Dorothy wearing the Order of Australia Medal

 I thought this article on the www.wvc2012.com website is worthwhile posting here.

The editor

09/02/2012       

It is a full house for the World Veteran Championships to be staged at the Ericsson Globe from Monday 25th to Saturday 30th June 2012.

The limit of 3,200 entries has been received; such is the demand that there is now a waiting list on the “first come, first served basis” should there be any cancellations.

Entering on time has been essential and one player, who has entered on time and will be in Stockholm is Russia’s Alexander Kaptarenko.

He is 100 years old today!

Life a 20th World History
Alexander Kaptarenko was born on Saturday 27th January 1912 in St Petersburg, five years before the Russian Revolution; the changes he has seen in the country of his birth are quite staggering.

He has lived through a time of Tsarist autocracy, the rise of the Bolsheviks and Communism to the Glasnost, Perestroika and the break-up of the Soviet Union.

The life of Alexander Kaptarenko is a story of modern history.

Work
In 1930 he left high school and worked as a lathe operator, process estimator, technologist and in 1936 started working in the aircraft factory as a design engineer.

After the start of the Second World War he moved with the factory to Novosibirsk and worked at the Tchkalov aircraft factory until 1951, becoming a chief project designer at the project institute “Sibgiprogormash” until his retirement.
Developed Table Tennis in Novosibirsk
In 1953 Kaptarenko Аexander, accompanied by a group of enthusiasts began to develop table tennis in the city of Novosibirsk and, in 1956, assumed a major role in organising the first ever table tennis tournament in the city.

Later he became the Secretary of the Novosibirsk Regional Table Tennis Federation and was a Chairman of Federation for approximately ten years; later being in charge of the Referees Committee.

Referee
Several years later in 1973, he was appointed an “All-Soviet Union Referee” and officiated in tournaments at all levels from city, regional and national to international level.

In fact he officiated at tournaments in over 70 cities in what was the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Good Health
Table tennis helps Alexander Kaptarenko maintain good health; he belongs to a group named “Decade of Senior Citizens” and sets an example for all.

He has clarity of mind and leads an active life style; regular practice enables him to keep in good shape and belies his years.

Player
Meanwhile, as a veteran player he competed in the first Commonwealth of Independent States Championships in 1992 in Kiev at a time when the Soviet Union was breaking up.

He gained a silver medal and then later at the Russian Championships he won a bronze medal.

More recently, he competed in the Russian Veteran Championships in the Czech Republic city of Liberec.

Ready for Stockholm
Now the 2012 World Veteran Championships is in his sights and he is serious; he is practising three times a week.

Stockholm awaits.

January 2012

Veterans International T.T. Calendar

*)  = new or altered since previous issue!

The monthly updated veterans calendar is available on web sites www.ittf.com

(section SCI/WVC) and www.if-ifo.se/calendar

2012

Jan 7-8       Hereford, England                         Roy Norton

                   Vetts Western Masters                 roywnorton@aol.com

Feb 4          Holice in Bohemia, Czech Rep.     Zdenek Lhotka

                   Open Veterans Tournament          zdenek.lhotka@atlas.cz

Feb 17-19   Aarhus, Denmark                          Jens-Erik Linde

                   Aarhus Veteran Open                    linde@sport.dk

                                                                           www.sisu-mbk.dk

Mar 4         Tisnov, Czech Republic                 Zdenek Lhotka

                   Open Veterans Tournament          zdenek.lhotka@ztlas.cz

Mar 10-11 Blackpool, England                        Roy Norton

                   Vetts Northern Masters                roywnorton@aol.com

Mar 30-     Helsinki, Finland                            Jouko Manni

Apr 1          15^th North European Veterans      jouko.manni@turuntilikeskus.fi

                   Championships (closed)

Apr 6-9       Palmerston North, New Zealand   ttnz@tabletennis.org.nz

                   New Zealand Veterans Open        www.tabletennis.org.nz

                   Championhips

Apr 8          Havirov, Czech Republic               Zdenek Lhotka

                   Open Veterans Tournament          zdenek.lhotka@atlas.cz

Apr 14-15   Crawley, England                           Roy Noton

                   Vetts Southern Masters                roywnorton@aol.com

May 4-6     Moscow, Russia                             Michael Torgov

*)                Veterans tournament                     torgov_m@mail.ru

                   ”Twenty years later”                     +74956601633

May 4-6     Bosa (Sardinia), Italy                     Efisio Pisano

                   Int. veterans tournament               efisiopisano@yahoo.it

May 12      Lomnice/Popelka, Czech Rep.      Zdenek Lhotka

                   Open Veterans Tournament          zdenek.lhotka@atlas.cz

Jun 9          Hostinne in Podkrk., Czech Rep.  Zdenek Lhotka

                   Open Veterans tournament           zdenek.lhotka@atlas.cz

June 9-10   Trier, Germany                              TTCGelbRotTrier@aol.com

                   58^th Int. veterans championships www.GelbRotTrier.de

June 9-16   Chaves, Portugal                            Ton van Ginkel

*)                5^th Open Portugal Veterans           ton@uttc.nl

                                                                           www.tafeltennisportugal.nl

Jun 25-30   Stockholm, Sweden                        wvc2012@gmail.com

                   16^th World Veterans                      www.wvc2012.com

                   Championships

Jun 30-       Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA     www.usatt.org

Jul 4 *)       US Open with veterans events

Jul 25-29    Albena, Bulgaria                            Stefan Georgiev

*)                14th Int. T. T. Festival                   damakupa91@gmail.com

                                                                           www.tabletennisalbena.com           

Aug 10-12  Varna, Bulgaria                              Krasimir Petrov

*)                13th Varna Veteran Open             strongil2005@yahoo.com

                                                                           Dimitar Karaivanov           

                                                                           dkara07dk@gmail.com

Aug 10-12  Neustadt a.d. Weinstrasse            Juergen Bock

                   55^th International Veterans           juergenbock10@alice.de

                   Tournament                                            

Aug 25-28  Fortaleza, Brazil                             edir@cbtm.org.br

                   1^st Veterans Brazil Open               edimilsompinheiro@gmail.com

Aug 30-      Tallinn, Estonia                              Rein Lindmae

Sep 2          Viru Veterans Cup                         rein@pingpong.ee

Aug 31-      Burgas, Bulgaria                            Nikolay Angelov    

*)                1^st Burgas Veteran Open               angelov@orcotravel.bg

                                                                           Dimitar Karaivanov

                                                                           Dkara07dk@gmail.com

Sep 1-2       Sunderland, England                      Roy Norton

                   Vetts North-Eastern Masters       roywnorton@aol.com

Sep 7-9       Miedzyzdroje, Poland                    www.pzts.pl, www.agamar.pl/ts

*)                Int. Polish Open Veterans             agamar@agamar.pl

Oct 13-14   Wolverhampton, England              Roy Norton

                   Vetts Midland Masters                 roywnorton@aol.com

Nov 2-4      Gothenburg, Sweden                      Hans Westling

*)                Ifo Veteran Open                           westling.hans@telia.com

                                                                           www.if-ifo.se/ivo

Dec 1-2      Norwich, England                           Roy Norton

                   Vetts Eastern Masters                  roywnorton@aol.com

2013        Bremen, Germany

May 27-     10^th European Veterans Championships

June 1

2014        Auckland, New Zealand

May 12-     17^th World Veterans Championships

17

2015        Tampere, Finland

                   11^th European Veterans Championships

2016        Alicante/Elche, Spain

                   18^th World Veterans Championships

In order to keep the calendar updated, please pass information about additional

veterans events to:

Hans Westling, Skanegatan 17B, 411 40 Gothenburg, Sweden     

Email: westling.hans@telia.com

VALE – MERLE SNEDDEN

On13 September 2011 our good friend Merle Snedden from New Zealand passed away.

After months of suffering she finally fought her last battle.

My memories of Merle are very fond. She was a right lady and had a regal bearing.

In fact we often referred to Merle as “The Queen”, as she even physically resembled Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

But her lovely nature hid her tenacious fighting qualities exhibited on the 45 square feet of table tennis table.

Only last October did I have the privilege to play her in an exiting Mixed during the Melbourne Australian championships, where she partnered Gordon Lee. My Partner, Toshi Amano from Japan and I were leading 9-3 in the fifth. We lost.

It is hard to imagine we won’t see her anymore, but she will live in our memories for ever.

R.I.P Merle.

14 April 2011 

International Veterans Societies.

In 1994 Australia held the World Veterans in Melbourne and some time before that the World Veterans were held in Stockholm.

Sweden’s capital city Stockholm is to hold the Vets once again in the year 2012.

Stockholm is an expensive city, and although there are a number of Self Catering Apartments, the Swedish organisers have yet to advertise their World Vets packages, Entry Fees etc.

Those who have travelled to previous WV in Rio and Hohhot are aware that a number of us have joined Roy Norton’s English Vets group. Roy has made enquiries and has flown to Stockholm to inspect and has tentatively booked a large number of rooms. Paul Pinkewich has already taken a number of rooms.

The tariff, not finalised as yet, is 59 pounds per person in a shared room and includes breakfast. (Note; the tariff could vary because of currency exchange rates.) One advantage of taking up the option with Roy is you are able to make your own travel arrangements.

There is a team competition being held in Istanbul and the inaugural competition was held in Cottbus Germany in 2007, where two Aussie men’s teams and an Aussie women’s team took part. The ladies played beyond their dreams, beating highly fancied German and British teams. The following event in 2009 was held at Sofia, Bulgaria where AVS only was represented by a single male team.

An article in the Veterans English Table Tennis Society by Brian Halliday has some relevance to us who were lucky enough to witness Liang Geliang, a TT player of extraordinary ability, in the World Veterans held in Melbourne. He easily won the over 40s event. Liang played with smooth rubber on one side of the bat and on the other side pimples. Liang’s success on the world stage in his heyday was in the early 70s.

Liang in 1994 was invited to play against a number of Australia’s best and he chopped the Australian players off , and then proceeded to hit them off as well, much to the amazement of spectators and opponents alike.

Liang, since Melbourne, has played in a number of World Vets Events.

Since Melbourne he has indicated to a  number of players, me in particular, that he wished for  the event to be held in Australia again.

Table Tennis Australia has expressed the desire to hold the event at the Gold Coast in the year 2014, twenty years after the Melbourne event.

A decision is to be made in Rotterdam while the World Individual Championships are being played between May 8^th and 15^th this year.

Information can be found on:

(World Vets, 25-30 June 2014. Stockholm)    http://wvc2012.com  

(Team competition Societies 19-21 August 2011, Istanbul)    

http://tt-veterans-international.com

 Tony Herbert.

Melbourne, Friday 18 March 2011.

The passing of Bruno Zimmaro.

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our beloved friend Bruno Zimmaro today.

Bruno, who came out to Australia from Italy with his grandfather at age 15, embodied the true gentleman. He was cheerful, helpful and truly philanthropic in nature.

I first met Bruno in 1994 when Mick Wright and I arrived on the Victorian veterans’ table tennis scene. As a player Bruno was no slouch and already then dabbled with long frictionless pimples on his backhand and made us earn every point.

He was a self-made man, who had astonishing business nous and had the ability to make a shilling out of every six-pence. He turned this prowess into selfless service to the table tennis community of the very first order.

He led several excursions overseas prior to my involvement in 1994. I was told that whilst in America some planes were booked out and not all of the party could board, he would find a way around this problem. When there were no vacancies for all of the party on the train in Canada, he booked a private bus instead.

Personally I benefited from this generosity when going to the world championships in 1998, Manchester and in 2000 to Vancouver. He organised buses and accommodation for us all, more often than not at his own expense. The scenic bus trip from Manchester to Chester on the lay day is still fresh in my mind.

When he found out that there was no crockery or cutlery for any of us in the student accommodation at the UBC (University of British Columbia) where most of us stayed, he made sure all was provided. This took some doing I assure you! He would never divulge how he managed this and once again naturally did it at his own expense.

He made a most remarkable offer to the Victorian Table Tennis Association in 1995. He undertook to purchase a building similar to the old Albert Park Table Tennis Centre, set it up for our game and then lease it to us until such time we could afford to purchase it. This offer was not accepted

Table Tennis is so much the poorer now that he is no longer with us.

In 2002 Bruno, Arthur Harrison and Richard Lake together, planned to travel to Europe to play in the world’s (Lucerne). Prior to Lucerne my wife Joan and I were to meet them at Amsterdam Airport ‘to do Holland’.

It was not to be. Only Arthur and Richard came. In March of that year, exactly nine years ago, Bruno was afflicted by a severe stroke which completely paralysed his left side. Ever since then he needed total care and a full time nurse.  He passed the time either in bed or strapped in a wheel chair, something incomprehensible for any of us to fathom.

Fortunately he could still speak and recognise his family and friends. He still had the use of his right hand, but he tired quickly and had a much reduced sight. We kept in touch with him regularly and showed we would never forget him, even though he was laid low. But nine years of being completely helpless took its toll and his suffering is now over.

We offer our heartfelt condolences to his wife Georgette and his family.

Vale Bruno, we’ll all miss you…

Hi Case,

25/11/2011

Keep up-to-date with World Veterans Table Tennis by logging on to

www.tt-veterans-international.com 

for a special report of the 3^rd  International Team Championships of Veterans Societies 2011 inIstanbul. Also view the latest rubbers approved by the ITTF.

Veterans’ Table Tennis is becoming more popular all the time.

All over the globe the constant evolution of these websites is evidence of many of yesteryear players returning to the sport they enjoyed so much when much younger, and are organising their own affairs.

As it appears there is more leisure time for many of us these days and folk are living decidedly longer, returning to the sport we love is a natural progression.

Table Tennis is uniquely and physically suited to virtually any age group. As studies in Japan have born out, the hand-eye coordination of Table Tennis is conducive to much improved brain activity, so vital when one ages.

The competitive exercise gives us an additional focus in our lives and we get the opportunity to meet many new friends going around the various tournaments all over the world.

The consensus of a veteran’s age starts at forty, then proceeds to fifty, sixty, sixty five, seventy, seventy five and readily goes up into the eighties and nineties, as evidenced at the bi-annual Veterans World Table Tennis Championships.

Participating in our sport keeps us fitter and healthier in both mind and body and as a consequence much happier, in particular when one approaches retirement age.

No better commendation to playing competitive “ping pong” is when one starts to look forward to entering a new age-group, instead of  fretting about getting older.

The editor

World Veterans Table Tennis Championships – Stockholm 2012  Have they shot themselves in the foot?

On 12 August 2011 the Swedish website www.wvc2012.com stated that over 500 entries have been received. By 18 August the entries passed the 600 mark. As I wrote earlier there is a maximum limit imposed by the organisers of 2800 players.

This seems to have upset many players in Germany, as I recently became aware of through e-mails with my good friend Gordon Lee fromFremantle WA. We have both played doubles together at Rioand in Hohhot and have played against the president of ‘Der Club’ (the German Veteran Table Tennis Association), Konrad Steinkamper.

Konrad is no slouch at the game. He has won the German Veterans championships before and was R/U in the 65 singles inYokohama. He made the semi-finals inRio, but forfeited after having a bad fall. He came back the next day however, to support his doubles partner with his nose in plaster. They promptly won the 70s doubles gold medal, no mean feat.

Steinkamper wrote the following to Gordon Lee:

“As far asStockholmis concerned, I will not take part in this event.

