Former Table Tennis Cham Dion Returns To N.Z.

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29122, 6 February 1960, Page 5

Former Table Tennis Cham Dion Returns To N.Z.

'T'HE former Canterbury and New Zealand table tennis champion, Miss Joy Williamson, returned recently from England, where she has been playing and coaching for the last three years. The 25-year-old New Zealand women’s singles titleholder in 1951 and 1954 made a name for herself in the coaching field while overseas, as well as extending her reputation as a player. Miss Williamson played in two world championships, at Stockholm in 1957 and at Dortmund in 1959. In the former event she was eliminated in the first round by a top Korean player, Wei SanSook, and last year at Dortmund she lost to a German player, also in a very close match. Although Miss Williamson competed with success in the round of county and national tournaments in England and on the Continent each year, she considers that her best play was in the team events at last year’s world championships. Miss Williamson and another Christchurch player, Miss Fay Inglis, formed a New Zealand team which did well in the international Corbillon Cup competition.

Cordillon Cup

In the Corbillon Cup New Zealand, did especially well against Japan and Hungary, which finished first and fourth in the competition. In the match against Japan, Miss Williamson gave the highly-ranked Miss Taeko Namba a hard struggle. After losing the first game, she led to 18-16 in the second, when a series of

un’ucky breaks lost her the game. Miss Namba is the present world doubles title-holder. „r-R her matches in England, Miss Williamson won the Scottish mixed doubles title, and the Irish singles and mixed doubles titles. She played first division interclub matches for the Putney (Surrey) club, and has beaten all the English women players with the exception of Miss Ann Haydon. Miss Haydon was ranked second in the world in 1957, and the English women’s team took fourth place equal with Hungary for the Corbillon Cup at the last world championships.

Coaching

During the summer months, Miss Williamson spent her time coaching. Each summer she secured a position at one of the Butlin chain of holiday camps, at Clacton (1957), Filey (1958), and Pwllheli (1959). From May to September in these, and the other two Butlin camps at Ayr and Skegness, world-famous coaches under the direction of the former world champion, Johnny Leach, choose their most promising players, and at the end of the summer these attend a final week of coaching. During the final week, the most promising boy and girl of the whole series are selected. It is to Miss Williamson’s credit that, in each of her three years, one of her pupils won this honour. In 1957 Carol Bagshaw was chosen as the most promising girl, in 1958 David Creamer as the most promising boy, and last year Diane Fitzgerald as the most promising girl, these having all come from Miss Williamson’s groups.

Selectors 1 Interest

National selectors from England, Scotland and Wales attend this last week of coaching on the lookout for promising players, and talent scouts from all the counties are present. Last year there were 15,600 competitors in this scheme, which is sponsored by the “News of the World.” Miss Williamson’s main impressions of the difference in table tennis in England and New Zealand are firstly, the much more

intense competitive play available in Europe. During the winter months, there is a major tournament every week-end in the form of an English county championship or a national meeting. Continental tournaments are all fitted into the circuit and work gradually up to the major titles, such as the world or European championships.

Incentive

Juniors through coaching schemes are given far more chance to improve in England, with sponsored tournaments and junior international fixtures, she said. Table tennis is a recognised sport in schools, and Miss Williamson considers that the best English juniors are of the same standard as the best senior players in New Zealand. Conditions of play are much better in England and on the Continent. Coaching of junior players, especially in schools in Christchurch, is Miss Williamson’s main aim now that she is back in New Zealand. She will be playing interclub matches for her old club, Eagles, and will projpably play in the Canterbury and South Island titles in Christchurch. She is undecided about participation in representative matches and the national championships in Hawera.