Posts in category: International Events

Man of the moment Owen Cathcart is in the headlines once again this week after the new World and European rankings show a big leap for the Belfast boy. 

Following his unprecedented and historic success at the recent ITTF Belgium Open World Junior Circuit, Owen’s stock has risen as he has achieved yet another landmark in his young career. 

In the latest Cadet (U15) Rankings, Owen now stands at Number 41 in the world, up 16 places from last month. With this comes a major milestone for the Ormeau TTC player, as he has broken Europes Top 20 for the first time; he now stands at Number 19. 

As a first year Cadet, Owen will be looking to build from here as he aims to make more strides on the global stage.

Impressively, Owen is now the 8th highest ranked U14 player in Europe following his latest success – an amazing feat and a fantastic example of what can be done by an Irish player!

This week, Ireland’s number 1 is back in action as he embarks on the challenge of the ITTF Spanish Open World Junior Circuit in Platja d’Aro. 

To stay up to date on his progress, keep an eye on our Twitter @TableTennisIre for updates as the Cadet Team Event and Singles get started.

Sunday 24th April 2016, is a day that will live long in the memory of Irish Table Tennis folk far and wide following the heroics of our own Owen Cathcart at the ITTF Belgium Junior & Cadet Open, Premium World Junior Circuit Event in the city of Spa.

Following a gruelling main draw run in, the Ormeau TTC player stood tallest at the close of play as he was crowned Cadet Boys Singles Champion after a hard fought, five set victory over Sergi Grau (ESP) in a gripping final – what an achievement!

Since the establishment of the ITTF World Junior Circuit, these events have been the breeding ground for prolific champions, and as a result, they have always been notoriously difficult tournaments, particularly for the ‘lesser’ countries. With no hiding places, Owen embraced the challenge and pushed on to exceed all expectations and pick up his, and Ireland’s, first ever ITTF World Tour title.

Following a team bronze medal alongside debutant Jonatan McDonald, which in normal circumstances would be a major highlight from such an event, Owen was well set up for his assault on the Cadet Boys Singles. He opened his group stage account with a straight forward 3-0 win over Gonzalez (ESP). However, he then had a wobble, going down to the inspired play of Degros (BEL) 1-3.

This put the Ormeau boy into the bottom half of Sunday’s main draw, where first up he would face a tough test in Dorcescu (FRA). He wasn’t to be halted, as he battled through in 4 sets. Next up was Dutch Number 1 and WR 43 Roel Bogie. The Dutchman got the better of Owen in straight sets in the team event quarter final, so this was always going to be a big challenge. There was no denying him this time though, as an agressive display of speed and precision earned him a 3-1 victory.

A big scalp, but Ireland’s top man was far from done. Next up was Ruiz (ESP) and another battle ensued. Owen was sharp once again, leading 2-1 and 8-4 before the tide was turned as the Spaniard took the 4th set 12-10. A fast start and some wise words from coach Murphy followed, as Owen raced clear to take the 5th 11-5, sealing his place in the semi final.

In the penultimate round, Owen faced the dangerous left-hander Jacques (BEL). Winning the serve/receive battle was crucial here, and the Belfast boy did just that, paving the way for a 3-1 victory, and with it, a final berth. 

Standing in Owen’s way was top Spaniard Sergi Grau, no stranger to this stage following his final appearance in last years ITTF World Junior Circuit Event in Portugal. If one thing was for certain, Owen’s opponent had pedigree at the highest level. Following some homework of his own as he watched over some videos of Grau in action, Owen was ready. 

Right from the off, it was clear that he wouldn’t let this one go. Owen continued where he left off earlier and fired wave after wave of attack at his battle hardened opponent. Unfazed, Grau hung in and eventually pushed the final into a deciding 5th set. Always the aggressor, though, Owen was up for the challenge as he came out firing in the 5th. Leading 6-2 following a fast start to the set, Owen was in the ascendency. Grau hit back, claiming the next 2 points, sparking an immediate time-out from Coach John Murphy. It worked. From 7-5, Owen played an amazing level of Table Tennis, giving Grau no chance as he stormed towards a historic victory. 

Following their success, Owen and John were greeted with a heroes welcome in Dublin Airport, as TTI board members and staff, including former Chairman, President and Life Honorary Member, Mr Joe Hickey (pictured), waited with proud parents Simon and Sinead upon their arrival.

