Clouds of War Descend Over Table Tennis

Maintaining the sport at club, district and national level as the second world war escalated and more and more key male personnel were called for overseas service was a challenge to administrators and players alike. Table Tennis was fortunate in that Arthur Marshall and Norm Ballinger were able to remain at the helm at national level and, supported by a reduced but dedicated band of administrators throughout the country, kept the sport simmering until it burst back into life in 1946. Many decisions taken during 1940 were war-related. The cancellation of the NZ, North and South Island Championships from 1941 until the end of the war met with little opposition. More controversial was a proposal to suspend provincial tournaments as well. A motion calling for this was eventually defeated with the main argument being that women should be given the opportunity to continue to play competitively at least at district level. Those seeking the suspension argued that male players of military age may feel embarrassed to be seen participating in such events.

South Canterbury, leading by example, donated a share of their tournament profits to the Patriotic Fund to assist the war effort. Auckland reported that they had been organising table tennis exhibitions at military camps.

Names of prominent players serving overseas were read at AGMs and it was agreed to establish a table tennis Roll of Honour.

It was left to the NZ Executive to decide from year to year whether or not to conduct a national inter-provincial teams championship. This event was newly introduced this year (refer later article), a trophy had been donated and there was a strong desire for the event not to lose momentum.

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Algie Put to the Test at National Championships

Most of the country’s top male players of military age remained in the country throughout 1940 but the 7th NZ Championships played in Wellington were the last before a five year wartime suspension.

Otago’s Russell Algie, the table tennis “find” of 1939, was expecting to face a full-strength field in the men’s singles. While his win in Dunedin last year was over a weakened field, he still showed he was a match for anyone in the country by his performance in the national trials (to win selection in a NZ team to visit Australia) and on the actual trip to Australia where overall he outplayed his fellow team members.

When he travelled to Wellington he was yet to compete with the best at a New Zealand Championship and this looked like his big chance. But less than a week before the tournament came a message from Auckland that several of their players were withdrawing. They included three former champions (Harry Boys, Ken Cantlay and Errol Cheal) and the entire female contingent. No reason for the withdrawal has been recorded. Cantlay played for Auckland in the teams contests but withdrew from the individual events.

Aucklanders Frank Paton and Owen Jaine remained in the field and Max Gosling and Eric Boniface (pictured) were among the top Wellington chances for the men’s title. Title-holder Algie was now the clear favourite.

After a bevy of upsets Otago players filled three of the four men’s singles semi-final spots. Bill Fogarty (brother of Margaret, the 1939 women’s champion), Morris Friend (age 17, who had just won the NZ Junior Boys Singles) and Algie were joined in the semi-finals by the sole surviving North Islander, Eric Boniface. Algie faced Boniface in the final. The latter had improved markedly with the experience gained from his 1939 visit to Australia and he had surprised all by beating Algie in the Otago / Wellington contest at the inaugural inter-provincial championships a week earlier. But it was Algie who prevailed in the singles final. Both players are fine stylists but Algie showed the steadier temperament and retained the title.

Hutt Valley’s Pat Valk utilised her strong forehand to triumph in the women’s singles, over more fancied opposition including Laura Hughes and Betty Strang.

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Inter-Provincial Championship Launched

The energetic Wellington administrator Tommy Williams was behind the launch of a New Zealand inter-provincial teams championship in 1940. It continued through the war years and annually thereafter.

Wellington were unbeaten in both the men’s and women’s sections and thus became the inaugural winners of the Kean Challenge Shield. But they were pushed all the way by Otago in the men’s event. The contest between the two resulted in a 7-5 win to Wellington, requiring an upset and very narrow win by Eric Boniface over Russell Algie to tilt the game Wellington’s way. In a further upset, Hutt Valley’s Cyril Wesley (pictured) beat NZ representative and 1936/7 champion Ken Cantlay of Auckland. Auckland prevailed overall in the contest and finished third.

