Here follow my editorial comments on the changed format of our nationals.
The 2019 Australian (Closed) National Veterans Table Tennis Championships.
These championships were held at the newly constructed St Clair Recreation Centre at Woodville, South Australia from 12th – 19th October.
A new innovation was the Life Streaming from courts 1 and 2 on 16th October of the final of the O30s and O40s Team events; and on 19th October the finals of the O30 and O40 individual events, courtesy of Paul Pinkewich’s Table Tennis World.
The new stadium featured 36 tables and the lighting was surprisingly good for a multi-sports facility. The flooring was wooden and the new tables were DHS as were the balls used. Conditions were very good except on tables 34, 35 and 36 when the morning sun made play impossible. Later on in the day they were OK.
That being said, the tournament was conducted on a low budget with no complimentary food and drinks at the Opening Ceremony. No Official Event Program was provided to the 438 competitors for the first time ever. All the information had to be gleaned off the James’s website (as well as all the results).
http:/nationals.tabletennis.org.au/vets_2019/results.htm
Bad luck if you are somewhat older and have not acquired computer skills. There is so much more information in an Events Program that cannot be viewed on the notice board. For a tournament that generates in the vicinity of $100,000 I believe this to be a sad and sorry retrograde step. In fact it is outright miserly. In addition TTA introduced a play-off for the bronze medallions thus further cutting costs.
Then we operated under the new rules, imposed on us by TTA that few if any of the veteran players really appreciate or condone. The main changes included were that the tournament be downgraded as a Closed Tournament, only to Australia and Oceania. Then the number of matches was substantially reduced. Group matches were reduced to three players only with just one qualifying. The O70 teams were reduced to two-player teams and the Veterans Committee was abolished.
Last year Queensland had four O70 teams in the three player format. Half these players did not enter in 2019 when the three-player teams were reduced to two-player teams. There are more examples of deterring players from spending $1500 plus to enter the nationals. The half-baked O85s events with no teams’ matches at all come to mind. I’ll be 85 in a year’s time and will probably give it away if there are no proper events for my age group with incentives to enter. Are the O30s more important? Are we veterans or not?
To me these changes sorely detracted from the usual enjoyment and fun which I shared with all the contestants since 1994, my first nationals and every one since, until 2019. To show how these changes are a backward step I shall use the following examples. In 2000 at Vancouver Igor Klaf and I beat the eventual gold medalists in our doubles group matches, so they came second. Under TTA’s new rules they would have been eliminated.
Further to this inequity. In 2008, (Rio de Janeiro), I defeated Konrad Steinkamper of Germany in my group match, in which he then came second. Yet he went on to win the world title. In this tournament the injustice was perpetrated on Queensland’s Barry Driver, who was fourth in the Order of Merit in Bendigo last year. This year he came third in the O of M. He was drawn into my group in the O80 singles and was eliminated. I really felt bad about that and it need not have happened if the status quo had been adhered to by TTA.
I suggested to the TTA CEO Scott Houston last Thursday for TTA not to try to fix something that ain’t broke and to reinstate the four-player-qualifying-group system again. Here is another example how a three-player elimination group can upset players. Alex Smiech was in the same group as Colin Gradwell in the O75s. He said he had never beaten Colin, but the added pressure caused an upset and Smiech won.
There were other changes to the National Championships Awards. These were to the Order of Merit lists, the Best Performance Award, the Outstanding Achievement Award, the Aggregate Champion Award and the Ken Cole Trophy. There is a screed outlining these changes, but no mention is made about New Zealand Test player selections.
Instead of a Veterans Committee as we have always enjoyed we now have a three-person National Selection Panel (NSP). The question remains: are all these changes for the better? I do not believe all of them are…
I received the following e-mail from Maureen Sherman, the tireless Veterans table tennis official from Tasmania, which contained this paragraph,
“Now about the Vets, we have had quite a few moans from our small number that went. They feel they paid a lot of money to get the venue, and then get a Bye in the first round and knocked out in the game they played. I feel the fun has gone out of the game for many Vets when I heard what was happening with the small amount of Games players were getting. I say give it 5 years and it will be ‘Good bye Vets’.”
I wonder how many of the older Veterans will fly all the way to Darwin next year for the Nationals under the present format; there will be less unless it is changed back again to the way it has always been since 1984.
On a brighter note 31 Kiwis flew over to compete and they made their presence felt. They are always most welcome. I must also mention Ihn Van Le’s outstanding performance in getting 7 gold medals and he most deservedly won the Ken Cole Trophy for being the Australian Veteran Player of the Year.
More editorial comment on TTA’s adverse decisions (5/4/2019):
TTA has not stopped at completely altering the Veterans National Championships for the worse. But it continues on, for the first time ever, in publishing “The National Veterans” rankings table which leaves a lot to be desired.
Now going on in the same retrograde vein as with the changes to the veterans’ nationals, TTA has decided, in its wisdom, to base these rankings mainly on the current “Ratings Central Points” score for each veteran. Tarring all table tennis players with the same brush here doesn’t cut the mustard as far as we veterans are concerned.
Ratings Central points are calculated across the board of table tennis players of all ages and to use the current score of a veteran player for a national ranking is terribly unjust and incorrect. Veterans should only be rated against one another; and the younger age groups (senior and junior) should not be in the Ratings Central mix for veterans at all.
The next step, using their warped logic, TTA will introduce (without much doubt) that players will be from now on be seeded at the veterans’ nationals according to their individual Ratings Central score in their relevant age groups, as they do here in Victoria. Has TTA no brains at all?
Here we have the current national champions in B. Griffith (30s), S. Pandit (40s), B. Robson (50’s), B. Berry (65’s), T. Samuelsson (70s) B. Reid (75s) and Case de Bondt (80s) all ranked well below others in the latest TTA ranking lists. These national champions ought to be appropriately recognised and all should be seeded at #1 next October at the South Australia veterans championships in October. They deserve to get the #1 seeding in the age group in which they are the current national champions and for some were already the champion of the year before (2017). They do not deserve their lowly ranking in these latest, fanciful national ratings listings. To them it is a gross injustice.
You see, we need to compare apples with apples. We cannot and should not compare apples (veterans) with oranges (seniors) and apricots (juniors) as being the same. Unfortunately TTA have fallen into the same trap as with the current proposed format of the national championships for veterans, trying to streamline all competition. TTA does not realise, or refuses to accept, that veterans’ competition is unique and totally different to junior and senior competitions.
TTA is rapidly on the way to destroy the veteran format as has been so successful for more than 30 years.
Casey
Veterans’ Nationals – March, 2019 (opinion)
The new TTA regulations announced on 1 February 2019 have sent shock waves throughout the veterans’ community.
These new regulations have supposedly been formulated as the result of the survey conducted as from 25 October, 2018.
I, for one duly filled out this survey and the results of these new regulations are so far from what I suggested, it is mind boggling. Not one of the fellow veterans that I know is happy about these changes.
I believe TTA have made a grave mistake in lumping all table tennis players together and have done the Veterans a great disservice.
