Our Coach
Introducing our best coaches


JAMES XI GUO
Founder/Director/Coach
Over 15 years of coaching experience in the Bay Area / Former Elite Member of Sichuan Team.

JAMES XI GUO
Founder/Director/Coach
James is the Director and Founder of PongPlanet Club, and he is also a high-level USATT Certified Coach. Prior to moving to the US, he underwent years of intensive table tennis training from a young age and was chosen to be an elite member of the Sichuan provincial team. In December 2005, he began his coaching career in the US at the Palo Alto Table Tennis Club, where he quickly established himself as a professional player, winning many tournaments and reaching the Top 20 in the United States.
Over the years, James has evolved into an effective coach, combining the style, technique, and methodology he learned during his own training years in China with his personal experience as a highly ranked professional player. He is proficient in Mandarin and English and has a warm, patient, and encouraging attitude.
Here are some of James's career highlights:
• 1st Place at the 2007 Sacramento Open
• 1st Place in Men's singles, Men's Doubles, and Men's Team at the 2007 Chinese American Athletic Tournament
• 2nd Place at the 2007 Western Open
• 3rd Place at the 2006 US Open Team Championships at Reno, NV (Chengdu Team)
• 1st Place at the 2005 International Friendship Competitions in Japan
• 1st Place in Men’s Doubles and 2nd Place in Men's Team at the 2002 Provincial Sports Games of Sichuan
• Quarterfinalist at the 2001 China Junior National Championships
• Selected to China Junior National Team Training Camp in 2002
- Email:[email protected]

DANIEL KIM
Senior Coach / Assistant General Manager
Highly Experienced Coach / YouTuber for Table Tennis Educational Videos

DANIEL KIM
Senior Coach / Assistant General Manager
Daniel Kim is an experienced coach who previously worked full-time at the MJ International Club before relocating to the Bay Area. He has a strong competitive background, having been an elite member of the World Table Tennis Club in Korea, and trained under Korean national players and Chinese national players. Daniel also holds a bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance from Texas Christian University and has experience in personal training and conditioning.
Daniel believes that a coach's teaching philosophy is just as important as their skillset. He is adept at breaking down complex techniques into smaller, manageable pieces so that beginners can easily execute them without feeling overwhelmed. He strives to help his students feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of each day, which he believes will keep them engaged with the sport. He also spends a considerable amount of time analyzing professional players and his own students to stay up-to-date with new techniques, game strategies, and teaching methods.
Career Highlights:
• Trained under Korean national players and Chinese National Players
• Invited to play at Shanghai International Club
• 2016 YoungNam Donic/Tagro Open - 1st place in Men’s singles and teams
• 2016 91st Busan Yeonhab Competition – 3rd place in Men’s singles
• 2016 92nd Busan Yeonhab Competition – 1st place in Men’s singles
• 2016 21st Busan Competition – 1st place in Men’s singles
• 2016 28th Busan North Region Competition – 3rd place in Men’s singles
• 2017 22nd Busan Competition – 1st place in Men’s singles
• 2018 1st YangSan Open – 2nd place in Men’s singles, 1st place in Men’s Teams

AMY YANG
Senior Coach
Coach Amy Yang started playing table tennis at the young age of 7 in China, where she was selected to join the table tennis team of the City Sports School in Mianyang. During her career as a table tennis player, she achieved multiple victories in regional tournaments held in Mianyang and in the Sichuan province.
For over 20 years, Coach Yang has been dedicated to coaching table tennis. She is a certified state coach in China and also holds an ITTF Level 1 coaching certificate. As a coach, she is known for her encouraging and patient approach, which has helped her work effectively with players of all ages.

WAJIRA WICKRAMA
Senior Coach
Wajira is a full-time table tennis coach with over 25 years of experience. He holds the prestigious title of ITTF Coach Education Expert, which is held by only 122 people in the world, including seven individuals in the USA. Additionally, he is certified as a level 3 ITTF coach, which is the highest coaching certification from the International Table Tennis Federation.
Wajira is a skilled coach who can provide technical, fundamental, physical, and psychological training for table tennis players of any age and level. He has an impressive track record, with his students winning international medals. Wajira has also represented his country as a national team coach in more than 17 international tournaments.
Career Highlights:
• ITTF Course Expert 2008 - present
Sri Lanka National Doubles Runner-Up 1998
• ITTF Level 3* Coach 2016
• Member of South Asian Games SCOD 1999
• Former National Coach of Maldives 2001-2011
• Former National Team Coach of Sri Lanka 2018
• Former Junior National Team Coach of Sri Lanka 2017
• ITTF Hopes Coordinator of Sri Lanka 2012-2015
• Former Head Coach of Royal College, Colombo 2011-2022
• Former Head Coach of Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo 2011-2022
• Former Physical Education Teacher at Lale Youth International School, Maldives 2008
• Sri Lanka Junior National Level Player 1990-1995
• Member of Asian School Games Team 1993
• Sri Lanka Under 13 and Under 15 All Island Champion 1990
• Sri Lanka Interschool 1st Division Champion 1990-1996
• National Junior Rank Number 02 Player in Sri Lanka
• Junior National Triple Runner-Up National School Games Champion 1992-1996

MAMTII SOUDAGAR
Senior Coach
Mohammad Mehdi Soudagar, also known as Mamtii, is a professional table tennis player and coach with over 10 years of experience playing competitively. He was a member of the Iranian National Team from 1995-2003 and played in the Iran Super League from 2003-2011, coaching in several prestigious clubs in Tehran during that time.
Since moving to the US in 2014, Mamtii has been a full-time coach at PongPlanet, where he is eager to share his skills with all table tennis enthusiasts.
Career Highlights:
• 3rd Place in Men's Singles at the 1998 Iran National Junior Championship
•2nd Place in Men's Team at the 1999 Iran Youth Championship
•3rd Place in Men's Singles at the 2000 Iran Youth Championship
•1st Place as a member of Tehran Samsung Mobile Team at the 2003 Iran Super League
•2nd Place in Men's Singles at the 2003 Iran National Championship
•1st Place in Men's Singles and Men's Doubles at the 2009 Iran National Army Competition

JUNO LAW
Senior Coach
Juno is a former member of the Hong Kong Table Tennis Team who has recently moved to the United States. He is excited to share his skills and expertise with local table tennis players. Juno was an Elite Member of the Hong Kong Table Tennis Youth Team from 2003-2013 and achieved a highest ranking of Men (#12) and Boys Under 18 (#1) in Hong Kong. He also achieved a highest Junior World Ranking of #208.
Juno's past achievements include a 5th place finish in Men's Singles at the 2011 Hong Kong Open Division 1, as well as being an Elite Member of the Hong Kong University Table Tennis Team and the Hong Kong High School Table Tennis Team. He also participated in the Asian High School Games in 2011, where his team earned a 2nd place finish, and was an Elite Member of the Asian Cadet Team, where his team also earned a 2nd place finish in the World Cadet Challenge in 2008.
Juno has over 10 years of coaching experience, serving as a Hong Kong Youth Team Coaching Assistant from 2012-2015, Head Coach of High Schools in Hong Kong from 2012-2015, and Coach of Hong Kong Certified Public Accountant Table Tennis Club. He has also gained experience as a private and group coach, as well as an organizer and coach of an accounting firm in Hong Kong. With his wealth of experience and dedication to the sport, Juno is a skilled and passionate coach who is committed to helping his students reach their full potential in table tennis.