TABLE TENNIS ACTIVITIES

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 14653, 23 April 1948, Page 5

TABLE TENNIS ACTIVITIES

(By "Topspin")

COMPETITIONS FOR CLUBS

Changes Needed In Present System

Arranging Games For All Players

At the annual general meeting of the Bay of Plenty Table Tennis Association the delegates will consider the organisation of the interclub match competition for the season. This will be no simple task, and delegates. should endeavour to find out what the individual club player thinks and v/ants in regard to match play. Certainly there are a few players who are quite content to, go to their club one night a week and play with club members. However, I think I am correct in saying that by far the greater number of players are really keen on getting into their club team and playing in the inter-club competitions. In the larger association?, the question has been dealt with, and every player is graded according to his standard of play. He is placed in his appropriate club team and is assured of match play. The problem facing the association is briefly this: Can a country association organise inter-club competition along the lines adopted by the major associations? Secondly, is one team from each club, comprising 16 members per team, the only method of match play suitable in a wide-sorcad area such as the Tau-ranga-Tc Puke district? Two Lines of Thought

There will certainly be two lines of thought and I will endeavoure to make clear the advantages or disadvantages of the two systems of play. ''Last season the association made a wise decision in abolishing the system of club handicapping in the inter-club competition games. It will be remembered that under this system all members playing for one of the stronger clubs would have to concede points to the opposing players. Therefore, on occasions, members of one club would have to concede, in some instances, up to 15 points in a 31 up game to a player who was superier, but played for a weaker club. The weakness in this system of play was soon apparent, and as I have said, the association wisely abolished it. Last season, all club teams met on equal terms; or at least the teams that were fielded did so. It will be remembered that the stronger clubs fielded weaker teams when opposing the smaller clubs. "This meant that all the members of the stronger clubs played during the season in two or three match games but, of course, this could not be done by the smaller clubs as they had to field their strongest team in all matches. On calculation, I find that last season approximately 45 per cent, of the players in the association did not play in an inter-club match. Did any one of those players want to be a member of a club team? That is. the question which the association must answer. If the answer is in the affirmative, then something must certainly be done about the present system. Several Advantages There are a few advantages to be gained by this system, the main one oeing that the whole club team. (16 memoers) can travel in a body. A bus can be hired instead of relying on private car transport. AJso, it is claimed that lowergrade players will have the opportunity ol meeting the .top-grade players in other dubs. Under the present system each member of the team plays four singles games, each 31 up, and two doubles games, also 31 up. These games are really no indication that the winning club team has had a victory. A series of games usually take lrom 3$ to four hours to complete. Under the system of graded teams, usually four to a team, each player in the association is given the opportunity of being in a team, and to meet players of his own standard. Certainly a lower-grade player will not meet a top-flight player. But, what advantage can a newcomer to the game gain by being opposed by a player who can easily defeat him by 25 points in a3l game? Only by match play and the keenness to improve can a player ever hope to reach the higher grades, and a grading system for teams is a strong incentive'for every player to improve his standard of play so as to qualify for inclusion in a higher-grade team.

The Auckland Association has, in its wisdom, approved the graded system of club team play. There may be certain alterations that our association may be able to make, to fit in with local conditions of play, but I think that the time has arrived when this association must realise that to keep up the everincreasing interest in the game, they must organise competition plav for every member of the many affiliated clubs throughout the Tauranga and Te Puke districts.