The main items of contention are:
1. Effectively changing our nationals to a Closed Tournament.
2. Only three players in group round robins.
3. Adding O85s, but no teams’ matches in that age group.
4. The retrograde step of reducing the O70 Men’s teams to two players.
5. No “D” teams.
6. Abolishing the National Veterans Committee.
The main reason why these new regulations have been introduced is that all would be “streamlined” with the Junior and Senior competitions, and are thus more “consistent”, “better time-saving” and “make them more amenable to finding suitable venues”.
To which I say that it is all utter bunkum.
The Veterans were going along quite swimmingly. Everybody was happy and having a whale of a time. We don’t need “streamlining”, we are managing just fine time wise and the venues where we play the last two years were free of charge and more than adequate.
It is utterly ridiculous to equate the National Veteran TT Championships with the Junior and Senior ones. The Veterans as such are much more than a competition. They are a genuine source of the delight of companionship and of friendships with all competitors. Many, if not most, know they have no chance of ever winning an event, yet they are still prepared to spend $1,000-plus to travel and participate.
TTA claims that some 500 stakeholders responded to the survey and that the new regulations are the result of this survey. But I have not seen the results of this survey that the veterans filled out and I am convinced they “got lost” in the mix. Yes, TTA will have achieved its objective to cut down on the Entries, some 3% less from overseas, no more “D” teams, no O85 teams and cutting down the group matches as well as cutting down the Men’s O70 team events.
This is not what Veterans asked for, of that I am sure. TTA is to be thoroughly criticized and chastised for introducing these changes to us Veterans. It is ill advised in their quest for “consistency”. They have compared apples with oranges and have gone a step further by abolishing the national Veterans committee. Yes, TTA will now manage everything regardless. They are convinced it is their job and theirs alone.
I believe that the survey, as presented, already showed TTA’s intentions. They wanted “to shear all sheep with the same comb”. Nowhere in the world, and I have attended all worlds since 1994, do they consider O30-year-olds as veterans. TTA introduced that as well a few years ago; is it the money…?
If that is so they did not want to abolish the O30s, but it would be the obvious move to cut down on the entries. In 2004 the Japanese girls were deprived of the gold team medals “because it was Oceania only”. Yet the Entry Form explicitly stated the “Australian Open Veterans Table tennis Championships”.
Since then this was rectified by the National Veterans Committee in the ensuing years. But they too have now been abolished. This raises many other questions regarding Order of Merit and the Ken Cole Trophy, not to mention the annual Test teams for New Zealand.
Only the Veterans know what they want. They pay their dues to TTA and their State bodies. Is it too much to ask that they are allowed to run their own affairs? I believe the way things now stand many will not participate anymore.
The 2018 Veterans Open Australian Table Tennis Championships are behind us again.
How time flies… This happened to be the 35th Australian Open and it was held at the third largest city in the state, Bendigo, Victoria being the hosts.
The extended Stadium was just recently built and completed last March. It is a huge complex housing not only many basketball courts, but a large food court and lots of poker machines for those loving a flutter. It is also licensed with several bars. There is plenty of cosy seating available.
The Shire Council of the City of Greater Bendigo is very tourist-orientated. For that reason it offered the facilities to TTV completely free of charge. Just like last year for the Australian Open the Shire of Mandurah in Western Australia offered the TTWA their venue gratis for our nationals.
We must congratulate these progressive shires for their generous gesture. It saves the table tennis community thousands and thousands of dollars. The future of MSAC at Albert Park is in jeopardy as far as table tennis is concerned. Not only are the conditions there below par, but to charge well in excess of $50,000 for the week is most exorbitant.
All that having said, the lighting in this new Bendigo stadium may be adequate for basketball. For our sport it is very deficient. The main hall is below 260 Lux in some courts, the middle hall has as little as 237 Lux and the top hall, because it is raised and thus nearer the lights, 400 Lux. Table tennis requires a minimum of 600 Lux. Mornington for example boast as much as 800 Lux in their centre.
It is a wonder that this progressive shire did not have the foresight to have the lighting fixtures in this brand new complex fitted out in such a manner so that it could be cranked up to our sports requirements. Perhaps it is in order that TTV should make submissions to the Bendigo Shire to have this matter attended to. After all further Country Week competitions and the World Junior tournaments are also staged here.
For some strange reason fewer overseas competitors attended the 2018 Australian Open veterans. Yet we had over 450 players at Bendigo. The Kiwis came out in force again with 33 players from across the ditch. The number of women players is also diminishing for some unknown cause. The O75 and O80 women team competitions were combined for that reason. I have often wondered why, as our game lends itself admirably to competitors of both sexes.
The Teams’ events produced some surprises. Victoria with as many as 140 players, by far the largest contingent, only managed three gold medals, and all of them by the ladies. NSW scored four gold team medals, QLD two, New Zealand two, SA two and a PRES team with one. Victoria managed six silver medals, NSW two, SA two, QLD 2 and NZ two. Yet Victoria won as many as seven gold medals in singles.
The main reason for the dearth of gold team medals for the large number of players from Victoria can be placed squarely on the shoulders of the TTV’s selectors. They just do not understand that in two-player teams, as in the O75s and O80s, the doubles rubber often prove vital to the outcome of the match. Igor Klaf should have been selected in Buddy Reid’s O75s team. Buddy and Igor are the present world champions, no less. Jim Furness should have been selected in the O80s team, as he and Case have an impressive doubles record. The players know these things.
The completed results are now posted on the James’s website : http://www.southerntabletennis.org.au/vets2018/results.htm
A very popular announcement at the Presentation night, a win received by acclamation, was the selection of Buddy Reid as the Australian Veterans Player of the Year. He was the recipient of the prestigious Ken Cole Trophy, the fourth Victorian player to thus far receive this trophy, which was commenced in 2015. The criteria for selection of this award can be found on the TTV website.
It is not yet sure if next year’s event will be staged in South Australia as is due. The problem is to have a venue available to cater for as many as 450 players. Scott Houston, the CEO of TTA sent all competitors an email after the tournament containing a website with a questionnaire with this problem in mind. He writes:
“The National Veterans Championships has gone from strength to strength over the years – to the point where it is now becoming difficult to source suitable venues in some States/Territories (size and cost). While this is a good problem to have, we need to ensure the competition remains viable well into the future. As such, TTA are considering making some adjustments to some elements of the tournament.”
As far as costs go, other States should endeavour to follow Victoria’s and Western Australia’s example of procuring venues free of charge. This precedent has now been firmly set. If the Bendigo and Mandurah Shire Councils can see the undoubted value of attracting a large number of competitors and entourage to their fair cities, so should other progressive councils around the land.
I, for one, replied that the O30s events ought to be abolished. No one can creditably say that a 29 year old is a “veteran”. To my knowledge nowhere else in the world is that age-group included in Veteran Tournaments, neither in the World Veterans nor in the European Veterans, tournaments I have competed in since 1994. Yet they all stage O85 events; much more suited to the Veterans vision, ideal and aspiration. So that was the next recommendation I made: add O85 events instead.
