Top People |
Men's Singles Champion |
Barry Griffiths (A) |
Women's Singles Champion |
Christine Lee (A) |
Ranking List |
Men
- Peter Jackson (A)
- Barry Griffiths (A)
- Malcolm Temperley (NS)
- Alan Pedley (FR)
- Malcolm Darroch (NS)
- Alan Shewan (H)
- Richard Lee (A)
- Tony Radford (NS)
- Kevin Barry (FR)
- Grant McCarroll (C)
Women
- Christine Lee (A)
- Jan Morris (C)
- Debbie Stratford (ML)
- Ann Gyongyos (HV)
- Bodil Martinsson (C)
- Eileen Hoete (A)
- Catherine Cearns (A)
- Kristen Phillips (HV)
- Jane Bevan (H)
- Adele Mudford (NS)
Under 18 Boys
- Sean Ryan (FR)
- Grant McCarroll (C)
- David Pyper (HV)
- Karl Entwistle (C)
- Gary Traill (NL)
- Keith Aldersley (W)
- Murray Traill (NL)
- Michael McCleary (HV)
- Dicky Babor (HV)
- David Kilmister (MN)
Under 18 Girls
- Eileen Hoete (A)
- Catherine Cearns (A)
- Sharon Coad (A)
- Tanya McAvinue (MN)
- Diana White (HV)
- Carolyn England (A)
- Maxine Goldie (WC)
- Bernadette Halliday (FR)
- Linda Shewan (H)
- Megan Taylor (ML)
Under 16 Boys
- David Pyper (HV)
- Karl Entwistle (C)
- Murray Traill (NL)
- Blair Quested (A)
- Stuart Munday (A)
- Michael McCleary (HV)
- Dicky Babor (HV)
- Hagen Bower (A)
- Robert Chung (W)
- Michael Brosnahan (SC)
Under 16 Girls
- Sharon Coad (A)
- Maxine Goldie (WC)
- Vicki Woodman (NL)
- Diana White (HV)
- Susan Cuthbert (HV)
- Michelle White (HV)
- Karen Hines (C)
- Joanne Fisher (C)
- Paula McNichol (HV)
- Gina Harper (HV)
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Executive Committee |
Ron Menchi (Chair), Robin Radford (Dep
Chair), John Beatson, David Cook, Trevor Harris (res
30/5/85), David Jackson, John Lelliott, Les Roughton, Peter Hirst (app
30/5/85), Dick Lynn (Treasurer). |
Staff |
Merv Allardyce (Executive Officer) |
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English
Coach Takes Up Full-time Position as NZ Director of Coaching
A significant event occurred on 28 May, 1985 when former England coach Peter
Hirst arrived in New Zealand with his family to take up residence in Lower Hutt
and commence work as this countrys first full-time paid National Director of
Coaching.
He was one of three professional coaches from Great Britain who had previously visited
this country on a short-term contract to advise on coaching matters and conduct coach
education courses. The decision to hire a full-time Director of Coaching was made only
after careful consideration of the financial implications and an extensive tour of the
country by Neti Traill, whose stature as a former NZ Champion helped her
to sell the idea to district associations. This public relations exercise was
essential as, although some Recreation and Sport funding was available, it would be
necessary for players and associations to contribute to the cost.
On taking up his appointment, Peter Hirst visited 19 associations to ascertain their
coaching needs, conduct coach education courses and give school demonstrations. He also
accompanied the NZ Junior team to the Australian Championships.
His early recommendations included linking Association, Regional and National coaching
into a seamless unit, creating a coach accreditation system, promoting the sport in
schools, revising the coaching manual, introducing ranking events into the
tournament calendar and exposing our top players more often to international competition.
NZ Championships in Timaru Break the Mould
A raft of innovations pervaded this years national championships. The championships
were also an early opportunity for hosts South Canterbury to showcase their newly built
stadium, completed only three months earlier.
