Posts in category: National Events

On Saturday the 2^nd of October players arrived at Fivemiletown High School to play in the annual Northern Bank Fermanagh Junior Open. This year entries travelled from Belfast, Dublin, Monaghan and a large number of entries from Mayo and Cavan. The standard was very high for a junior tournament and the day ran very smoothly under the watchful eye of Tournament Referee Tom Mitchell and the Fermanagh Table Tennis Association Organising committee.

The Under 10 event was played in a classification style. This meant no player was eliminated and they all played in three stages of round robin. The final group battled it out for the main event prize. In the Under 10 boys Eddie Ditchburn (Mayo) came out on top after defeating Ethan Duffy (Fivemiletown Academy) and James McGrath (Belfast), who came 2^nd and 3^rd respectively. In the under 10 girls Leah Shekleton (Castlerahan) came out on top with Marie Williams (Mayo) and Lydia McConkey (Fivemiletown Academy) coming 2^nd and 3^rd respectively.

In the Under 12 Girls they also played a classification style group and the 2^nd round group played for the title. Leah Shekleton completed a remarkable double when she claimed the title with a thrilling win over Rebecca Finn (Glenburn). The two girls played an extremely high standard and top spin rallies brought the match to the wire were Leah beat Rebecca in the 4^th set. Orla Timlin (Mayo) finished 3rd and Marie Williams (Mayo) finished 4^th.

The Under 12 Boys also saw some thrilling matches at a very high standard. The first semi-final saw Ryan McConkey (Fivemiletown Academy) battle hard with Zac Wilson (Glenburn). Zac took the first game 11-4 but Ryan reversed the next set 11-4, Zac took the lead again winning the 3^rd 14-12. The fourth set was nailing bitingly close but Ryan took it to the 5^th winning 12-10. Ryan stepped up a gear and his fast serves did enough to claim the 5^th 11-5. In the other semi-final Mayo battled it out in the form of Brian Dunleavy and Eddie Ditchburn, on this occasion Brian had too much on Eddie as he narrowly won 11-5, 13-11, 12-10. In the final Brian took the game to the top seed and won the first set 11-8. Ryan took the second 11-6, and in the 3^rd set Brian and Ryan were neck and neck with Ryan claiming the game 12-10 in a set which had the crowd on the edge of there seats. In the fourth set Ryan was determined to close the door and raced to an early lead, Brian couldn’t find a way back and Ryan claimed the title 11-4 in the 4^th set.

In the Under 14 girls the crowd contemplated the semi-final draw and some wondered of a McGlone sister final or an Ulster final or would it be an Ulster girl versus a McGlone, nobody knew, but the only thing that was certain was the girls would provide quality matches. In the first semi-final Katie McGlone (Leinster) played Laura Finn (Glenburn). Laura took the first 11-9 but Katie replied with two 11-8 wins on the trot. Katie pushed hard in the fourth and took it 11-6. The other semi-final saw Elayna McGlone (Leinster) play Hannah Dawson (Fivemiletown Academy), Hannah showed some excellent qualities and took the semi 11-8, 11-3, 12-10. The final saw Hannah continue her good form and she took the final against Katie without dropping a set in the entire competition as she won 11-7, 11-8, 11-4.

The Under 14 Boys semi-finals consisted of 3 local Fivemiletown Academy players and Ciaran Kelly from Leinster. First Jonathan Porter played Dylan Scott, the Academy club mates took to the stage and it was Jonathan who was first off the mark as he claimed the first set 11-7. Dylan really put the second game to Jonathan and was determined not to let Jonathan get too far ahead. Dylan took the game to deuce but lost the game 14-12 Jonathan took the third 11-8 to stamp out Dylan’s attempted comeback. In the other semi-final, Ryan McConkey played Ciaran Kelly. Ciaran was playing in his first tournament of the season after an injury resulted in him missing the Classification. It was Ciaran who took the first set 11-4, Ryan like Dylan in the previous semi-final was determined not to go down without a fight and battled hard to bring the game to Ciaran again the second set was brought to a deuce but Ciaran narrowly took the game 13-11, Ciaran confident from his win went on to close out the game in the 3^rd set. A thrilling final was on the cards and the boys didn’t disappoint. Fast topspin rallies were the name of the game and in a gripping first set it was Ciaran who took the lead with a 12-10 win. Jonathan fought back to level it up in another nail biting game and took it 11-9. Jonathan stepped up a gear in the 3^rd set and took it 11-3. More fast topspin rallies had the crowd on the edge of their seats as Jonathan claimed the title 11-6 in the fourth set.