We missed some of the Chinese and Vietnamese competitors this year. But let us continue to invite these overseas players, like the very enthusiastic Kiwis, over to compete in the Open Australian Veterans Championships. To remain a truly “Open” tournament we should not make it a “Closed”. The game of table tennis can only be enhanced by including these talented players from other countries.
See you all next year, probably in Adelaide.
The 2018 New Zealand Veterans Table Tennis Championships at Taupo on the North Island.
This was Taupo’s first nationals and the writer’s twentieth consecutive visit to this beautiful country to play in their Easter tournaments. Taupo is a wonderful holiday resort what with the great lake, the fishing and the boating attracting the Easter holiday crowds.
The Taupo Events Centre was built in 1998 and is therefore 20 years old. It comprises a large stadium that easily accommodates the 18 tables we played on. A huge swimming pool forms part of the complex and was very well attended while we staged our tournament. An adequately stocked canteen next to the swimming pool catered for the inner man.
The way the courts were set up could be improved upon somewhat, as a lot of balls encroached into other courts and rallies were often interrupted by these frequent let calls. Maybe next time…
The wooden floor is very bouncy and the smallish courts that were set up, which are adjacent to each other, causes the balls to bounce over the barricades repeatedly. At one side of the tables, along the length of the stadium, there were oodles of room to have the tables more appropriately arranged, with a walkway in between, yet still provide for adequate seating. I cannot fault the venue which has abundant light for our game, unlike many other multi sports stadiums.
The Indian firm of STAG sponsored and provided the tables, nets, barriers and balls. Many of the local businesses donated prizes which were raffled at the presentation/dinner dance on Monday evening. One such prize was a sky-dive from 15,000 feet! I would have passed on that one…
Some five or so years ago those who were in charge at TTNZ decided to abandon veterans’ table tennis. They ceased providing the medals and said that if veteran players wanted to attend tournaments they could enter in the TTNZ sponsored senior events.
I tackled Mervin Allardyce, who was on the Board about it at the time, and predicted that many regular veteran players could be lost to our game. I held that veteran table tennis is unique in providing competition against one’s peers. Not so in senior events, and some would discontinue playing away from their home clubs.
This has proven to be correct, as the numbers of veteran players has dwindled. In particular female players are far in the minority now.
TTNZ left the running of the annual Easter Veteran NZ Championships to some local Associations like Auckland, North Shore, Palmerston North, Whangarei (all on the North Island) and Christchurch and Invercargill on the South Island. These associations needed to organise their own medals and, to me it seemed more like winning a local competition rather than it being a national title event.
I have many TTNZ medals with their logo engraved on them. However those that I received these past five years seem inferior, cheap surrogates. The NZ veterans with Val Beaver in charge, needed to get these local associations sufficiently enthused and prepared to stage the Easter championships. They allocated those associations where the event was to be held. Not many wanted to shoulder this sole responsibility of staging such a huge event without the support of TTNZ. So when this year’s championships were allocated to Auckland, at Gillies Street, they declined.
Finally the penny had dropped and the new board of TTNZ decided that it was indeed their responsibility to stand behind veteran table tennis again. They approached David Kilmister, a keen veteran player from Taupo, if he would be prepared to help organise the championships for 2018, in the place of Auckland. They would supply their CEO John Lea and Liaison Officer Christine Young to assist. They also would provide the Referee Joachim Kusche. Furthermore the medals would once again carry the TTNZ logo.
Better late than never, better to turn back half way than to get lost altogether. Now it may very well be that all future (or most) nationals will be held at Taupo from now on. The local businesses are lending their support and the town makes the local events venue available for a nominal fee. Taupo is a very attractive touristy town and recognises the commercial value our game brings to their city. It also gives the players the opportunity to participate in other pursuits on the lake in their spare time. We had a total of 150 players (40 Aussies) with entourage at the championships.
So it would not surprise me at all if next year, all being well, my 21st NZ Veterans at Easter will be held again at Taupo. I am hoping that the O80s will not be short changed, as it has been the past two years and that not only an O80s team event will be reintroduced, but that an extra O80s table will be added to the Test match.
After all table tennis is a game for all ages and it should be encouraged for all to participate, even more so those with advanced the age.
The annual Test match on Easter Thursday went Australia’s way 32 rubbers to 18.
The Order of Merit was announced by Val Beaver as usual. Apparently it was possible to enter more than two age groups, because Brian Berry was equal first in the O40s with Regan Zhang, second in the O50s and first in the O60s. Not a bad effort for someone in his sixties! Then of course Brian is a professional player and coach. Only Michael Bowrey from NSW got the better of him and looped him off.
Thomas Samuelsson was #1 in the O65s even though Kheng Yee Lai from Auckland beat him in the final. Thomas was most upset about Kheng’s use of frictionless rubber on his backhand. This rubber is banned on the world scene, according to Thomas, and he equated the Asian’s win to cheating.
Just the same I was impressed with this guy’s prowess. His right arm is withered and deformed. He appears to have been a thalidomide baby, with only two little stumps for fingers. His left handed forehand is effortless and fluent with lots of topspin. His serve is tricky and time and again he served Thomas off. Thomas could not handle the guy’s “bunting” with his backhand frictionless rubber. He hardly missed a ball and won in straight games. Earlier Brian Berry had beaten Kheng in four very close games in the O60s.
In the O70s Thomas was #1 with Werner Borkhardt at #2 and John Sherriff at #3. John was manager of the Australian contingent and proved to be a very efficient overseer.
Werner Borkhardt came first in the O75s, Morris Bligh #2 and Case de Bondt came in at #3.
The eighties were #1 Case de Bondt, #2 Ron Hill, #3 equal Barry Driver with Fleming Alison, #5 Jim Jarmin, #6 Jim Funess.
The girls were is scarce as hen’s teeth. There were only 3 contestants in the O60 singles and only 4 in the O65s. So all players featured in the O of M.
Jo Shaw of Auckland is by far the best lady player and was #1 in the 40s and 50s. Irena Sakova was #1 in the O60s, Yvonne Fogarty was #1 in the 65 whilst Pam Tait was much too strong in the O70s and O75s. By the way Pam turns 80 next year! How do we encourage more female players I wonder?
Of course we Aussies were ribbed by the Kiwis about having sandpaper in our pockets. But never, anywhere in the world, did it take me twenty minutes to complete a right-hand turn with our hire car. This was from the Tom Pearce Memorial Drive into 20A near the Airport…
All good fun.
Dr Barclay (Buddy) George Reid
How he succeeded to win a singles table tennis gold against all the odds.
Dr Buddy Reid has excelled in two sports at International level. In the 1960s he was the Captain of the Sri Lankan Cricket National Team and at the same time Captain of the Sri Lankan Table Tennis National Team before moving to Australia in the early 1970s. A phenomenal sportsman indeed and a true gentleman he sent the message below to share just hours after becoming a World Champion.
“The unbelievable has happened. I have won the World Championships.
I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all my TT friends who have helped me over the past 15 years, by practicing with me, and beating me, through which I have learned many truths about this game. My special thanks to my team mates at St. Kida Cricket TTC and to my long time sparring partner and friend Martin Solomons.
