NZTTA Turns 50 – and Celebrates!!

In one memorable weekend (16-18 March), organisers of the New Zealand Table Tennis Golden Jubilee celebrations managed to pack in a social gathering, an Oceania World Cup Qualifying Tournament, a Book Launch, an Annual General Meeting and a formal dinner. A video-recorded congratulatory message from ITTF President Roy Evans was played at the dinner.

An exhibition was set up displaying historical photographs, press cuttings, banners, badges and early table tennis equipment.

A special NZ Table Tennis Jubilee postmark was created by the Post Office.

The most enduring item produced to commemorate the occasion was a 153 page hard-back book researched and written by long-serving NZTTA Executive Officer/Secretary Ken Wilkinson. Entitled “Fifty Years Across the Table”, it is a detailed and richly illustrated history of table tennis in this country.

Among the memorabilia displayed at the various functions was a giant table tennis bat - more than two metres in length, manufactured by Palmerston North sports goods manufacturer and entrepreneur Simon Barnett and signed by all those attending the celebrations. Also attracting attention was a supply of large plastic coated table mats (sponsored by Whitcoulls) each depicting a hand-drawn picture of table tennis being played in colonial days. Jubilee coasters, a specially labeled McWilliams Muller Thurgau Jubilee wine and a Jubilee cake also adorned the dinner table.

Guests were brought in from far and wide, speakers were arranged and the weekend was a massive logistical undertaking. Areas of responsibility shared among the ten-member organising committee included registrations, accommodation, publicity, transport, entertainment, wine, catering, sponsorship and finance. The Committee was chaired by Ron Menchi, with Ken Wilkinson the Secretary. Terry Bellamy of Dunedin was MC for the dinner and Alan Tomlinson, former NZ Champion, celebrated raconteur and multiple winner of radio and television quiz shows, was principle guest speaker.

More than 300 table tennis players, officials, supporters and special guests attended the celebrations. The whole occasion was a fitting end to our first 50 years and exciting start to our next 25.

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World Cup Qualification Tournament Entertains

Played in Upper Hutt during the Golden Jubilee weekend and attended by a large and enthusiastic crowd, this tournament featured New Zealand’s top two male players and their Australian counterparts to determine an Oceania representative for the Men’s World Cup to be contested later in the year in Malaysia. It took the form of a singles round-robin among the four, with the top two meeting again in a final.

The World Cup is an elite event restricted to only 16 players and governed by World Ranking criteria, the inclusion of all continental federations (hence NZ’s opportunity to qualify through Oceania), and provision for wild card entries.

Barry Griffiths and Peter Jackson flew the flag for New Zealand but even home crowd support didn’t lift their performance sufficiently and both were beaten by the two Australians, Gary Haberl and Tommy Danielsson. The eventual winner was Swedish-born Danielsson, whose cool demeanour throughout the tournament was inspirational. In the best of three final against Haberl he came from one game down to win the next two 21-6, 21-9. It was a superb display of power hitting and control.

In the Malaysia event Danielsson could only finish 15th but had an excellent win in group play over 1975 world champion, Istvan Jonyer of Hungary.

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Three Grand Slams

It’s a rarity for one player to win the singles title in all three national tournaments: North Island, South Island and New Zealand Championships. But this year it was achieved by not just one, but three players - in three different categories: Open Women’s Singles, Under 18 Boys’ Singles, and Under 16 Girls’ Singles.

Jan Morris of Canterbury reigned supreme in the Women’s events (deservingly also winning the Player of the Year Award), Tony Radford (North Shore) was untouchable in the Under 18 Boys field, and Manawatu’s Tanya McAvinue had a clean sweep in the Under 16 Girls. Tanya was also ranked number one in the Under 18 Girls age-group.