On the historic achievement, Table Tennis Ireland President, Mr Kenneth Strong stated;

”What Owen has achieved is nothing short of extraordinary. He has shown all aspiring players that with enough hard work and dedication, anything is possible. He is true credit to his family and we are all very proud of him!”

Table Tennis Ireland Chairperson, Ms Patricia Hunter, expressed her delight by declaring that; ‘This win could be the start of a new era for Table Tennis in Ireland’

Commenting on his success upon arrival in Dublin Airport, Owen remained composed as he reflected:

”I knew it was going to be tough. He (Grau) was in the final of Portugal last year, only losing to a Taipei guy, so I expected a really hard match.

I played in some big matches before, and I got nervous thinking too much about winning, so I decided before the final that I’d give it a go and be aggressive”

On his charge, and what this result means to high performance table tennis in Ireland, National Coach John Murphy stated:

”I think a big reason for this success is firstly the huge commitment Owen has given over the years, but also the close network between club, province and the National set-up. The way all of these have engaged and worked together has been crucial in his development. It’s a fantastic example for other young players in Ireland.

To be honest, from my perspective it’s (this result) not a massive surprise. I say this because we know how hard we have worked over the years. This is a just reward for the countless hours dedicated by Owen, his family and coaches in Ireland”

On behalf of Table Tennis Ireland, we would like to congratulate Owen and John on this fantastic achievement. Onwards and upwards from here!

To see the write up from the ITTF website please click here!

The 2016 Primary Schools International was played out on the Island of Guernsey over the weekend as a 11 strong Irish Continguent made the trip to compete in the home countries event. 

Looking to continue the form of recent years and bring home some medals, the Irish teams had strength in abundance. The Boys were represented by Thomas Joyce, Art McLaughlin, Dillon Byrne and Matthew Cherry (NPC Conn Higgins) while the Girls lined up with Natasya Barry, Silke Heinen, Sophie Earley and Pravesha Ragi (NPC John Murphy).

Team Event

The Team Event opened proceedings on the Friday evening eventually coming to a finale on Saturday afternoon. 

Both Irish teams were on fire for the opening two days, sweeping all before them as they charged towards the podium positions. Following 10-0 victories against Jersey, Guernsey, The Isle of Man and Wales, the boys faced Scotland and England to decide the medal order. They didn’t disappoint, as they brushed aside their Scottish opposition by an 9-1 scoreline before overcoming the threat of Engand in the Gold medal match. They were made to battle here, but came through a number a tricky encounters before sealing an 8-2 victory. Thomas Joyce was the star performer on this occasion, as he beat the English Number 1 (and eventual Singles winner) in a closely fought 5 set thriller.

The Girls, winners of the Team Event on the last 5 occasions, were looking to make history in Guernsey as they bid for their sixth consecutive Primary Schools International Team title. Like the boys, however, they didn’t let their favourites tag hinder their progress, as they came out of the blocks quickly as the team event commenced on Friday evening. 10-0 wins in their opening three fixtures left a tie with England to come in their penultimate match. 

Their strength in depth saw them through here, as like the boys, they battled their way to an 8-2 victory. This set up a last match showdown with Scotland as the Gold medal loomed. The girls, led by Natasya Barry, who was making her fourth appearance at the event, were unstoppable in the end, as they overcame the Scots 9-1 to seal their place at the top of the podium!

Singles Event

On to Singles Sunday, and the Irish team were back on the medal trail as they looked to add to their impressive tally. Our boys and girls were off to a strong start here, as all eight Irish representatives came through their groups and into the knockout stages. 

Dillon Byrne was the first to cause a real stir here as the Griffeen Valley boy, who has shown his capabilities in the International arena before, stunned top seed and Irish teammate Thomas Joyce in the quarter finals. Thomas won the opening two sets comfortably, before Dillon showed his battling qualities to take three tight sets to edge out the Mayo youngster. 

In the other half, Art McLaughlin and Matthew Cherry faced off in another all Irish quarter final. It was success for the Leinster again here, as Art sealed his place in the Semis. Art was then quick to book his place in the final, as he battled past Louie Evans of Wales. 