Last weekend (early August 2011) DER CLUB had its Annual Meeting close to Frankfurt/Main.

Because of the fact that the Organising Committee is not willing to guarantee a certain quota of players, we are not able to register our members of DER CLUB as per usual.

On the other hand many of us are not willing to accept the high player’s fee and the cancellation fees as well. So we have decided to no longer promote this event.”

Sweden undoubtedly is a very expensive country for tourists and many would be dissuaded from participating because of the high costs.   Gordon Lee was disappointed when I told him I was going to play with my long-time partner Geoff Nesbitt in Stockholm. Geoff has been ill, but is in remission. So Gordon went looking for another partner and he hit the jackpot when he received this good news from Steinkamper:

“Dr. Peter Stolzenburg.                                                                                                          Some months ago I had agreed to play doubles in Stockholmin Cat over 75 with him.

Then I had to tell him that I will not play inStockholmby reasons you already know. It was not easy for me to cancel this double. In this Email I have promised to look for a strong partner and I recommended him to play with you. Now he told me that he is willing to do so if you agree.”

Gordon asked me for my opinion and I told him Peter Stolzenburg is a much better player than I am, so go for it. Which of course Gordon did.

Now all this brings me to the question, have the Swedish organisers made the right decision to place this arbitrary ceiling on the number of contestants on the basis of first come first served? Remember that inYokohama(2004) the Japanese limited their own countrymen to 1000 and had qualifying tournaments to achieve this.

The membership of Der Club would be one of the largest in the world, if not the largest. In my experience of the 10 consecutive worlds veteran championships I played in, the German players have always featured prominently, not only in numbers but especially in performances.

Time will tell.

The editor

LATEST on WORLD VETERANS at STOCKHOLM SWEDEN – 25/30 June 2012

Notice to all prospective Australian veteran players. Enter as soon as possible.

.

A terse message appeared on the Swedish Website yesterday, www.wvc2012.com 2/7/2011, that the last date for Entry is March 2012. Maximum number of participants 2800. First come, first served.

It went on to report that between 20-25 June 2011, EVC was played inLiberec. WVC 2012 was present with a stand and the interest was enormous. Be ready on August 1st when the registrations  start here on our webpage! 

Registration start

By Emanuel | Published: 14 June, 2011

Registration for WVC 2012 will be possible from august 1st. All registration will be done digitally online. The registration is handled from our partner Congrex. Information about tournament, accommodation, tours, etc will be updated accordingly. Please be informed that the maximum amount of participants will be 2.800! (VEM inLiberec now 2450 players..)

The Editor

Just in case you never got the Today show down your way today (5/10/10), here’s the link to watch Dot De Low’s interview.

 http://today.ninemsn.com.au/default.aspx

I received this message from Howard Middleton on http://www.freewebs.com/internationaltabletennisclub

also on http://www.costa-news.com/index.php?option&task=blogcategory&id

who wrote about the demise of English Table Tennis and outlined some of the problems associated in his opinion of the Management of the ETTA. 

The inimitable Tony Herbert from Queensland, and a great lover of our sport, submits the following article. Please feel free to comment.

    Australian Veterans Table Tennis Association.

The European Veterans Societies are in the Process of designing and implementing their own Web Page and have asked other countries to link their Web Pages to European Vets Web Page.

As for myself, I feel it would be advantageous to participate in this new venture for information we receive from Europe such as World Vets, European Tournaments and European Championships and articles from a number of  European Veterans  Societies can be readily perused.

My next article will be about a Vets event to be held in Sweden. 

One quote I like, and might be attributed to TTA, when I visited the Ho-Chi-Ming Museum in Vietnam. It read “Lack of Communication Breeds Egos”

I believe TTA’s new constitution is being presented to Veterans in Melbourne at the 27th Annual Veterans Championships. 

Some of the articles I envisage might be controversial, as Case and myself believe in serious and open debate with the view to improve the sport we all love. 

Please forward your comments to us, particularly on whether Australia should spend time and money in holding the World Veterans in Australia.   

   Contents for Consideration and Comments.   

I have studied data from previous World Vets and this data has been translated into Euro’s obviously. The conclusion I have drawn is only an approximation of the early days of WV’s events when a number of countries used their own currency for entrance fees.

Interpolating these figures and coupling them with previous number of entries, I estimate an entry of 1600 — 1800 participants. In addition, some 320 accompanying persons.

The SCI have advised TTA that the entry fee not exceed AUD200 .

For example: 1600 –1800 entries AUD320000—- AUD360000  minus 10% of entry fees to SCI. 

Also the accommodation and hospitality costs for seven executive members of the SCI, ITTF president and ten previous world champions ( I estimate 18% of entry fees will cover all the costs of these gratuities. In total these add on costs can be 18% of entry fees. Another ratio I established is the total cost of equipment etc including 5% import tariff and 10% GST, wharfage and other port charges allow 48% of the FOB price.)

Since my initial talks with Ted Davis several months ago together with Paul and Ken, I noticed NSW have taken up the challenge and are pursuing my suggestion of holding the WVs event at Homebush.

The reason I suggested Homebush is because of the area. It is sufficient; internet quotes an area of 6000sqm. (Although I don’t know how much the skate park takes up and could reduce this area.) Lighting and flooring are a permanent fixture in the two halls. Except one of the halls has a sprung wooden floor which I believe would not be a problem. In short, not having to install flooring and lighting makes Homebush an ideal venue at a very competitive price.

Present day costs I estimate hiring the halls for six days would be in the vicinity of  $25000 — $30000.plus cleaning, security etc. I contacted the manager of the venue and I asked for an approximate of present day prices. I did this because I have found in the past that one has to push an organisation to think laterally and not having some background information may discard any suggestions to bin thirteen. (Even if one presented a folio which was fully costed, it could also be destined to file thirteen.) 

Note the SCI will insist on an arena with a capacity of approximately 2000 to watch the finals, whichever country holds the event and to have a minimum of 80 competition tables, plus practice tables.

The Olympic and Paralympics Table Tennis competition 2000 venue would be ideal  venue to hold the finals of the WV’s (Obviously this would increase the costs.) 

    Pie in the Sky Ideas

Firstly: If a Pro Tour event was held at the Gold Coast (GC convention centre is far to expensive to hire, but alas as always no one is prepared to discuss problems such as this with people who know.) or in Sydney, finals of the World Vets which are held on the Saturday could be followed by three days of the Pro Tour event or as I have lobbied for years a FESPIC disabled championships in Australia. 

Pro tour event could be played after the finals of the WV’s event and the FESPIC event could be played before the World Vets. The event would take roughly ten days.

Only one hall would be needed to accommodate the FESPIC event. There are three hotels at Olympic Park and obviously disabled facilities would need to be checked for suitability. If acceptable then no transport would be necessary from these hotels to the venue which is a distinct advantage.

( In Qld the board should consider and thought be given to holding a disabled event such as a 40 unit point event at Run-Away-Bay which incidentally I suggested as the venue for the Australian Juniors this year. I believe we have a wonderful chance of promoting both State and Federal Government’s policy by introducing a greater emphasis on the inclusion for the movement impaired, aged persons and the general members of the community, by having an Expo of Table Tennis at Homebush. What a wonderful opportunity!

My SLOGAN for promoting table tennis was, “Table tennis can be played by people 8 to 80 years of age,” but our wonderful Ambassador of table tennis Dot De Low proved me wrong. It should read 8 to 100.

After completing my feasibility study for the WV’s in 2008 to be held at the Gold Coast, which appeared viable. BUT translated into the financial climate of 2014 it was a big risk due to the costs of hiring the GC Convention Centre.( Exchange rate could be a killer for holding these events.)

Due to my conclusion that the event, if held at the GC, would not be viable I lobbied NSW for the event to be held at Homebush. 

Having  played at Homebush and I am familiar with the area necessary to accommodate 80 tables. 80 tables will easily suffice an entry of 1920 athletes: the total area available according to the internet is 6000sqm. My calculations from my previous study of holding the event in 2008 still holds good for today or in the future is 4000sqm for courts plus 40% for isles and  temporary seating etc equals 5600sqm.

   For your consideration.

Table Tennis Australia, Qld or NSW must decide whether the main reason for holding the WV’s w is purely to make a large profit or to promote the game of table tennis.    Nationally!!!

We are all aware that our elite players will not win medals at major ITTF events unless we import top Chinese players and then perhaps Australia could be successful

The Commonwealth Games competition is not classed as a major event by world’s table tennis standards, so Australia could be successful in obtaining medals.

The Sport and Rec if they adopt the Crawford Report, which clearly indicate those sports which are most likely to win medals will therefore accordingly receive the bulk of the money.

The second phase suggested that sports that do not fall into this category and which have to obtain funding based upon participation rates, chances of increased funding from Sport and Rec would be minimised if a policy to achieve this requirement is not developed.

Remember the old Victorian saying “children should be seen but not heard” and this attitude appears to be when it concerns the Australians Veterans.

If one insists on a large profit for the above events, then being selected to hold these world events will be diminished, I believe it to be ultimately detrimental to TTA, in the long run particularly, when they are publicise that they develop table tennis from beginners to elite players( will be later quoting the exact wording.)

As you may be aware I received a letter from Diane Schoeler regarding another matter. It points out other countries that have seriously considered holding the 2014 World Vets Event.

With regard to volunteers, if the above suggestions are successful, then it could be a forerunner for Sydney’s World Expo in 2017. Remember Neil Harwood when he indicated that table tennis had 95% attendance of volunteers, which I believe is the highest of all sports. Of course mainly Vets.

Keep well,

Tony ( formerly, years ago, referred to as nets and edges).

Why have AusVet & VicVet?

Published 9/8/2010 at 8.30 am

This question is invariably asked by some. Sometimes it is asked in an enquiring manner because of genuine wonderment; at other times in a somewhat derogative fashion when it is immediately stated that, “We already have a Veterans Committee, so why create another one?”

In response to the former poser, it is clear that there is a great difference between an incorporated association and an appointed sub-committee.

One is autonomous, the other totally dependent on the organisation that has appointed it.

In other words, in the first instance, veterans are run by veterans for veterans.

In the latter instance an appointed committee may proffer proposals, but has no right or power to implement any of their wishes; they must first ask for permission. They’re there in an advisory capacity only, with no voting rights.

During the past four years many of these recommendations by sub-committees of both TTA and TTV were overturned or totally disregarded.

I have been personally involved in them, both as a player and as a veterans’ state selector.

So when decisions and requests are made by veterans and are ignored or denied by those who are in charge, then ‘spontaneous combustion’ takes place and independent associations are born.

It is no co-incidence that these denials and adverse decisions are mainly made by well meaning people, but by those who have little knowledge of veteran affairs.

Therefore it makes elegant sense that veteran affairs should be left for veterans to run.

The conception for the formation of AusVet and VicVet, though entirely new to our sport here in Australia, is not such a novel idea at all.

All major sports have their veteran arms, all are incorporated and operate independently of their peak sporting bodies; and with their wholehearted consent, may I add.

When in 2007 TTA declined to endorse our first national veteran teams selections to compete in Cottbus, everyone involved was disappointed by being disenfranchised. Regardless we went anyway, and our SA girls won the first world championships 50’s team gold medal.

When arbitrary levies were imposed on all veteran players competing in the nationals in 2007 by TTA, many players strenuously objected. Because of this furore they disappeared from the ‘menu’ the following year. However they were re-imposed in 2009, much to the chagrin of the national veterans committee and all the competitors.

In Victoria we had in the years 2008 and 2009 four different selected state teams rejected by TTV. The Board refused to stand by their own appointed selectors.

In 2010 they were summarily dismissed.

Not because the selectors had done an inadequate or shoddy job, but mainly because they were deemed to be disobedient to the Board’s selection criteria. This was not said in so many words of course.

No, they were thanked for their diligent duty (one of them for 25 continuous years), but told their services were no longer required.

Have matters now improved as far as Victorian team selections go?

It is very sad to report that in 25 years of veterans’ table tennis in Victoria, never have so many eligible players been overlooked and/or misplaced in state teams.

Victoria could have had a much stronger line up if due diligence had been exercised by TTV and for them to have allowed the veterans themselves to do the selecting of state teams according to their own criteria.

We have more than twelve instances in this year’s teams where players are incorrectly appointed and many others totally overlooked.

Victoria is so much stronger than it’s reflected in the present teams.

Because of all the above mentioned reasons, AusVet and VicVet will not go away, but they are all the more determined to rectify the present unsatisfactory arrangements.

The day will surely come that the peak bodies of our sport will have so much more time to spend on their own business and affairs, when the veterans will run their own competitions according to veteran rules.

So far we have managed to have one of our own, Dorothy Mary De Low elevated to the highest honour in the land and awarded an OAM for services rendered to our sport, on Australia Day 2010.

TTA was quite happy to delegate that job to AusVet.

Also see article in this week’s Womans Day.

We had another stalwart player in Bill Bates winning a world championship singles gold in Hohhot in 2010. See articles elsewhere on this site.

Veteran table tennis is here to stay and is bound to go on from strength to strength.

The editor

Gordon Lee supplied the following eulogy on the recent passing of Betty Jaggs.

Betty Jaggs was a Fremantle Club member in the 1940′s and 1950′s. She passed away suddenly on the 14th of July 2010.

Only 2 weeks away she was training and playing with the stronger club members in preparation for the National Vets.

With her cousin Joan Jackson they formed a formidable doubles pair, winning the State title in 1956.

Betty, under her maiden name of Betty Sergeant, won the State singles title in 1954 and after marrying won again in 1956. She represented Western Australia several times. Bill Bates was a senior member of Fremantle around this time and of course knew Betty well.

Another junior member of Fremantle at the time was Gordon Lee. Gordon after taking up the game again in 2002, rang around looking for former players to join him. Betty took up the offer and soon regained her former skills. She and Gordon’s wife Shirley and a third lady had their accommodation booked for the Melbourne Australian Veteran’s Championships in October. The 3 ladies were to form an over 70s side, all from the Fremantle Club. Betty would have acquitted herself very well, just look at what Bill Bates has achieved.

Gordon Lee and Betty’s brother Ron Sergeant were the nucleus, together with Colin Harburn of the Western Australian junior team which played in St. Kilda in 1956.

Betty will be sadly missed by all who knew her.

Gordon Lee

Short report on the Veteran World Table Tennis Championships in Hohhot, 2010.

(by Case de Bondt )

From Rags to Riches.

56 Australians arrived in China to do battle with the top veteran table tennis players in the world, Betty Bird played for England, Roy Leung and John Lau for Hong Kong, but for all intents and purposes are all Aussies. Having participated in every world championships, apart from Melbourne in 1994, this would have been one of the largest Australian representations.

Most of us arrived on Friday 4 June and found the conditions on the practice tables trying, to put it mildly. The balls were behaving strangely and were carrying long. The rarefied atmosphere in Hohhot, which is some 1,100 metres above sea level, increased the pace of the balls and it took some time to come to terms with the strange conditions.

The opening ceremony was out of this world and had to be seen to be believed. A DVD is available to those interested to view this unprecedented colourful display by hundreds of Chinese, including many school children and a massive choir.   The show had everyone enthralled and on the edge of their seats.

Left handed William Bates, one time ranked third at table tennis in Australia, but never  representing  his country internationally, has excelled himself by winning the World Veterans Table Tennis Singles title in the over 80 age group.

