TABLE TENNIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23527, 16 June 1938, Page 4

TABLE TENNIS

By Backhand Chop WORLD CHAMPIONS Word has reached this country that the visiting Hungarian table tennis players are without a doubt two of the foremost players in the game today. Gyozo Barna has been world champion five times, and is still considered the world’s best player, in spite of the fact that the Czechoslovakian defeated him in the world championship early this year. Laslp Beliak is regarded as the best player who has never won a world title. Heds at present American champion and also world Mixed Doubles champion. Great interest is centring around the visit next month of these two brilliant players. ASSOCIATION LADDERS The Otago men’s ladder has now been commenced and is on view at the Y.M.C.A. The Selection Committee for the purposes of the ladder has ranked the best players as follows: A. R. Algie (St. Clair) L. C. Brown (Dunedin). M. Friend (Friends), _A. Algie (St. Clair). D. Miller (Y.M.GA.), G. Laidlaw (Mayfair). L. J. Ramsay (St. Clair), R. Everson (Y.M.G.A.), J H. Pollock (Y.M.CA),- C. -Hall (Paramount). C. S. Archer (Averant), D. H. Smyth (Dunedin), T. Hart (Dunedin) , C. E. (Mayfair). These 14 players are the cream of Otago b exponents of table tennis,, and many fine games will be w'tnessed as soon as challenging begins. WOMEN’S LADDER The association has decided this year to have, in place of the Mens Doubles ladder, a women’s ladder to encourage these players. The placings for the commencement of the ladder. will be announced shortly. The points in the women’s competition at present are.--St. Patrick’s I 12. Dunedin I 10. D.S.A. 10. Pioneer 8. Paramount 8. -bl. Patrick’s II 8, Challenge b, Red Triangle 4, Kensington X 2, Dunedin II h Trinity 1, Kensington II nil. .. •.,■*. • MEN’S MATCHES ST. CLAIR v. YJVLC.A. This. match, played at St. Clair, proved that the young St. Clair team has all that was expected of it and its win was very popular and thoroughly deserved. The most improved player in the St, Clair team is undoubtedly L. J. Ramsay. DUNEDIN v. MAYFAIR Although Mayfair was defeated by a fair majority, the individual games were much closer than the score (Dunedin 19, Mayfair 13) indicates. The South Island champion, Laidlaw. playing for Mayfair, has shown great improvement during the past two and with two more weeks of consistent practice this player should be almost unbeatable. For Dunedin, L. Brown and D. Smyth helped most toward their team’s ultimate victory. . Brown s eight games were by varied play—driving, backhand flicks, drop shots, long-range chop defence. FRIEND’S v. ST. PATRICK’S This game, played at the popular Friend Home on Mount Cargill, proved once again that the Friend’s combination is one f the most formidable ni the A Grade at present. Morns Friend and his brother finished the evening without defeat, whilst the teams new player Tom Bennett played well to win six games. V. Donnelly, for St. Patrick’s, did not let Friend’s have things all their own way, and with some delightful stroke play gained three games of his side’s five. PARAMOUNT v. KENSINGTON Hall and McKinnon, of Paramount, showed much improvement over tMir last week’s match and each won eight games. The Kensington quartet playfed well, but Paramount’s experience was the deciding factor. The match ended Paramount 26, Kensington 6.