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Draws and Revised Schedule for 2023 Irish Senior & Junior Closed National Championships

The 2023 Joola Irish National Junior and Senior Closed Championships is taking place this weekend at Maynooth University Sports Centre, Maynooth, Co. Kildare.

Revised Playing ScheduleSaturday 25th March

  • 09.00 U21 Men / U21 Women / Cadet Boys / Cadet Girls
  • 12.00 Womens Singles
  • 13.00 Men’s Singles
  • 17.00 Mens Doubles / Womens Doubles

Revised Playing ScheduleSunday 26th March:

  • 09.00 Junior Boys / Junior Girls / Mini Cadet Boys / Mini Cadet Girls
  • 12.00 Para
  • 14.00 Restricted

(Times maybe subject to change, keep an eye out on TTI Social Media platforms)

CHECK IN at least 30 minutes before scheduled start of your first event.

Please see below the draws for the events. Check-in from 8.30am and play starts 9am sharp Saturday and Sunday!

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2023 Master’s Ulster Open Report & Results

The Vet’s hosted a very successful Veterans Tournament on Saturday the 11th of March in Dungannon. St. Anne’s (Dungannon) was a very successful venue for the latest in the Irish Masters events, with competitors travelling from all 4 provinces. With the advantage of a relatively early start and the use of 12 tables, play concluded by 7.30pm. Consolation singles and playoff matches were also played, which gave competitors additional games.

The morning started with the 40s, where there were few surprises. Kudos to Rory who had flown in from GB, to be told that his hire car was not available, so he travelled from Aldergrove by taxi. His reward was a quarter-final win over Phil 3-0 but was then blitzed by the invincible Ukrainian Oleg whose path to the final was untroubled. In the bottom half Mervyn Taylor made it through to the last 8, losing 3-1 to 2nd seed Tibor. Daryl, in an unaccustomed low seeding position after illness, beat Pat 3-0 to reach the semi, where he and Tibor played the match of the day. Daryl lost the 1st and 3rd games, the 5th was neck and neck, and eventually Daryl won it 12-10. So often Daryl finds a way to win the tight matches. This was a great advertisement for Masters table tennis. Oleg then beat Daryl 11-8, 11-8, 5-11, 12-10. Everything Daryl threw at him Oleg returned, frequently from back at the barrier, and often with his very powerful backhand. Daryl had a chance to take it to a 5th but in the end Oleg was just too ‘strong’(sorry!).

Daryl was favourite in the 50s, though having only qualified for that age-group in January he was unseeded. Top seed was Tibor, and the shock of the day was when he lost in the last 16 to Craigavon’s vastly improved Fergal O’Hagan in 4 games. Dave Gibbons then disposed of Fergal 3-1 but lost in the semi 3-0 to Daryl. 2nd seed was Pat McCloughan who duly reached the semi with a 3-1 win over Des Flanagan. Meanwhile local hero Rod McKirgan battled through to the semi with a last 16 win over Sean McAnaney 3-2 and a 3-0 victory over Mark McAlister. Rod excelled himself by reaching the final with a 1st ever win over Pat 11-7, 6-11, 11-7, 11-9. Daryl won his 2nd consecutive 50s with a hard-fought victory though he did drop the 1st game, scores were 9-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-3.

We then moved to the 60s which was always going to be a very open event. The 2 finalists from the Connacht event, Des and Sean, were drawn in the same group as amazingly they had been at Connacht! Sean was top seed, Des beat him in the group and then progressed to the final with a semi win over Dave Pender 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 6-11, 11-4. The top 2 seeds were now in the bottom half, Sean had a surprisingly straightforward last 8 victory over Philip Shaw 11-7, 11-4, 11-8. Jeremy Lappin reached the semi with a nail-biting win over Fergal 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 6-11, 12-10. Sean beat Jeremy 3-1 and met Des for the 4th time in 2 tournaments. Des reversed the Connacht final result, winning 10-12, 11-9, 11-4, 11-4, this was Des’ 1st Irish event 60s title.

The last men’s event was the 70s. Brian Finn moved steadily in to the final. Tom Donnelly – great to see him back – gave him some trouble before succumbing 9-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-6. The 3rd game was crucial when Tom was unable to close out a 10-8 lead. Barry Dickson had a very tight 3-2 win over Albert Coulter before losing in the semi to Brian 11-5, 11-9, 11-9. By contrast Norman Nabney lived dangerously all day! He got crunched 3-0 by Barry in his first group match, then beat Liam Perris 3-2, dropped the first game to Jeremy, and in the semi gave away 5 match points to David Jacobson at 2-1 and 10-5, before again winning 3-2. And so to Brian v Norman – friends and practice partners but both determined to win. Brian took the first 2 games at deuce, Norman made a Houdini recovery to win the next 3, scores were 14-16, 11-13, 11-7, 11-6, 11-7. Still friends!

