Posts in category: TTI News

Peadar Sheridan captured a bronze medal in the boys U13 singles, but it was a bitter sweet medal as he was one point away from the final against Turkeys Gungdogdu. Impressive in his opening 5-man group, he won all four games and he advanced to the round of 16 where he met No.1 seed Schimdt (Bulgaria). In a pulsating encounter, Schimdt went 2-1 up in sets but the Ormeau pocket rocket stormed back with an impressive array of skills to advance to the quarterfinal on a 3-2 score line. He faced UAE’s rising star, Almusayebi, but met the Challenge with force to win 3-0. The semifinal saw Turkeys Gungdogdu blocking his path to the final. Sensational start saw him race into a 2-0 lead and 10-7 up in the third set. All changed however as an incredible comeback saw the Turkish player level it at 2-2. Sheridan again led 9-7 in the deciding set but Gungdogdu was not to be denied winning 11-7. Heartbreak for the Ormeau Star who knew he had lost a golden opportunity. Coach Conn Higgins was devasted for the Irish star but said the experience will be a great lesson in future battles ahead and another huge step on Peadar’s journey.

Impressive also was Stefan Bonchev who went on a 5-game unbeaten streak before losing out in the quarter final to Bulgarian Victor Dimitrov in the U13 event. Boris Bonchev joined the 2 boys in the U15 event. All three qualified from their opening groups to the round of 32, Peadar and Boris exited the event at this stage while Stefan went out in the round of 16. All in all some very valuable lessons learned and crucial experience gained, stated coach Conn Higgins.

What an impressive achievement by the mixed team from Ireland with Peadar Sheridan and Stefan Bonchev! They partnered with Switzerland girls and had some remarkable victories in the European Youth Series Croatia. They defeated Austria, Croatia 2, Slovakia and Croatia 1. Their only loss to Romania 3-6. The table tennis in the semi-final was described as unbelievable.

The boys showed courage by taking three wins, but the girls were narrowly beaten, resulting in an overall loss of 5-3. Despite the loss, they managed to claim a bronze medal. It’s great to see such a strong performance from the team!

Its fantastic to hear that Coach Conn Higgins was incredibly impressed with the skill, medal strength and team spirit of both boys. Its evident that their hard work and dedication is paying off and their performances were truly commendable. Having a coach who recognizes and appreciates their efforts can be a great source of motivation for the player. Kudos to the boys for showcasing their talent and teamwork.