The Under 17 Girls saw some of the top seeds crash out in the early rounds in what was always going to be an unpredictable event. The quarters saw Hannah Dawson (Fivemiletown Academy) play Elayna McGlone (Leinster) a repeat of the under 12 semi-final and again it was Hannah who came out on top. Annalise Walker (Fivemiletown Academy) claimed a win against Cherith McBride (Belfast) in her quarter-final to leave the two Fivemiletown Academy players to battle it out in the first semi-final. Annalise took it in three sets, 11-2, 11-6, 11-7 her experience proved too much against the under 14 champion. On the other side of the draw Sarah Timlin was set for Katie McGlone the youngster from Leinster who is still eligible to play in the under 10 event and was by no means an easy opponent as her semi-finalist spot proved. The youngster pushed Timlin in the match with Timlin narrowly winning 15-13, 12-10, 11-9. This youngster is defiantly one for the future. Sarah Timlin who comes from Mayo is part of the Fivemiletown Academy squad and Arthur Brett sat back as his two players battled for the Junior Girls Title. Sarah had too much for Annalise and took the final and title in 3 straight sets 11-6, 11-7, 12-10.

Many people wouldn’t look past local player Neil Irwin (Fivemiletown Academy) to claim the under 17 Boys title. With some thrilling matches the competition was very intense. The groups saw 4^th seed Ciaran Kelly (Leinster) come second in his group when Stephen Fawcett (Newbliss) caused a major upset of the day. This meant Ciaran played Darren Reilly (Castlerahan) in the second round, it was one of the best matches of the day, which Darren claimed 11-5 in the fifth set. Darren then had to play Trevor Knox (Fivemiletown Academy) in the quarter-finals and this too turned out to be a classic, with an epic 3rd set which Darren won 17-15 in an end to end thrilling set, Trevor did however regroup and won the match 3-1. The semi-finals saw Neil Irwin play Jonathan Porter but Neil had too much and claimed the game 3-0. However the other semi-final would not be so simple! Kieran Reilly (Castlerahan) was to play Trevor Knox and this really was nothing short of a crowd pleaser. Trevor took the first 11-9, but Kieran pushed hard to take the next two 11-7 and 11-6. Trevor came back to the table and fought hard to bring the game to the fifth winning the fourth 11-7. The last game saw Kieran play better as he moved up a gear as he claimed the fifth set and his place in the final. In the final Neil was not planning on letting Kieran have a chance to use his fighting spirit to come back into the game and Neil was efficient about closing out and finishing the match and he took the title 11-6, 11-5, 11-4.   

Fermanagh Table Tennis Association would like to take this opportunity to thank all the participants and spectators who came on the day. Also to our Tournament Referee Tom Mitchell for his assistance and all the players and parents who counted on the day. Finally we would like to express our extreme gratitude to our main sponsors the Northern Bank without their support the tournament would not have been possible, also to Tommy Fitzgerald whose continuous support to FTTA is extremely appreciated. We hope all enjoyed the day and we look forward to seeing everyone and more at next year’s event.

CLICK here FOR FULL RESULTS

Following a comprehensive review and application process, the ITTA is pleased to announce the 23 Participation Projects allocated funding for the remainder of 2010. The competition for funding was fierce – we are delighted to be in a position to support a very good spread of projects ranging from Primary Schools to Youth Programmes to clubs wishing to develop their membership.  ITTA Participation Projects are focussed firmly on converting new players into members of the Association and this is supported by the STIGA Junior Challenger Series which gives young new players a fun introduction to tournament table tennis. Over the coming weeks, ITTAWeb will be focussing on a different project to report on the progress of each project. 