To the best of my knowledge this feat has been achieved only on four previous occasions by Dorothy De Low, the late Una Fitzgerald and Stan Wynack, and Van Chat Mai. However since the last time an Australian Veteran won a world championship (Van Chat Mai, Melbourne in 1994), the standard of play and the number of entrants has greatly increased.

The 15^th World Veterans Table Tennis Championships held in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China from 7 – 12 June 2010, with more than 2200 players from 57 countries, produced a worthy Australian champion in Bill Bates, against all the odds.

Here we had a world championship held on Chinese home soil, and Bill was victorious against players recognised as the very best in the world.             What’s even more remarkable is that Bill, who was “never going to play eleven up” just qualified second in his group, to play in the championship draw proper, only on a three way count back (on points).                                                              All three players featuring in the count back had scored 2/1 and the chap who had beaten Bill finished up missing out!

But then Bates went from strength to strength and in a tense final before a packed Stadium beat the German Roessler in four glorious games.                     Roessler previously had disposed of the last remaining Chinese player in his semi in five close games.

The turning point in the final came in the third game at 1/1 and 6 -7 when Bill got an edge ball to make it 7 – 7. However Bill thought his ball had missed the end of the table and, ever the sportsman walked over and flipped the scores to 6 – 8 on the check umpire’s flip board.

The central umpire would not have a bar of it, flipped the scores back to 7 – 7 and after some delay, with Bill still not wanting the point, got the match under way again. Roessler had lost concentration with Bill running out the game at 11- 8.

The final game became a procession and was never in doubt. I have never seen Bill play so aggressively. In fact he lost the second by overdoing it and missing six hits. But he then became his very consistent self again, and if a back hand hit came back, started rallying all over again.

The quote of the tournament came from Bill. When I asked him how he felt after winning Gold, he answered, “I couldn’t handle his spin!”                           I wonder what Roessler felt…

Australia can be proud of its achievement at world level. We won one Gold, one Silver, Dot De Low in the 85 Doubles; and three Bronze, Betty Bird in the 75 Doubles and Ihn van Le/Igor Klaf in the 65 Doubles.

In contrast England, with its vast depth and experience only managed one Gold (in the Men’s 75 Doubles, Fred Lockwood/Merv Wood).                                        The Veterans are outshining the Junior and Senior table tennis players in this country by lifting themselves to world standard, and what’s more at their own expense.

The future of our game is assured and will be revitalised when we look to the achievements of our veteran players in Australia.

I received the following correction from Tony Herbert:

The present Points System in Victoria and elsewhere.

Nothing has caused such controversy in table tennis ranks as the current Points System. This system is supposed to rank all players, so that we can compare the playing strengths of one player against the other.

In Victoria, and as a Veterans Selector the past two years, I was intimately involved with these points.

My experiences and understanding of the system are detailed below.

The seedings of a tournament are governed by these ranking points. In fact the selectors are supposed to (ordered to) use these rankings for seeding purposes. These Athletes’ Ranking Points are virtually set in stone and may only be deviated from in case of injury, or if athletes are within 50 points of each other and sometimes when the points of a player is unknown.

They “may only be adjusted on rare occasions and Victorians are to be seeded in sequence of the most recent TTV rankings.” Strong words indeed. 

This is where the problem lies and the controversy rages.

Now don’t get me wrong. I believe in the system being a good idea in principle, but only with several provisos.

All players should be ranked as close as is reasonable to their playing ability and not hundreds of points wide of the mark. Secondly in the case of veteran players only matches within veteran ranks should be collated. Thirdly the system does not work, unless by far the majority of the members’ associations participate.

We all know that Juniors improve rapidly, especially when coached. They often are ranked far lower than their playing ability and therefore should only be collated within their own ranks.

Veterans are totally different players to Juniors and their style of play, often with ‘funny’ rubbers, cannot be compared to the way Juniors play and are coached.

So to be fair to all players these different age groups should not be in the same mix.

Some examples: In A2, my grade in Croydon, many of the players including a number of promising juniors, are rated far too low. They are on average by more than  200 points below my rating, presently at 1396.

Of 26 players who have all beaten me as often as I have gotten the better of them, the average rating is 1185 (I totted up their current points divided by 26).

Is this fair to me or my team mate Roy Cintolo?

Roy had 1550 points two years ago.  Since playing at Croydon he has tumbled down to 1343.

Yet our contemporaries in the 70 age group, Chris Sykes (1500) and Peter Fischer (1430) are both ranked well above Roy and I.

For that reason they both received the # 3 & 4 seeds at the Geelong veterans tournament, behind Igor Klaf at #1 and Buddy Reid at #2.

Roy and I missed out.

STS Points (State Team Selection Points and these points are different) are awarded to the winner, R/u, semi finalists and quarter finalist at the rate of 36 (1^st); 18 (2^nd); 9 (semis) and 5 (quarters). This is in a ‘top four’ tournament and somewhat on a lesserscale in the others.

Ever since Roy and I have been selected in State Teams, each year from 1996 onwards, we have always got in ahead of both Chris and Peter, and at times both Chris and Peter were selected in the B Team.

It doesn’t take Einstein to work out that, unless one gets a top four seeding in a specific age group, chances of getting sufficient STS Points by the end of the season (mandatory for selection according to TTV) to make one of the top four places in a State team, are slim indeed.

What has all this to do with who deserves to be selected because he is the better player? It defeats the whole purpose of the system.

Peter has recently lost heaps in Bendigo because, among others, Ken Sands beat him. Ken came down from NSW to play (arguably he was ranked #3 in the land last year), yet Peter lost as many as 15 points to Ken when he was beaten in the 65’s. He also lost 13 points when beaten in the same tournament by Bruce Harmer.

Both Ken and Bruce are grossly underrated. On top of that Peter met Igor Klaf in the second round of the 70’s at Bendigo. He was not seeded there. Is it any wonder that Peter feels hard done by?

Now Chris Sykes plays pennant at Dandenong, where results are not sent in to TTV to be recorded and collated. I have beaten Chris the last two times, in Geelong and at Dandenong. I received a lot of points for Geelong, but none for Dandenong. Is that fair? Of course it isn’t, neither to Chris nor I.

The management in Dandenong (until very recently not affiliated with TTV) refuses to send in pennant results. As Brett Sonnet told me, “Some of our players would refuse to play pennant while the present ranking system is in place, so we have decided not to participate.”

One of the many reasons for AusVet and VicVet coming into existence is because of this iniquitous present system which the powers that be impose on us veteran players and they make it mandatory on the selectors to seed the players in veteran tournaments.

Just because the State body has the authority to make this imposition on veteran tournament players does not make it right.

We need to have our own veterans rating system, where we can compare veteran players with other veterans or apples with apples if you will.

And the sooner the better for all concerned.

I invite your comments.

The Editor

The first comment I received came from Jim Furness.

Hi Case,  14/5/2010

Seems good to me.  I don’t know if you can fit it in, and off the top of my head I cant be specific, but at nearly every vets tournament in the divisional events, in one or more divisions the top seeds are knocked off in the first round and unknown or under-rated players are going through to the final and collecting money. This is grossly unfair to the genuinely ranked players of that division and deprives them of an opportunity to win or progress and have a satisfying day. The system as it stands is flawed. It needs manual intervention in many cases to bring it anywhere near correct.

As I understand it, an unknown player has to enter at least 3 or 4 tournaments before they are awarded points. They enter low grades and clean up while under a cloud. The system should limit such players to division one until they are qualified for points allocation, allowing their ability to be more accurately assessed, and maintaining the integrity of the divisions for established players.

Would you believe I mentioned this to Phil Davis a year or two ago and he said that was a good idea and he would put it to the next board meeting. If he did, which I have reservations about, nothing has come of it.

Cheers Jimbo.

PS: Further to the above it is pertinent to note that no less than six (6) volunteer veterans’ selectors have resigned since 2007 because of disenchantment with the system and the denial of their discretion in determining seedings for tournaments and selecting State Teams.

A further two selectors were dismissed by TTV at the end of January 2010; one of them after more than 20 years of continuous service and two more have indicated their retirement next year.

Volunteers are as scarce as hen’s teeth; in addition the other dismissed selector travelled 300 km from the country each time to attend meetings during the past two years. Is this the way to go forward? A fitting reward for services rendered? Hardly…

NEWS FLASH      Friday 29/1/10

Highest Honour in Land for Dorothy De Low, OAM

This “News Flash” appeared on the Irish Website http://ittua.com on 26 January 2010.

“The Medal of the Order of Australia is the most prestigious honour in the land and Dorothy’s achievement has been recognised by Australia at last.”

For those of you who have not as yet heard the great news, ‘our Dorothy’ has indeed been honoured with the Order of Australia Medal for services rendered to our sport.

To me the above headline is reminiscent of ‘a prophet not being recognised in her own country’.

No recognition of this wonderful event has been shown on either the TTA Website or on the TTV Website, arguably the country’s strongest Table Tennis State.

Only her home State TTNSW Website carries a cursory notice, stating

 “Congratulations to Dot De Low on receiving the OAM in the 2010 Honours List, awarded for services rendered to Table tennis. Dot will celebrate her 100^th birthday in October.”

It would appear that the only Table Tennis player recipient in the world who has received her Country’s highest Honour means little or nothing at all to those in our fair land who are in charge of our sport.

As most know, in addition Dot is already published in the Guinness Book of World Records as the World’s Oldest competitive player.

Aren’t these startling events and the publicity that ought to go with it not the very opportunity our sport needs to attract more players?

Cannot TTA see that by encouraging folk to take up this ‘Sport For All Ages’ is a boon to our Government and a wonderful opportunity to attract sponsorship?

Why is this so?

But all the way at the other end of the world, Kiron Choudhury the Irish Secretary of the Table Tennis Umpires Union considers all this with the acclaim it deserves on his Website.

He goes on to say,

“What about recognising Dorothy’s achievement by Her Royal Highness The Queen. The Governor-General could be the right authority to instigate for recognition of Dorothy’s achievement in life.”

It puts us in Australia to shame.

It is to be hoped that those in authority of our beloved sport will see that this is too good an opportunity to let go begging and use Dorothy’s elevation to attract others to table tennis.

May I warmly congratulate our Dorothy on behalf of all the Veteran Table Tennis players in Australia on this remarkable milestone in her illustrious life and that you may represent us in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia at the World’s once again next June.

the editor

Being singled out by the president of TTV, but not for any praise.  

I had no idea that I was so corrupt, a coward and a liar who misleads his fellow veteran players.

But this is what Phillip Carruthers told the whole table tennis world in Australia, stopping just short of naming me but making jolly well sure that by referring to the “originator” there is no doubt about who he is talking about.

He did not have the courage to initially sign the letter or name me, but chose instead to hide behind the TTV letter head and using their website.

He further had his cronies distribute this ‘blog posting’ to some select players during the nationals in Hurstville, to make sure those without a computer would also be informed.

The Public Officer and Secretary of both AusVet  and VicVet  is well known to all competitive veteran players as the “originator” of these two movements, which sprang up the past year or so.

Rather then asking the pertinent question:

“Why have these movements come into existence so readily?”

He chooses instead to shoot the messenger in a most despicable piece of diatribe full of suppositions.

Martin Solomons, a respected veteran player was concerned that the last paragraph of this ‘epistle’ was referring to him and demanded a full apology for the defamatory remarks.

This prompted Carruthers to repeat the article, but this time with a disclaimer that it was not Martin he was referring to.

Why are you so aggressive Phillip? Why do you invent these scurrilous ideas? Is it perhaps that the veterans are correct in recognising your unnecessary interference in their affairs?

Is that why you are being so aggro?

It does not behove the leader of the Victorian peak body to demonstrate his emotions and it does him no credit at all to lower himself to name calling.

We are all mature people whose only wish and desire is to have fun enjoying our great game to the full.

To that end Phillip, please be man enough to apologise to all the veterans for inferring they are being led by the nose.

The editor

Carruther’s article can be viewed on www.insports.com.au/ttv/

PS: As this article by Carruthers has been removed from the ‘insports’ Website I can supply a ‘signed’ and an ‘unsigned’ copy to all those interested. Just send me an e-mail at caseybul1@bigpond.com

The editor 

26/10/2011

Some impressions of the Australian Veterans Table Tennis Championships.

The 28^th Australian Vets was held at the Adelaide ETSA Park Netball Stadium from 15 – 23 October 2011. We used the same complex the last time we were inAdelaide.

Although it cost the organisers $22,000 to hire the venue, as is usual the lighting was not suited to our game but most of us adjusted as the week went on.

The numbers were down somewhat, but more than 300 ardent participants flocked from all overAustralia, New Zealand and Japan. Lars Sandmark (Sweden) and Long Phan (Vietnam) also made the long journey. Sadly many times winner Ihn van Le (NSW) had to withdraw through sickness and his vanquisher last year, Truong Hoang (NSW), also did not come.

After the medals’ presentation on Saturday, Ken Cole chairman of the Australain veterans committee, paid tribute and homage to Bruno Zimmaro (Vic) and Merle Snedden (NZ) who sadly passed away this year.

They will both be sorely missed on the table tennis scene.

The Kiwis punched well above their weight as did WA. Victoria, thanks to their “golden oldies” managed three Teams’ Gold medals, but appear to be slipping somewhat overall.

We could well do with the services of the likes of Dennis Makaling and Danny Semmler for instance, to become more competitive in the younger age groups.

I for one thoroughly enjoyed this well run tournament, as I’m sure most of us did. Apart from one incident, which shocked those watching a quarterfinal of the Men’s singles, this annual event went very smoothly and was run with the customary aplomb by the computer wizardry of Bev and Brian James.

Marilyn Dixon and her co-workers pleasantly surprised us with the most lavish spread that I have ever seen at an opening function. The band and the vocalist at the closing function were superb.

The highlight for me, and of needs be having missed many other exciting matches, was the tremendously hard fought semi final on Saturday between Wayne Heginbotham (NSW) and Greg Letts (WA).

Greg, with his natural skilful defence, explosive backhands and unexpected forehand looping “stole” this semi, after being down match point in the fourth. There is nothing so beautiful at table tennis, from a spectators’ point of view, then to see a very good attacking player being contained by an equally proficient defender.

This was my 16^th Australian since 1996 and like many others, am already looking forward to next year’s event at the Mpower Dome, Fadden ACT.

The editor

All results may be viewed on the James’s website:

http://www.southerntabletennis.org.au/vets2011/results.htm

Tony Herbert has contributed the following article (14/9/2011).

                                   World Vets AucklandNew Zealand

Most Veteran players are familiar with the decision by the Swaithling Club that NZ were selected to host the World Vets in 2014. However, since this decision was made, there appears to be some animosity against NZ holding this event and rumours abound that NZ won’t be able to stage the event. These doubters are making all sorts of unfounded noises, I believe, because of not being familiar with the NZ proposal presented to the SWC and the facilities available in Auckland.

“Auckland doesn’t have the expertise to run such an event, as they cancelled the World Junior Championships; there is not a stadium large enough to hold the event; Auckland will have to build a new stadium; weather conditions will be wet and cold and not enough people to run the event;” and so on…

I decided to carry out some research as to possible venues in and around Auckland and have spoken to friends in NZ. It was established there is a stadium in Auckland, a multi purpose sports stadium, the “Waitakere Trust Stadium (WTS)”, and this stadium is located in Henderson on the outskirts of Auckland. (This stadium can be located on the web and some details of the facilities are available.)

