First Olympic Games Featuring Table Tennis: New Zealand Was There

The Olympic Games held in Seoul from 17 September to 2 October was a historic occasion for our sport. It was the first Olympics at which Table Tennis was played.

As Table Tennis is a major sport in the host country of South Korea, the spectator support was colossal with practically every playing session sold out. Anticipation surged as the medal matches approached and a fitting climax was the men’s singles gold medal match between two Korean stars. Yoo Nam Kyu prevailed over Kim Ki Taek to take the gold. A Korean pair won the women’s doubles and another took bronze in the men’s doubles.

The two New Zealand players who won Olympic places at last year’s Oceania Qualifying Tournament (Barry Griffiths in the singles and his doubles partner Peter Jackson) began their build-up for the games in January by playing in the English, Irish and West German Open Championships on consecutive weekends. Later in the year they took in the Japan and China Opens. They were assisted financially by a New Zealand Sports Foundation grant, as was coach and NZ Olympic Table Tennis Section Manager Peter Hirst who accompanied the two players to Asia. Physical training over the build-up period was intense and there was input from a professional psychological advisor.

Despite the thorough preparation nobody was under any illusions as the New Zealand Table Tennis team headed for Seoul – they knew their medals chances were at best slim, probably non-existent. But nor were they going to come away winless. Barry Griffiths had a good five game win over P Birochaeu of France and disposed of Mauritian G Hosnani in four. When he teamed with Peter Jackson in the doubles they beat an Austrian pair 23-21, 22-20. There were multiple 21’s, 20’s and 19’s among the New Zealanders’ losing scores and they were never kept below doubles figures in either the singles or doubles.

In describing the experience of being at the Olympics the team members reported that there had never been a table tennis event like it. “The atmosphere generated by so many world class athletes in so many disciplines had to be felt to be appreciated,” said Peter Hirst. “There was a tremendous feeling of friendship generated by everyone in attendance which will remain an experience never to be forgotten.”

Sharing this experience with our two players and their team manager was Tony Darroch, a New Zealand International Umpire who was selected to officiate at the games. 

---

Good Results at Oceania Championships

New Zealand beating Australia in the men’s team event for the first time at the Oceania Championships was only the beginning of what turned into a medal-fest for the New Zealand team at the New Caledonia-hosted Oceania’s in July. Barry Griffiths, by now into cruise mode in one of the best years of his career, collected the men’s singles title and also the doubles with Peter Jackson. Peter Jackson and Christine Little completed the clean sweep by winning the mixed doubles title.

Malcolm Darroch and Gary Traill completed the men’s team and Vanessa Balfour and Sarah Munday the women’s. Peter Hirst was the team manager.

---

Another Champaign Year for Barry Griffiths

Success at the Oceania Championships in New Caledonia (refer above) was only part of an enormously successful and eventful year for Barry Griffiths. A top player at senior level from the age of sixteen, and constantly having to deal with contemporary, equally talented and long-time rival (and doubles partner) Peter Jackson, Barry has amassed a glittering array of achievements over almost a decade. Following a remarkable year in 1987, this year he won the New Zealand men’s singles, the Oceania men’s singles, combined with Peter Jackson to win the men’s doubles at a special Australian invitation tournament with Chinese and Japanese opposition, was New Zealand’s only player to win a singles place at the Olympic Games, was ranked No 1 in NZ and received the Player of the Year award for the second year in a row.

---

Children’s KiwiSport Launched; Kiwi Table Tennis Kicks Off

The official launch of KiwiSport, regular sports specially modified for 9-12 year olds, took place in Auckland in May. It was followed by a number of regional launches throughout the country. As awareness of the KiwiSport programme spread rapidly, schools registered for the scheme, teachers underwent training and sports associations began launching their own programmes in schools and colleges of education.

Several of our Associations were quick to introduce Kiwi Table Tennis in schools and train teachers in the basics. It is played on a lower and smaller table but with otherwise normal equipment and rules.

---

First Year For New Zealand Players on World Ranking List

Due to their participation in the Olympic Games and a range of major open championships during their build-up, Barry Griffiths and Peter Jackson became the first New Zealand players to earn a place on the International Table Tennis Federation’s World Ranking List. Barry was listed at No 142 and Peter at 172. Their presence on the list indicates that in the course of the year they had both beaten at least two world ranked players in major open tournaments.

---

World’s Top Table Tennis Official Visits New Zealand

Thirty years after visiting New Zealand on an exhibition tour as one of the world’s two best players, Japanese former world champion turned international administrator Ichiro Ogimura was elected President of the International Table Tennis Federation in 1987. In October this year he visited New Zealand again, in his new and very different capacity. The visit lasted only nineteen hours, was confined to Wellington, but took in meetings with cabinet ministers, other politicians, sport funding officials, and the media. He urged table tennis officials in this country to think positively, to work towards vastly increasing our playing population, and to optimistically embrace the possibility of producing our own home-grown world champion.

A televised interview with Mr Ogimura was combined with a demonstration of Kiwi Table Tennis.

New Zealand was the 81st country he had visited and he noted that NZTTA was working with a lower per capita budget than any other country on his world tour so far.

---

Top Twelve Tournaments

At the instigation of the Director of Coaching, a full series of “Top Twelve” round robin tournaments was held. Separate tournaments were held for senior men, senior women, under 19 boys, under 19 girls, under 15 boys and under 15 girls. A second late season tournament for senior men was held in October. The tournaments are a means of measuring our top players against each other more accurately, an excellent opportunity for extra top level competition, and a further chance for players to earn ratings points.