The ladies’ event was hard-fought as usual, though none of the matches went to 5 games. In the battle for 3rd and 4th place Paula beat Sharon. The sole Ulster representative Ruth McGilligan competed with spirit, Galway’s Teresa finished 5th just above Renata, but the highlight was the final match for 1st and 2nd place between Ger and Anne-Marie, with Ger coming out on top 11-9, 10-12, 11-9, 14-12. A fine match, with a difference of only 2 points in each game.

And finally, many thanks are due to the host club, the first time they have held an Irish Masters event. Adrian Brown refereed excellently, helped by Jay McAllister and tournament co-ordinator Susan Irwin. Here’s to 2024!

Tournament results can be downloaded below:

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Awards Scheme for the 2022/2023 season now open

The Awards will be presented at the AGM on Saturday 10th of June 2023 

Table Tennis Ireland invites nominations under its Awards Scheme for the 2022/2023 season. Nominations for all the Award categories must be received on the specified form by Monday 1st of May 2022. Applications can be emailed to admin@tabletennisireland.ie or posted to Ajinkya Sawant, Table Tennis Ireland, Irish Sports HQ, Sport Ireland Campus, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, D15 DY62.  

Please note that there will be two awards made within the Junior Player of the Year category. 

Please click HERE for the Nomination Form, please click  HERE for the Criteria for the Awards Scheme 

Should you have any queries on the Awards Scheme, please contact by email or by phone at +353 1 6251135. 

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International Women’s Day 2023

Today is International Women’s Day, we are celebrating the achievements of women.

We can all celebrate International Women’s day together by engaging with the international movement, recognising women’s achievements and supporting their continuous contribution in their own environment!

Let us congratulate and thank our female Officials, Volunteers, Coaches, Players and Members within Table Tennis Ireland for their involvement and contribution in our sport!

We have amazing women involved within our great sport. Have a great International Women’s Day.

Check out our video of all of our women in our fantastic sport.

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Entries for 2023 Joola Irish Senior & Junior Closed National Championships are now open

The 2023 Joola Irish National Junior and Senior Closed Championships will take place on the 25th and 26th of March in Maynooth University Sports Centre, Maynooth, Co. Kildare.

Closing Date of Entries: 10am on the Wednesday 15th March 2023

All players and coaches are advised to read the Entry Form for full details on the events taking place and the tournament regulations.

Eligibility Criteria 

The eligibility criteria for players in the National Closed Championships are as follows: 

  • Affiliated to the ITTA and in good standing and 
  • Hold an Irish passport OR British passport from N.I. and/or 
  • Born on the island of Ireland and/or 
  • Hold proof of residence for 6 years or longer 
  • The onus is on the player to prove their eligibility to enter any event, if requested to do so by the Tournament Referee, at or before the event. 

Entry Link:  https://tti.justgo.com/workbench/public/events?ref=FFFF939808B87996FFF258FA4DFFEE81A4D58585

Entry form and further details, downloadable below:

Any queries should be sent to [email protected] 

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2023 Master’s Connacht Open Results

The Vet’s hosted a very successful Veterans Tournament on Saturday the 18th of February in Palmerstown.

Connaught Vets Open 18th February 2023  

Mens 40’s 

In the round of 16 Eduardo Da Silva won in 3 sets over Rodney McKirgan. Phill Wallace had a very easy 3 sets win over Rory Scott. Susan Hanlon won a close 5 setter over Anthony White. Oleg Biletsky had a very easy win over Dave Gibbons. Pat McCloghan had an impressive 3 sets win over Rita Kacsandi. John Bowe also had a straight sets victory over Dermot Tierney. The returning Daryl Strong won a close 3 sets match against Oksana. Tibor met a familiar opponent in Mark McAlister and Tibor won in 4 sets. In the Qtr’s Eduardo beat Phil 3:0. Oleg beat Susan in 3 sets. Pat beat John in a close 4 sets. Daryl had a tight 5 sets win over Tibor. In the semi’s Oleg had an easy 3 sets win over Eduardo. In the other semi final Daryl won in 3 sets over Pat. The final was a very closely fought match that went the full distance with Oleg winning 11:9 in the 5th. 

Mens 50’s 

The qty’s saw Tibor winning in a tight 3 set match with Des Flanagan. Daryl playing in his first 50’s competition, beat Philip Shaw in an easy 3 sets. Mark McAlister beat Dave Gibbons in a close 4 sets. Pat yet again met Sean McAnaney and again it went the full distance with Pat being the victor. In the semi final Daryl beat Tibor in straight sets. In the other semi final Pat beat Mark in a close 4 sets. Daryl proved too strong ( no pun intended) for Pat in the final and won in straight sets. 

Mens 60’s 

Sean McAnaney yet again met Norman Nabney and Sean won in 4 sets. Tommy Fitzgerald after an epic 5 sets win over Brian Finn in the last 16’s continued his good form to beat Des Flanagan in the qtr’s. Dave Pender beat Paul Norgrove in 4 sets. Philip Shaw beat rival Dave Pemberton in 4 sets. 

In the semi’s Sean beat Tommy in 4 sets and it was the same result in the other semi final with Philip beating Dave. The final was a straight forward match with Sean winning in 3 sets over Philip. 