A unique feature of the tournament was that the junior and senior team contests were
played at the same time. This had been the subject of an AGM debate in 1984 and there was
opposition to the idea as the junior teams of some Associations were coached or managed by
members of their senior teams. But by presenting the favourable aspects (more players,
more spectators, better atmosphere, completing the tournament in fewer days and thus
saving on accommodation costs) tournament manager Barry Butler was able
to garner the required support. Senior and junior individual events were also programmed
concurrently.
Other notable features were the inclusion of an Australia v New Zealand Junior Test Match
(reported on elsewhere); the addition of veteran team events (2 player teams, 5 match
contests); the extension of the Interisland contests to include Veteran, Under 18 and
Under 15 age-groups; and the entry in the individual events of some top Australian
players.
At its peak during the team events, a total of 33 tables were available: 23 in the large
Aorangi Stadium and 12 in South Canterburys own stadium.
A record of the tournament was preserved by the publication of a 1986 calendar featuring
photographs taken during the week-long event.
The Championships were a triumph for the host association and its dedicated team of
organisers. Barry Butler was the undisputed leader and his overall
contribution to the sport in the area was recognized in later years when the stadium was
re-named the Barry Butler Stadium
End of an Era Ken Wilkinson Retires
At the 1949
Annual General Meeting Ken Wilkinson was elected honorary secretary of
NZTTA. For many years he was re-elected unopposed and as the sport grew and the work-load
increased his position was elevated to paid secretary. In due course he was employed for
20 hours a week as a salaried Executive Officer.
The 1985 Annual General Meeting was his last before retirement. His service encompassed
more than 36 years. In an unusual move, AGM Chairman Dick Rassie invited
a spokesperson from every Association present at the meeting to pay a tribute to Ken. All
were united in their generosity and a quality mentioned repeatedly was his thoroughness
and attention to the minutest detail. Kens reply to the succession of accolades was
typically humble and he entertained the gathering with a collection of anecdotes drawn
from his multiple experiences in New Zealand and overseas.
Bronze Medal at Commonwealth Championships
Peter Jackson and Barry Griffiths made history at the
Commonwealth Championships in the Isle of Man in March by becoming the first New
Zealanders in the men's events and the third after Yvonne Fogarty in 1973 and Anne
Stonestreet and Neti Traill in 1975, to win medals at this major international event. They
reached the semi-finals of the mens doubles where they narrowly lost to the eventual
winners from Nigeria, 19-21, 21-19, 19-21. A superb performance.
Malcolm Temperley, Jan Morris and Kadia Rice completed
the NZ team, which went on to compete at the World Championships (refer below). The coach
was Geoff Rau and the manager John Lelliott. Both the
mens and womens teams finished 7th, the men out of 18 teams and the women out
of 15.
Even before his arrival in New Zealand to take up his permanent coaching position, Peter
Hirst was able to assist the team by arranging pre-event training facilities in
London.
World Teams Revamp Should Help New Zealand
At the World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, the NZ men finished 39th and the women
27th. The structure of the competition meant that the men could not attain any position
higher than 38th due to their place in category 3, which in turn was determined by their
1983 ranking. The women were better off in category 2. A resolution was passed at the ITTF
General Meeting to introduce a new system enabling any team winning their initial
round-robin group to go all the way to the World title. 16 groups would be drawn with all
winners playing off for positions 1 16, all group runners-up playing for 17th
32nd and so on. The resulting rankings would be a more accurate reflection of
current playing standard and not be influenced by results two years earlier.
Peter Jackson was our star performer in the individual events. He
qualified for the mens singles main draw and won through to the second round where
he then faced World No 9 Mikael Appelgren (Sweden). He lost three straight but by the very
respectable margin of 20-22, 13-21, 19-21 a remarkable achievement.
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Executive
Committee Ponders Drop in Participation Figures
Reacting with concern to a drop in interclub participation of 27% over the last four
years, the Management Committee held a day-long informal meeting to consider a strategy to
reverse this trend. A comprehensive report, focusing on marketing and publicity, was to be
tabled for consideration in 1986.