The stadium has an area of 4900 sqm and I have calculated that 72 tables can be accommodated with a court  size of 10m by 5m and has provisions for about 1800 entries.( Melbourne had 67 tables and about 1790 players entered.)

I carried out a feasibility study for the 2008 WV Championships to be held either at the Gold Coast or Brisbane and established a ratio of 40% for aisles and small spectator stands which was ideally suitable for the WVC. Another statistic is that previous venues to hold the WVC had a ratio of approximately one table per 25 entries. WTS has a ratio of 36% for aisles and on the floor seating. The stadium has additional seating above the playing area. NZ also has permission from the SWC to ferry athletes to another stadium nearby if entries are greater than 1800.

The Henderson district has limited accommodation and the centre of Aucklandis about 14 kms away. To me it does not prove a problem, as a continuous bus service can easily be enacted and one can view Auckland’s wonderful picturesque harbour. Being able to see a flotilla of yachts with their spinnakers blowing in the wind is a majestic sight. I know Milford Sound is a long distance away but if one wanted to walk the world famous Milford track, if open, is another tourist sensation. It’s a three day walk and if you are relatively fit its well worth the effort.

We are all familiar with the sporting competition between our two countries, particularly when the two countries are playing rugby. Recently Australia beat the All Blacks in the Belasco Cup and to some extent it makes up for Australia not being successful in being selected to host the World Veteran’s Table Tennis Championships.

Ron Garrett will be in Adelaide playing in our National Open Veterans Championships in October and if you would like to get an official up-date of the World Vets 2014, I am sure Ron will be able to do this. Please remember the information outlined above is my opinion only and is through my unofficial research.

Another rumour floating around is that Hans Wessling will be visiting Sydney after viewing the facilities in Auckland in October, but from a reliable source it will be in November.    (This is not a paid advertisement but merely to clarify some disinformation that is floating around.)

I for one am looking forward to travel across the ditch to play.  

Nets and Edges-Tony 

STOP PRESS – Tony tells me that NZ will publish an official statement on the 2014 WVC in Auckland on the Website shortly. (see above 23/9/2011)   

25^th Anniversary of the New Zealand Veterans Table Tennis Championships

2011 saw the 25^th anniversary of these popular championships, always held over Easter, and this year held at Invercargill way down south of the South Island.

Amid all the adversity that struck the New Zealanders during the past year the championships was a welcome interlude and diversion from the mine disaster and severe earthquakes which took many lives and caused terrible destruction. Because of this the numbers were down to only 106 players.

The South Island in particular is suffering and tourists are shunning Christchurch in droves. This is why it is uplifting to see the Aussies supporting these championships and deciding to come after all, despite the trauma.

Victoria and Canterbury provided 12 teams each, which is a good indication. Noticeable was the absence of many of theAuckland players, one of the largest clubs who only appear to support the championships when held on the NorthIsland.

New faces for Australiawere selected to the Test teams. We saw Vicky Carruthers, Averil Roberts (formerly NZ), Trevor Taylforth, Peter and Maureen Fischer help the Aussies to a 32/18 victory in the 12^th encounter between the two countries on Easter Thursday.

Other newcomers to New Zealand were Phil Carruthers, Ken Johnson and Thomas Woltmann. Sadly missing, due to illness, were stalwarts Merle Snedden, Geoff Nesbitt and Merv Allardyce and our thoughts go out to them.

The new venue was the impressive ILT (Invercargill Licensing Trust) Velodrome. The brand new 14 STAG tables provided were more than sufficient to cater for all the events. The roof of the Centre where the championships were held in Invercargill (2005) had collapsed under the weight of four feet of snow in 2010. It was then completely demolished and the reconstruction of the new stadium will be completed by next year.

34 players from Australia and 5 non-playing spouses (22 were from Victoria) made the journey across the ‘ditch’. This contingent had a large hand in many of the results.   All results of these championships can be found on the New Zealandwebsite  http://www.tabletennis.org.nz  but let me summarize some of the highlights for you.

Margaret Mulcahy scooped the pool with 8 (eight possible) Gold medals!;   the 65 & 70 Teams, 65 & 70 Singles, 65 & 70 Doubles and 65 & 70 Mixed. As long as I have been attending these championships, to the best of my knowledge, this hasn’t happened before. It has to be a record; she played in the Test as well, winning both her Singles rubbers and the Doubles with Maureen Fischer.

Last year at North Harbour Mick Wright went very close but just missed out on the 65 Singles, when Buddy Reid stopped his run in the final. Mulcahy did not play in the 60 Team event then (2005) at Whangarei, but did win all other seven events for 7 Gold. This time she went one better; a meritorious effort.

Top Kiwi player Malcolm Darroch, making a come back since 2005, took out both the 40 & 50 Singles titles, thus stamping his authority in those age groups and being unquestionably the best player of the championships.

Belgin Bennett turned the tables on Sabine Westenra of NZ, who beat her in the Test match, to take out the 40 Women’s Singles and earn the #1 placing in the Order of Merit.

Buddy Reid, who like Malcolm does not play in the Team events on Good Friday, won the two age groups of the 65 & 70 Singles, as he did last year. Buddy, who was born in 1940, is a true ‘evergreen’ and still plays the modern game. One has to play BOTH Teams and Individuals and that is the reason why Buddy does not feature in the Order of Merit.

Roma Chambers starred in the exciting finale to the championships (the last match to finish) in her 50s Singles final against the #1 seed Tutty Tanfana of NZ. Roma led two games to nil, but Tutty fought back to level the scores at 2/2. Then Roma bolted to a 9-3 lead in the deciding game, yet somehow Tutty caught her and levelled at 10-10. With one of the best rallies of the day Roma ran out the winner to conclude a wonderful tournament.

The Order of Merit’s list, reflecting the play of the best players in both the Teams and Individual events, can be perused on the NZ website.  Three players earned the distinction of heading two different each groups in the rankings viz. Mick Wright, Margaret Mulcahy and Case de Bondt.

A pity Buddy missed out on a ranking. Darroch played in a three-player Team in the 40s and played on Saturday and thus gain the #1 ranking. It goes without saying that Reid is by far the dominant player in both the 65s & 70s and would have surely have won the 60s as well, if he had been eligible. Entries are restricted to  two consecutive age groups as we all know.

Summing up, the championships were the most enjoyable I have experienced in the 13 years since 1999. It is most likely due to both the excellent venue and the leisurely and comfortable manner the tournament could be conducted, simply because of the low number of players. The social aspect of the competition was definitely enhanced because of this. Thanks go to all organisers and the dedicated volunteers who conducted the tournament.                                                                           

Next year, DV, the tournament will be held by the Manawatu association at Palmerston North on theNorthIsland(during Easter of course).

Casey

Round Robin Veteran Tournament on 27 February 2011.

The VVTTA will stage an R/R tournament at Princes, Carnegie on 27 February commencing at 9.00 am. There will be four age groups, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s for both Men and Women.

The fee is $10 per player and it is a requisite that the VVTTA $5 annual membership is paid also.

Our AGM will be held at lunchtime and three committee positions are up for election, vice president and 2 committee members.  Nominations to be forwarded to The Secretary PO Box 24 Inverloch 3996.

The facility has a canteen and light meals are provided.

We gratefully acknowledge our major sponsors in Steve Dikolli, the Manager of Princes Entertainment Centre and “VicVets”, Suppliers of custom made sporting equipment (03 9776 0677 or 0418 341 834).

Below the e-mail invitation to all.

Hi folks,

Find attached Entry Form to kick off the New Year.

The event is an R/R tournament at Princes, Carnegie on 27 February.

All relevant info on attached Entry Form and entries will also be accepted by phone to Arlene and Andrew on 9803 6736 or by e-mail on

aswagner11@yahoo.com or abeaton@supernerd.com.au

Come along, have fun and get lots of matches for just $10 and please pass this message on to your friends.

See you there, Casey

The 27^th Australian Veterans Championships held on 16 – 23 October 2010 in Melbourne at the MSAC have been concluded.

There were some 321 entrants in the Team Events with another 40 or so additional entries in the individual events, making a total of 364.

This was down somewhat on the entries to Tallebudgera in 2008 when we enjoyed a record 376 entries. However Victoria had a record entry of 108 players.

We missed the Scandinavians in Lars Sandmark, who has been coming for the past nine years, his team mate Niels Ramberg and Annie Ramberg.

Lars’ good friend, Tommy Samuelsson, told me that Lars is suffering from back troubles so his other team members decided to stay away also, which is a pity.

But the three Japanese ladies came again, as did a record number of Kiwi’s, totalling 31 players.

There are now six different age groups in the team events with the new addition of the multi-sex 80’s.

Victoria claimed three Team gold medals winning the 60 Women, the 70 Men and the newly formed 80’s mixed team.

Queensland with 52 players also won three Team gold (40 Men, 50 Women and 75 Men) and NSW comprising 70 players won two gold Team medals (50 men and 60 men). New Zealand won the 40 Women and South Australia (31 players) captured the 70 Women.

Western Australia with just 20 players claimed a Team silver (40 Men) and a bronze (50 men) and New Zealand also won a Team silver in the 50 Women and a Team bronze in the 60 Women.

Once again several competitors succumbed to injuries and physical ailments which prevented them from playing.

Among those were my good friend and doubles partner Geoff Nesbitt who got severe muscles spasms in his back which hospitalised him for five days, SA’s Herb Ellis had a blocked bowel and was rushed to hospital in the middle of a match. My brother Fred and Qld’s Danny Schull tore calf muscles and Anna Pha finished up on crutches with the same injury. Gary Luu contracted a chest complaint and had to be replaced by Sanh Tran in the 80’s.  The WA team of Gerry Bridson and Russ Weslund withdrew.

Then Graham Boyton of NSW collapsed on the court requiring oxygen.

An ambulance was called but left him behind as he recovered sufficiently, but there was to be no more play for him either. And these are the ones I know about; there could have been others.

But as we are all veteran players it is to be expected that some will be unable to cope with the sudden spate of matches every day. May all the injured and ill recover quickly and get back on deck.

After the teams’ events, for many the highlight of the week, the individual events commenced on Thursday. All doubles were played on that day with only the finals of the Men’s and Women’s Doubles held over till Finals Day, Saturday. Friday saw all Singles matches played, commencing with the group matches. All semi finals and finals were played on the last day, Saturday.

Making some general observations to begin with, there was a distinct feeling in the air that there was to be some ‘changing of the guard’.

That the players, who have been dominating for years, could be surpassed by their younger contemporaries. Others through sheer perseverance managed to get on top of the better known names.

Contestants who excelled were, firstly, Sharad Pandit from South Australia who, without doubt, was the best player in the competition with  Singles gold in both the 40 and 50 Men’s Singles and a gold in the 40 Men’s Doubles.

Then we cannot overlook the phenomenal achievement of the mercurial Mick Wright (Vic). Although Singles medals eluded him, he was masterful in winning no less than 3 gold medals in Doubles play and with different partners! His team for Victoria also scored Silver against the very strong NSW side.

He won the 60 Men’s Doubles with Michael Ede (Vic) by defeating the legendary Ihn van Le who partnered a ‘young’ Truong Huang (both NSW).

Mick won the 60 Mixed with Val Beaver (NZ) and the 65 Mixed with Pam Tait (Vic). In the semi final of the 65 Singles Mick led Ihn van Le 2/1 and in the fourth game, led 9-7 and then held match point at 10-9.

The experienced Le managed to claw out of that one and went on to play Igor Klaf (Vic) in the final soon after, whom he beat convincingly 6,4,7.

It is interesting to note that Mick commenced his playing career with a plain pimpled bat when in his teens. He still uses a plain pimpled bat but with just a sliver of sponge behind one side. Talking about perseverance…

The ‘ever greens’ in Igor Klaf  and Betty Bird (SA) both won 3 gold medals, as well as a gold each in the team events. Now being in the 70 and 75 age groups respectively has given these players a new lease of life.

Ihn van Le’s dominance in the 60’s age group over many years was ended when his team mate, the much younger Truong Huang, defeated him in the 60 Singles in four games. Yet Le still managed gold in the 65 Singles, the 65 Men’s Doubles and one in the team event. In addition he won two Silver medals (60D + 65S).

Tom Boyd (NSW), who is in his eighties and has had a hip replacement, still is a force to reckon with. He won two gold medals (75 MS + 75 Mixed) and the only player who got the better of him was Sanh Tran in the 80 Singles. Sanh Tran was called in for Victoria’s 80’s B team to replace Gary Luu, who had become ill. He was instrumental in winning the team gold as well. So Tran finished with 2 gold medals

Pam Tait played well for gold in the 65 Mixed with Mick Wright and the 70 Women’s Doubles with Margaret Mulcahy, as well as the team gold.

Other multiple gold medal winners were Chris Little (NZ) who won the 40 and 50 Doubles and BP Huyhn (Vic) who won the 40 and 50 Mixed Doubles. Buddy Reid collected gold in the 70 Men’s Doubles and the 70 Mixed, as well as the 70 team gold. His Mixed Doubles partner Margaret Mulcahy won gold in the 70 Women’s Doubles and the 70 Mixed.

The tournament was very well managed, ran smoothly and full credit must go to Alan Hopkins, Nick & Lois McConnell and their band of willing workers.

Brian and Bev James did their usual very competent work at control and it is impossible to envisage this huge tournament to be successfully run without their expertise.

Next year’s event is planned to be held in Adelaide.

Dick Miles Record-Setting US Table Tennis Player Dies at 85

Here follow some extracts from the New York Times and the Dick Miles Website.

Dick Miles, whose powerful forehand and sterling defensive skills made him perhaps the greatest table tennis player the United States has ever produced, died Oct. 12 in Manhattan. He was 85. The death was of natural causes, his wife, Mary Detsch said, though he had had heart problems for many years.  From 1945 to 1962, Miles won 10 men’s national championships, more than anyone else before or since. He succeeded in international play as well, and for many years was considered a challenger to the dominant players of Asia and Europe. In 1959, he defeated two top Chinese players and reached the semifinals of the world championships. He was one of only three American men ever to advance that far. None have gone further. “There was probably no other player in the history of U.S. table tennis who was better than Dick Miles,” said Tim Boggan, the official historian of the United States Table Tennis Association and a friend of Miles’s.

Richard Theodore Miles was born in Manhattan on June 12, 1925, and was raised by his mother, Ivy. By the time he was a teenager, he was playing table tennis 10 hours a day or more.

After high school, he briefly attended New York University, but mostly, from then on, he just played table tennis. His signature stroke was a potent forehand using an underhand grip (that is, the racket head was pointed down). Beginning with a looping backswing with the forearm held close to his body, he finished with a snap of the wrist that delivered the ball with astonishing topspin. It was his habit to drive the ball to the center of the table.

“Instead of hitting to the wings, he hit to the middle,” Mr. Boggan said. “He’d go for the gut again and again.”

Depressed about his Singles play in 1948, Dick said, Forget the Mixed. But threatened with suspension he reluctantly walked out to the table with Thelma “Tybie” Thall (later Sommer). Walked out, it may have been, wearing gloves and an overcoat, his breath as frosty as his demeanor. “I don’t want to be out here,” he told her. Amazingly, however, thanks to Tybie’s sun-bursting enthusiasm, Dick thawed a little and they won a (16, -11, -16, 22, 19) quarter’s match from Leach and Vera Dace Thomas, that year’s World Women’s Doubles Champ. Then in the semi’s they beat Sido and Angelica Rozeanu who, beginning in 1950, would win six straight World Women’s Singles Championships.