My gratitude goes out to Case de Bondt who was in my corner in every sense of the word during the semi final and final today. His observations and advice was invaluable. He has also been my big brother throughout my Veterans career and has helped me through every Australian Open and World Championship. He is my role model.
Please forward this with my thanks to all of those on your Table Tennis email list.”
Yours Sincerely,
“Buddy Reid”
This message was posted on “Clubhub” the day Buddy won the 75s world singles title on Sunday 29 May 2016 at the World Veterans Championships, Alicante, Spain. It epitomises the man’s character to so readily share this remarkable achievement with so many who he deems to have helped him achieve this lifelong dream.
I shall never forget the wonderful experience to have sat through most of Buddy’s matches at Alicante. The only ones I missed in the full 128-player 75s draw were those when I was playing myself at the same time as Buddy was. One of the matches Buddy played without my presence (in the round of 64) was against LAU Kwing Yiu (HGK), who won the gold medal in Rio de Janeiro eight years ago, when he was playing in the 65 age group. Buddy won 5,-8, 4, 14 with the last game hanging by a thread. A pity I missed seeing that exciting game. Buddy did tell me about that last game when fortunes had seesawed.
LAU, the #5 seed, is a very gracious bespectacled shake-hand player who has all the shots. He appears to be very composed and have plenty of time to play his shots. He makes few unforced errors; the mark of a true champion. I believe he resides in the USA, although playing under the Hong Kong banner. The other Buddy-match I missed was in the round of 16 against Jasko which Buddy won 1,9,8; another good win. But I was there for him during the last match on Saturday, to get Buddy into the semis. It was against the dour Swede Hans Freden. It turned out to be a real cliff-hanger. Buddy seemed in control at -4, 7, 2 when he allowed the Swede to take out the fourth -11, when he started to rush and serve fast. The return by Freden of these serves were loaded and Buddy put the last couple of shots into the net.
Freden uses a very steady pimple backhand over and close to the table chop that Buddy found difficult to put away as often as he would have liked. Freden would occasionally jump around his backhand and put Buddy’s push away with a winning, conventional-rubber, forehand hit. After losing the fourth -11, Buddy did what he can do time and again when in a hole. He took charge once more and closed the match out to 7. Hans Westling was sitting next to me during this exciting match and of course was rooting for his countryman.
Hans wanted to know all about Buddy. “How did he come to be known by that name? And what did he do for a living? Was he born in Australia? Where did he learn to play like that?” I must say this for Westling, he seems to know all the players and where they have advanced to in the draw. He had already told Buddy and I when we bumped into him, that if he could beat LAU, which he deemed Buddy could do, he would then take the fifth seeded place in the draw. Hans enjoyed my stories about Buddy and how he derived his nick name.
Buddy did not have a very good draw in the tournament at all. For starters his group had Horst Iffland in it, against whom he had lost on two previous occasions, once in Cottbus in 2007 and another time at a previous world championship. At the breakfast and dinner tables we discussed this upcoming match against Iffland several times. The two have their musical interests in common and I felt that Buddy was a bit too pally with him and impressed by the guy’s prowess. There was no doubt in my mind that Buddy was overly concerned having to play him so soon, already in the group matches.
The two things I kept mentioning to Buddy was that he has improved his game a great deal, more so than any other veteran player that I know. Then Iffland would likely to be a little overconfident against him because of his winning record. I urged him to put the past out of his mind and concentrate on the upcoming match only. “Your backhand is too severe for Iffland to handle. As with all pimple backhand players he relies on sending your topspins back was heavy chop, hoping you will net the return. Don’t serve fast to his backhand, but be happy to push to it. Then you’ll get little “topspin pushes” back which you can hit hard.”
As Buddy’s group was at a later time slot than mine I asked him what he wanted me to remind him of during the matches? He said, “Tell me to stay down low and to keep my right elbow close to the body.” The first match was against the German Joachim Moller-Langmaack, who proved to be the bunny in the group. Buddy thrashed him 2, 1, 1. The next match was Iffland versus the Japanese Shiniya Yamamiya. As it was Buddy’s turn to umpire I suggested he have a rest and if the others agreed I would do the umpiring.
The Japanese, a typical penholder, was beaten by Horst 7, 8, 2. But the rallies in the first two games were long and arduous and Iffland was relieved when it was over. Then Buddy, all fired up, came out to play Iffland. It went as I had hoped with Buddy hitting his backhands and forehands ferociously to all parts of the table. Iffland had no answer and Buddy won 8, 8, 8. Horst was clearly taken aback by Buddy’s onslaught and had little to say afterwards. However when Buddy faced the Japanese he seemed to suffer a bit from a backlash having overcome and beaten Horst in straight games.
The Japanese could counter hit from all over the table and especially from his “backhand” side. He hovered near the backhand side and stayed very close to the table so he could take everything straight off the bounce. He beat Buddy to the punch and won the first to 12. I asked Buddy to keep low and his elbow to his side (as he wanted me to remind him). But to mainly suggest not mixing it with the guy and trying to out-hit him. “Serve a bit slower and push a few and then quilt him.” Buddy won the next game easily to 3.
Then, with the next game going point for point Buddy got a bit anxious, started to rush and lost the third game in a nail biting close encounter to 9. He was unable to return the very fast Japanese serves directed at his backhand in such a way as to prevent the guy hitting winners with his three-ball-attack. This time I only said that he should stop returning the ball to the penholders hitting zone; the so-called backhand. You must play your backhand down the line to keep him honest and then hit to his “weak” side. Also don’t play fast to him as he loves to counter hit.
Iffland beat the Japanese by refusing any counter hitting rallies. He gave the chap plenty of backspin balls off his backhand and added some big forehand winners to beat him. Buddy found a way to contain this Asian fellow at last and won the final two games 8 and 6 to win the group. Earlier I had said that even if the Jap beats you, you have already won the group on a count back seeing you have taken a game off him. But Buddy remonstrated with that sentiment and said, “I want to beat him!” Good old Buddy… At least he will not be playing either of them again, unless they meet in the final.
The semis were to start at 11.00 am on Sunday, the last day of the tournament. Buddy and I agreed to leave on the 9:00 bus. The bus ride is some 20-30 minutes depending on whether it calls in at the other , the “Melia”, hotel. I would then try to simulate the Chinese TAY’s pimple pen grip half volley shots with my pimple back hand straight off the bounce in the practice hall. Buddy told me he had already played this match over and over again in his mind. I reminded him that TAY had easily accounted for Igor Klaf in Auckland before beating Dieter Lippelt in the final at expedite. The guy can hit if he wants to. However he wins by his unbelievable consistency and by jerking his opponents from side to side.
On the final day the main playing hall, surrounded by grandstands, featured nine tables in huge courts. The tables were numbered 1 through 9 away from the main grandstand situated at one end. Buddy, playing in the 75 age group, was allocated table #6 which was fairly centrally located. The crowd was separated from the playing areas by a wide walkway and two sets of partitions. Within the two lots of partitions two chairs were provided for each court to seat the adviser or coach for each player. All matches commenced simultaneously with two umpires per match. The players and umpires marched into the hall by the sound of some stirring music and then positioned themselves in each court facing the main grandstand. The announcer then introduced the players and umpires to the crowd.
