Match with Hong Kong

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32660, 16 July 1971, Page 10

Match with Hong Kong

A New Zealand invitation side will oppose a touring Hong Kong men’s table tennis team at Cowles Stadium on August 16. The Canterbury Table Tennis Association’s executive last evening accepted an invitation from the New Zealand association to stage a contest in Christchurch. It is expected that the invitation team will comprise the second-ranked New Zealand player, B. A. Foster (Otago), and three Canterbury players to be chosen by the provincial selectors.

At present, it is not known whether the Hong Kong team will consist of two or three members. However, it is proposed to play four singles matches, one double, and an exhibition match between the overseas players. Hong Kong has some exceptionally talented table tennis players, and the men finished second to England (New Zealand seventh) in the teams event at the Commonwealth Games tournament earlier this year. Essentially aggressive players, they play a style of game similar to Canterbury’s top two men. Ling Nan Ming and Loke Sim Wong. The New Zealand assoication has asked for $175 from the Canterbury association, and the chairman (Mr A. B. McCallum) considered that a crowd of 500 would be needed to cover expenses. Several members expressed their concern at the number of players who are using the table tennis headquarters without having purchased their season tickets.

“We are losing a lot of revenue because of this practice,” Mr McCallum said. The meeting decided to take stricter measures and ban those players without tickets from using the hall.