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North Island Final: Jackson Sweats, Umpire Stands Firm

Play was interrupted for more than ten minutes at a crucial stage of the North Island Championships Men’s Singles final in Lower Hutt. The match was between the top two seeds, Peter Jackson and Barry Griffiths with Jackson marginally favoured to win. He won the first two games and when serving at 20-20 in the third, the ball stuck to his hand and he fault-served. On examination, the ball had drops of sweat on it which caused it to stick and Jackson, with overseas experience of similar situations, claimed a let. The umpire, Tony Darroch (accredited earlier in the year with International Umpire status) rejected the call and stood firm while Jackson pleaded that a “sweat ball” always justified a let overseas.

Referee Merv Allardyce was consulted and after a leisurely ten minute discussion, the umpire’s call stood and no let was allowed.

Jackson won the next two points and held match point at 22-21 but Griffiths survived to win the game and with renewed confidence, won the final two games to take the title.

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Japanese Team Tours: Dominates New Zealand Championships

Thanks to a courageous initiative by NZTTA Chairman Ron Menchi and Executive Officer Ken Wilkinson in 1983, a three-man team of top Japanese players visited New Zealand this year to play three test matches and compete in the Golden Jubilee NZ Championships. The Japan Foundation met all the basic costs while additional sponsorship was raised to provide television coverage and cover incidental costs.

The three players were Hiroyuki Abe (No 44 in the world), Masahiro Maehara (No 4 in Japan), and lesser-known Ichiro Hoshino, chosen as a specialist chopper. The test matches were played in Palmerston North, Lower Hutt and Auckland. Peter Jackson and Barry Griffiths represented New Zealand in all three tests, with Malcolm Darroch, Graham Lassen and Malcolm Temperley completing the team and playing one test each. The New Zealanders rose to the occasion magnificently with both Jackson and Griffiths beating Maehara, and Griffiths beating Hoshino twice.

It was not just the Japanese players that made the 50th Jubilee New Zealand Championships a showcase event. Competently hosted by Manawatu TTA, the championships were also attended by the President of the Japanese Butterfly Company and his deputy Export Manager, and also the President of Oceania TT Federation. The event attracted other overseas players from Australia and New Caledonia.

Abe and Maehara met in the final after eliminating Jackson and Griffiths in their respective semi-finals. Abe prevailed with ease but the match was a spectacular finale to NZTTA’s Jubilee Year.

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New Zealand Beats Australia’s Best at Queensland Open

After receiving an offer of financial support from Queensland TTA for travel and accommodation, New Zealand was able to send its best players to compete in the Queensland Open Championships in Brisbane in May.

Our team faced especially stiff competition in the men’s events, with top-ranked Australians Gary Haberl, John Cooney and Robbie Javor all participating. But in one of the best ever performances by our players overseas the team won every event they competed in. Barry Griffiths (pictured) beat Haberl and Javor to win the men’s singles; Christine Lee won the women’s singles and the doubles with Jan Morris, Peter Jackson beat Barry Griffiths in the final of the Under 21 men’s singles and together they won the open men’s doubles. Then in an all-NZ mixed doubles final, Jackson and Lee beat Griffiths and Morris.

Manager Richard Lee concluded his report with: “…a kind invitation, a well-run tournament, and total success for the New Zealand team. What more could we want?”

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Two New International Umpires

After attending a 1983 umpire’s training course in Hong Kong, Gary Farquhar and Tony Darroch passed the challenging ITTF International Umpire’s Test Paper in March and joined the elite group of umpires holding this qualification.

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New Zealand in Mixed Doubles Final at Australian Junior Championships

Gary Traill and Eileen Hoete reached the final of the mixed doubles at these championships, played in Perth in May. Tanya McAvinue reached two semi-finals: the girls’ singles, and doubles with Eileen Hoete.

In the teams events, the boys finished third behind Victoria and Queensland and the girls also third, behind Victoria and New South Wales.

