam-packed weekend of table tennis at the 2012 College Table Tennis Championships. The event starts Friday April 13th and continues to Sunday April 15th at Plano Sports Authority 2 in Plano, Texas.

About NCTTA

The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) is a non-profit organization established exclusively for promoting the sport of table tennis at the college level. As the national governing body for college table tennis in the United States and Canada, NCTTA organizes intercollegiate competition throughout North America. www.nctta.org

About USA Table Tennis

Headquartered in Colorado Springs, USATT is the national organizing body for table tennis in the United States, serving 9,000+ members and nearly 300 clubs. USATT sanctions 200+ events a year including the US Open and US Nationals. USATT is affiliated with the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), as well as the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). www.usatt.org & tabletennis.teamusa.org

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