I had quickly taken the seat across from the scoreboard to get a good look at it. Buddy was visibly nervous; his Chinese opponent appeared inscrutable. The man seemed most assured to me, for after all he was the incumbent champion who had earlier on massacred all his opponents in easy style. The average point score against him per game was a paltry three or four points! I was hoping he had no idea what Buddy played like. At least we knew his game. Buddy indeed jumped him, winning the first to 7. He hit his opponent off beautifully. Then Buddy, after leading all throughout the second, succumbed to -9. Somewhat deflated and disappointed, he agreed with me that he knew why he had lost this close game. He had played too many push shots to the centre of the table from which the Chinese jerked him from side to side keeping him unbalanced.
In the third game the, by then very confident, Chinese hardly made a mistake and fairly beat Buddy to 6. What Buddy was doing wrong was to serve too many serves fast. The Chinese loved fast serves which he returned awkwardly with half volleys for Buddy to gain the initiative in the point. By serving softly and then pushing the Chinese from side to side Buddy would soon get the ball he liked to hit for a winner. That was the plan. However Buddy found himself down 2-5 in the fourth before he settled down and hit three winners to tie the score at 5-5.
The Chinese coach then called “Time-out”. Just think you are beginning the game at 0-0, I told Buddy, and play each point as a game of its own. You have the ascendency now and you have them worried. Keep pushing from side to side until you get the ball to hit. Which he did beautifully, to keep the Chinese down to only two more points in the fourth, winning to 7. At two games all the match was finely balanced. Buddy had the bit in his teeth and had a wonderful rhythm going by now. He flew out of the blocks and led all the way till 10-6.
The crafty Chinese, with nothing to lose at that stage, hit two magnificent winners to catch Buddy by surprise, pulling the score back to 10-8. They both towelled down and were about to play again, when I called “Time-out”. Buddy seemed in a trance when he came over. I said, “Let them stew a minute Buddy. What I want you to do, as it is your serve, is to serve a soft one to his backhand, he’ll half-volley it to your backhand across the table with a little topspin push shot. Then you quilt it down the line.” And that is exactly what happened. The ball flew wide off the Chinese’s racket and Buddy had beaten the world champion.
The next match was not until 2.30 and we decided to have a cup of coffee and something to eat in the cafeteria next door. Buddy insisted to buy the coffee and cake and we chatted about all sorts of things except table tennis. I wanted him to unwind a bit and stop him fretting. At around 1.15 Buddy asked if I could give him practice with my forehand hits to both sides of the table. Bilic has normal rubbers and hits hard. We did that for 15 minutes and then Buddy went away by himself to prepare in his own way.
Bilic had Horst Langer in his corner, himself many times a champion. Buddy had never beaten either of them before and was once again the underdog. But normal rubber suits Buddy and he managed to win a close first game to 9. Bilic, to me, seemed a bit out of sorts, not being able to hold Buddy, who was hitting lustily. The second became a procession with further crisp hitting by the Aussie challenger to win it easily to 4. Buddy led all the way in the third to lead 8-4. Then Bilic caught him at 8-8 with very good play, when at towel time I called “Time-out”. “Buddy forget the score, start and imagine it is 0-0 again, you play each point one at a time and you’ll beat him.”
There was by now no holding the new champion and he won the next three out of the following four points to win at 9, again with beautifully aggressive play. He beat the former European champion fair and square 9, 4, 9 in straight games. Buddy was so overcome when he hugged me saying’” I love you Case; I would never have been able to do this without you!” I too was overcome with emotion, which was quickly dampened when Horst Langer came over and told me that he and Bilic were very upset by our unsporting behaviour. “Buddy did not acknowledge edges and nets and I was applauding every point won by Buddy.” I could not believe my ears.
Bilic never shook my hand at all. After a few minutes I went back to Langer and told him that instead of whinging they should both acknowledge that Buddy was the better player on the day. I explained that in Australia we call it sour grapes to complain when being a poor loser. Buddy made a promise to his late wife to take up table tennis again. “He has been a man on a mission ever since and is playing in honour of Peace, his late wife. He only has eyes for the ball and is very fixated on his game. Otherwise he is the gentlest man on earth.” Horst Langer then shook my hand.
Later on I learned that Bilic has a poor reputation in Europe as a player. Even a lot of the Germans were pleased that Buddy had won. Being a gentleman of the highest order, he is a most deserving world champion indeed. The draw Buddy copped was dead against him, but as Peter Sheedy maintains, “If you want to win a championship you need to beat all your opponents, no matter where you are seeded.”
It is so true…
To sum up all of Buddy’s singles matches in the 75s age group, which were ten in total, he first had to play the three matches in the qualifying group on the opening day. Then later in the week in the round of 128 he beat Alabaster (2,5,3); in the round of 64 Lau (5,-8,4,14); in the round of 32 Sasaki (6,9,6); in the round of 16 Jasko (1,9,8); in the round of 8 it was Freden (-4,7,2,-11,7); in the semi-final Tay (7,-9,-6,7,8) and the final against Bilic (9,4,9).
World champions and European champions alike, all of them succumbed to the “Buddy onslaught”. There were many more world and European champions in the 75s age group draw that Buddy did not have to play. One that comes to mind is Dieter Lippelt, twice world singles champion. He answered to my question, “Do you really practice seven days per week?” “No, I practice twice a day.”
There is no doubt that this very accomplished German player had tongue in cheek. But it does show the remarkable effort of Buddy Reid to win the world championship title in the “Mecca” of veterans’ table tennis, Europe. Australia is out on a limb in our sport, as our senior players find out to their chagrin, however the Aussie veterans have shown in this tournament that they are world class indeed.
The 31st Australian Veterans Championships were conducted at the newly reconstructed Kingborough Sports Centre, Kingston Tasmania from 18 Oct – 25 Oct, 2014.
Since attending and participating in the annual championships since 1995, I am amazed at the success of these championships. They are going from strength to strength. Over 400 players were registered to play, a record entry, and all this was made possible solely to the computer wizardry of Bev and Brian James. From year to year they voluntarily put their hand up to do a fantastic job. Without them the tournament could not function.
Of course we also wish to thank the Taswegian organisers and the many volunteers, who tend to become unnoticed by many of the players. Unfortunately, as our game is the Cinderella of Australian indoor sports, we have to put up with imperfect conditions. The light in Hall 2, with 15 tables, was too bright on most tables with the sun shining through the windows and too dark at night. Hall 1 with 18 tables was much better and was used exclusively on finals day.
As I am getting older and my memory fades quickly, these 8 days of intense competition seem to pass by so rapidly. Meeting and greeting old and new friends is heart warming and often the highlight. I must put these impressions on paper while it is all fresh in my mind. It is impossible for me as a competitor to view every match and these scribbles are therefore rather limited and only reflect my point of view, for which I take full responsibility.