But off to a very bad -13, -14 start in the final against Vana and Vlasha Depetrisova Pokorna, a pre-War World Women’s Singles and Doubles Champion, Dick told Tybie (“A crazy hitter,” he reminisced later), “Listen, this is embarrassing. Just push the ball back. You don’t hit a ball until I tell you to.” Then–”with Miles driving fiercely” and Tybie taking “Vana’s sneaky service with coolness”–they won the last three games, 18, 19, 12. “Tybie threw her racket in the air and came over for a hug,” Dick said, recalling the moment. “But I pushed her away. Didn’t say a word to her, didn’t even shake hands. I acted like a real shit.” And he added, “Afterwards, good players congratulated me, fussed over me–it was sickening.” So much for Mixed Doubles? Not exactly, for I did hear from another source that by presentation time Dick was feeling pretty good about being a World Champion, was even smiling

What an historic rivalry Dick and Marty Reisman enjoyed in the late ‘40’s. You couldn’t have asked for a more dramatic, climactic final than the one they put on at the Apr., 1948 U.S. Open–won by Miles, 12, -16, 20, -18, 20. Here’s the Topics’ account of that match that tries impartially to praise both players:

“2000 people screamed and cheered as Miles defeated Reisman in a deuce- thriller, fifth-game final at the National Table Tennis Championships in Columbus, Ohio. Every heart pounded and blood vessels were strained as Reisman deuced it up in the fifth from 20-18. The next two points were some of the greatest exhibition of driving and defending ever seen in the history of United States Table Tennis. Reisman drove his heart out against the mighty Miles backhand chop defense….Driving ball after ball for minutes on end against the country’s steadiest defense.[Reportedly, one point lasted 8 minutes.]…[The] playing was so superb that one player or the other had to be forced into an error, neither making any of his own volition. Keeping the ball away from Miles’ murdering forehand drive Reisman forced him to play defense throughout the match, giving him only an occasional shot on the forehand side. Garnering all his points by forcing Miles into error or hitting through his backhand defense, Reisman played a remarkable match and a smart one that was anybody’s guess as to the outcome….”

The fact that even for a World Championship the rubber on Dick’s hardbat wasn’t new was hardly unusual. “In those days, he said, ” you used your rubber for maybe 5-6 years before you felt you were taking a chance and changed it. By this time the center spot on your racket was all black, pure black, and the pips had started to go. So you had to change. The worst thing, though, was to see marks around the perimeter of your racket. Then you’d say to yourself, “Good lord, look how I’m playing!’”

Privately, Dick felt that his win over Andreadis at this ‘56 World’s was his “cleverest” win, because, he said, “I played like Leach–didn’t give Andreadis the heavy chop he expected but floated the ball back.” Dick then lost his quarter’s match to Ogimura, who was about to win his second Men’s Championship.

At the N.Y. Team Tryouts, Miles came second to Gusikoff, emerging from a strong field that included Bukiet, Somael, Schiff, Jack Howard, Jerry Kruskie, and Irv Wasserman. Then at the National Team Championships in Detroit, Dick, playing not with a hardbat but a new sandwich racket, was 15-3 in N.Y.’s win.

At the ‘62 Eastern’s, Bukiet beat Miles in the quarter’s, 19 in the 4th. Bernie’s technique was to roll, and roll, and roll–just wear Dick out. However, at the National’s in New York that followed, Miles, still committed to the sandwich bat, won his 10th and last U.S. Open–over Reisman in 4 in the semi’s, and then in an Expedite match in 4 over Norby Van de Walle, with whom he won the Doubles from Gusikoff/Klein. This success prompted Newsweek to do a May interview with him.

From the mid-’50’s almost through the mid-’60’s, Miles gave up considerable tournament play in favour of Touring, for which he was well paid. He also visited and played in Australia.

Vale Dick Miles.

More from Tony Herbert, 5/10/10

Although the World Vets are in 2012 this date is approaching quickly and those players who are interested in participating in these Championships would, I believe, like to know more about the City and Country holding the event, particularly if they have not entered such an event before.

The last World Vets were held in Inner Mongolia and the event’s opening and closing ceremonies was a wonderful, colourful and exhilarating experience. The organisers of the Opening and Closing extravaganza managed to subtly blend young and mature age members of Hohhot’s community into a breathtaking presentation of Inner Mongolian culture, combined with an emphasis on a healthy activity.

The opening and closing ceremonies were both beyond anyone’s expectations, and coupled together with an excellent meal with some surprises of China vintage wines, made the closing function more pleasurable. And another highlight of the evening was a presentation by a Chinese Tenor when the audience was spellbound with his rendition of Mus sun Domra. 

I have attended a number of World Senior Table Tennis Events and in my opinion none have  surpassed the glamour and the enthralling occasion of Hohhot’s opening and closing ceremonies.

One can keep abreast of redevelopments by logging on www.wvc2012.com to keep up-to-date with details of the World Vets in Sweden.

Australia has a close relationship with the Vasamuscet Museum, which houses the galleon which sank during its maiden voyage and remained undiscovered for centuries.

Fremantle has a maritime museum, which is one of the leading authorities on the restoration of sunken wooden ships and exchanged technical data and their experts went to Sweden to discuss the restoration process of timbers that has been embedded in silt.

Tony, (nets and edges)

Practice Session

A very enjoyable practice session by most members of the Victorian teams, organised by VicVets, was held at the Coburg Stadium on Sunday 3 October, 2010

Despite the early start, due to daylight saving, some 50 veterans including a “young veteran” in Craig Carter, honed their skills in preparation for the nationals.

Many thanks go to Bruce Carter, Prisca Rosario, Angelo Tabone and the ever active ladies who provided the lunch.

Hi Everyone,     I am using the European Championships as an example of the English Veterans Table Tennis Society of how Vets can work together to further the development of table tennis for us oldies at reasonable prices   For the past few years a number of us has been associated with Roy (Norton), a truly passionate table tennis player who tirelessly works for the benefit of others and of course the game of table tennis.   With the formation of AUSVETS we are now able to to communicate with tt Veterans all over Australia and together with our friends in Europe.   In particular with Konrad (Steinkamper) from  the German Veterans Association  ’Der Club’ who is also another tireless worker for the development of Veterans table tennis.   One purpose of this article is to act as a guide as to the costs one can expect in Europe for the World Vets in Stockholm. Remember Stockholm is one year further down the track and is generally more expensive than Liberec. Roy no doubt will once again carry out the necessary investigations and come up with an acceptable hotel  package. Good on you cobber,( I don’t know whether Aussies will allow me to use this term of endearment being a Pommie).   Although Australia are disadvantaged in holding the World Vets, we gain a considerable advantage with our currency when travelling overseas .72 Euros and .60 Pounds to the Aussie Dollar   Tony (formally nets and edges).    

European Championships 2011

LIBEREC         CZECH REPUBLIC 

Liberec is a town near the German border about 1hr.30 mins from Prague airport. It is a town surrounded by small skiing resorts. 

The table tennis championships will be held in Tipsport arena, Liberec. 

I have booked all the rooms in 3 (maybe 4) small hotels in the skiing village of Bedrichov 8 miles from Liberec. 

They are family run hotels with 25/26 rooms each (picture of hotels on next sheet). All have ensuite rooms (a sauna is extra charge), and small swimming pool. The rooms are very clean and basic, (very similar to the hotel we had in Italy). 

The hotels are on a bed breakfast basis but all serve dinner if required, all the hotels are in walking distance of each other, and various functions can be arranged like barbecues discos, etc. in one of the hotels. 

The Arrangements are that you book your own flight to Prague (all the cheap airlines fly to Prague). From the airport I will arrange buses at various times to pick you up and take you to Liberec on Saturday 18 June 2011, and returning to the airport on Sunday 26 June 2011. You will have 8 nights bed breakfast in one of the hotels, with buses running to the sports centre daily except the free day. 

The cost for the bus to and from Prague airport, 8 nights bed breakfast, and transfers to and from the sports centre is as follows:        

                        2 people in a double room:         £265 per person 

                        1 person in a single room:           £265 plus a sup. of £160             

                        3 people in a room:                       £235 each 

Prices are based on the Euro at 1.15 to the pound. 

Anyone wanting to go to Prague before or after the championships – this can be arranged. (30/40 euro per night B/B sharing). 

If you are interested in going contact: 

ROY NORTON  

Tel n:  07973182494 

e-mail:  ROYWNORTON@AOL.COM 

Please fill in and return asp 

LIBEREC    18th –26th June 2011 

Name             ____________________________ 

Address        ____________________________ 

                        ____________________________ 

                        ____________________________ 

Postcode      ____________________ 

TEL:                ____________________ 

E-MAIL:         ____________________ 

Please book me for Liberec package 8 nights:          

Single £425                               _______ 

Twin pp £265               _______ sharing with: _________________________________                                                                                        

Triple room pp £235  _______  sharing with: _________________________________ 

Souvenir shirt – the Roy Norton group/Bedrichov village/European championships     

@ £3 each – size(s) required  ________________________ number(s) required ____ 

            By the 1 Oct 2010      I require:            £150 deposit 

                By the 1 April 2011                 I require:            your flight details 

            By the 1 April 2011     I require:            if you require to stay extra days in Prague 

ROY NORTON 

12 CHARNWOOD CLOSE 

BRIERLEY HILL 

W. MIDLANDS 

DY5 3UE 

Case please put this on the Aus Vets Website.     The Website of the International Veterans Table Tennis Society-International Veterans is now up and running and can be reached www.tt-veterans-international.com  The web site is in its infancy and will be seeking reports from all the member countries as to points of interest relating to Veterans. Of particular interest is the date for the International team competition in Istanbul in August. There are two tournaments prior to this event but they are in July. One tournament is in Trier which is the oldest city in Germany and dates back to Roman days the other one is also in Germany. The Trier event is a well organised tournament and is one I recommend. The actual dates of these events can be obtained from the website. If anyone is thinking of entering these events please contact me in Melbourne. Tony (Herbert).   

Dear all,

I would like to tell you that we will install the Website of the International Veterans Table Tennis Society – Veterans International – at the end of next week. You will find it under the following address: www.tt-veterans-international.com

You should take into account that we are no professionals to produce Websites. I therefore ask for understanding if this Website will not present the state of special technology. For me is more important that we will have in future a medium where we can publish our opinion to problems concerning Veterans Table Tennis in future. I therefore ask you to take this chance and to send Ruud Peters or me your statements. As examples I will offer you the following News, that also will part of our Website:

1.  European Table Tennis Union (ETTU)

The next European Table Tennis Union Congress will take place during the 2010 LIEBHERR European Championships in Ostrava (Czech Republic) on 13th of September 2010 . The following items are concerned with Veterans Table Tennis:

   Changes of the General Regulations concerning the European Veterans Championships

For the next ETTU-Congress in Ostrava/Czech Republic on 13^th of September 2010 the ETTU – Executive Board has proposed to change Para E.6.2 of the Regulations of EVC as follows:

“E.6 ENTRY FEES and LEVIES

E.6.1 The entry fee shall be set in advance by the Executive Board.
E.6.2 The organising Association shall pay to the ETTU a levy of 15.000 €.”

This increase means a triplication compared to the current levy of 5.000,00 €. In view of that expected ETTU-decision it will assumed that the Entry Fees for players and Accompanying Persons will further increase.

 -     Candidates for the ETTU – Veterans Committee

For the next ETTU-Congress in Ostrava/Czech Republic on 13^th of September 2010 the ETTU has nominated the following candidates for the Veterans Committee:
“Bazzi,  Reto                            (SUI)
Filipovski,  Atanas                   (MKD)
Georgiou, Andreas                   (CYP)
Klugmann, Gunter                     (GER)
Dr. Kriz, Zdenko                     (SVK)   President or of Youth Committee
Schaler,  Eileen                       (ENG)
Torgov,  Mikhail                      (RUS)
Turkeri,  Yildirim                    (TUR)”

We have to remark that for more than 2 years this Committee consists on the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and the President of Swaythling Club International as co-opted member only.

No Report of Veterans Table Tennis in Ostrava

There are the following 5 ETTU – Committees at present:Technical Committee, Youth Committee, Veterans Committee, Ranking Committee and Umpires and Referees Committee. During the ETTU – Congress in Ostrava on next Monday all Presidents of the above mentioned Committees will report about their fields of activity during the last period.

It is remarkable that only the President of the Veterans Committee will not report obviously on his field of activity (See ETTU Website). This matter of fact emphasizes our criticism impressively that Veterans Table Tennis in Europe feels  not represented in the ETTU by its Veterans Committee up to now.

2. WVC 2012 in Stockholm

From the 1^st of October 2010 on you will find under www.wvc2012.com all basic tournament information in three languages (English, Swedish and German). This Website will be updated step by step.

Have a nice weekend.

Best Regards

Konrad (Steinkamper)

Congratulations to all those selected in the Victoria teams for 2010 and those nominated for a President’s team. This notice is addressed to you:

Dear Player,

We believe that the bonding of teams is very important in achieving success in any competition. To this end we cordially invite you to the following event.

Victorian Veterans Teams Selected Players Invitational Training Session

Hosted by: Victorian Veterans Table Tennis Association Inc.

Venue: Coburg

Time: 9am to 1pm

Date: 3rd October (Sunday)

Fee: $10.00

        (The fee is to cover hire of venue, and refreshments will be provided inclusive of that cost)

Format: Team Matches of 3 players, 11 rubbers, or Round Robins depending on entries received. An enjoyable morning of table tennis is assured.

RSVP by the 19th of Sept.2010

The venue is located cnr Murray & Newlands Rds Coburg Melway map 17 K10

I will attend.

Name:………………………………………

Phone:………………………………………

Email:……………………………………………….

Please give us your RSVP,

The Secretary PO Box 24 Inverloch 3996,

by no later than 19th Sept (or we’ll see you at the Mornington tournament the week before).

Report  1^st AGM of the Victorian Veterans Table Tennis Association held 16 May 2010 at Dandenong.

Attendance:  63 members and some 30 or more interested observers.                                                           During an approximate 60 minute interval of the inaugural Vic Vets tournament at lunchtime, the chairman Jim Furness, read the Annual Report (published elsewhere on this site) which was accepted by acclamation.

Office Bearers were then elected with the appointments of Jim Furness as chairman, vice chairman Clive Sim, secretary/public officer Case de Bondt, treasurer Andrew Beaton, committee members Prisca Rosario, Margaret Mulcahy, Verna Ho and Roy Cintolo.

Many questions from the floor mainly dealt with the disappointing attitude of the Board of TTV towards the numerous attempts by the steering committee of VicVets, the past twelve months, seeking affiliation.  At all times VicVets endeavoured to work within the constitution and not break away from TTV, but most disappointingly are regarded with distrust and disdain.

It was stated that the present committee would continue to pursue affiliation with TTV, within the rules of the constitution, and would spare no efforts in achieving this goal, even if it could take another year and possible changes to the composition of the Board of TTV would ensure a better relationship.

The chairman expressed gratitude to the Greater Dandenong Table Tennis Association for the use of their stadium, for the cover of their comprehensive insurance to all and to Jason and his helpers for manning the canteen as well as helping with all other matters.

The following volunteers were also thanked: Referee Len Powell, Umpires Barbara Powell and Gordon Hayman and tournament controllers Debbie Brighton and Andrew Beaton.  A great debt of gratitude goes out to all concerned.

