Table Tennis CHAMPIONSHIPS “A FAILURE”

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29017, 5 October 1959, Page 7

Table Tennis CHAMPIONSHIPS “A FAILURE”

Little Interest In Senior Titles

The Canterbury senior table tennis championships for 1959 were described as a "dismal failure” by the secretary of the Canterbury Table Tennis Association (Mr E. D. Kwok) at a meeting of the executive of the association. The entries for the championships were most disappointing,.' said Mr Kwok. There were no entries from players outside Canterbury, and very small entries from the subassociations. Christchurch senior players had also neglected the championships, said Mr Kwok. He suggested that in future they be played earlier in the season. Mr M. A. Cox said that the championships should be held as a oneday event, so that players from outside Christchurch could compete. Players from Otal;o, Southland and South Canterbury had travelled extensively this season, he said, and most of the South Island’s leading players had appeared in the tournaments at Buller, Marlborough and Timaru. The association will endeavour to start a tournament for secondary schoolchildren next season. Such tournaments function very well in other centres, said Mr A. B. McCallum. Although the secondary schools were not interested in promoting table tennis among their pupils as a major sport, there should be enough interest among the pupils themselves to ensure a good tournament. Ways of increasing the standard of men’s table tennis in the province were discussed. Mr Kwok suggested the holding of a regular representative match with Auckland, the strongest province in the Dominion. Only by regular play against these players would Canterbury’s leading intermediate and junior players reach the required standard, he said. Mr R. G. Hart, the convener of the senior selection committee, said that the strength in the north of jhe North Island led to an extremely strong circuit of tournaments in that area. Auckland players were outstanding. and juniors from Northland. Waikato, North Shore and Franklin were profiting from their constant play against the champions. K. Stevenson, D. D. M. Stewart, and Miss B. Taylor were declared eligible to wear the association's provincial representative blazer. A summer competition will be held, starting on November 16. A total of 10 rounds will be played in five grades, with five rounds before Christmas, and a further five rounds alter the holiday period.