It wasn’t to be an All-Irish boys final though, as Dillons brave run came to an end at the hands of top English player Naphong Boomyaprapa. Unfortunately the final was to result in the same outcome, as Art fought hard and produced some real quality, but couldn’t stop the charge of Naphong as he won by a 3-1 scoreline.

On the Girls side, more drama was to unfold. Like the boys, with the knockout rounds littered with Irish, we were bound to have some all-irish showdowns. This proved to be the case, but not until the later stages! 9 year old Sophie Earley won through her last 16 and quarter final matches in impressive fashion. This set up as semi final with teammate Silke Heinen. Silke had also had a strong run, beating Mansfield of England in the quarters. The semi was to be a real dogged contest. Silke went 2-0 up, only to be pegged back to 2-2. With everything on the line in the decider, it was to be Sophie who would book her place in the final as she closed our an impressive comeback. On the top half of the draw things were more straight forward. Natasya Barry was showing why she was seeded number 1 as she sailed through the draw in impressive fashion. In the quarters she beat Green (ENG) before overcoming Pravesha Ragis conquerer, Sophie Chang (ENG) in the semis.

And so we had an All–irish final, as Natasya Barry and Sophie Earley faced off. Sophie was first out of the blocks, and for long periods looked like she was set to cause the upset. However at 0-2, Natasya came again, showing an excellent level under pressure to get herself back in the match. At 2-2, Sophie again faced another 1 set shootout, however it wasn’t to be. Natasya was too strong, and in her last year in Primary school, she wouldn’t let this one slip as she sealed victory in the decider – an excellent match between our two Irish girls!

Overall, it was an outstanding weekend for our young Irish squad. Clear evidence of the extra focus on the mini-cadet programme over the past few years can be seen from these excellent results. Onwards and upwards here for this batch of young players!

Following their outstanding run against all odds, the Irish men have eventually gone down at the last 12 stage in division 3 at the Perfect 2016 World Team Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

They lost their knock-out tie in a closely contested affair to Finland by 3 matches to 1. Irelands talisman of the tournament, Ashley Robinson, took the sole victory for the Irish as he beat the Finnish number 2 Mikka O’Connor in 3 straight sets, but that was as good as it got unfortunately. 

Finland’s main man, Benedek Olah, a former clubmate of Ashley in Eslov, did the damage as he accounted for Paul McCreery 3-0. After Ashley had levelled matters by beating O’Connor, Gavin Maguire lost the 3rd match to 3-0 to Samuli Soine, before Olah ended Irish hopes by beating Ashing in a close match, 3-1.

Despite the defeat, there were massive positives to take away for our young men’s team, with the coming of age of Ashley Robinson, amongst other things, a great sign for years to come.

On Friday, the men had one more match, as they faced Uzbekistan in their play-off match. Making his Senior debut here was 13 year old rising star Owen Cathcart. With Ashley taking the first match 3-0, Owen was straight in to the pressure cooker. He was eventually beaten in an epic contest 12-10 in the 5th set. Paul then put us ahead 2-1 after a confident display. Owen was then in again but unfortunately couldn’t quite get the victory, as he again went down narrowly, this time 3-1. In the decider, Ashley stepped up again, and going with form, he sealed the victory in 3 very tight sets to end the tournament on a high. 

On behalf of TTI, we would like to congratulate the men on an outstanding performance in Kuala Lumpur. Great signs for years to come for this young mens team!

Hodinin, Czech Republic, was the venue for the 2016 Czech Open World Junior Circuit event. Irish interest at the event lay with Owen Cathcart, as Ulster’s young star travelled directly from Budapest to the event, where he had produced an incredible medal winning performance at the 2016 Molnar Tournament. Notoriously difficult, Owen was always going to have it tough in Czech as he competed in 5 events; Junior Singles, Junior Doubles, Cadet Team, Cadet Singles and Cadet Doubles. 

To get the blow by blow of each event in what was a historic week for Irish Table Tennis, see below as National Coach John Murphy reports from Hodinin.

Junior Boys Singles

The tournament started for Owen with Junior Boys Singles. He was drawn in a tough group with Gullbo (SWE), Skirmantas (LTH) and Tatarczuch (POL). Owen started with a fantastic 3-1 win over Gullbo doing all the right things when the game was close. He followed this up with a professional 3-0 win over Tatarczuch. This left him knowing a win in the last match would see him advance to the main draw as group winner. Owen went on to play a very high level in his final group match to overcome Skirmantas 3-1. This was real evidence of how quickly Owen is improving as he had lost out to Skirmantas at the EYC in the summer.