Thanks to the Irish Sports Council for providing the funding to support these projects. Thanks also to STIGA for the provision of our top-class participation coaches with beginner bats and balls to bring to each project.
For information on how to apply for Participation funding in 2011, contact Rhona Daly – [email protected] or (01) 625 1135.
ITTA Participation Projects – Quarter 4 2010Mountrath TTCBallyroan TTCSt. Ronan’s NSOur Lady’s BallinteerSan Carlos/ Leixlip TTCGael Scoil Naomh Padraig / Club DonicSt Colmcilles Community College KocklyonCladdaghWestside TTC, GalwayOur Lady’s Boy’s Club, GalwayHoly Family, SwordsSt. Mary’s Girls NS, CobhWalterstown NSRushbrook TTCDe Le Salle, BallyfermotScoil Mhuire, HowthKnockmore TTC, GalwaySt Feicins NS, MayoSt Andew’s Youth Club, Dublin 2St Patrick’s BNS, MayoFDYS West WexfordTuam TTC, GalwayScoil Bhride, Ranelagh

Participation Application FormParticipation Support Document

A great weekend of table tennis saw the opening event of the domestic season take place in Dublin. With 120 competitors taking part in the Classification Event, there were some fantastic matches and some real breakthrough displays.

Qualifying Event – Men

The Men’s Qualifying event was fiercely contested, with five qualifying places available to a field of 80 players.

Gervis Knox(NR: 17) lost out to Tibor Pofok(NR: 35) in the Last 16, the CYM Terenure man utilising all his experience to close out a really good victory over the Ulsterman, who many fancied to progress to the Classification Final proper. Pofok will be delighted with this result, which also included wins over Dave Pemberton and Stephen Slater. Other fancied players included Galway’s Robbie Gavin, whom lost out at the last hurdle to Artur Lewanczuk(NR:43) in one of the big surprises of the day. Favourite to qualify was Corey O’Rourke, who delivered in style, recording some good wins over Maciek Syzmanski, Neil Irwin and Will Gallagher. The final qualifying spot was taken up by Stephen Slater, with some smashing wins over Anthony Redmond, Gervis Know and Neil Irwin.

However it was Latvian player Vladislavs Agurjanovs who was the sensation of the day, easing through qualifying without dropping a match. He was surely a player to watch in the Finals.

Click here for full Men’s Qualifying Results.

Qualifying Event – Women

The Women’s Qualifying event also provided plenty of intrigue and some fascinating matches. With two to qualify, every match was important. The 1^st Round went according to seeding until Edel O’Reilly provided a shock in Group D to defeat Sarah Kenny(NR:16) and Teresa Devanney(NR:18) to progress to the 2^nd Round. Here she was faced with a difficult task in favourite to qualify Sabina Devereux as well as young talents Katie McGlone and Meabh Slattery. The Ballincollig player, recently returned from the European Youth Championships showed no mercy in defeating Devereux(NR:8) in straight sets and finish top of the group to qualify. Jean Wyse took the 2^nd qualifying spot with wins in very entertaining matches against Niamh Tracy and Annalise Walker, both of whom took two sets from Wyse.

Click here for full Women’s Qualifying Results.

Finals – Men

The Men’s Finals was National Champion looking in outstanding form, taking 7 wins in the group stage with only Peter Graham providing a major challenge, taking two sets from the Dubliner. Eastpoint’s Gavin Maguire also looked in top form again, recording a 2^nd place finish in the group with some good wins over Peter Graham and Sam Logue.

In Group A it was qualifier Agurjanovs who was again burning up the field, winning 6 from 7, dropping one match to Senior Schools International Champion Ashley Robinson. This was a vital win for Robinson, as it meant that he pipped tournament favourite Paul McCreery for 2^nd place in the Group.

Agurjanovs went on to eliminate Maguire in the semi-final, while Murphy eliminated Robinson. This set up an epic final, with Agurjanovs eventually emerging triumphant following a see-saw five set battle.

Click here for full results.

Finals Women

The Women’s Final Classification was played as a straight Round Robin with no knock-out matches. 8 of the top players in the country all had to face each other, with everyone delighted to see Amanda Mogey and Claire Nelson back in the fray following injury lay-offs. Reigning champion Rita Kacsandi was a marginal favourite to reclaim her title, however Mogey and Nelson delivered defeats, as did Qualifier Edel O’Reilly to end her title hopes. O’Reilly was not finished however, recording a big win over Senior International Claire Nelson. She eventually claimed a superb 3^rd place, with her only defeats coming from Givan and Mogey. Givan produced some big wins and eventually had a much-anticipated match with Amanda Mogey. This was a thrilling encounter, which Mogey claimed 3-2 and thus the Senior Classification Title, with Givan settling for 2^nd place on this occasion.