And first I must reflect on the 30s age group, having been introduced a couple of years ago. To include them as “veterans” is a misnomer and I doubt if any 30-year-old wants to really be addressed as a “veteran”. The supposed rationality that the 40s have only one age group to play in is nonsense. Why not include the 20-year olds as well? No, for that reason and mainly also the logistical angle of running such a large fast growing tournament, let is stick with the 40s as being the youngest veteran age group.
Further I despaired to see the girls having only 3 teams in the 75s. The 70-year-women had just 6 teams. Why weren’t these two age groups combined? Not much fun in spending the first four or five days doing very little. The likes of Maureen Fischer and Lois McConnell would have very much enjoyed playing 8 matches instead of a couple and would have given a very good account of them. The proposition of 2-player teams for women in the 70s and 75s is not the answer to the problem of having just 3 teams. It should and could have been remedied.
As always the Team Events came first. Of the eleven team events for both Men and Women Victoria emerged with 6 gold, NSW with 3 gold followed by New Zealand (women’s 40s) and SA (women’s 70s) winning the remaining 2 gold team medals with one a piece. If Lan Zhai (Vic), the 40s and 50s women’s singles champion, had played teams the 40s would also have gone to Victoria and quite possibly the 75 Men’s as well for a different reason. Victoria could have won 8 out of the possible 11 gold in the team’s competition.
I do not know why Zhai did not play 40 Women’s teams. I surmise that perhaps she had not yet qualified residentially (although she was listed under Vic). Whatever the reason, she stood head and shoulders above her peers. As far as the 75 Men’s is concerned the Victorian veterans committee, through their appointed selectors, missed the boat completely in picking the obvious state team.
The recognised 75 doubles pairing, which recently narrowly lost in the quarters of the worlds, were picked in different teams, thus causing the state team to finish a lowly fifth. Yet the B team managed to gain a bronze medal. An interesting statistic is that in the 75 Men’s team competition NSW remained undefeated, the Vic state team lost just one match and all other teams lost at least two matches. Only three players, one from WA, one from NZ and the other from Vic lost just one match each in the team competition.
Another gripe of mine is the O of M and the “tabletennisworld.com awards” (of which I personally have received four over the years) leaves a lot to be desired. I won’t mention names here, but some should have received this award, yet missed out. Others are not in the rightful O of M position and I am not the only one that believes this to be so. The way the Swaythling Club Awards were worked out some years ago, was a much fairer method and we all knew how it worked. Now we are left dangling in mid air and no one really knows how this is arrived at.
This tournament was not a good one for the incumbent champions. Of all the age groups, in both Men and Women, only world champion, Ihn van Le (NSW), managed to retain his 65 singles title. This must be an indication that the standard of play is constantly on the up and up. We currently have a new 40 singles champion in Paul Langley (SA), who used every ounce of his experience to come from 2 games to 1 down to defeat Danny Semmler (Vic). At 9-9 in the fifth Danny served a fault and with it his chance to retain his title flew out the window.
With Lan Zhai (Vic) winning the 40s and 50s singles these two blue ribbon events were played in devastating style. Yes, the standard of veterans’ table tennis is getting stronger all the time. I must mention Joseph Healy’s triumph in the 80s over wily Tom Boyd. Joe was ill only a few days before the event and his wife wanted to stop him from playing. But Joe was determined to have a go and although beaten by Tom in the team event, managed to turn the tables on Tom; a rare gold for Tassie.
But the most impressive achievement, in my view, was that of Craig Campbell (WA). Craig, at 59 years of age, was a convincing winner of the 50 Men’s singles. His finals opponent from Queensland, Max Wellington, played catch up table tennis to Craig for most of this gripping encounter. At 9-9 in the fifth with Craig serving, he produced two devastating backhand smashes to take the title. One wag said to me, “I didn’t know Craig was so backhand orientated.” Winning that age group at age 59, to me, resembles a small miracle.
Earlier when I spoke to Craig, and on asking he answered he was considering going to Spain for the worlds in 2016. “It must be a lot easier to play 60s than to play these guys who are turning 50 that year.” Craig certainly lived up to the salubrious title of “rubber man”, by which the Scandinavians dubbed him a few years ago, to win the title. Born in Victoria, in the country town of Geelong, he was country champion for some 10 or so years, until he left for WA in 1981 at age 26.
Women players are rather scarce at our veterans’ championships and that is why I wrote that the 70s and 75s ought to have been combined for the greater good of all concerned. The most prolific medal haul was by Pamela Tait (Vic) who collared the possible seven medals with 5 gold, 1 silver and a bronze. She knocked off the incumbent champions in Cynthia Langley (SA) and Betty Bird (SA) in that order; Pam outlasted them all with determined play.
There is so much more to relate but this report would become much too unwieldy. Suffice to say that all results may be gleaned on http://www.southerntabletennis.org.au/vets2014/results.htm This is the James’s loving work.
Next year the championships will be staged at the Gold Coast town of Caloundra in October.
The 16th World Veteran Table Tennis Championships held in Auckland New Zealand from May 12-17, 2014 have now been concluded.
Congratulations to everyone who just played at the World Veterans Table Tennis Championships in Auckland.
It was another successful International Veterans Tournament, my 11th on the trot.
1666 Players, 57 Countries Represented, 61 Tables, 5256 Matches Played
186 Australian players went to Auckland.
Australia finished 4th on the overall medal tally. From the Australian perspective the medallist were as follows
http://www.wvc2014.com/
These 2014 Championships, freshly in my mind, are to be remembered for the efficiency of all the officials and volunteers. Without them no tournament is possible. Many of them sacrificed their own entry as players just to concentrate on the running of the event for our enjoyment. Congratulations are in order to the Kiwis and all their able helpers.
Comparisons with the other Worlds I have attended come to mind and are unavoidable. It is utterly impossible to match the opening and closing ceremonies we were privileged to witness in Hohhot, China in 2010. A video recording was made of it that can still be obtained on DVD; a more colourful and imposing spectacle seems unlikely to be staged ever again in my lifetime.
Looking through the results of all the other Worlds, since the inaugural one at Gothenburg in 1982, never before did Australia achieve the fantastic results is it did in Auckland, some 20 medals in total. In fact all those previous years Australia won a grand total of just 8 gold medals. Yet in this one tournament in Auckland alone we won no less than 5 gold (one Singles and two Doubles)!
Some may say that the overall entry was somewhat down at 1666, and there wasn’t the depth in players. Alright, it is true that we had as many as 2674 players in Lucerne, in Yokohama we had 2380, Bremen had 2834 and at Stockholm (3316), there were twice as many contestants as we enjoyed in Auckland.
However the quality of players was at a very high standard. One champion German player, Dieter Lippelt , whom I witnessed winning the 70s gold in Stockholm in very easy fashion, was mooted by his peers to be practising seven days per week. We shrugged our shoulders and thought, what hope have we got. I asked Dieter in Auckland, before play commenced, if it was indeed true that he played seven days per week. He answered, “Not at all, I practice twice per day…!”
