Tournament Programme Curtailed Throughout World War II

With the New Zealand, North and South Island Championships suspended for the duration of the war, it was feared that publicity for the sport would tail off. These national tournaments had always received generous newspaper coverage. Publicising local tournaments was seen as the best way to keep the sport in the eye of the general public and maintain player numbers through a difficult period. At the AGM delegates were urged to seek maximum exposure for their district championships by supplying the media with previews, progress articles and photographs of the winners.

Wellington, South Canterbury and Southland in particular responded energetically to this suggestion.

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Inter-Provincial Event Held

NZTTA decided to proceed with an inter-provincial team championship and offered Hutt Valley and Wellington hosting rights. The offer was taken up by Hutt Valley and the tournament was held in late August. It was the only fixture conducted under the auspices of NZTTA this year. Nine teams entered, an acceptable number considering the circumstances and the absence of many players on overseas war service. But no South Island teams participated. “The absence of teams from the South Island is regrettable,” wrote the NZ Freelance. “The game is still going strongly in the south and it was hoped that at least two teams would take part in the tournament.” Travelling time and costs were a major factor.

In the men’s section both Wellington and Hutt Valley scored decisive wins over the other four teams: Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, Wanganui and Wairarapa. When they met in the final round Wellington won 8-4.

Only three women’s teams participated, with Wellington having easy wins over Hawke’s Bay and Hutt Valley. Hutt Valley beat Hawke’s Bay 7-5 for second place.

The Kean Challenge Shield therefore remained in Wellington.

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Plenty of Enthusiasm for Table Tennis – But No Balls

“Before the war table tennis was a game played in many homes on winter nights,” wrote a reporter in a South Canterbury paper. “Now, however, the game is confined to clubs and competition series – not because enthusiasm has diminished, but by reason of a shortage of balls. Only meagre supplies are available in the city shops.”

The situation was to get much worse – clubs and associations would soon also be feeling the pinch.

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Wellington Administrators Mix It With the Players

In an innovative move by a man no stranger to innovation, Tommy Williams, the Wellington TTA Executive formed a team and entered it in a social grade within their own interclub competition. It was a move to keep the executive “….. in close touch with developments and trends of thought as represented by the competitors”, said Mr Williams. “By active participation in the sport the administrators will make direct contact with the players of the various clubs.”

He felt that many other sports were unduly conservative through being out of touch with their participants.

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Table Tennis War Casualties Remembered

At last year’s AGM the names of prominent table tennis players serving overseas were read. This year’s task was more sombre. Names of any registered table tennis players known to have been killed in action were read and a minute silence observed. Named this year were H Rendall, W Verdan, B Walsh and A Harris. Many more would be remembered in the years to come.

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Wartime Affiliation Fees – a Difficult Balancing Act

With player numbers diminishing as well as administrators available to service them, some Associations were forced into recess during the war years. NZTTA decided to levy a nominal recess fee on any inactive Association holding cash reserves but to waive it for those with none. Financial problems were also widespread among those Associations able to remain active and some accommodation also had to be made with them regarding the payment of fees.

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War!! It’s a Bit Like Table Tennis

Jim Halligan, a useful table tennis player from Hutt Valley, didn’t allow the early German advances to demoralize him while on army service in the Middle East. While fully aware of the dangers and the tragedy unfolding around him, with characteristic good humour he wrote home from Egypt that “we may be two games down in our match with Hitler, but it’s best of five and we’ve just got used to his service.”

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