As Owen advanced as a group winner he was not required to play the 128 round. He was drawn against Luka Martinek, Croatian Number 1 Junior in the last 64. With the matches now the longer distance of best of 7 Owen would have to play a sustained high level to advance. He didn’t disappoint with a flawless performance winning 4-0, taking the 4th set to 8 having been 8-3 down this was evidence of mental toughness something we have been working very hard on.

The last 32 now for Owen and here he faced the talented boy form Japan Yukiya Uda, World Number 2 Cadet. Although Owen lost out 4-0 the Japanese didn’t have it all his own way as Owen asked all the right questions, having 9-9 in the first and a couple of set balls in the second. Again this shows that Owen has the quality to compete and a very high level already even though he is only 13.

Junior Boys Doubles

Owen, playing with Alex Ramsden of England, played a very good match against the highly rated juniors Brukner and Timafalvi (HUN). The win was definitely there for the boys as they led 6-2 in the fifth but couldn’t close it out.

Cadet Boys Team

Owen was joined by Bougar Haug of Norway for the team event. This is something I had arranged with the Norway National Coach some months ago.  In the group stage the boys were made to work very hard in their opening encounter against Czech Republic, eventually winning 3-2. This left us knowing a win against Turkey would secure our main draw place. What a match it actually was, Owen lost out 3-2 in the first match having had a winning position leading 2-1 8-5. Bougar made it 1-1 with a good display to beat there number 1 3-2. On to the doubles in what can only be described as a high quality epic eventually going against us 12-10 in the last having lead 10-8.  With us down 2-1 it was time to show character and this is what happened Owen managed to get over the line 13-11 in the 5th and Bougar secured the win with a fine display to win the last match 3-0. Great win! Interestingly Christian Pleata European Cadet Champion from last year commented to me after the match that he had watched the whole match and felt the level was very high from our boys.

In the last 8 we were drawn against Sweden, a tough match but we all felt it was an opportunity to advance to the medal stage. Owen started the match and set us on the right path beating Karl Hast 3-0. Bougar, in the court next was facing Jonathan Thimon who he had never beaten previously, played a fantastic match to win 3-1. With the lads now on a bit of a high they started quite lacklustre in the doubles but a credit to both of them as they took advice on board and managed to battle the win 3-2 thus gave us a 3-0 win and at least a bronze medal.

In the last 4 we faced Hungary who we now know very well having played a lot against them in recent years. Bougar started this match against Terek and looked certain to win having lead 2-0 9-7 but wasn’t able to close it out with Terek recovering to win 3-2. Next up was Owen against Both – not an easy style for Owen with Both putting him under pressure from the off. Owen never really got firing and lost out 3-0. Credit to the boys as they rallied in the doubles and probably should have won but were unlucky to lose 3-2. End of the road but what a fantastic achievement winning a Bronze medal in the their first year as cadets.

Cadet Boys Singles

Owen, now having been away for 10 days competing and training in 3 different countries, had preformed above his level so far. One would think that he may be tired or his level might take a dip. The answer is no chance. Owen won his group by beating Selim Bilal Tok 3-2, Simon Belik 3-1 and Ethan Walsh 3-0 which shows how far Owen has come in the last months.

On to the main draw. As group winner Owen was drawn against Cicchitti of Italy in the last 32. Again a good way to show just why Owen is a good player is his absolute ability to grind out close matches, something we Irsh players have struggled with in the past. Having not played his best level he eventually won 12-10 in the last having been 10-9 down.

In the last 16 Owen faced Onderka (CZE) who had beaten him in the team event. With the scare against the Italian well behind him Owen put in a truly flawless performance here. It can only be described as professional from start to finish.

The last 8 pitted Owen against the in form Swede Jonathan Thimon, short pips on both sides. On this occasion Thimon was just that little better on key points and Owen lost out 3-0. A great performance overall to be reaching this stage of major international tournaments.

Cadet Boys Doubles

Again Owen partnered by Bourgar Haug they won their last 32 match against a Slovakian pair before beating a Turkish pairing to reach the last 8. At this stage they faced Andras/Both of Hungary. With both teams knowing a medal was at stake the intensity was very high. The boys fought hard but went down 3-1.