But Lippelt and some other incumbent gold medallists were unable to retain their titles. Other players in that category that come to mind, apart from Dieter Lippelt who by the way was ‘promoted’ to the 75s, could manage only second placings at best. Geoffrey Bax (Eng), 80s Singles winner in Stockholm, had to be satisfied with a bronze medallion this time round and Betty Bird, most times playing for Australia, won the 75 Singles title in Stockholm for England. She disappointingly managed just a bronze in her next age group Singles, the 80s, for Australia.
Top player from Sweden, Peter Karlsson, winner of gold medals in both open World and European Championships whilst trying his hand at 40s-veteran table tennis, found Chinese player Zheng Li too strong in the semi-final after leading him 2 games to love. Yet Li succumbed to his countryman Yin Wang -5,-5,-7 in the final, once again showing the depth and strength of the Chinese at table tennis.
Dieter Lippelt (gold in 2008 and 2012) found the expatriate Chinese Chong Keng Tay from the USA too hard to handle in the final and went down in five games, the last two at expedite. Bernard (Mick) Wright from Victoria, Australia was the giant slayer in the 70s edging out Chen Hsiang Huang (TPE) 12-10 in the fifth after being well down in the deciding game. A very worthy result considering the man from Taipei insisted that the umpire give Mick a yellow card when the bat ‘fell’ out of Mick’s hand after receiving an edge ball to put him three points down in the deciding game. Justice prevailed…
Then Mick went on to win another cliff hanger against the Rio World Champion, Wolfgang Schmidt (GER) after being down two games to one and finally winning 13-11 in the fifth. As I said to Mick, “You sure seem to enjoy being on a knife’s edge.” However Brian Hill from England stopped Mick’s run in the semi, 11-5 in the fifth. Ihn van Le (AUS) found the answer to Hill’s compact game and beat him in four in the final for Australia’s only Singles gold. Le was one of the rare players to score the double.
My mixed doubles partner Margaret Mulcahy, together with Pam Tait played out of their brain to defeat all Japanese comers in very exciting close games. Pam’s many ‘rare’ forehand hits and Margaret’s chop smashes combined beautifully to win the Doubles gold against individually superior players.
But the story of the tournament, as I see it, was the drama and the unprecedented tale of the exploits of my erstwhile Doubles partner Geoffrey Volney Nesbitt, from Moama on the Victorian and NSW border. If ever advanced age, combined with severe physical handicaps, resulted in a fairy tale ending, it is the story of Geoffrey Nesbitt. Geoff, as he is known to his many friends all over Australia, first took up veteran table tennis in the early nineties.
Against all the odds he managed to win a Silver medal in the 80 to 85 age group Doubles together with his scratch partner Harry Dye from New Zealand, a feat aspired by many, but achieved by so few. Harry, by the way was the highest finishing Kiwi medallist. In October 2010 Geoff collapsed with acute back spasms during the annual Australian national championships in Melbourne. Few players who I know are more involved and as totally absorbed by our sport than is our Geoff.
Table Tennis proved a godsend to him when struck by misfortune within the family. He told me it kept him sane during these trying years. It was therefore a terrible disappointment to break down and be unable to complete the tournament. We all, including Geoff, thought it would be but a passing discomfort and that he would be back on deck again soon to play our game.
But as fate would have it, after many tests and scans, he was diagnosed to be suffering from plasma cytoma, a devastating cancer of the bone. One of the vertebrae in his spine had been affected and X-rays showed it to be partially collapsed. He had lost several inches in stature. No more table tennis for Geoff.
After months of chemo and radiation treatments, including imbibing very potent drugs such as thalidomide, the cancer of the bone marrow went into remission. Geoff being much savvier at caring for his six-acre park than at computers, asked me to enter him for the 2012 Worlds at Stockholm on-line. I was to be his Doubles partner once again.
Five months before flying to Europe, Geoff’s cancer was on the march again. It had spread to a full blown multiple myeloma. Another one of his vertebrae was sloughing away and it had affected other bones in his body. Geoff had to wear a back brace to protect his spinal column. He was on the verge of being a paraplegic. The trip had to be cancelled.
Geoff’s hopes of ever playing the game he loved again were dashed. His oncologist, Dr Ali Sabhagi, warned him that any sudden jerky movement could collapse the spine and would mean a wheel chair for him or even worse. It broke his heart.
Part of Geoff’s ongoing treatments was bone infusions. Together with taking other very expensive drugs his blood count was stabilised and he was able to potter around his farmlet again. On visiting him at his property around November 2013, he asked me to show on his computer how to get onto the www.wvs2014.com Website.
I thought he wanted to see who had entered and so forth. He knew that I had already entered with my current partner Jim Furness for the 75s,and he had told Tony Herbert not to enter with him for Auckland in the 80s age group. Geoff was born on 21 May, 1934. He said to Tony his specialist had forbidden him to play, but he and his wife Margaret had been given permission to fly over and see his many friends again he met over the 15 years or so playing there.
Never did I foresee what he had in mind. He proceeded to fill out the on-line Entry Form, got his credit card out, entered the details and pressed “submit”. I protested that he had fooled me and that I would not be seen to be part of this plot, considering his condition. Geoff’s Irish logic had the perfect answer, “If I do not enter, I cannot play, but seeing I have now entered, I still need not play. You saw I have not put in for a Doubles partner, who I don’t want to let down.”
His wife Margaret was very upset, but I comforted her by saying that all this was just making Geoff happy in his own mind. “But we all know it is but wishful thinking on his part.” The accommodation was booked for us all at Northcote, a twenty minute drive from the Trusts Arena at Henderson, but five days before flying out Geoff came down with a severe lung complaint. The doctor prescribed antibiotics, but we knew Geoff would not be allowed to fly in his condition.
The will power of the man is unbelievable. He was going no matter what. His table tennis bag was neatly packed and as he proclaimed, “Everything had been booked and paid for.” Margaret had sleepless nights. She knows him better that anybody. Fortunately we had three quiet days in Northcote before the tournament commenced. The medication was having its desired effect on Geoff and he began to feel somewhat better.
His singles went reasonably well on Monday and he qualified second in his group. He had been allocated a partner in Harry Dye from NZ for the following day. Harry too suffers from a ‘crook’ back and is unable to bend down to pick up the ball. We urged Geoff to drop these Doubles and concentrate on the Singles where I said he could do some real damage in the 80s, but hopefully not to himself.
Again Geoff pulled rank and decided to play with Harry, a very nice Kiwi. It is not in Geoff’s nature to let anyone down. “Could I be his adviser/coach?” I had visions of needing to be close anyway to catch him if he fell over. Against all the odds Geoff and Harry went on to qualify first in their group, as Harry was suffering from a stomach complaint. Geoff got the same wog the following day. It is a wonder they got through, but some things are meant to be.
Thursday, after the lay day on Wednesday, Geoff did not play well in the Singles and was eliminated from the main draw. He was still feeling woozy and Margaret immediately took him to the flat for him to lie down and rest. By Friday Geoff was nearly his old self again and together with Harry managed to make it to the semi finals, to be played on Saturday, finals day. Some things are just unbelievable…
On Saturday only official advisers/coaches were allowed courtside. Harry’s son wanted to be his father’s adviser and we both sat side by side near the table before the semi final match. The German referee came over and told us that only one adviser was allowed per pair and one of us had to leave. I explained that Craig Dwyer was coaching his NZ father and I was advising Geoff from Australia. “We speak different languages in those countries.” He looked at me strangely, seemed to be appeased and acquiesced.