A pity that TTV did not see fit to recognise the tournament and award State Team Selection Points to the players, but all of them came because they enjoy playing  just the same. The planned and ‘sanctioned’ Dandenong tournament was cancelled because the Greater Dandenong Table Tennis Association had not applied to affiliate with TTV. When VicVets offered to stage the tournament instead, TTV wrote Dandenong to tell them they were all of a sudden affiliated after all and would they please hold the tournament! Needless to say this fell on deaf ears…

Case de Bondt, Secretary Vic Vets

Andrew Beaton wrote the following letter to Robert Katsipis who was one of our generous sponsors:

The tournament ran from 9.00am to 8.30pm, all except 3 events where finished by 6.30pm.

 We allowed Buddy Reid to play in 7 events, he made the final in 6  of them!

 The last half a dozen or so matches involved him, he was constantly playing from 2.30pm to 8.30pm.

 Of the 33 events 3 where cancelled due to lack of numbers: O40 Men’s Doubles, O75 Women’s Singles and O80 Singles.

 We had strong fields in the O60, O65 and O70 Men’s age groups.

 Only 18 females played. Roma Chambers and Ivana Trnka being the strongest two.

 Only Brian Berry and Jeff Dever from the top Victorian O40 and O50 men played. Ilya Goldenberg from Dandenong played.

 But we had most of the top O60, O65, O70 & O75 Men’s players Buddy Reid, Igor Klaf, Mick Wright, Jim Kilderry, Peter Sheedy, Horst Frohlich, Case de Bondt, Roy Cintolo, Geoff Nesbitt, Hans Pappon, Peter Fischer, Chris Sykes….etc.

 Of the better players in the older women’s age group we had Prisca Rosario and Margaret Mulcahy.

 We had quite a few new players to the Veterans: Tanya Honson from Croydon (Mark Hall’s girlfriend for the last 6 weeks, you may have seen her at Bendigo, her great grandparents came from China, she herself is Australian born and quite an attractive girl), Kathleen Dight from Diamond Valley, Deniz Yener-Korematsu from Coburg and Shu Yun Tang from Dandenong.

 Andrew de Zwart, Shane O’Connor and quite a few other players I have never heard of before, in the men.

Case’s eldest daughter, Debbie Brighton was the tournament controller; she is a good operator and did an excellent job.

 We paid $2220 in total prize money, we got about $2000 in entry fees, which included the VicVets membership fee of $5, plus $499 in sponsorship including your $100. We paid $150 to the referee and umpires (Len and Barbara Powell & Gordon Hayman also was an umpire but wanted no payment).

 VicVets started with $250 in the bank before the tournament and will have between $400-$450 after it (mostly made up of membership fees).

 Thank you again for your generous sponsorship of $100 towards the prize money and the box of Andro balls.

 We used 25 balls, we got 14 back, Arlene and I are going to use them as training balls. I will pay you $15 for them at the Vic Closed. Also do you want the 75 unused balls back, I can bring them to the Vic Closed on Sunday the 30th May.

Kind regards,

Andrew Beaton

VicVets Treasurer  

MINUTES OF 1st AGM AusVets, October 2009

Minutes of 1st AGM AusVets  at the Hurstville Sports & Aquatic Stadium Sydney – 22 October 2009 Chairman pro tempore, Ken Cole opened the meeting at 9.00 pm in the Gym and welcomed some 110 players from all States and Territories. Following down the Agenda, which was published on the website www.ausvet.wordpress.com the Minutes of the Inaugural Meeting of October 2008 in Perth were adopted. Moved such by Martin Solomons, seconded Dave Sherman. Ken Cole then addressed those present and apologised for the loss of his voice. He went on to ask Martin Solomons to take over the chair. The secretary read out the Annual Report , which was accepted for information. The first item was the Proposed Constitution along the lines of the English VETTS published on the website. A few copies were distributed and the incoming committee will aim to formalize same, to be presented at next year’s AGM in Melbourne. Another one of the items in this Report concerned the Contact with TTA and the formal registered letter sent to TTA requesting affiliation of AusVet Inc. It was read to the meeting by the secretary. Even though 9 weeks had passed since the letter was sent, no response had been received from TTA. It was suggested from the floor that another attempt be made to communicate with the peak national body and indicate to them and assure them of our honourable intentions. A Financial Report was given by the Public Officer, Case de Bondt, who advised the meeting that $330 was expended to Incorporate AusVet in December 2008. It was moved by Trevor Taylforth, seconded by John Younie that the Registration Fee for Members be set at $5.00 per annum. Adopted by acclamation. Election of Office Bearers. Moved John Younie, seconded by Tony Herbert that Ken Cole be elected as Chairman. Declined by Ken Cole, but he did indicate he was happy to be on committee. Others to decline the chairmanship were Martin Solomons, Clive Sim and Case de Bondt. Elected as Secretary and Public Officer : Case de Bondt (Vic) Elected as Treasurer : Song Chen (ACT) Elected as Committee Members : Ken Cole (NSW), Ken Sands (NSW), Clive Sim (Vic), Tony Herbert (Qld), Gordon Lee (WA), Maureen Sherman (Tas). It was suggested from the floor that attempts be made to obtain representatives from South Australia and the Northern Territory to supplement the present Committee. Moved Trevor Taylforth, seconded Glenys Joliffe that these members be duly elected. Carried by acclamation. General Business. Ken Cole once again addressed the meeting regarding his concerns with TTA and the arbitrary imposts imposed on all veteran players the past few years without consultation with the Veterans Committee. A spirited discussion followed dealing with the very reasons as to why AusVets has come into existence. Several present suggested that we should “go it alone”, but the consensus appeared to lean towards keeping Good Relations and remain in Good Standing with our peak associations by using our membership base to speak with one voice to negotiate matters dealing with all things veteran and try to revert back to the modus operandi of the first 24 years of veterans table tennis in Australia. The meeting was closed by Martin Solomons at 10.15 pm.

Brian Berry, one of the fittest 56-year-olds around, made it an even 10 Victorian O40 Mens Singles titles on Sunday. Brian went through without losing a set along the way, defeating the returning Brett Sonnett in the final. He then defeated Peter Wang to take his 7th consecutive O50 Mens title, an undefeated run of Vic Open O50 Singles Titles since turning 50 (sorry to give your age away , Brian!). Brian dominates veterans Table Tennis in Victoria and his success is well deserved as he has been an enthusiastic & significant contributor to the game over a very long period. 

Brian also won the O50 Mens & Mixed Doubles but his perfect day was thwarted by the ageless combination of Jim Kilderry & Ivana Trnka in the O40 Mixed (who Brian & Roma Chambers defeated in the O50 Mixed final). Ivana also had a big day out, earning the O40 and O50 Singles titles. Andrew Beaton & James Jefferies took out the Mens O40 Doubles title but were then defeated in the graded Division 1 Doubles, underlining the depth and evenness of the competition.

Peter Sheedy continued his recent good form by upsetting Buddy Reid & Igor Klaf to win the Mens O60s title. It seems the O60s are having trouble with “Sheeds” spin variety and unorthodox shot-making. Igor had to settle for a win in the O65 Singles over Buddy, plus two doubles titles. Pam Tait bounced back to win the Womens O60 title and then continued her dominance in the O70 to take a second trophy.

Case De Bondt upset Roy Cintolo’s O70 winning streak for the second time this year to claim the title. This is Case’s fourth Vic Open in a row in the 70′s, having won the title in the 60′s and 65′s four times as well. Margaret Mulcahy and Case broke the stranglehold that Pam Tait and Roy held all this season in the Mixed Doubles.

The popular Hans Pappon upset the higher seeds to win the O75 Singles.  Gary Luu again took out the the O80 title. Ever-dangerous Peter Wang ended the day on a good note by winning the Division 1 Singles.

28 September 2009

Notice of Meeting

AGENDA for AGM of the

AUSTRALIAN VETERANS TABLE TENNIS ASSOCIATION

Interim Committee comprising Ken Cole, Martin Solomons, Prisca Rosario, Clive Sim and Case de Bondt.

Date: Thursday evening, 22 October 2009

Place: Hurstville Stadium, Time 9.00pm

Chairman pro tempore, Ken Cole

1.    Confirm Minutes Inaugural Meeting October 2008 in Perth.

       Copy on Website.

2.    Receive Interim Committee’s Report

       a   Draft Constitution (copy on www.ausvet.wordpress.com)

       b   Contact with Table Tennis Australia

       c    Bank Account (present signatories Martin Solomons, Case de Bondt)      

       d   Transactions during the year

       e    Setting up of own Website

3.    Elect Officers and State Representatives of the Committee

       a   Chairman,     Ken Cole is nominated

       b   Vice Chairman

       c    Secretary/Public Officer, at present Case de Bondt

       d   Treasurer

       e    State representatives to represent all States and Territories

4.    Next year’s Australian Open Veterans Championships

       a   Under the auspices of AusVet Inc. away from MSAC

       b   Status quo and stage at MSAC

5.     General Business   (levies, setting of registration fees etc.)   

Below the Entry Form for the Australian Open Veterans Table Tennis Championships 17 -24 October 2009 at Hurstville, Sydney

Table Tennis World 26th Australian Veterans

Table Tennis Championships 17- 24 October 2009 to be held at the Johnny Warren Stadium

Hurstville Aquatic & Leisure Centre King Georges & Forest Rds Hurstville Sydney

Referee : Mr Ian Finlay

(International Referee)

Assistant Referees : Stephen Gillespie Graham Boyton

Tournament Controllers : Brian & Bev James

Entries Close: F riday, 4th September 2009

Please check web site at www.southerntabletennis.org.au/vets2009/results.htm for both draws,

results and other information. Follow the links from Australian Championships, 2009. Draws will

be posted as soon as available and results will be updated several times each day.

Conducted by New South Wales Table Tennis Association Inc

On behalf of Table Tennis Australia 

2009 Australian Veterans Table Tennis Championships

Conditions of Entry

1. The Championships will be conducted in accordance with TTA and ITTF Regulations and the current Laws of

Table Tennis.

2. Eligibility of entry is as follows:

Over 40 events players born in 1969 or earlier Over 70 events players born in 1939 or earlier

Over 50 events players born in 1959 or earlier Over 75 events players born in 1934 or earlier

Over 60 events players born in 1949 or earlier Over 80 events players born in 1929 or earlier

Over 65 events players born in 1944 or earlier

3. All Australian players are required to be registered in the highest category of their State Membership. Other

competitors must be registered members of an Association affiliated with ITTF.

4. The first round of all singles events will be played on a 3 player round robin basis with the winner of each group progressing to the

knockout stage of the event.

5. All matches will be the best of 5 games.

6. Any player failing to appear when scheduled to play is liable to disqualification by the Referee.

7. Each match will be controlled by an umpire, whose decision shall be final on any point of fact. The Referee’s

decision shall be final on any point of law.

8. Nittaku three star white Premium balls will be used for all events.

9. Xu Shao Fa – ITTF approved tables and STIGA Evolution – ITTF approved net assemblies will be used during the Championships.

10. Players participate at their own risk. No injury claims will be recognised. Players with pre-existing medical

conditions should make the Organising Committee aware of this. Please attach a note detailing the nature of the

medical condition and the medication required, as necessary. All medical information will be treated with the

strictest confidence and will be destroyed after the Championships.

11. ITTF Regulations for clothing will be enforced. The Referee MUST approve any non-compliance with any aspect

of the clothing regulations prior to the Championships commencing. Players should be neatly dressed, and not wear any clothing

which might cause offence or bring the game into disrepute. Nominated doubles pairs from the same Association should be dressed

uniformly. NO white clothing permitted.

12. Players will be notified of changes to their time of play via the notice board.

13. Food and drinks are not permitted in any playing areas; smoking is not permitted anywhere in the playing venue.

14. No gluing or re-gluing of rackets is permitted in the playing venue.

15. Players are not to use glues containing harmful volatile compounds (VC’s) for gluing or re-gluing rackets. This

includes glues with organic and inorganic volatile compounds excluding water.

16. A Management Committee will be appointed and carry out functions in terms of TTA Regulations. One of these

functions is to consider any appeals against rulings of the host organization or the Referee on a question of match

or tournament conduct not covered in the Laws.

17. The Organising Committee will limit entry into two age groups that must be consecutive age groups, e.g. 50/40,

60/50, 65/60, 70/65, 75/70. However, players aged 80 or over will be permitted to complete in the Over 70/75/80

events. The Organising Committee reserves the right to cancel any event if less than 4 entries are received. This

condition shall not apply to the over 80 Singles but the Organising committee reserves the right, if insufficient

entries are received, to play it as a Mixed event. Each entrant must complete a separate entry form.

Each entrant must complete a separate entry form.

An authorised Official must certify entry.

* Please circle entered events.

2009 Australian Veterans Table Tennis Championships Entry Form

Family Name: …………………………………………………………………………

(Please print)

Given Names: …………………………………………………………………………

Address: …………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………… ………………

Post Code: ……..……………. Date of Birth: ………………………

Telephone: …………..…………… Mobile: ………………………..…..Email………………………

State: ………………….. .………………………………… (see Championship Condition 3)

Current Registration number ……………………………………………………………………………..

I declare that I have read the Championship Conditions of Entry and agree to abide by them.

Signature of Entrant: ………………………………(for)….……………………………………………..

I certify that the above competitor is a registered player:

Signature of Authorised Officer: ……………………………………………………

(Please Print Name of Officer): ……………………………………………………

S

I require. ..…tickets to the Farewell Dinner Dance at $60.00 each.

I require a vegetarian meal/s Yes/No

I require a diabetic meal/s Yes/No

I require ……. HARD (PRINTED) copies of Results Book - at $15.00 per copy.

I require an ELECTRONIC copy of Results Book – at $ 5.00

NB: for an electronic copy – please forward a confirmation by e-mail to –

bevjames@senet.com.au to ensure the correct email address is recorded – these will be

forwarded a few days after completion of the Championships

Entry Fees: $. ……………………….

Farewell Dinner Dance: $. ……………………….

Result Books(s): $ ………………………

TTA Player Levy ( compulsory all players ) $ 8.80

_________________

TOTAL FEES ENCLOSED: $

===============

Please forward completed and authorised Entry Form to your State Association

State Associations must post all entries to:

Bev & Brian James, 14 Ranger St, Hallett Cove, S.A 5158

(08)8321 9856 (phone) email: bevjames@senet.com.au

Please attach cheque to Entry Form made

payable to: Table Tennis New South Wales Inc.