It was truly a great tournament for Owen. The results that he produced were very much above expectation at this moment in time. Although, he has trained hard over a long period of time and when you do this exceptional results are very possible. As a coach it is a pleasure to work with such a player as he is taking everything on board and trying his best to implement these things. A huge key to his success in my mind is his absolute professionalism in how he prepares for matches. Czech Junior Open will be remembered as the tournament that Owen showed with substance that he is among the very best players in Europe.

John Murphy

National Coach

Congratulations to the Irish Colleens team of Ros Carpenter, Anne Marie Nugent, Ger Greene and Sharon Brien-Gibbons  on their fantastic performance in the 2015-2016 VBL. Having been promoted to Division 1, their initial goal for the season was to hold their own and avoid relegation. Lying in third place after the first round in Derby, a new goal was set for the final round in Doncaster: a top-two finish, which would assure promotion to the Premier division for next season.

The Colleens bagged their opening three matches, including a hard fought win over division favourites, Hels Ladies. Anne Marie set the tone for the day with a no-nonsense 3-1 win in her opening game against Northern Belles, helped by 3 edges at crucial stages in the fourth set. Ger piled on the pressure; her flawless display of cross court winners from both fore- and bank-hand sides being key to a straight-sets victory. Game of the day went to Ros in a no holes barred, end-to-end battle with Debbie Auvache of Hels Ladies, which Ros clinched 11:9 in the fourth set. In their next match, Sharon’s battle with Milton Keynes’ Dawn Pearce summed up her weekend play – neck and neck throughout, Sharon lost the decider 11:13 on a net!

Their collective efforts positioned the Colleens as table toppers at the end of day one and a further point from day two would guaranteed them a top two finish. All thoughts of hitting the town that evening were banished, as a new goal was set: let’s give it our all on day two and try win the division!

Give it their all they did! However, Lyncrest, who were hot on the Colleens’ heels,  were determined to upset their winning streak. This match yielded more ‘juices’ than a Tropicana factory. Unfortunately, the majority of them went in Lyncrest’s favour. Clinching a 4-2 win, Lyncrest gained a one point lead over the Colleens.

Winning the division was now a long-shot for the Colleens. Beating Ashford Ladies would not be enough.  Their one life-line was a possible points count-back, but this would require in-form Lyncrest to draw their last match against Hels Ladies; an unlikely event, as Hels had been weakened by the loss on the day of their number two player.

Not disheartened, the Colleens refocused their attention on the final match at hand, against Ashford. Ros played a stormer, yielding a close win over Rachel Smith. In the next game, Anne Marie (aka Lazareth), lost the first two sets to Diane Mclellan. Helped by a now boisterous sideline support, Anne Marie pulled out all of the stops to level the game. A momentary lapse of focus at the start of fifth set caused Anne Marie to slip behind 2:6.  However, a timely call for a time-out from the sideline and a few calming words of encouragement lead to another Lazareth moment, which saw Anne Marie grind out a 12:10 win in the fifth. 2-0 to the Colleens and a momentary glance at the scoreboard on the neighbouring table raised their spirits further; Lyncrest were drawn at 1-1…all to play for!

Determined to give it their all, Ashford looked set to dash the Colleen’s  hopes, as they snatched the next two games to level the match at 2-2. However, another back-from-the-dead performance gave Anne Marie a well deserved win over Rachel; edging the Colleens closer to the title.

No surprise, but the last game of the day was a tense affair. By then, the neighbouring table’s scoreboard displayed a drawn result. A furtive check, double-check and then (just to be sure) triple-check of the Division’s overall results sheet confirmed the prospect of a gold medal for the Colleens. All that was needed was for Ger to win her final game in order for a points count-back to seal the title. Needless to say, nerves played a big part in the opening exchanges.  Ger’s steely determination soon kicked in: taking two of the first three sets, she then stepped up a gear to build a commanding 6:2 lead in the forth set. Through half-covered eyes, her teammates watched anxiously, as Ger start to let her early grip on the set slip. Now 9:6, a timeout was called for to steady the nerves (ours!). Ger’s final push for the line saw her close out  the game 11:7.

They’d done it!

Irish Number 1 Owen Cathcart was the shining light over the weekend as a young national team did battle at the 21st Janos Molnar Memorial Tournament in Budapest, Hungary from 4-7 February. 

This tournament has been a happy stomping ground for the Belfast boy, who in 2015 went away with a bronze medal in the Mini-Cadet event. This time around he added to his collection with another medal winning performance – as his roller coaster ride to the cadet boys semi final was enough to earn a well deserved bronze.

The event itself, now in its 21st year, is a boys tournament held annually by the BVSC Table Tennis Club in Budapest in memory of their former player Janos Molnar, a talented young boy who tragically lost his life in a car accident in 1995. Known for its well supported entry, Ireland was one of 16 countries represented in this highly International tournament.

The opening 2 days play were taken up by the Mini-Cadet events. On day 1 the Irish boys were right in the mix as our 2 players on show, Dillon Byrne and Thomas Joyce, made their way through the draw following a series of impressive performances. Thomas eventually bowed out at the last 16 stage, losing out to eventual finalist Lloret (ESP) by the narrowest of margins 3-2. However, this wasn’t where Irish interest ended, as Dillon was still going strong.

Following an excellent 3-0 last 16 victory Vandor (HUN), which included an amazing fight back from 4-10 to take the 1st set,  he was now in the medal positions as a top 8 finisher. Unfortunately the quarter final was as far as the Griffeen Valley boy would go, as he lost out to Balogh (HUN) 0-3 – nonetheless an extremely positive day for our 2004 boys.

Day 2 was the turn of the 2003 singles (U13). Art McLaughlin joined the action here alongside Thomas and Dillon. Again, huge positives were taken as all 3 boys advanced to the main draw, with Thomas and Art both topping their respective groups. However this was where it ended for the boys, as Art went down 0-3 to Lloret (ESP), Dillon was beaten Huzsvár (HUN) while Thomas lost a closely fought contest with highly rated youngster, Pach (HUN).

Day 3 was the turn of the Cadet (U15) Boys Singles and with it was the introduction of the final two Irish players in the event as Conor Nugent and Owen Cathcart entered the fray. With the full team now in action, Saturday morning was a busy one for players and coaches alike!

The step up to Cadet level was clear right from the off on Saturday as our mini cadets were up against it from word go. However they didn’t go down easily, as all 3 boys acquitted themselves well. Art came closest to qualifying as he won 2 matches in his group of 5. Unfortunately earlier 1-3 loses to Spanish and Swedish opposition proved costly. 

Both of our fully fledged Cadets in Owen and Conor soon stepped up and booked their places in the main draw. Owen came out of the blocks quickly winning 3-0 against Swedish, Hungarian and Slovak opposition. Conor was made to work that bit harder, but he duly delivered as back-to-back 5 set battles went his way against Hungarian and Czech opponents. Defeat in his final match of the morning meant he qualified as group runner-up.

Progression meant both boys now faced last 32 knockout matches. Conor was first up and unfortunately this was as far as the Glenburn boy would go as he had no answer for the strong defensive skills of Karmazin (ISR) culminating in a 0-3 defeat.

Owen’s Knockout journey kicked off against Slovak Number 2 Klajber and he was made to battle hard as he recovered from 1-2 down to eventually come through in 5 sets – a good test passed by the Ormeau TTC boy. Next up was a tough opponent in Tauler (ESP) who had just accounted for a strong Israeli defender in the previous round. Owen was sharp here as he didn’t give the Spaniard a moment to think, racing through the gears to seal a 3-0 victory. 

Quarter Final time and the stage was set. Standing in Owen’s path was top seed and World Ranked 33 Patrik Juhász (HUN). Owen (WR 60) wasn’t fazed as he relentlessly pursued the fancied Hungarian, storming to a 2-0 lead following countless fast paced exchanges and exquisite serve and receive. This one was far from over however, as Juhász, with the home support behind him, came back fighting to take the 3rd. Owen then had his chances in the 4th leading 6-3 following more exhausting rallies. It wasn’t to be this time though as he was again pegged back as the Hungarian picked his pocket to take it 11-9. Into the decider, and as the character of the Ulster boy was firmly put to the test… he duly delivered. From ball one, he didn’t put a foot wrong as he fired wave after wave of attack in the direction of Juhász. Exceptional power and acute precision was on show for all to see as the top seed had no answer for Owen as he ran out an 11-6 winner – huge performance!

On to the semis and the rounds were coming thick and fast at the business end of the event. Owen was straight back in, this time against World Ranked 54 Tèrek (HUN). Perhaps understandably so following his exploits from the previous round, Owen couldn’t quite reach his top level here despite having his chances. Having trailed for most of the first set, he fought back to have set points before eventually losing it 14-12. Térek, seemingly fresh from his more straight forward quarter-final, started quickly in the 2nd and soon extended his lead to 2-0 after an 11-7 end. Owen then came out firing in the 3rd showing real quality, reminiscint of earlier in the evening, as he raced to a 10-6 lead. However, a couple of scrappy points led to the Hungarian clawing back to 10-10, before eventually sealing victory following a massive match winning rally. After a gruelling day, Owen finished with a bronze medal – just reward for a fine performance.

Amazingly, after what seemed like the longest few days you could spend at a tournament, the event was still going for our five-strong team! Sunday brought the curtain down on proceedings and all of the team were in action as the Junior Singles (U18) kicked off. As expected, this was a tough examination for all of our young group. With the excepion of Owen (who advanced as group winner), all of our boys lost out at the opening stage. However there were notable performances from our boys as some wins were collected along the way by Thomas (2), Art (1) and Conor (1) while Dillon was narrowly beaten deuce in the 5th.

In the Knockout stage, Owen put in a strong last 32 performance to beat the Israeli left-hander Goren in straight sets. Next up was his last 16 match and another battle ensued. This time he was pitted against number 3 seed and Hungarian National Junior team player Gabor Kovacs. Despite his high rating, Owen set his sights on another major scalp as he threw everything at his more senior opponent to give himself a 2-1 set lead. Unfortunately, he couldn’t quite pull it off this time though, as Kovacs came fighting back to squeeze through in five energy sapping sets. Another strong performance from the Ulster youngster.

Overall, it was a great week for this group of young Irish players. They have shown their ability in terms of how they can perform against strong International opposition. With more training and sustained, deliberate practice, the sky is the limit for our young squad.

The Senior Six Nations Championships has been and gone, but it has certainly left its mark following a breath-taking three days play in Lisburn. The event, supported by Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, lived up to all the hype as top players from Ireland and beyond gathered for what was a real festival of Table Tennis.

The Irish men’s team, led by national champion Paul McCreery, took its rightful place as Silver medallists behind a fine Scottish team, in the expansive Lisburn Racquets Club, while Ashley Givan led the line for the women’s side as they claimed a podium Bronze.
 
England took the combined title (23 points) ahead of the Irish (19 points), but will rue the 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Irish team of McCreery, Gavin Maguire, Ashley Robinson and Ryan Farrell, as they were denied the coveted men’s title.
 
McCreery was clearly team supremo as the Nottingham University graduate showed table precision in picking up two singles wins against old rivals England. Both of these wins were epic 5 set encounters, with the second one in particular going right to the wire as the saintfield man recovered from 4 match points down against the English No.1, Helshan Weerasinghe, to secure victory and level the team score at 2-2. In the decider it was time for Gavin Maguire to enter the fray once more. Gav, who lost a big battle with Weerasinghe earlier in the contest, dusted himself off to produce a quality display to beat England No.2 Alex Ramsden 3-1, earning Ireland a hard-fought, edge of the seat victory.

Scotland proved too strong in the final showdown against the host nation, winning 3-0. In truth, the score didn’t really refect the tie as a whole, as all three matches were tight encounters. Paul went down 3-2 to Craig Howieson, and this was followed by an equally nip and tuck affair between Ashley Robinson and Gavin Rumgay. Unfortunately, Ireland came out at the wrong end of another 5 setter here despite a brilliant battling display by Ashley. The doubles was another close one, as the newly formed pair of McCreery/Robinson showed huge quality against the established pairing of Rumgay/Howieson, but it wasn’t enough in the end as the boys went down 3-1.
 
Ashley Givan stepped up to the plate in leading our young womens team to a bronze medal.  Ashley, Katie McGlone and Rebecca Finn fought hard  throughout the team event, with victories over Guernsey and Scotland earning bronze. The best win came in the opening round of matches as the girls found themselves 2-1 down against Guernsey following a doubles loss. This is where Ashley Givan produced for the hosts, winning 3-1 against the highly rated Alice Loveridge. Katie then stepped up under the pressure to beat Chloe LeTissier 3-0 to seal the win. 

Despite their best efforts, Wales and England proved that bit too strong. However the girls had their chances, particularly against the Welsh. Again Ashley Givan showed her best form here, beating Welsh Number 2 Megan Phillips 3-0 before pushing their top player Charlotte Carey all the way before eventually going down in 5 engrossing sets. 

Overall, a bronze medal was a fine result for the young Irish team on show.

With the team event over, Singles Sunday was upon us as the Individuals event took centre stage. Despite some absolutely enthralling encounters, as well as some outstanding individual displays by Irish players, the host nation fell short in their bid to claim Individual Medals following the success of the team event.

In the men’s singles, Paul McCreery was perhaps the most unfortunate of all, as he was drawn against top seed Rumgay in the last 16 following the Scotsmans shock defeat in the Group stage to Welsh youngster Chris Griffiths. Despite yet another crowd pleasing display of table tennis, which included this 29 SHOT RALLY, Paul couldn’t quite shake off the battling Scottish No1 as he fell short by the narrowest of margins 12-10 in the fifth set. 

Elsewhere Gavin Maguire couldn’t quite find his best form as he went down in straight sets to the in form Craig Howieson in the Quarter Finals. Amazingly, this is a match that may have been avoided on another day, as Ireland’s own Owen Cathcart, an extra in the singles draw, pushed the Scottish No 2 to the brink in the last 16, leading 10-9 with chances to take a 2-1 lead. Unfortunately, experience told as Howieson proved too strong in the end, despite an outstanding display of agressive table tennis by the 13 year old Belfast boy. 

Meanwhile Ashley Robinson also fell victim to the Rumgay loss in the group stage, as he faced off once again with the top seed. Like the previous day, the Ulsterman was a match and more for the Scottish player, as the crowd were treated to another hugely entertaining battle. However, as was the story ALL weekend, Rumgay found a way to get the job done as he pipped Ashley 11-8 in the 5th set. 

This wasn’t where Irish interest ended in the men’s singles however, as Zak Wilson (another singles extra) showed what a player he is as he stormed to the quarter finals. This was following big victories over Welsh No.2 Dan O’Connell, Guernsey No 1 Garry Dodd and Ireland’s Alan Walsh. In the quarters Zak had his chances, but like many matches for the Irish on singles Sunday, fell marginally short as he lost out to England’s No 2 Alex Ramsden 12-10 in the 4th Set – an excellent performance!

On the women’s side, Chloe O’Halloran provided the first shock of the day, beating Ireland leading light of the team event Ashley Givan, by a 3-2 scoreline in the group stage, and with it knocking Ashley out of the event. Chloe went on to the quarter finals, where despite a valiant effort, she was beaten 3-1 by the experienced Welsh No 2 Megan Phillips.

Elsewhere, Katie McGlone and Rebecca Finn also earned quarter final spots as they negotiated their way through the group stages. However, this was as far as our young girls would go as they were drawn against the eventual finalists, Carey and Karina LeFevre respectively. They both fought hard, with Rececca taking a set off the soon to be champion, however it wasn’t quite enough in the end – valuable experience nonetheless for our youthful group of female players.

Overall, it was a very positive event from an Irish perspective. Our Men and Women showed immense quality and most importantly, that they are making progress for all to see. 

A final mention must also be made for the event itself, which ran without fault from start to finish thanks to the monumental effort put in by all  of the volunteers, particularly tournament Referee Tony Martin, assistant Con O’Ceadaigh, Table Tennis Ulster, Jamie and Stuart McConkey, the TTI Events Unit (Led by Tony Farrell) and of course the many umpires and officials who assisted thoughout the weekend. From everyone in Table Tennis Ireland, we thank you for your invaluable contribution to this great event.

Team Event Final places: 
Men’s Team: 1. Scotland; 2 Ireland; 3 England; 4. Wales; 5. Guernsey; 6. Jersey. 
Women’s Team: 1. England; 2. Wales; 3. Ireland; 4. Guernsey; 5. Scotland.
Combined Team Places:  1. England; 2. Ireland; 3. Wales; 4. Scotland; 5. Guernsey; 6. Jersey.

For the full results from the Individuals please click here