Junior TT All Blacks Take on Australia in Test Match, and Win
Australia were no match for New Zealands top Under 18 players when they squared off
against each other in an international played after the completion of the teams contests
at the NZ Championships in Timaru.
The Test Match began with a team march in and an opening ceremony with national anthems
played and banners and pins exchanged. Flying the flag for New Zealand were Grant
McCarroll, Gary Traill, Sean Ryan, Catherine Cearns, Tanya McAvinue and
Eileen Hoete. Australia was represented by Roger Bonney, Dennis Makaling, Jim
Measham, Fiona Stennard, Sue Mitchell and Nicole Freeland. The boys won 7-2 and the girls
6-3 after coming back from 1-3 down.
Played at the same time was a contest between three junior boys from Queensland and a NZ
selection of David Pyper, Keith Aldersley and Karl Entwistle.
The New Zealanders won 5-4.
World Cup
Peter Jackson came close to representing Oceania at the Mens World
Cup when he lost to the eventual winner of the Qualifying Tournament, Tommy Danielsson of
Australia, 17-21, 19-21. Peter was one of two New Zealanders participating with two
Australians in a four-player round-robin to determine a representative to travel to
Foshan, China for the World Cup competition. Only 16 participate in this glamour event
with one place always reserved for the Oceania region.
Malcolm Temperley (NZ) and Gary Haberl (Australia) were the other two
participating in the Qualifying Tournament, held in Sydney on 1 July.
Australian Junior Championships
The girls team finished second and the boys fifth in the teams events at
this tournament. Along the way Gary Traill (pictured) and Eileen
Hoete beat the No 1 Australian junior boy and girl respectively and the boys team
beat top seeds Queensland.
Maxine Goldie and Vicki Woodman reached the final of the
Under 15 girls doubles, losing 21-18, 18-21, 18-21. Eight semi-finals featured NZ players,
some of whom had earlier toppled seeded opponents.
The others in the team were Karl Entwistle, Blair Quested, Murray Traill, Sharon
Coad and Tanya McAvinue. Peter Hirst coached the team and David
Jackson was the manager. The Championships were held in Hobart in early
September.
Plug Pulled on International Televised Tournament
Arrangements appeared to be securely in place for an international tournament featuring
players from Japan, England, Australia and New Zealand to take place in Auckland in
August. NZTTA was assured that a private promoter had arranged television coverage and
sponsorship but three weeks before the event the promoter withdrew leaving insufficient
time to make alternative arrangements.
NZ Coach at Fiji Olympic Solidarity Course
A week-long coaching course in Fiji in late August was funded by Olympic Solidarity
through the Oceania Olympic Committee. NZTTA Management Committee member Merv
Allardyce was appointed to administer the course and to assist Australian coach
George Abdilla.
Queensland Open
Christine Lee dominated this tournament, winning the singles, doubles
(with Jan Morris) and mixed doubles (with Richard Lee). Barry
Griffiths also competed and won the under 21 mens singles. The travel costs
incurred by the four New Zealanders were met by Queensland TTA as part of their
sponsorship arrangement with Qantas.
New Zealander Wins Over 60 Championship at Australian Veterans
Isabel Cleland (Hutt Valley) won the over 60 womens singles at the
second Australian Veterans Championships held in Brisbane in October. Frank
OGorman (South Canterbury) was runner-up in the mens event in the
same age-group.
New Zealand fielded two mens teams at the championships: Over 50 and Over 60. Both
finished 3rd. Six players travelled to the event.
Death of Long-serving Administrator
Hector Alexander (Hec) Pyle passed away on 22 August in Wellington at the
age of 84. He had served 15 years on the NZTTA Executive Committee, ending in 1961.
Door Opens for Table Tennis at Olympics
With Table Tennis events scheduled to enter the Olympic Games programme in 1988, NZTTA was
officially accepted as a member of the NZ Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association on 26
August. Not only does this lift the sport to a new level, it entitles NZTTA to apply for
grants from the Olympic Solidarity fund to conduct coaching and other courses. The funding
is sourced through the NZ Olympic Committee and the International Table Tennis Federation.
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