Click here for full results.

Many thanks to all the players who took part and the volunteers who gave up their time to assist in this event.

A magical weekend of international table tennis got off to a start at the magnificent University of Limerick Sports Arena on Friday evening. Through the trojan efforts of the always reliable ITTA Volunteer team, the sports hall with 20 international size courts was in pristine condition for the players.

Highlights so far for the Irish team include a big wins for the Irish Under 18 Boys over Scotland by 4-1, setting up this morning’s encounter with England. The Irish Under 18 Girls of Dolan and Kenny also took a 4-1 victory over Scotland. The Irish Under 16 Boys, under the watchful eye of coach Mark O’Flynn have also had a 100% record, with 3 5-0 victories between the A and B teams. The Under 14 Boys also look to have a chance of silverware, with Farrell and Li combining well.

Check back later today for the Singles draw and the full results of today’s action.

Click here to download latest results.

When you sweep into the majestic Sports Arena at the University of Limerick this weekend, you’d be forgiven for imagining that at least some of the competitors were playing the last time that the event was hosted here in 2004. but gradually as you inspect the programme you realise that of the 113 competitors only the Guernsey trio of Oliver Langlois, Alice Loveridge and Paula Le Ber are making a return as players. You also realise that 6 years is a long times in table tennis when you notice that many of the team coaches of today were here then as players. Not only the Irish trio of John Murphy, Mark O’Flynn and Gavin Maguire but also coaches from Scotland and Wales played in the event here in 2004.

This is Ireland’s 4th hosting of this event that first came to these shores in 1994. That year the Chair of our 2010 Organising Committee Anna Kelly coached the Under 16 Girls team to Ireland’s first ever team gold. This year, the lean and mean Irish team will be looking to build on their success at the event in Scotland in 2009, when we claimed the Under 18 and under 16 Boys titles. Paul McCreery will look to extend his fabulous dream season with victory in the under 18 events. He will be partnered by Maciek Szymanski in the absence of the injured Sam Logue. The under 16 boys team of Ashley Robinson and Declan O’Brien will face a strong challenge from the Welsh and English squads.

Our Under 14 teams face a tough challenge with the English team looking particularly strong. Captained by last years under 18 team gold winner Gavin Maguire, the A team of Shi Zhao Li and Ryan Farrell will have to be on the top of their game to challenge for the title.

In the girls event our Six Nations Cadet champions Ashley Givan and Edel O’Reilly will challenge for the under 16 girls title and National under 17s champion Sara Dolan will lead the under 18s girls partnered by Rebecca Kenny. The Under 14 Squad is a young team who will benefit greatly from the experience of the event. An encouraging thought given that young Katie McGlone will at least still be eligible to play the next time that the Schools International rolls into town! 2016 anyone!!

The elite players from Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Guernsey, Jersey and Isle of Man travel to Limerick University, Ireland on 25th June to compete in the Senior Schools International Championship, with an action packed weekend of table tennis anticipated. This prestigious event will be, in terms of participants, the largest international table tennis tournament to be held in Ireland in 2010, with 170 of the top senior schools players (U14 to U18 yrs) and their coaches, as well as a large home and travelling contingent of supporters. The ITTA is proud to host this event in the University of Limerick’s magnificent sporting facilities, and we are very much looking forward to a fantastic exhibition of our sport’s young talent.

The 2009 Senior Schools saw a large Irish squad travel to the event in Largs, Scotland, where Gavin Maguire and Paul McCreery were the star performers, claiming two gold medals in the Under 18 team event and the Under 16 Boys event.

As the host nation, the Irish squad is even larger this year, with 22 players selected (an increase from 14 last year). Many of these players have spent this week at a training camp under the tutelage of Polish Coach and ITTF Coaching expert Lezsek Kucharski, a former World Champion, providing the best possible preparation for a real assault on the medals at next weekend’s International. Paul McCreery is back, this time partnering Sam Logue in the Under 18 Boys event. Shi Zhao Li of Club Donic is paired with Eastpoint’s Ryan Farrell in an exciting Under 14 Boys A Team. Rebecca Kenny retains her place on the Under 18 Girls, teamed with Sara Dolan.  Ashley Givan and Edel O’Reilly also look to be a strong pair in the Under 16 Girls. The Irish team will look to draw on home advantage and the support of the home crowd to bring home as many medals as possible. All 5 of Ireland’s European Youths squad will be in action and much will be expected of this group.