2009 Australian Veterans Table Tennis Championships

EVENT DESCRIPTION (Title Holder) DOUBLES PARTNER FEE

V1 Over 40 Men’s Singles

S. Pandit (SA)

$31.00

V2 Over 40 Women’s Singles

A. McDonnell (QLD)

$31.00

V3 Over 40 Men’s Doubles

J. Drew / C. Campbell (WA)

Partner:

$15.50

V4 Over 40 Women’s Doubles

C.Little (NZ)/B.Caldwell (QLD)

Partner:

$15.50

V5 Over 40 Mixed Doubles

W. Heginbotham (NSW)/ A.Abbas (SA)

Partner:

$15.50

V6 Over 50 Men’s Singles

W. Heginbotham ( NSW)

$31.00

V7 Over 50 Women’s Singles

C. Little (NZ)

$31.00

V8 Over 50 Men’s Doubles

W. Heginbotham/ B.Robson (NSW)

Partner:

$15.50

V9 Over 50 Women’s Doubles

R.Chambers/V. Carruthers (VIC)

Partner:

$15.50

V10 Over 50 Mixed Doubles

C.Campbell WA))/C.Little (NZ)

Partner:

$15.50

V11 Over 60 Men’s Singles

I. Le (NSW)

$31.00

V12 Over 60 Women’s Singles

T. Yamamoto (Japan)

$31.00

V13 Over 60 Men’s Doubles

B. Reid/ M.Solomons (VIC)

Partner:

$15.50

V14 Over 60 Women’s Doubles

T. Yamamoto / T. Ishii (Japan)

Partner:

$15.50

V15 Over 60 Mixed Doubles

I. Klaf (VIC)/ J. Munn (VIC)

Partner:

$15.50

V16 Over 65 Men’s Singles

D. Chen (WA)

$21.00

V17 Over 65 Women’s Singles

T. Yamamoto (Japan)

$21.00

V18 Over 65 Men’s Doubles

D. Cuong (SA)/ I. Le (NSW)

Partner:

$10.50

V19 Over 65 Women’s Doubles

C. Langley (SA)/ J. Munn (VIC)

Partner:

$10.50

V20 Over 65 Mixed Doubles

M.Wright / P. Tait .(VIC)

Partner:

$10.50

V21 Over 70 Men’s Singles

T. Herbert (QLD)

$21.00

V22 Over 70 Women’s Singles

B.Bird (SA)

$21.00

V23 Over 70 Men’s Doubles

C. De Bondt / G. Nesbitt (VIC)

Partner:

$10.50

V24 Over 70 Women’s Doubles

B.Bird (SA)/J.Guggenheim(VIC)

Partner:

$10.50

V25 Over 70 Mixed Doubles

T.Herbert (QLD)/B. Bird (SA)

Partner:

$10.50

V26 Over 75 Men’s Singles

T. Herbert (QLD)

$21.00

V27 Over 75 Women’s Singles

D.Sanders (VIC)

$21.00

V28 Over 75 Men’s Doubles

T.Herbert (QLD)/ P. Ranger (WA)

Partner:

$10.50

V29 Over 75 Women’s Doubles

P. Rosario / D.Sanders (VIC)

Partner:

$10.50

V30 Over 75 Mixed Doubles

T. Boyd /E. Edwards (NSW)

Partner:

$10.50

V31 Over 80 Men’s Singles

G. Luu (VIC)

$21.00

V32 Over 80 Women’s Singles

J. Guggenheim (VIC)

$21.00

Please Circle Entered Events TOTAL SUM DUE =

$

It was a pleasant surprise to receive this invitation (see below) from Rob Thompson, secretary of the Traralgon Table Tennis Association.

Traralgon is located along the Princes Highway in East Gippsland, Victoria.

1960 was the first year I played at Traralgon, just after I took up the sport.

A lot of fond memories come flooding back when my mind goes back to those days.

I remember the Englishman Jack Carrington, he called himself the World’s Coach and his stunning blond wife, visit Traralgon in the early sixties.

Jack won the world’s doubles title with Johnny Leach some ten years previous, so was no slouch at our game.

He demonstrated how to play a heavy backspin chop when playing against his wife.

“No one can hit a ball like that for a winner,” he proclaimed, “is there anyone here who could try to hit a winner off this heavy chop for me?”

Bill Hawley, the pen grip club champion, fronted and proceeded to quilt the first chop by Carrington for a winner. Carrington tried again and again, each time with the same result.

“Ah well,” he said resignedly, “almost everyone.” I’ll never forget this and ever since viewed Bill Hawley with great awe.

Hi Case,    4/6/09

Hope all is well.  Doug Schoer gave me your email address to send some info about our 60th anniversary celebrations here in Traralgon.  See attached.   It would be great to have you come along.

We are planning a full weekend of table tennis activities with inter Association teams matches on Saturday and a Gippsland Closed tournament on Sunday.  There will be BBQ social dinner on Saturday evening followed by an exhibition match on Saturday evening with some top Aus players.  We have even arranged access to the soccer club Bar at the back of the stadium for Saturday BBQ and evening.  (I’m sure that will keep some happy)  

If you are able to help promote the weekend’s activities around Sth Gippsland that would be great. Any past players are most welcome to come along. (Better tell Debbie as well). Can play or simply watch and maybe catch up with some old TT friends.

Will send some more info to keep you up to date once details are known.

Look forward to catching up again

best regards

Rob Thompson

TRARALGON TABLE TENNIS ASSOCIATION INC.

60 YEARS of TABLE TENNIS in TRARALGON 1949 to 2009

DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS  25 & 26 JULY 2009

ASSOCIATION HISTORY

_In 2009 the Traralgon Table Tennis Association Inc. will be celebrating its Sixtieth Anniversary as an operating Table Tennis Club in Gippsland.

The Traralgon Table Tennis Association was first formed in 1949 by the Apex Club of Traralgon. The Club was initially comprised only a small number of keen individuals simply interested in a regular game of Table Tennis.

As the word spread about the newly formed Table Tennis Association so did the popularity of Table Tennis as a recreation and sporting activity in Traralgon. Membership increased and soon the newly created Association began to attract a number of constituent clubs. The Clubs came from a complete cross section of the local community and included church groups, small business groups, and larger local industry work groups like the Victorian Railways Institute, SECV and APM.

The continual increasing interest and participating numbers now presented the Association with a new challenge; how can all these people be accommodated and where can all these people play.

Facilities were at a premium and in the attempt to accommodate all players the Traralgon Association moved to a variety of venues and  during the course of time had many homes. In the early days these included a variety of church halls and the larger Victorian Railways Institute (VRI) hall in Traralgon.

However the steady stream of new and keen players continued and to accommodate the large numbers of players the Association relocated to the Traralgon Agricultural Show grounds in 1960. The show grounds provided a great arrangement where tables could be permanently set up for the duration of organised competitions. Player numbers continued to increase with an attendant development in player expertise

The Traralgon Association remained in this venue until an ever present dream developed into an ambitious project to construct its own dedicated Table Tennis Stadium. The Traralgon Association commenced construction its own dedicated facility in 1970.

The new dedicated Table Tennis stadium which provided 10 permanent tables was officially opened by VTTA President Dr Vic French in May 1973. The Association has conducted local and state level competition at the Davidson Street Stadium ever since.

In late 1981 the concept of exclusively veterans Table Tennis competitions began with the first Veteran Elite Championships being played at Melbourne’s Albert Park Table Tennis Complex. The popularity of this component of the sport grew steadily and in the early 1990’s Traralgon developed a proposal to also offer exclusively Veteran competition. In mid 1992 Traralgon Table Tennis Association conducted its first exclusive Veterans Pennant Competition.

After a number of years of not being involved in running state level tournaments the Traralgon Association returned to the Victorian Tournament circuit in 1993 with a complete range of Senior, Junior and Veteran Tournaments.

The Traralgon Tournaments soon established their place as highly regarded events that attracted the top players from throughout Australia. The Senior Open Tournament fields have included both Men’s and Women’s National Champions including Australian Olympic representatives. The Traralgon Senior Open title holders were also the national title holders.

In 1999 the Traralgon Association celebrated its 50th Anniversary as an operating Table Tennis Association. This milestone was celebrated with a large reunion dinner in Traralgon for all past and present members.

The sport of Table Tennis continued to see customary support in Traralgon and with regular pennant competitions and state level tournaments the capacity of the ten table stadium was frequently stretched. Expanded facilities were again on the agenda and in 2000 the Traralgon Association constructed the new International Wing stadium extension. The stadium extension provided the Traralgon Association with an additional four full sized ITTF international sized courts.

In late 2003 the Traralgon Table Tennis Association began to develop Keenagers Table Tennis as an extension of social Table Tennis for senior players. Keenagers Social  Table Tennis commenced during seniors week in March 2004 catering primarily, but not exclusively, for all players aged 50 and over. Keenagers recreational Table Tennis continues today with growing support.

In 2009 the Traralgon Table Tennis Association Inc. will be entering its 60th year as an operating Table Tennis Club. The Association is making preparations to hold a celebration Week-End with Diamond Anniversary Competitions for teams and individual Tournament competition for all Gippsland Regional Table Tennis players.

All regional Table Tennis players past and present are invited to visit the Traralgon Association Table Tennis Stadium during the Week-End of 25-26 July 2009 to join in the festivities and celebrations and also play in the many different Teams and Tournament events.

The 2009 Traralgon Diamond Anniversary celebrations are aimed to provide a range of fun activities for all Gippsland Table Tennis players. The Committee and Members of the Traralgon Table Tennis Association Inc. look forward to extending a very cordial welcome to all regional Table Tennis players and supporters._

The Traralgon Diamond Anniversary festivities will commence on Saturday 25th July 2009 and will feature as a Celebration Party with Teams and Individual Competition,

Novelty Events including a Bar-B-Que Dinner preceding a special feature of top class Table Tennis Exhibition Matches at the Stadium on Saturday evening 25th July.

The Traralgon Diamond Anniversary celebrations will conclude with a spectacular Anniversary Tournament for all regional players on Sunday 26th July.

Editor’s note: Mick Wright and Case de Bondt joined the inaugural Veterans competition in 1992.

Just recently TTV posted this message on their blog:

Vets Gearing Up to Host 2010 Australian Vets Championships (17/7/09)
The TTV Vets Committee, led by Trevor Barr, has begun preparations to host the 2010 Australian Vets Championships at MSAC. Alan Hopkins has been appointed Tournament Director for the Championships. New Board member Mark Harrington has taken on the TTV Vets Portfolio. The TTV Vets Committee, consisting of Trevor, Mark, Pam Tait, Dave Kumar, Con Biletziclis, Xenia Gorny and Gerry Liedtke certainly have a big job in front of them.

This prompted me to write an editorial opinion on this website.

However first I ‘tested’ it with the full Committee of VicVet for their suggestions too.

Lo and behold, Martin Solomons had come up with virtually the same thoughts more than a year ago!

He submitted the two reports long before this editorial was written.

His effort was totally unbeknownst to me and it further strengthens my belief that we are on the right track with these ideas.

Sad to say that Martin has to date not received a reply from TTV, let alone have we seen any action along the lines he had recommended.

We encourage those reading these proposals to enter into the debate so that our game may once again flourish as in the ‘good old days’.

The Problem in Victoria that is MSAC

The good old days are often a misnomer and are usually driven by nostalgia.

However I believe this applies to our table tennis venue as it was before 1996.

It was our home, it was our own and we loved it.

My 50 year experience with the old Albert Park Table Tennis Centre goes back to 1959.

Having taken up the game at 23 years of age around that time and commencing competitive play in the now defunct country association of Mirboo North, I was asked to go to the annual Country Week tournament by the Wonthaggi Table Tennis Association in 1961.

In fact Wonthaggi is much closer to Tarwin Lower where we farmed, then is Mirboo North.

But our shopping town of Leongatha is already half way to Mirboo North.  The weekly pig market was held in Leongatha and our farms raised 400 pigs.

The road to Wonthaggi from Tarwin Lower was prone to flash flooding during the then very wet winter months when we played our table tennis.

Regular Wonthaggi play was virtually impossible.

Since 1961 I have participated in CW mainly with the Leongatha Table Tennis Association, of which I am a foundation member, for 35 years on end.

As with most inaugural occasions, my first CW remains vividly in my mind.

In those days it was still staged over a whole week, but shortly after became condensed over the Queen’s Birthday weekend.

Immediately on rounding the bend on Kingsway travelling to the City and turning left into Albert Rd, one saw the three large Nissen huts standing alongside each other.

The first one housed the headquarters of the Victorian Table Tennis Association, the middle building the Victorian Badminton Association and the last one the Victorian Basketball Association.

These three huge complexes were a legacy of the war time Army/Air force sheds and were inherited and suitably adapted by these sporting organisations to the needs of their respective sports.

This huge table tennis complex by memory housed in excess of thirty tables on separate courts, most of them with wooden floors but some remained on concrete.

Then there was the Centre Court with public galleries on either side. It was the pride and joy, and the heart and soul of the members of VTTA.

In winter the place was as cold as charity, in summer it resembled an oven.

But nobody cared, we took these conditions in our stride and above all we saw this place as our very own Centre.

Many a Championship did I attend and watched the likes of McDonald and Wilcox, Leigh Pascoe, Victor Hirsch and Charley Wuvanich battle it out on Centre Court to win their Victorian and Australian titles.

But fate took an unexpected hand, the Formula I Grand Prix racing circuit was built and by 1996 all the sporting bodies in those three Nissen huts had lost their premises when they were razed to the ground.

Mind you, proper consultation was held between the Government and these sporting bodies and promises were made for the construction of a sporting “Taj Mahal” complex which would house all these sports, as well as Swimming and Squash.

It would be “state of the art” , up with the best in world standards and far exceed the previous playing conditions.

Or so it was promised.

The name would be MSAC, the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.

Mind you, when we had overseas friends a few years ago and had dropped them off in the City to shop and we went to play, the taxi driver took them to the Rod Laver Tennis Arena when they requested to be taken to MSAC.

Right from the outset it became obvious to all table tennis buffs that the place was a sterile multi-sports hall at best, but totally unsuitable to our sport for various reasons.

The main one being that we had lost our own Centre and with it our identity.

Never after did we feel the same affinity with Albert Park as being the headquarters of Victorian Table Tennis.

The place is sub-standard as far as lighting goes. Jim Furness tells me that in the centre of the “table tennis hall” the lighting as barely 400 Lux, the absolute minimum required for our sport. 600 Lux is more like international standards.

However when table courts are situated near the walls the lighting quantity and quality diminishes markedly to less than 300 Lux. World standards? No way…

The cost of renting tables at MSAC has become prohibitive too and is constantly rising.

I won the 70 Singles and Mixed titles in the Vic Open just completed and received prize money of $20 for the Mixed and $40 for the Singles; a joke.

Then we have lost our own tuck shop and are lumbered with the most expensive eatery in Melbourne (no way are we allowed to take food in the playing hall).

As the Stadium Management controls everything, including the hire prices, they purchased sub-standard equipment in tables and nets and partitions.

They initially even shut off half of the lights after the first competition night.

They claimed that only for national and international events all the lights were required. Certainly not for us veteran old fogeys on a Friday evening!

But that was soon overcome when I approached the Jeff Kennett Government and through the Minister of Sports Tom Reynolds, forced the Stadium Management to turn on all the lights again for us.

What won the argument was that when we get older we need more light to see the ball in our fast reflexes sport, not less. But I know it was all political to the core, the issue was only going to lose the Government votes, it being so extremely petty, unreasonable and controversial…

Then to rub insult into injury the patrons have to pay for parking as well or face a hefty fine.

I know that many of our players dislike playing there. I know few, if any, who enjoy playing at MSAC.

My own brother Fred, who was runner up in Perth in 2008 in the 70 Singles, cannot see the ball properly when near the walls. He has an eye condition that requires sufficient lighting to play the game, but anybody can beat him at MSAC.

The time will soon come that the Veteran players will look for another venue to play their championships.

The bulk of the $5000 to $6000 collected in Entry fees for our Vic Vet tournaments is being swallowed up in court hire and for what?

Since 1996 players’ participation at MSAC has dwindled alarmingly and they have voted with their feet.

