75yrsheader1.jpg (21705 bytes)

year1985.jpg (3559 bytes)

chronicle home page  |  1934-1958  |  1959-1983 1984-2008


 

Top People

Men's Singles Champion Barry Griffiths (A)
Women's Singles Champion Christine Lee (A)

 

Ranking List 

Men

  1. Peter Jackson (A)
  2. Barry Griffiths (A)
  3. Malcolm Temperley (NS)
  4. Alan Pedley (FR)
  5. Malcolm Darroch (NS)
  6. Alan Shewan (H)
  7. Richard Lee (A)
  8. Tony Radford (NS)
  9. Kevin Barry (FR)
  10. Grant McCarroll (C)

Women

  1. Christine Lee (A)
  2. Jan Morris (C)
  3. Debbie Stratford (ML)
  4. Ann Gyongyos (HV)
  5. Bodil Martinsson (C)
  6. Eileen Hoete (A)
  7. Catherine Cearns (A)
  8. Kristen Phillips (HV)
  9. Jane Bevan (H)
  10. Adele Mudford (NS)

Under 18 Boys

  1. Sean Ryan (FR)
  2. Grant McCarroll (C)
  3. David Pyper (HV)
  4. Karl Entwistle (C)
  5. Gary Traill (NL)
  6. Keith Aldersley (W)
  7. Murray Traill (NL)
  8. Michael McCleary (HV)
  9. Dicky Babor (HV)
  10. David Kilmister (MN)

Under 18 Girls

  1. Eileen Hoete (A)
  2. Catherine Cearns (A)
  3. Sharon Coad (A)
  4. Tanya McAvinue (MN)
  5. Diana White (HV)
  6. Carolyn England (A)
  7. Maxine Goldie (WC)
  8. Bernadette Halliday (FR)
  9. Linda Shewan (H)
  10. Megan Taylor (ML)

Under 16 Boys

  1. David Pyper (HV)
  2. Karl Entwistle (C)
  3. Murray Traill (NL)
  4. Blair Quested (A)
  5. Stuart Munday (A)
  6. Michael McCleary (HV)
  7. Dicky Babor (HV)
  8. Hagen Bower (A)
  9. Robert Chung (W)
  10. Michael Brosnahan (SC)

Under 16 Girls

  1. Sharon Coad (A)
  2. Maxine Goldie (WC)
  3. Vicki Woodman (NL)
  4. Diana White (HV)
  5. Susan Cuthbert (HV)
  6. Michelle White (HV)
  7. Karen Hines (C)
  8. Joanne Fisher (C)
  9. Paula McNichol (HV)
  10. Gina Harper (HV)

 

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)



English Coach Takes Up Full-time Position as NZ Director of Coaching

A significant event occurred on 28 May, 19851985_hirst.jpg (5737 bytes) 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 country’s 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 year’s 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 Canterbury’s 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

1985_kcw.jpg (7225 bytes)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. Ken’s 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 men’s 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 men’s and women’s 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 men’s 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.


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 Zealand’s 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 Men’s 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 boys1985_traill.jpg (3261 bytes) 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 men’s 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 women’s singles at the second Australian Veterans Championships held in Brisbane in October. Frank O’Gorman (South Canterbury) was runner-up in the men’s event in the same age-group.

New Zealand fielded two men’s 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.



1985

page updated: 06/10/16

goto 1986