Competition will be strong with the travelling teams supporting such talent as Scott Crawford, Steven Fowler, and Sophie Neal at U18 level, Jared Knowles, Steve Jenkins and Megan Philips at U16 Level , while at U14 Level, Jared Patel, Lewis Williams, Jessica Dawson and Renee Ho will provide stiff opposition given their performance this season.

The Referee for the tournament is the respected Steve Welsh from England.

This prestigious event is a massive undertaking for the Association, expertly led by the Organising Committee, chaired by ITTA Schools Programme Manager, Anna Kelly. The Association is most grateful to our partners and sponsors, without whom this event would not be possible. Event sponsors include Shannon Development, Limerick City and County Councils and Limerick Chamber, all of whom were instrumental in bringing this event to Limerick, with significant benefits to the local economy.  The event has also received support from numerous local businesses including the Carlton, Clarion, Travelodge, Strand and Absolut Hotels, together with the Limerick Leader, Lee Brothers, Dublin and the ITTA’s primary sponsors – Butterfly and Stiga.

Speaking on the event, Mr. Tony Farrell, Marketing Director of the ITTA, commented

‘The Senior Schools is the most prestigious event in this season’s ITTA Calendar, and we are delighted to be hosting the table tennis elite in the excellent UL Sports facility. The ITTA gratefully acknowledges all our sponsors, and we wish all countries a competitive and enjoyable weekend’

The event is being held in the main sports pavilion of the UL Sports Campus and all competitors and coaches are being accommodated nearby, in the superb Drumroe Village. The ITTA and National Associations are being afforded a Civic Reception by Limerick County Council on the Friday evening at the Council Chamber.

The programme of play commences at 5.00pm on Friday evening (25th) with the Team event and continues on Saturday (26th)at 9.00am, and again on Sunday (27th)at 9.00am with the singles event. The presentation ceremony, which will be attended by the Lord Mayor, Mr Kevin Kiely, is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 3.30pm. All spectators are welcome, and no cover charge will apply over the 3 day event.

Competitors from all over Ireland gathered at the Lakeland Forum, Enniskillen to compete in the Junior Interprovincial Championships on 1^st May. The Championships were organised by the Fermanagh Table Tennis Association in conjunction with Table Tennis Ulster and the ITTA, with thanks to the Fermanagh District Council who kindly agreed to sponsor this year’s Championships.

Ulster went into the event as overall Victor Barna Memorial Shield Champions and were favourites to retain their title. In the end, they were pressed all the way by Leinster, but were determined to retain their title on home turf and were again deserved champions.

Boys Events

In the Junior Boys, Ulster with Paul McCreery and Ashley Robinson leading the team, were completely dominant, winning all three matches 9-0 and leaving the other provinces scrapping for the runner-up spot.  All of the Ulster squad passed through their opponents with a 100% record, with Stephen Slater and Darren Reilly backing up their higher ranked team-mates in some style. Leinster finished second with a nail-biting 5-4 victory over Munster, with Maciek Syzmanski producing some great displays to record 3 wins against the Munster boys.

In the Cadets, Leinster were very strong, producing some fantastic performances to take the title won by Ulster in 2009. Leinster’s strength in depth was apparent, with Ciaran Kelly and Conor Mullally both recording important victories to supplement some great performances from Kevin Hutchinson and National No.1 Ryan Farrell, including a straight sets victory over Ulster’s No.1 and international team-mate Neil Irwin. Munster took a surprise second place following a 5-4 victory over Ulster, with Shane O’Connor recording the crucial victory.

At Under 12 Level, Munster perhaps recorded the biggest surprise of the day with a top class performance from the team of James O’Reilly, Gearóid O’Donoghue, Alan Walsh and Roman Poutkalyte. Defeating Leinster 7-2 in the first match was a signal of their intent and they followed that up with a 5-4 victory over Ulster, with Alan Walsh defeating Ryan McConkey in the decider, having earlier beaten Eric Shekleton. Munster rounded off their weekend with a 7-2 victory over Connacht. Ulster re-found their form to record a 9-0 victory over Leinster to take 2^nd place.