Mens 70’s 

In the qrt’s top seed Brian Finn won in 4 sets over Jim Storey. Ken Peare had a straight sets win over Liam Perris. Jeremy Lappin won a closely fought 3 sets match against Norman Nabney. Tommy Caffrey proved too tough for Shay O’Reilly over 3 sets. In the semi’s Brian beat Ken 3:0. Tommy beat Jeremy in 3 sets. Yet again Brian met Tommy and as usual it went the full 5 sets but on this occasion Tommy won in the 5th. 

Ladies 

The ladies competition was split over 2 groups. There were a number of closely fought matches involving Renata, Ruth,  Geraldine, Ikuko, Paula. In the first semi final Rita had a 3:1 victory over Susan. In the other semi final Oksana had a comfortable 3 set win over Anne Marie. In the final Rita was back playing at a high level and beat Oksana in straight sets. 

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2023 Connacht Open Draws and Revised Schedule

The 2023 Connacht Open is taking place this weekend on the 25th and 26th February at NUIG Kingfisher, Newcastle Road, NUIG Sports Centre, Galway 

Please see below the draws for the events. Check-in from 8am and play starts 9am sharp Saturday and Sunday!

Draws Available to download here: https://tabletennisireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Connacht-Open-2023-first-round-groups-2.pdf

Playing Schedule:

Saturday 25th February

  • 09.00 U15 Boys / U15 Girls (Cadets)
  • 09.00 U21 Men / U21 Women
  • 09.00 Masters
  • 13.30 Men’s Singles
  • 13.30 Women’s Singles
  • 16.00 Restricted Singles

Sunday 26th February:

  • 09.00 U19 Jun Boys / U19 Jun Girls
  • 09.00 U13 Boys
  • 11.00 Para Open
  • 13.00 U17 Boys / U17 Girls
  • 13.00 U11 Boys

(Times maybe subject to change, keep an eye out on TTI Social Medias/Website)

CHECK IN at least 30 minutes before scheduled start of your first event.

Live Streaming

Make sure to check out our YouTube channel for some live streams that will be taking place throughout the weekend:  

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnbdL2IO82NUK4hG_muZRzA

Anti-doping Update:

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2023 List of Prohibitive Substances has been updated since the 1st of January 2023. Sport Ireland launched the Anti-Doping Digital Wallet Card for 2022. It is essential that all players and support personnel whether coaches, physicians, or doctors attached to clubs or teams, consult this educational card, as well as the closely related Summary of Major Modifications and Explanatory Notes. 

Anti-Doping: https://tabletennisireland.ie/anti-doping/

Enjoy the event and we would like to wish to wish all the players, coaches, officials, tournament organisers and volunteers the very best of luck at the weekend! 

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Ulster’s Masters Tournament – 11th of March

The Irish Veterans Table Tennis Society’s Ulster Masters Tournament is taking place on Saturday, 11th March 2023, in St. Annes TTC, St. Annes Church of Ireland 7 Church Street, Dungannon, Co.Tyrone BT71 6AB

Event Timetable
● Over 40’s singles Commence 10:30
● Over 50’s singles Commence 14:00
● Over 60’s singles Commence 10:00
● Over 70’s singles Commence 15:30
● Ladies singles Commence 13:30

Competition entry fees are €12/£10 per event.

Participants can register by email or text no later than Wednesday 1st March.

Email: Susan Irwin [email protected] Text: 00 44 7763827097

CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES: Wednesday 1st of March,2023

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Lisburn Junior Challenger

19th February 2023 

There was a great entry for the Table Tennis Ulster Lisburn Junior Challenger Event held on Sunday 19th February 2023 at Lisburn Racquets Club. 36 players from 9 different clubs contested 4 divisions with all players getting lots of games. Everyone received a trophy or medal and a cream egg! for all their hard efforts. 

Well done to all the players and thanks to Gervis for sorting out tournament entries and draw and all the volunteers who helped throughout the afternoon – Simon, David, Pat, Arnold, Leo, Jennifer and Stephen. Thanks also to Table Tennis Ulster for supporting the event

The results from the Division finals were:

Division 1:

  • Winner: Toby Caldwell, Ormeau   
  • 2nd  Place Christopher Allsop, Ormeau  
  • 3rd  Place Karsten Close, Ormeau 

Division 2:

  • Winner Anges Bell, Banbridge  
  • 2nd  Place Eimear Hutchinson, Belturbet  
  • 3rd  Place Filip Szarzynski, Banbridge 

Division 3:

  • Winner Ruben Harkness, Glenburn  
  • 2nd  Place Ryan McBride, Banbridge  
  • 3rd  Place Ciara Hutchinson, Belturbet 

Division 4:

  • Winner Maksymillian Hooppe  
  • 2nd  Place Charlie Thom, Banbridge  
  • 3rd  Place Luke Burden, Lisburn 
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Save the Date – 2023 AGM of ITTA

Table Tennis Ireland wishes to advise all members that the Annual General Meeting of the Irish Table Tennis Association CLG will take place on Saturday 10th of June 2023 in Irish Sport HQ at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus.

Further details of the meeting will be announced in due course on our website and social media channels.