TABLE TENNIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23539, 30 June 1938, Page 5

TABLE TENNIS

By Back-hand Chop COMING FIXTURES July 2—Otago v. at Dunedin (Y.M.C.A.). July 19.—World champions, Barna and Bellak (Dunedin Town Hall). July 23.—Hungarians v. South Island, at Christchurch.

DOUBLES TOURNAMENT With so much talent available this year, the Selection Committee is having a trying time selecting the players to plav along with the world champions, Barna and Bellak, in the Town Hall next month. In order that the best doubles pair may be selected, the committee wishes to have a doubles tournament next Saturday week in the Dunedin Club room. This tournament is open to all doubles pairs playing in A Grade at the present time. INDIAN HOCKEY PLAYERS According to advice received from urj north, the Indian hockey team now in New Zealand enjoys most of all playing table tennis when: not engaged in their national sport of hockey. The report states:—"All the team requires for its amusement at the centres it visits is.a room or hall with tables for • table tennis. At this game several

players are adept, table tennis being regarded as useful practice for alertness and quickness of eye." SOUTHLAND MATCH A particularly strong team has been selected to plav Southland next Saturday in the Dunedin Y.M.C.A. The team comprising R Algie (Otago champion) L Brown (West Coast Singles champion and South Island Doubles champion), M. Friend (South Island Junior Singles champion), A. Algie, D. Miller (several times Otago champion), and G. Laidlaw (South Island Singles champion), is one. of the most formiable teams selected to play a visiting team. These players possess attractive styles, and many thrilling games of fast table tennis should be witnessed on this occasion. LOCAL CLUB NOTES Besides the 58 teams entered in the association's competitions, there must b? upwards of 75 other clubs which have started table tennis since the season commenced. These clubs are full of enthusiasm, and more will be heard of them next year when they are in a position to enter teams in the various competitions. Probably no other indoor sport has had the phenomenal rise to prominence now being, enjcyed by table tennis. To have risen from the small beginning of six teams and 40 plavers in 1933 to 58 teams and 390 pfayers in 1938 is indeed an achievement. One has only to witness a few games of table tennis as now played to realise that the cha.nge from ping" pong to table tennis has been mainly responsible for this popularity. The largest clubs in Dunedin at the present time are St.. Patrick's, with 60 players; Kensington, 55 players; Dunedin, 40 players; and Paramount, with approximately the same number. All of these clubs have many teams in the various grades, and their standard of play has improved to such an extent that this writer would venture

to suggest that the present B Grade-:* teams would have had no difficulty m.,.defeating the A Grade teams of a year-, or two ago. ■"'< WOMEN'S MATCHES u't The match between the D.S.A. and 1 Dunedin teams last Monday night re?"' suited in a draw. These two team*', were in second position next to St; •■ Patrick's I, and as a result of the draw their position remains unchanged.,? Miss E. Lock, playing for D.S.A., woftv. seven games, and proved to the' selectors that her play has not deterior- t _ ated in spite of many years in tablestennis competition. Miss E. Knight,.-, with six games, was largely responsible,;:, for holding the match to a draw fo* vr Dunedin. • yw?

MEN'S A GRADE LADDER Games P. W. L. D. F. A. Pts. St. Clair .. 8 7- 1 204 52 15 Dunedin . ..8 7 1 - 173 4 Y.M.C.A. ..862 -170 86 12 Friends .. .. 8 3 3 2 144 112 8 Mayfair .. 7 3 3 1 106 118 7 Paramount .. 8 2 6 - 86 170 4 St. Patrick's .. 8 1 7 - 101 155 2 . .