Promise Should Decide Team

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31152, 31 August 1966, Page 11

Promise Should Decide Team

rpHE spur at the New Zealand individual table tennis championships beginning at Cowles Stadium, Christchurch, this morning will be the prospect of winning a national title; but the rowel to the spur will be the prospect of selection in the New Zealand team to the world championships at Stockholm, Sweden, next April. In the circumstances, it is unlikely that the three best men and the two best women will be automatically selected, even should it be apparent from the nationals who these players are. Whoever goes to Stockholm, New Zealand is unlikely to make much of an impression in world company. It is possible, therefore, that recognition will be given to promising players before better but older players are considered.

Four men seem to stand out in New Zealand table tennis at the moment; M. L. Dunn (Auckland), A. R. Tomlinson (Auckland), G. A. J. Frew (Northland) and B. A. Foster (Otago). Tomlinson and Foster comprised the outstandingly successful New Zealand team in Australia two months ago and must be considered odds-on candidates at the moment.

Dunn, the No. 1 seed for the nationals, has had some

surprising losses this year and the claims of the new business he has opened may reduce the time he can afford to practice, thus reducing his prospects of selection. Frew is probably the finest doubles player in New Zealand but has not had the victories against Tomlinson and Foster which he needs to clinch his position. As Frew is the same age as Foster, 27, the question of promise is unlikely to improve his chances of selection.

If promise is made a major item in selection, G. V. Murphy (Hutt Valley), New Zealand’s most promising player, must become a front-runner. Although Murphy is not yet quite as good as Frew and could not cope with a Dunn at peak form, he would be a better investment for the future than either of them. J. T. O’Carroll (Northland) and M. W. Borlase (Wellington) are two other players only just out of junior ranks who could be considered, but neither appear to have Murphy’s future. There are, of course, other players with faint chances of selection but there will be some surprise if players other than these are chosen.

Mrs N. Traill (Northland) is almost assured of selection while Mrs N. Houlihan (Northland) would almost

certainly have been chosen had she been available. However, she is not; so the second women’s position is likely to be the cause of intense competition. While there are about nine women all vying, on current form, for this position, it should go to a junior who has not yet reached the top bracket of women’s competition but who should have done so by April. This is Miss Y. M. Fogarty (Otago), still aged only 14, who has already defeated Miss V. M. Holston (Hamilton), seeded third for the nationals this week.

Miss Fogarty is a really thrilling prospect and could come back from Stockholm as the best player in New Zealand and with more than 20 years of t-ble tennis still before her. She can hardly be considered a top-class player at the moment, but her selection would be an inspired move by the national selectors. The team must be selected with an eye to the future of New Zealand table tennis. Most of the candidates for the five positions have been in top class for some years. The selection of Murphy and Miss Fogarty would provide a tremendous fillip to the sport and would be recognition of the strides they have made in the last two seasons.