A Year of Changes

Administratively, more changes were witnessed in 2008 than in many a previous year. Office staff, specialist positions and the selection panel underwent a succession of movements necessitated by personal circumstances, financial constraints, or a combination of both. Averil Roberts relinquished the position of Administration Officer in March, having occupied it full-time since August, 2003 and part-time for eighteen months before that. Peter Chard replaced her but in turn was replaced by Gina Connell in September who combined the position with Change Manager as TTNZ administration underwent a major review.

Marc Nichol's role as Participation Manager ended 17 May 2008. Ron Garrett took on that role from 15 November 2008. That of paid High Performance Director was re-established with the appointment of Shane Warbrooke in March. Also in March, Bryan Keane was replaced by Murray Finch as Convenor of Selectors and Wayne Gear added to the Selection Panel.

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NZ Withdraws Offer to Host Major World Event

After the excitement in 2003 of NZ’s first experience hosting a World event (one of six open World Junior Circuit tournaments), there was further excitement combined with apprehension when NZ was awarded the 2008 World Junior Championships. The bid for the event, much bigger and more costly than a World Junior Circuit tournament, was tendered jointly by North Harbour Table Tennis Association and North Shore City Council. The decision to withdraw the bid was made with much regret.

“A disappointment was withdrawing from hosting the World Junior Championships in North Harbour because we were not able to raise the funding required,” wrote TTNZ Executive Director Ron Garrett in the 2008 Annual Report. “It was always a challenge to find an extra $400,000. Unfortunately the conditions set for running an International event such as this make it difficult for smaller countries to compete.”

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Deja Vu: Top NZ Player Again Passed Over for Olympic Selection

It happened in 1996 when Peter Jackson swept all before him at the Oceania Olympic Qualifying Tournament, winning 15 matches out of 15 against New Zealand and Australia’s best – but was denied a position in the NZ Olympic team for Atlanta due to the NZ Olympic Committee’s rigid selection criteria. Only those with a realistic chance of finishing in the top half of the field were considered for selection. Peter was passed over and the Oceania spots were occupied by Australian players whom Peter had beaten.

2008 saw a repeat performance: Karen Li sailed through the qualifying tournament unbeaten but was also denied a well-earned place in the New Zealand Olympic team. Both TTNZ Chair Alan Moore and Executive Director Ron Garrett commented in the Annual Report on this apparent injustice, pointing out that Karen met Olympic standards according to the criteria set by Table Tennis’s international body – but not by NZ’s criteria which are set, controversially, at the same level for all sports, even those with a far greater number of countries participating.

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World Teams Championships

The women’s team, Karen Li (NH), Sun Yang (C), Jenny Hung, (C) and Annie Yang, (C), finished 36th and the men’s, Brad Chen (NH), Ryan Zhu (A) and Nathan Lowe (A), finished 67th at this event in Guang Zhau, China.

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Otago Identity Bill Fogarty Dies

Bill Fogarty was New Zealand Men’s Singles Champion in 1948 and played A Grade in Otago for more than 40 years. A generation later, his daughter Yvonne won the NZ Women’s singles title and represented New Zealand on several occasions.

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AGM Debates the Right to Change Handbook

Delegates discussed whether an AGM should be empowered, on a two-thirds majority vote, to make binding changes to the TTNZ Handbook, in particular if the changes are recommended by a TTNZ workshop. The existing right to change the Handbook rests constitutionally with the Board.

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Electronic Newsletter Launched

In January the first issue of "Across the Table" was emailed to 1500 members whose email details were on file.

The electronic-only publication follows the printed magazine "Table Tennis Info" which was discontinued in 2005. The same producer Robin Radford and editor helper John Kiley are at the helm.

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New Zealand Juniors Win Gold At World Event

Lingnan Kong and Kevin Wu, both of Auckland, combined to beat Australia in the final of the World Junior Circuit Tournament Teams event in Tahiti in July.

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