New Zealand Table Tennis Association is Established

On the motion of Mr Geoff Pownell, seconded by Mr Errol Cheal, a gathering of seven men and one woman resolved unanimously to form the New Zealand Table Tennis Association. The meeting took place at 32 Cuba Street, Wellington, on 11 April, 1934.

Those attending this founding event are recorded as GH Pownell (Wanganui), who chaired the meeting; C Smith and AEB Cheal, representing Auckland; CF Williams, representing Manawatu; G Laking, representing Wanganui along with Mr Pownell; Miss M Parker, KB Longmore and TS Williams, representing Wellington.

Sub-committees were formed to draw up a Constitution, make financial recommendations and formulate rules. George Laking was appointed to serve as Secretary until the first Annual General Meeting in 1935.

Other decisions taken included choosing black and silver as the Association’s colours, and domiciling Association headquarters in Wellington.

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Groundwork Already Laid for Organised Table Tennis in New Zealand

At the time of the inaugural meeting participation in table tennis throughout New Zealand was steadily increasing. The game enjoyed a huge boom of popularity around 1901/02 and then faded for some 20 years before a resurgence resulting in organised club, interclub and inter-association competitions in Auckland, Wanganui, Manawatu, Wairarapa, Wellington and Otago. 153 teams were playing regular interclub by 1933. Interest in the sport was boosted in that same year when 1929 World Champion Fred Perry visited New Zealand and played an exhibition match against fellow-English international Frank Wilde in Wellington. Their jaw-dropping standard of play was accorded wide publicity.

The Perry/Wilde match was the result of the foresight of TS (Tommy) Williams. He made contact with them and invited them to play in Wellington as part of their New Zealand tour giving tennis exhibitions. Both were also world-class lawn tennis players and Mr Williams was himself a professional tennis coach.

In what was now an ideal climate for setting up a national Association, a meeting of officials, including Tommy Williams and several others destined to serve the infant NZ Association, took place in February with two main agenda items: a review of the Perry/Wilde visit, and discussion on a New Zealand Championship tournament which Wellington had already offered to host and conduct.

A mere two months later the NZ Table Tennis Association was formed, with the inaugural meeting held in Tommy Williams’ tennis coaching headquarters and largely on his initiative.

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Officials Get To Work

At their next meeting on 24 May the officials debated the best table construction and surface paints to recommend to players. They also declared a minimum required bounce of the ball and there was even discussion on how close to the table the bottom of the net should reach.

Fees were set at £1.1.0 per affiliated Association, plus 2/6 for each AGM vote (ie, for each ten intercub teams). Five Associations affiliated (Auckland, Wellington, Wanganui, Manawatu and Otago), thus becoming the foundation members.

The main business for the first season was to plan the inaugural national championships but other fundamental matters received attention. An application by Wairarapa to affiliate was accepted on 27 August. At a special meeting of delegates from all Associations on 30 August a motion to change the length of a game from 31 points to 21 was carried by 18 votes to 9, with Manawatu and Wairarapa dissenting.

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Errol Cheal, involved in the creation of New Zealand Table Tennis Association and also first holder of the NZ Men's Singles Title

First Champions

For the several hundred players belonging to clubs in the six affiliated Associations, the first and most obvious sign that a national body had been formed was an invitation for them to enter the New Zealand Championships.

The conduct of the Championships, on 10-11 September in Wellington, was delegated almost entirely to the Wellington Association. Unlike the newly formed national body, Wellington was well-placed financially having been established a year earlier and with a solid player base. Keith Longmore was appointed Tournament Manager and Tommy Williams Referee.

Four tables were used for the early rounds and the finals were staged in the Wellington Town Hall Concert Chamber at considerable cost. Spectators were charged for admission throughout.

Our first two New Zealand singles champions both prevailed in their respective finals with steady rather than spectacular play. Errol Cheal of Auckland beat the harder-hitting Frank Paton (a pen-grip player, also of Auckland) in the men’s final by the narrow margin of 21-18 in the fifth game, coming back from 1-2 down. Eva Masters (Wellington) accounted for Laura Hughes (Manawatu) comfortably in two straight games to take the women’s title. The doubles winners were two Wellington pairs: Harry Kennedy and Charlie Williams (brother of Tommy), and Misses M Williams and M Hollis. The mixed doubles champions were Ron Dennis (Wanganui) and Laura Hughes.

Prior to the Championships there was a representative contest between Auckland and Wellington for men only. The official nationwide inter-association championship did not begin until 1940.

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