---

Big Table Tennis Event Celebrates Australia’s Bi-Centenary: NZ Wins Men’s Doubles

To mark Australia’s bi-centenary, the Australian Open Championships in October were expanded to include a special invitation teams tournament. Japan and China were invited (along with New Zealand and a combined Asian team) and the participating players also entered the Australian Open to elevate it to a truly international event.

All players and managers were generously provided with free accommodation.

Outstandingly against such quality opposition, Barry Griffiths and Peter Jackson won the men’s doubles title. Both also reached the singles semi-finals. Maxine Goldie was the third team member and joined the men for the team events. Losses only to China and Japan and wins over the two Australian teams and the combined Asian team enabled them to return from Sydney with their heads held high.

Peter Hirst managed the team.

---

New Zealanders Tap Into High Performance Fund

An indicator that New Zealand Table Tennis is increasingly making its mark internationally was an $8,000 grant from the New Zealand Sports Foundation, a body primarily set up to support High Performance athletes and coaches. The money was shared between Barry Griffiths, Peter Jackson, Maxine Goldie and Peter Hirst. It was intended to aid their development and help meet travel costs to international events.

Further assistance is being sought from the Foundation.

---

VIP Treatment For All at Asian Championships

With a team of ten officials delegated to look after just the New Zealand team alone, all nine team members were chaperoned 24 hours a day with every possible need met.

A low seeding and extremely tough opposition made a finish any higher than 13th an almost impossible call for both our men’s and women’s team. Nonetheless good wins were secured over Singapore, Iraq, Iran, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The men finished 13th, the women 14th.

A total of seven wins were recorded by New Zealanders in the five individual events. Alan Pedley and Alan Shewan reached the third round of the men’s doubles.

Television coverage was truly enviable – not only were there hours of live and recorded broadcasts of the actual competition, but also documentary profiles of players and segments showing the teams at the hotel and engaged in leisure activities.

The New Zealand men’s team was Barry Griffiths, Peter Jackson, Alan Pedley and Alan Shewan; the women’s Sharon Coad, Maxine Goldie and Sarah Sandley. Geoff Rau and Peter Hirst were non-playing captains.

The event was held in Niigata, Japan, on 15-22 May. We were exceedingly privileged to have been invited and it was another opportunity to pursue the policy of giving our top players maximum international exposure.

---

New Zealand Invited to New Age-Group Event in Australia

In June four New Zealand teams were invited to the Australian Under 15/Under 17 Championships in Perth with mixed results. The under 15 girls did very well to finish second, losing only 4-5 to Queensland. In the individual events Hagen Bower and Aaron Winborn were runners-up in the Under 17 boys’ doubles.

Darren Sears and Brendon Sparrow completed the under 17 boys team, with the girls represented by Kelly Allan, Janena Chandler, Carolyn Jenkins and Debra King. The under 15 teams were (boys) Michael Blackmore, Paul Bowman, Chris Hickling and Tom White; (girls) Barbara Dickey, Tracey Epps, Melanie Low and Kirsten Pitcher. Peter Hirst, Martin Duffy, David Jackson and Alan Pedley managed the teams.

L/R: Chris Hickling, Michael Blackmore,
Paul Bowman, Tom White

About as far away from Perth as it’s possible to go in Australia a new event was launched a few weeks later. New Zealand teams were invited to the inaugural Australian Under 19 and Under 21 Championships in Mackay, North Queensland.

One under 21 women’s team and one under 19 boys team were selected, with the women winning their team event and Jennifer Lawn unbeaten. The boys managed only one win, against New South Wales.

In the individual events the under 19 players also competed in the under 21 events and Darren Sears did extremely well to reach the final of the men’s singles. Michelle White was a finalist in the women’s singles as were Darren Sears and Vanessa Balfour in the under 19 mixed doubles.

The full teams were (under 21 women) Vanessa Balfour, Jennifer Lawn, Tracey Lewis, Michelle White; (under 19 boys) Michael Davis, Stuart Munday, Blair Quested, Darren Sears. The manager was Kerry Lewis.

---

Two Disaffiliations, Overall Club Membership Down – But Equipment Sales Increase

NZTTA’s management committee expressed concern as reported club membership numbers continued on a downward trend and two Associations (North Taranaki and Bush) disaffiliated from NZTTA. But curiously, over the same period there has been a marked increase in the volume of table tennis equipment, especially bats, being sold in sports stores. This left no doubt that the number of potential club members was increasing rather than decreasing and officials were once again pondering the perennial question of how to encourage this growing number of unregistered and casual players into NZTTA affiliated clubs.

---

Ten Medals, including Gold, Won at Australian Veterans Championships

The Australian Veterans Championships were held for the fifth year in succession and New Zealand’s representation has been steadily increasing since a small group attended the inaugural event in 1984. This year fourteen New Zealanders travelled to Melbourne. Six teams were entered, one men’s and one women’s in each of the Over 40, Over 50 and Over 60 age-groups. In finishing 3rd, the Over 60 men (John Lelliott and Ray Rowland) fared the best, and Ron capped a fine week’s work by winning the Over 70 men’s doubles gold medal plus silver medals in the Over 70 singles and mixed doubles.

New Zealand’s total medal tally was one gold, three silver and six bronze.

The teams are not selected but assembled from those who express an interest in participating provided they are able to pay their own way. They are nonetheless entered as New Zealand representatives. John Lelliott has been regularly co-ordinating the arrangements and managing the teams as well as competing with some distinction himself. This year he won three bronze medals in the Over 60 age-group.

---

A New International Umpire

David Cook passed the International Umpires Examination this year, bringing the total number of New Zealand umpires holding this qualification to six.

---

Magazine Launched

Executive Officer Merv Allardyce introduced a table tennis news magazine entitled “Table Talk”, distributing the first two issues free of charge. In the future, a $10 annual subscription will entitle subscribers to four issues per year.

---