Girls Events

At Junior Level, Leinster’s team of Sara Dolan, Rebecca Kenny, Sarah Byrne and Lavinia Maties were strong favourites and they delivered in style, defeating Munster and Ulster, dropping only two games in the process. Connacht’s Sarah Timlin put up an impressive display to record all 3 of Connacht’s wins against the champions and will be happy with a victory over National Junior/U21 champion Sara Dolan, but Leinster were supreme and deserved their title. Munster claimed 2^nd place.

In the Cadets, it was a straight battle between Munster and Ulster. Both provinces dispensed with Connacht and Leinster and it was to be winner-take all in their match. Ashley Givan was in imperious form for Ulster, recording thee victories including a fantastic five-setter against Edel O’Reilly to put Ulster in a dominant position. With Annalise Walker and Emma Ludlow also in top form in this match, Ulster were not to be denied and ran out 6-3 winners to take the Cadet title.

At Under 12 Level, the tension in the air was palpable as this event closed out the day’s play, with the Victor Barna Shield still up for grabs, with Ulster and Leinster in contention. This was a lot of pressure for the young girls, but both teams responded well to the support of their team-mates and spectators to produce some thrilling table tennis. Ulster girls Hannah Dawson, Emma McSorley and Laura Finn thrived on the day and closed out the win. Laura Finn in particular was impressive as she held her nerve to record two five-set victories over both Katie and Elayna McGlone.

Congratulations to the victorious Ulster squad and to the various category winners – all players contributed to a fantastic 2010 Junior Interprovincials. The Victort Barna Shield was presented to the victorious Ulster team by Mr.Robert Irvine, Chair of the Fermanagh District Council.

A great day’s table tennis was hosted on Tuesday 27th April by Colaiste Choilm, Cork, as school teams from all 4 provinces travelled South to the home of last year’s 3 time National Champions to play off for the six 2010 National Secondary Schools titles on offer. Under 13 Events
In the Under 13 Girls, Guardian Angels from Dublin faced off against St.Angela’s, Cork for the National title. With top Under 12’s Elayna and Katie McGlone on the team, the Dubliners were always favourites and they duly delivered with a fantastic 8-1 victory. The St.Angela’s girls are to be credited for their battling qualities with Grace Boylan taking their sole singles victory with a five set win. In the Boy’s event, defending champions Ballyroan recorded a 5-4 victory over Monaghan in the semi-final, with Rob McGarry and Barry O’Toole taking the crucial Doubles decider. In the Final, St.Finbarr’s of Cork faced Ballyroan and produced a battling performance but were just not good enough for the experienced Dublin side who retained their title in style. Under 15 EventsSt Angela’s from Cork also made it to the Under 15 Final – they triumphed in this age category in 2009. Here they faced Royal School, Dungannon. The Ulster school raced into an early lead with wins by Ashley Givan and Kerry Jones, but the Cork girls did not want to give up their title easily, and fought back to level 3-3, with wins by Cliodhna Ni Grada, Clara Donnelan Daly and Ceire McCarthy. The match was to be decided on Doubles and Royal School were crowned champions with three victories here, with Ashley Givan and Jayne McClements particularly dominant. In the Boys, home side Colaiste Choilm looked favourites to retain the title. They were drawn against a very tough St Fintan’s Sutton team in the semi-final, containing Ireland’s top ranked Cadet Ryan Farrell and top 10 National Junior Conor Beades. Farrell, Beades and Daniel Murphy opened up a 3-0 lead for the Sutton side, before Irish Junior International Declan O’Brien led a spirited Cork fightback to level at 3-3. Once again, the importance of Doubles at this level was apparent – the defending champions held their nerve to record a 5-4 victory with two doubles wins. In the Final, Colaiste Choilm looked more in control against High School Ballinahinch. Shance O’Connor, Colm and Eoin Murphy and Declan O’Brien all recorded straight sets victories to establish an unassailable lead and the home school were once again National Under 15 Champions. Under 18 EventsAs the Colaiste Choilm Under 15 Boys defended their title, it fell to their school colleagues at Under 18 level to follow suit. In the Girl’s Final, a strong Colaiste Choilm, with wins by Edel O’Reilly, Emily O’Reilly, Dawn Gleeson and Aisling Healy were in command against Victoria College in Belfast, and ultimately recorded a 6-3 victory. In the Boys event, Blackrock College progressed to the Final with a 7-2 victory over Collegiate School, Monaghan. Colaiste Choil also looked in top form as they defeated St.Aloysius of Athlone 9-0 to set up an eagerly anticipated Final. In the Final, Will Gallagher recorded a victory for Blackrock, but that was not enough to stem the tide of Cork victories, with Scott Shellard, Andrew Reck, Ben Ahern, Ian Brown and Alex Cooney all recording wins. A remarkable feat once again by Colaiste Choilm under the guidance of coach Ivan Shorten as they take 3 National titles of the 6 on offer. Congratulations to all participants and thanks to Colaiste Choilm and tournament officials Claire and Michael Healy.

