President Milanović Receives Nenad Bach, Founder of PingPongParkinson Foundation

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović received Nenad Bach, founder of the PingPongParkinson Foundation, which promotes playing table tennis for people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Convinced from his personal experience that playing table tennis on a regular basis improves the motor skills of individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Mr. Bach decided to organise a world table tennis championship for individuals with Parkinson’s. His initiative was first accepted in the United States where he has been living and involved in music for decades. For this reason the first world championship was held in New York. Subsequently, a championship was held in Berlin and the third consecutive world table tennis championship for individuals with Parkinson’s disease was held this year in Pula from 12-16 October. Mr. Bach thanked President Milanović, who was co-patron of the championship.

During the meeting, he recounted his personal experiences to President Milanović, saying he is convinced that playing table tennis can help people with Parkinson’s improve their quality of life. As founder of the PingPongParkinson Foundation he is committed to popularizing table tennis among patients in Croatia, who number approximately 15,000 yet currently there are only three table tennis clubs that assemble patients with Parkinson’s: in Zagreb, Rijeka and Koprivnica. As a musician who continued playing the guitar and piano thanks to playing table tennis, Mr. Bach presented positive results to President Milanović.

Attending the meeting alongside President Milanović was the Adviser to the President for Education Jadranka Žarković.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas