A Cross-Country Validation Between Kosovo and the Netherlands of the Dutch Perceptual-Motor Skills Assessment for Talent Detection in Table Tennis

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Background. This study focused on the cross-country validation of the Dutch perceptual-motor skills assessment used for talent detection in table tennis which also could be the basis to create country-specific norm values in young children (aged 7 to 9). Materials and methods. In total, data from 172 children from Kosovo and 219 children from the Netherlands were compared. The data consisted of the outcomes of seven items of the Dutch perceptual-motor skills assessment evaluating gross motor function (i.e., sprint and vertical jump) and ball control (i.e., throwing a ball, speed while dribbling, aiming at target, ball skills and eye-hand coordination). A multivariate GLM analysis revealed significant differences between the two countries with large effect sizes regarding both constructs. Preliminary normative values are presented per country. Results. The results show that perceptual-motor skills can vary between children of the same age and sex between European countries. For that reason, it seems sensible to further investigate the necessity of establishing norm values per country and also the underlying mechanisms that might reveal why and how cross-country differences arise. Conclusions. Moreover, it might make sense to study an international sample of recreational and high performance youth and adult players to create a benchmark for talent detection and talent identification in table tennis. This will likely gain more insight into what the key aspects are to participate in table tennis and what is necessary for the elite level.