Continental visitor Leo Stynen (Germany) was the toast of Ballymena at the weekend when he won the North Antrim Open title after beating Irish No3 Daryl Strong in a dramatic premier class final while the hard hitting Barry Dickson, resilient blocker Stephen Turkington and local hero Adam McIlmoyle all tasted victory in the supporting events.  The organisers were also delighted that former Irish international Jimmy O’Hara (Ballymena) competed, incredibly having represented Ireland as far back as the 1940’s.

The premier class was packed with incident and shocks galore as fancied runners Pawel Sulcowski (Poland), Gervis Knox (Trillick), Mark McGuigan (Rasharkin), Brian Devereux (Wexford) and Gary Crawford (Doagh) fell by the wayside but Stynen and Strong remained solid throughout the dangerous preliminaries. The Queens destroyer, who will be competing for Ireland at the upcoming world championships in Moscow, then pulverised “Fast Phil” Wallace with relentless jackhammer backhands in the first semi while the 26 year old German attacker Stynen had too much quality for East Down Churches champion Peter Clarke who snatched a game before his fate was sealed in four brutal sets.

The final saw Stynen launch attack after attack with pronounced forehand loops doing most of the damage while Strong countered at every opportunity.  With the former Ulster champion down 2-1 in sets but leading 4-2 in the fourth Stynen took a severe nose bleed and play was halted as tournament referee Brian Orr, a former Ballymena Open champion, allowed the German to take a medical break.  When the match recommenced Strong seemed to have lost his impetus while Stynen quickly got back into his rhythm to win the fourth and the title. 

Desperado Dickson is a firm crowd favourite with his no compromise approach to the game admirable but he had to show uncharacteristic patience before smashing his way to a hard earned success over combination bat magician Robin Agnew in the class A semi.  In the final slick topspin wizard Ricky Davies got caught up in pure trench warfare which suited Dickson who dispatched his worthy adversary in five entertaining sets.

Another Greystone league supremo, Stephen Turkington, who has been making waves on the rural table tennis circuit for some time grasped his opportunity to show his pedigree at provincial level with a three set demolition of experienced campaigner Ian Davies in the class B final and there was rapturous applause when Ballymena Academy player Adam McIlmoyle gained revenge over club colleague Peter Neeson in four close sets to take class C.  Event Organiser Norman McBride had devised a tournament format that due to its popularity amongst competitors could well become the template for future Ulster competitions.

Meanwhile University of Ulster, Jordanstown team of Keith Knox, Gervis “Razor” Knox and Robert “Sting” Fisher have been crowned Belfast and District Premier league champions after convincingly defeating nearest rivals Glenburn in a rearranged clash.   

North Antrim Open Results

Premier singles

Semi Finals

Leo Stynen (Germany) bt Peter Clarke (Annahilt) 3-1

Daryl Strong (Belfast) bt Phil Wallace (Ballyclare) 3-0

Final

Stynen bt Strong 3-1

Class A singles

Semi Finals

Richard Davies (Ballyclare) bt Mark Lynns (Ballymoney) 3-0

Barry Dickson (Portadown) bt Robin Agnew (Cookstown) 3-2

Final

Dickson bt Davies 3-2

Class B singles

Semi Finals

Ian Davies (Ballyclare) bt Arnold Morgan (Banbridge) 3-0

Stephen Turkington (Portadown) bt Jimmy O’Hara (Ballymena) 3-0

Final

Turkington bt Davies 3-0

Class C singles

Semi Finals

Adam McIlmoyle (Ballymena) bt James Dillon (Coleraine) 3-0

Peter Neeson (Ballymena) bt Thomas McCann (Dunloy) 3-1

Final

McIlmoyle bt Neeson 3-1