They had to play the #1 seeds, a Fin and a Swede, and quickly lost the first game in easy fashion. We encouraged them to persevere and a sudden change came over the match when Geoff quilted some lovely smashes as only he can do. Harry played the anchor role brilliantly and the Scandinavians started making errors. I could sense an upset after we led 2/1. Going into the fourth game I told Geoff to try his sudden quick return of service across court when given the opportunity, and before we realised it Geoff and Harry were in the gold medal play off, it all went so quickly.
The silver medal was assured at least, but they went down in the final against the #2 seeds 9,9,6, sadly it being my first loss as a world’s Doubles championship coach, but it felt I too won the silver medal. All along Geoff had made up his mind to play, fooling everyone, including his oncologist and I wonder what Bazhagi will say when shown the silver.
What is Geoff’s explanation and excuse? “I don’t want to die wondering.” What a story…
Tony Herbert supplied the following message (4/2/2014)
Some more news from Tony Herbert 15/3/2013
Details of two tournaments that have some interest for Australian Veterans is one being held in Birmingham UK 27th–30th June.” The 4th International Team Championships for Veterans Societies” and the other in Bangkok 4–7th July “2013 Asian Cup Thailand”.
Further details of these events can be obtained from Paul Pinkewich at paul@tabletennisworld.com.au (2013 Asian Cup Thailand.)
Tony Herbert at anthherb@bigpond.com (The 4th International Team Championships for Vets Soc.)
I have investigated flights to Europe flying with Thai Airlines and they allow a stop over in Bangkok at no extra cost. The cost of Thai flights a couple of weeks ago was approximately $1650.
Tony.
March 2013
Veterans International T.T. Calendar
*) = new or altered since previous issue!
The calendar is available on www.ittf.com, section SCI/WVC and updated every
two months. It can also be requested from westling.hans@telia.com
In order to keep the calendar updated, please send information about additional
veterans events to the email address mentioned above.
2013
Mar 2 Tisnov, Czech Republic Zdenek Lhotka
Open Veterans Tournament zdenek.lhotka@atlas.cz
Mar 9-10 Blackpool, England Roy Norton
Vetts Northern Masters roywnorton@aol.com
Apr 12-13 Crawley, England Roy Norton
Vetts Southern Masters roywnorton@aol.com
Apr 13 Havirov, Czech Republic Zdenek Lhotka
Open Veterans Tournament zdenek.lhotka@atlas.cz
Apr 26-28 Bosa, Italy Efisio Pisano
2nd Sardinian Veterans efisiopisano@yahoo.it
May 4-5 Moscow, Russia Mikhail Torgov
”20 years later” – Veterans torgov_m@mail.ru
Tournament
May 9-12 Ruhpolding, Germany www.ruhpolding.de/tischtennis
3rd Int. Bavarian Veterans
Championships
May 11 Liberec, Czech Republic Zdenek Lhotka
Open Veterans Tournament zdenek.lhotka@atlas.cz
May 27- Bremen, Germany www.tt-em.com
June 1 10th European Veteran veterans@tt-marketing.de
Championships
Jun 15 Hostinne, Czech Republic Zdenek Lhotka
Open Veterans Tournament zdenek.lhotka@atlas.cz
Jun 27-30 Birmingham/Wolverhampton, Roy Norton
England roywnorton@aol.com
4th Int. Team Championships
of Veterans Societies
Jun 28-30 Lake Balaton, Hungary bajdik.istvan@t-online.hu
9th Tibhar Veterans Cup www.tabltennis.hu
Jun 29-30 Trier, Germany ttcgelbrottrier@aol.com
59th Int. Veterans Tournament www.gelbrottrier.de
Jul 4-7 Bangkok, Thailand thailandveteran@hotmail.com
*) 2013 Asian Cup Thailand www.attvu.co
Jul 24-28 Albena, Bulgaria damakupa91@gmail.com
15th Int. Albena Festival www.tabletennisalben.com
Aug 10-11 Varna, Bulgaria strongil@yahoo.com
14th Int. Veterans Tournament i.id@abv.bg
Aug 15-18 Panagyurishte, Bulgaria ivkin50@abg.bg
3rd Int. Tournament www.tturnir.freehosting.bg
“AsarelMedet”
Aug 16-18 Neustadt a.d. Weinstrasse, Jurgen Bock
Germany juergenbock10@alice.de
56th Int. Veterans Tournament
Aug 30- Burgas, Bulgaria angelov@orcotravel.com
Sep 01 3rd Int. Veterans Tournament info@orcotravel.bg
Sep 6-9 Tallinn, Estonia Rein Lindmae
Viru Veterans Cup info@pingpong.ee
Sep 17 Jaromer, Czech Republic Zdenek Lhotka
Open Veterans Tournament zdenek.lhotka@atlas.cz
Sep 20-22 Moscow, Russia Mikhail Torgov
Open Veteran Championship torgov_m@mail.ru
of Russia
Sep 23-27 Kemer, Turkey Savas Ertufan
*) 18th Open Veterans Tournament savas.ertufan@takeda.com
2014 Auckland, New Zealand www.wvc2014.com
May 12- 17th World Veterans
17 Championships
2015 Tampere, Finland www.evttc2015.fi
Jun 29- 11th European Veterans
Jul 4 Championships
2016 Alicante/Elche, Spain
18th World Veterans
Championships
3/3/2013 – The passing of Klaus (Peter) Fischer
Just 21 days short of Peter’s 73rd birthday he succumbed to the dreadful cancer early this morning at home in Ballan, near Ballarat Victoria, where he and his wife Maureen lived for many years. He will be sadly missed by all of us.
Peter, as we all called him, was a stalwart veteran table tennis player who had the distinction of wearing down the best of players in his age group. None of the top players in Victoria can say they had a clean sheet against the dour hard bat defender.
Only two years ago Peter and Maureen both represented Australia at Invercargil, New Zealand, his first trip across the Tasman. We had the privilege of travelling together in convoy by hire car with the Fischers through the South Island, and will keep many fond memories of that happy time.
We offer Maureen and Peter’s family our sincere condolences on their sad loss.
Vale – Klaus (Peter) Fischer
Dorothy (Doris, Dot) De Low is to appear on the television program Live Healthy, Be Happy which is scheduled to be shown on Channel 7 at Noon on Sunday 3rd March 2013.
Those details are correct for Sydney at present but may be different in other states. Would also pay to check as they sometimes change program times.
Incidentally, she is due for surgery on her droopy left eyelid on 19th March.
Cheers
Peter
Worldwide Veterans’ Table Tennis Websites (and various Links)
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 3rd 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 STOCKHOLMSWEDEN – 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.
Nets and edges,
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 15th 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 (1st); 18 (2nd); 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 100th 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
The Australian Veterans Table Tennis Association 