Where every table in the old centre was in use on the Friday Vet night, here we had just the eight tables set up for 16 two-player teams a few weeks ago.

Only 32 players left out of some 150, as in 1996? They’ve all gone to play elsewhere…

To think we could have had our own Centre by now if we had accepted Bruno Zimmaro’s offer to set it up for us in 1995! It’s enough to make one cry.

You didn’t know this? Bruno, the astute business man who bought up defunct businesses, offered TTV to finance a venue similar to the old one. Initially we could rent it with the option to buy.

TTV at the time told him: “Thanks Bruno, but no thanks. We’re going to the Taj Mahal instead.” Look where this has landed us. What a shame and what a missed opportunity.

Most of us are wise after the event; Bruno had the foresight to see we were making a retrograde step and made this philanthropic offer because of his love for the game.

Today, we must be realistic and remember that we are but a minor sporting body.

We must seek better value for our money and utilise the enormous unnecessary administrative expenditure of our sport towards a sustainable future, else table tennis will fossilize.

There is nothing wrong with running our offices from home in these days of computers and telephone conferences. We can easily service our Websites from home. I do…

We need to live within our means and so plan for the future.

We should and can have a home of our own once again.

Honorary work by dedicated volunteers is what we require to achieve this. We owe this to those who follow in our foot steps.

In the mean time we are very fortunate that we have so many sister associations in Melbourne and Victoria who have venues of their own where we can ply our beloved sport.

Here follow Martin’s eloquent submissions which have fallen on deaf ears.

Martin Solomons

2 Wandeen Street

Balwyn North Vic 3104

Ph:  03 9857 5443

Mob: 0400 595 395

E-mail:  martinsolomons@hotmail.com

11 August 2008

The President and Board

Table Tennis Victoria 

Box 5, MSAC

Dear President Phil and Board Members,

Re: TTV Strategic Plan

You have sought feedback from members.

Most of you will know me as a guy who simply likes to hit the ball over the net! 

In my work life I forged credentials in marketing and corporate planning.  Along the way I also spent time bringing about corporate change.  It is from this background that I have reviewed the TTV Plan and make the following observations:

• The plan is largely generic – for most part it could apply to any kindred sporting club or organization.
• It has been produced without the fundamental building blocks – Situation Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats), and Research – particularly with key stakeholders.

Had the analysis been done, I suggest findings might include:

• TTV has inadequate resources (both paid and volunteer) to effectively deliver its current or proposed program
• Programs run out of MSAC are struggling for support and continuity
• Programs delivered by Clubs and Associations have a greater probability of long term success

Research & studies that should prove useful include:

ü  GeoDemographic profiling – to determine where to provide what facilities/programs

ü  Lifestyle trends studies – to explore the opportunities for both participation and spectator support

ü  Financial projections to assist with funding, sponsorship and price modeling

ü  Segmentation analysis to better understand what programs to which groups.    I note that Veterans, whilst one of your most active and financial segments, receives no mention in your plan!?

ü  With Local and State Governments to establish what existing and planned facilities, services, programs can be useful in broadening our participation base.

Let’s take stock of what we’re currently doing and look to reduce the operational workload on our Staff and Board Members.  Over the next 2 years, focus on: 

• Devolving programs to Clubs and Associations and actively support them with implementation
• Develop and implement an exit strategy from MSAC – TTV’s ‘Sword of Damocles’.

In the meantime, drop or defer VARS – use State Team Points for both seeding and selection.

TTV can then properly focus on policy, planning, development and marketing of our wonderful sport.

Let me know if I can be of help along the way.

Sincerely,

Martin Solomons

TTV Member

Former Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute

Former Councillor and Mayor of the City of Kew

And then the following plea:

What we want is a HOME for Victorian Table Tennis within the MSAC Stadium.

To achieve this we need a:

• Dedicated facility, not shared with other sports.

(Should this not be achievable, then we need as much separation as is possible- separate access, barriers and partitions, noise insulation etc).

To set up our home we need:

• A communal area with floor coverings, tables and chairs and drink fountain
• No eating/drinking restrictions
• Facilities to display our memorabilia (currently scattered around country associations and TTV Offices) – photographs, honour boards, trophies etc
• An in-house kiosk dispensing food, beverages and table tennis equipment

For our players we need:

• Lighting to ITTF approved standard – even distribution and at all times
• regularly and thoroughly cleaned courts with non-slip surface
• Courts of uniform size
• tables set up uniformly within each court
• tables and nets to be level/even
• Partitions/barriers to be permanent or semi-permanent with better ball retention (higher and fewer joins)
• bag storage area – ‘pidgeon holes’ or lockers along one wall
• a warm up, cool down, stretching area.
• A permanent ‘show court’ to feature our finals and main matches and events with spectator seating.
• Medical facilities and attendants – including mobile defibulation unit (refer CEO discussions with Dr. Buddy Reid)
• Supervision at all times

For our sponsors we need:

• A VIP area for viewing, hospitality and entertainment
• Freedom and facilities to permanently display their signage

For our visitors/spectators we need

• Comfortable seating around the hall
• Spectator stands need to provide better accommodation – more space between seats and for legs, and more of them.
• Seats need to be padded for all day comfort!
  • Aisles and steps need to be much safer.

For our officials we need:

• An elevated work area to supervise and control activities
• Ergonomic work station(s), tables and chairs
• A meeting room/rooms with sufficient space, security and storage

For all of us we need:

• A PA system that can be heard – more speakers, spaced around the hall, in toilets and any adjoining areas.
• An overhead electronic scoreboard and display capable of showing status of past, present and next scheduled matches
• A designated area for patron car parking adjoining the top level of the car park.
•  

And all at a cost that is comparable and competitive with other suburban and regional facilities eg. Geelong, Croydon and Ballarat.

Our inimitable, current Australian globe-trotting 70’s singles champion, Tony Herbert has just returned from another world tour.

Tony is no stranger to most of you. He is not only a wonderfully ageless player (sometimes viewed by some as being somewhat controversial), but there is no doubt that he has the interests of our game at heart first and foremost.

His advice and contributions to table tennis are most welcome.

Here are some of Tony’s thoughts on his just completed journey :

Hi everybody,

I am pleased to hear the Victorians are progressing slowly in the direction of forming their own Vets Association and maintaining close association with the TTV.

In the European Vets held in Croatia I found some info that you might find interesting.

There are a number of European countries whose mature age members merely register as Veterans only,  not through their national body, and further more play in the many European Vet tournaments including the European and World Vets. 

The original objective of the World Vets was to encourage people who wished to play table tennis at a mature age, enabling them to play in a competitive and social environment, which through the Swaythling Club originally I believe, they have achieved.

The SC have now inflicted on those counties, who wish to hold the World Vets, a licence fee of 10% of the total Entry Fees to hold the tournament.

This is to pay for 10 ex-world Champions who are chosen by the SC, plus the SC executives, accommodation and hospitality costs, but excluding airfares. 

Most of us feel that the Vets are at a stage where they do not need the ex world champions nor their entourage, as the present standard can hold its own with the skills and excitement we already possess, especially in the 40s and 50s men’s.  

We have seen some real memorable matches there.

The organization for this tournament was disgraceful. They only had 92 tables for 2570 competitors. 

Although they did achieve to get through the matches before finals’ day, a number of players had to play within 30 minutes at two different venues.

The organizers had proposed:  “You must choose which event that you want to play in; otherwise if you arrive late, what ever the circumstances, you will be scratched.”

Transport was deplorable and it was a total impossibility to meet such time-scheduling.

A number of countries have written to the European TT Association complaining about the organization and have asked for a refund of a portion of the Entry Fee (110 Euros).

The event was held in Porec (pronounced Porridge) and it is located on the eastern side of the Adriatic Sea.  

Its crystal clear water, the many beautiful coves and the old and characteristic towns are intertwined with the picturesque islands along the coast line.

It makes for one of the most beautiful scenic locations in the world.

The hotels had this quaint culture of serving wine and beer free of charge at the evening meal.

In comparison, Hohhot’s hotel prices (for 2010 in Mongolia) seem to have increased somewhat, as originally they were to be around 50-60 Euros per room. Now they appear to be nearer 100 Euros per room, with breakfast only.

Porec was approximately $100 per room, including a buffet breakfast and dinner and a light lunch with a superb swimming pool. As an extra we had aerobics’ conducted by two trim and sporting looking young ladies.

I have a couple of brochures of hotels etc in Hohhot and the tours organized by the organizing committee.

In closing I would like to congratulate the people who have worked so hard to achieve a Victorian Veterans Association with its affiliation to TTV.

I have always believed that a Vets Association is in the interests of the whole of Aust TT to assist it in its future development of table tennis.    

Tony

Monday 28 September 2009

Notice of Meeting

AGENDA for AGM of the

AUSTRALIAN VETERANS TABLE TENNIS ASSOCIATION

Interim Committee comprising Ken Cole, Martin Solomons, Prisca Rosario, Clive Sim and Case de Bondt.

Date: Thursday evening, 22 October 2009

Place: Hurstville Stadium, Time 9.00pm

Chairman pro tempore, Ken Cole

1.    Confirm Minutes Inaugural Meeting October 2008 in Perth.

       Copy on Website.

2.    Receive Interim Committee’s Report

       a   Draft Constitution (copy on www.ausvet.wordpress.com)

       b   Contact with Table Tennis Australia

       c    Bank Account (present signatories Martin Solomons, Case de Bondt)      

       d   Transactions during the year

       e    Setting up of own Website

3.    Elect Officers and State Representatives of the Committee

       a   Chairman,     Ken Cole is nominated

       b   Vice Chairman

       c    Secretary/Public Officer, at present Case de Bondt

       d   Treasurer

       e    State representatives to represent all States and Territories

4.    Next year’s Australian Open Veterans Championships

       a   Under the auspices of AusVet Inc. away from MSAC

       b   Status quo and stage at MSAC

5.     General Business   (levies, setting of registration fees etc.)   

The time has arrived to make the formal application for affiliation with Table Tennis Victoria of the newly formed “Victorian Veterans Table Tennis Association”.

This was duly done on 21 July by registered mail (see copy of application below).

 VicVets is looking forward to manage the running of all veteran events staged in Victoria in future.

We will team with all affiliated associations and are confident that our membership will increase, our tournaments will prosper and that the management of such will result in a markedly improved participation and time schedule.

 We look to the Mornington Table Tennis Association as the bench mark of running tournaments.

There is no doubt that players expect tournaments to proceed smoothly and uninterruptedly.

Tournament should be completed at a reasonable hour, else attendances will suffer.

 By striving for excellence and innovation we are confident the Victorian Veteran Players will continue to be the strongest and most successful of all states.

We also look forward to work together with the present Veterans Committee endorsed by TTV, so as together we shall seek to attain a measure of professionalism as becoming our members.

The following Newsletter was circulated among the players.

Nominations for office bearers were invited and a general meeting will be called soon after the Victorian Veterans Open tournament on 19 July 2009.

Mission Statement of VicVets:

 VicVets aims to foster the health and well-being of Victorians through the organization and promotion of the sport of Table Tennis for Veteran players.

We will team with State, National and International Associations to maximize the quality of, and official representation in, competitions and tournaments. 

 We will recognize and support excellence, innovation and individual achievement.

In essence, VicVets – an association of Veterans, by the Veterans, for the Veterans – will champion the needs and concerns of Veteran Table Tennis players in Victoria. 

NEWSLETTER

Report on Survey to Incorporate as VicVets taken on 31 May2009 at MSAC

80% of players indicated to be in favour of setting up VicVets, 10% indicated they weren’t sure and abstained in voicing an opinion and the remaining  10% put the flyer in their bag and failed to hand it in.

We ask you to complete this form, including those who did not complete their personal details as yet.

NAME………………………………………………………………..DATE of BIRTH………………..

ADDRESS…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

E-MAIL (please print)…………………………………………………………………………………………….

PHONE/FAX/MOBILE……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Report on Meeting with Vet Committee and Phil Carruthers on 19 June at MSAC

Present Trevor Barr, Pam Tait, David Kumar, Xenia Gorny, Gerhardt Liedtke, Phil Carruthers, Martin Solomons, Arlene Verplak, Andrew Beaton, Roy Cintolo and Case de Bondt.

The president, Trevor Barr mentioned the business at hand namely the Veterans Selectors proposal to set up the Victorian Veterans Table Tennis Association.

The flyer (mentioned above) was tabled as a discussion paper. It also stated the proposed Mission Statement and a summary of achievements by Victorian Vets on the world stage.

Some outstanding achievements by Victorian Veteran Table Tennis players recorded

Stan Wynack – Singles Gold & Silver in World Vets Van Chat Mai – Singles Gold in World Vets.

Igor Klaf – two Silver in World Vets Doubles plus several medals in the Worlds Masters  Buddy Reid – Silver in World Vets Doubles  Horst Frohlich – Bronze in World Vets Doubles and twice winner of Hungarian championships Prisca Rosario – 2 Bronze World Vets Singles & Bronze in Doubles, 3 Gold & 1 Silver in World Masters Joan Guggenheim – Bronze in World Vets Singles Ron Poon – Bronze World Doubles

Bill Bates – Bronze World Doubles Pam Tait – Bronze World Doubles Joan Munn – Bronze World Doubles  Helmut Hirsch – Gold in Worlds Masters Doubles Brian Berry – Winner World Vets Consolation & several Masters Medals Geoff Nesbitt – Several Masters Medals Case de Bondt – Winner World Vets Consolation & several Masters Medals

In addition there have been recorded excellent individual singles and doubles victories against German and European Singles champions by some Victorian Veteran players. 

The meeting lasted about an hour and extensive and very positive discussions ensued.

The chairman of TTV, Phil Carruthers saw no reason why the newly formed association would not be accepted by TTV as an affiliated association, just as other Victorian associations are part of the State table tennis fraternity.

He did however have some concerns regarding these other affiliated associations ‘feeling threatened’, as it could perhaps affect their membership.

These fears were allayed when it was expressly stated that the proposed Victorian Veteran Table Tennis Association would not be formed in competition of others, but is solely to run the veteran events as they exist at present (see Mission Statement).

As there were no dissenting voices, either from the Survey conducted or the combined meeting, it is further proposed to form the Victorian Veterans Table Tennis Association as soon as practicable.

We, the interim committee of Martin Solomons, Prisca Rosario, Arlene Verplak, Andrew Beaton, Roy Cintolo, Buddy Reid, Jim Furness and Case de Bondt are asking you, the players, who you would like to nominate for the following positions:

Public Officer (person nominated to liaise with Consumer Affairs)……………………………………

Chairman…………………………..

Secretary……………………………

Treasurer……………………………

Committee members   1………………………………………

                                                     2…………………………………….

                                                    3…………………………………………..

Selectors                             1…………………………………………

                                                 2……………………………………….

                                                3……………………………………….

We further need to create several sub-committees to do the following:

 Friday Night Vets Pennant (Suggest the present Committee continue on doing that).

Steering Committee –  to organise next year’s Australian Open Veterans Championships which can become a permanent Tournament Committee. (It is essential that our tournaments are run as effectively and as speedily as possible).

Write our Constitution.

To look into organising our own Rating/Ranking System.

For our own Life Membership and Hall of Fame.

Please give the above your earnest thoughts to enable our Vets to grow bigger and better.

We hope to collect your completed Forms at the Victorian Open tournament in July.

PLEASE GIVE US YOUR COMMENTS :