"Parkinson prolonged my life. I lived too fast." - Nenad Bach
PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. (PRWEB) October 10, 2019
Global Composer & Activist Nenad Bach Chairs World Ping Pong Parkinson Championships
2019 ITTF Parkinson World Table Tennis Championships, October 11th – 13th
The debilitating effects of Parkinson’s disease left Nenad Bach unable to play music and perform in public. So, he sought to find a way to combat the disease. A friend invited him to play ping pong at Westchester Table Tennis Center in Pleasantville, NY. Bach felt better after his first session. He started to play once a week, then three times a week. After 6 months, he was playing guitar again. In fact, he’ll be performing live at the event https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4-x95x7HdA.
Reinvigorated by his success, Bach started the Ping Pong Parkinson Program. Together with crossword puzzle editor for the NY Times, Will Shortz, along with Dr. Art Dubow, an avid ping pong competitor, they’re raising awareness to improve the health of people afflicted with the disease.
Bach traveled to Sweden, Denmark, Croatia and Japan to share his idea. He noticed that People with Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases were excluded from events like the Paralympic games. Collaborating with the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), he’s now chairing the inaugural Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championship, hosted by Westchester Table Tennis Center in Pleasantville, NY from October 11th – 13th.
According to Bach, “The idea behind these Championships is to help as many people around the world as possible to continue living with Parkinson’s Disease and to be happy, productive members of society. We are also engaging the scientific community to look deeper into the health benefits of table tennis.”
The Parkinson’s Foundation states, “exercise can improve many symptoms of Parkinson’s and ping pong may be one of the more effective methods."
“Interestingly, ping pong probably incorporates a number of these factors. There’s strength and rhythm and coordination and balance - all involved and so it is an intriguing idea that maybe ping pong would be a particularly productive kind of exercise for Parkinson’s. Additionally, it’s fun and that is important because it will get people to play,“ states Dr. David Russell, Director, Clinical Research at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders and Assistant Clinical Professor of Neurology and Psychology at Yale University, who teamed up with the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
For those competing in the tournament from around the world, neurological examinations will be given on Friday October 11th and Saturday October 12th.
According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, PD affects about 10 million people worldwide, 1 million Americans. About 60,000 new cases are diagnosed annually in the United States alone. Parkinson’s is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease, behind Alzheimer’s.
Ping Pong Parkinson
Established on March 1, 2017, the goal of slowing down and halting the progression of Parkinson’s Disease was established with ping pong as a form of physical therapy. Our model is based on the concept of neuroplasticity – the brain’s capacity to re-wire neurons or make new ones through challenging physical exercise. Although medication remains the focus in the treatment for Parkinson’s, there is compelling evidence for the need for a regular exercise program in managing this disease.
Primary Press and Contact Inquiries:
Paul Schmidt, PD Advocate
917-664-9563
schmidti@mindspring.com
Benjamin Stecher, PD Advocate
+1-647-355-5382
benjaminstecher@gmail.com
Secondary Press and Contact Inquiries:
Ian Marshall, Editor in Chief, ITTF Magazine
+1-787-600-3387 (mobile)
imarshall@ittf.com
Nenad Bach, Ping Pong Parkinson Founder & President
+1-914-557-6092 (mobile)
+1-914-271-7771 (work)
nenadbach@gmail.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4-x95x7HdA
SCHEDULE and INTERVIEWS Upon Request