Wellington were followed by Hutt Valley and Auckland in the women’s competition.

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Australia and US Visit Japan for Table Tennis – NZ Should Have Been There

By December, 1941 New Zealand, Australia and the United States would all be at war with Japan, along with Great Britain and other allied forces. But an event totally at odds with the impending conflict took place in June, 1940. A somewhat misnamed Pan Pacific Table Tennis Tournament was hosted by Japan with two-player teams from Australia, the United States and Japan competing. New Zealand would also have been there but, sadly, a letter inviting us was delayed in the post and received too late. It was discovered eventually that the inadequately addressed invitation was exceedingly generous and included an offer to pay all expenses for the tournament and for a fortnight’s tour of the country afterwards.

Reports on the event were published in New Zealand some considerable time afterwards. It was a fascinating insight into the sport in Japan and a clear signal that the Asian nation could soon be a threat at world level.

“Some idea of their standard may be gained from the fact that they comfortably beat the Hungarians Szabados and Kelen when they toured Japan in 1938,” wrote the Sports Post. “That year Japan also beat a strong American team.”

Arthur Bowe, one of the two Australians selected to make the trip, offered a first-hand account. “The tour was subsidised by the largest newspaper in the country and the Foreign Office,” he said. “We were grandly welcomed at every city, entertained lavishly and accommodated at the finest hotels.”

At the stadiums, packed with crowds varying from 3,000 to 6,000, the visitors were amazed to find that every rally was applauded, even as it was being played.

“Three coaches would watch for any weakness in their countryman’s play, or that of their opponent,” reported the other Australian team member, national champion Ken Adamson. “They would call the Japanese player from the table in the middle of the game and advise him on tactics.”

The Australians were surprised to find that the pen-grip was widely used in Japan, and with old-fashioned wooden or cork-faced bats. “But,” said Adamson, “their control and all-round skills are remarkable. They attack and defend with equal ease. The speed of their game and their intense concentration are amazing. The singles final between Kon and Sai was the most spectacular and thrilling game I have ever seen.”

Top Japanese players were destined eventually to leave their own shores and demonstrate their table tennis skills internationally. But Japan had a world war to fight first.

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Stratford and Christchurch Host Island Championships

The North Island Championships took place in Stratford and the Souths in Christchurch. They would be the last until the wartime suspension was lifted. Both venues were of interest. Canterbury Association was not formed until 1937, affiliated to NZTTA in 1938 and then had to spend most of the war years in recess. Hosting the South Island Championships was a welcome chance for them to demonstrate that their administrative skills could match those of the more experienced Associations.

And while Taranaki also affiliated in 1938 (South Taranaki separately in 1945) the sport in the small town of Stratford had been very vibrant since 1934. The 1940 North Island Championships were held there just three days after the national tournament concluded and were well organised and well supported.

The South Island singles champions were Morris Friend and Barbara Lee, and the North Island’s Frank Paton and Pat Harvey.

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Frank Paton: First Triple Champion

1935 NZ Champion, Frank Paton, made history this year by being the first to win the North and South Island Championships as well as the New Zealand title. His 1940 North Island win completed the treble. He had won the South Island singles in 1939.

In due course several players would better this by winning all three in the same year.

Paton was one of the pioneers of competitive table tennis in New Zealand. He began playing in 1920 at the Auckland YMCA Boys Division and by 1926 was Auckland Champion. Retaining his trade-mark pen-grip and faithful cork-faced bat throughout his long career, he was still beating some of our best players in 1950.

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Dual Roles for Officers Again Debated

The issue of table tennis officials serving on committees at both national and district level reared its head again this year, having already been dealt with at length in 1939. A compromise limiting the number of national officials also serving district associations to no more than two was agreed upon but this number would be revised to four and brought back to three. Eventually it was realised that any limitation was proving to be impracticable given a constant shortage of administrators and the idea was abandoned.

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