The full team was Gary Traill, David Kilmister, Grant McCarroll, Tanya McAvinue, Eileen Hoete and Yvonne Cuthbert. Bryan Keane managed the team and Bruce Shewan was the coach. It was a well-prepared team, with the group assembling first in Hamilton and then for three days in Auckland for pre-event training.

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Big Year on the Coaching Front

Separate national junior coaching schools were held for girls and boys in late January, both in the Wellington area. It was the 26th year these schools have been conducted. They were sponsored by Nittaku and each school was attended by twelve trainees.

A second tier of promising juniors was selected to attend three regional coaching schools later in the year. The coach for the southern region, Martin Duffy, felt the time would have been better spent if the top juniors of the region were also made to attend to raise the overall standard. This comment was not echoed by the other regions’ coaches who, drawing players from a larger population, seemed to appreciate the opportunity to work with the next layer of talent with a view to lifting them to national level.

Most of the country’s top players were available to attend a four-day senior training squad conducted by Geoff Rau in Hamilton over Easter.

Two other major development occurred this year in the coaching area. The AGM approved an extra levy on all interclub teams to support the funding of a full-time National Director of Coaching. The aim was to be in a position to employ an overseas coach with international experience from 1985.

The other development was a complete rewrite of the Coaching Manual. This task was undertaken and completed by David Cook and the finished article approved by all regional coaches.

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Uncertain start to National Boys’ Coaching School

Reports show that by the end of the first day the National Boys' Coaching School (refer above) had hit its stride and was going well, with all trainees showing a positive attitude. But it had to recover from an alarming succession of early problems.

One Association objected to the Coach appointment, four players withdrew before it started, the Coach had to attend his father’s funeral during the school, a player was harshly penalised for being late back from a trip to the central city (was caught in a traffic Jam) and withdrew, a further player withdrew in protest.

Correspondence followed between the coach, NZTTA and Hutt Valley TTA, the penalised player’s local association. The National body decided to take no further action.

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Junior Travellers

Three Under 15 boys travelled to New South Wales and visited several centres affiliated to the NSW Country League. The central event was the Illawarra Open in which the boys competed. The top Australian players played in the open events. The NZ team manager was former Australian representative Christine Lee (nee Little) who also competed - winning the women’s singles and doubles.

Northland took six juniors to New Caledonia for two weeks in May/June and earlier in May had toured New Zealand extensively by bus with a party of 24 young players plus parents.

Hutt Valley also undertook an internal tour, visiting North Island centres in May with a party of 12 juniors and two seniors.

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Obituary: Bill Mullins

Former Hutt Valley and NZTTA official Bill Mullins passed away on 25 June at Lower Hutt at the age of 80. He served on the NZ Executive for 26 years up to 1966, chairing it for five years. He also gave long and dedicated service to his local Hutt Valley association.

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Australian Veterans Championships
Inaugurated: NZ Players There From the Start

For the record, the following were the first New Zealanders to participate in the Australian Veterans Championships, inaugurated this year in Kingston, Tasmania: Pat Doyle, Valley Kwok, John Lelliott, Frank O’Gorman, Theo Sandberg, Isabel Cleland and Thelma May. The men were able to form an Over 40 Team and compete in the teams section.

The event continued annually, with New Zealanders supporting it every year.

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NZTTA Links Arms with Other Sports

By moving the national office in Wellington from Courtenay Place to Dominion Sports House in Mercer Street in December, NZTTA settled into an environment shared by a multitude of other sporting organisations.

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Round Table Experiment

A curious innovation was unveiled to the New Zealand public when a television news item was screened nationwide featuring six Auckland players, including NZ No 1 Barry Griffiths, playing table tennis on a round table. The table was divided into four segments by series of nets radiating from the centre like spokes on a wheel. The rules, if indeed they had even been finalised, were not explained but the players were invited to assess the value of the device, for both its novelty value and its use as a means of quickening reflexes. Most preferred to reserve judgement.

It was the invention of German entrepreneur Gunther Arnt and he was promoting it world wide. As far as is known, the idea never caught on.