Posts in category: TTI News

The 2016 International Youth Cup took place over the weekend in Belgium. The annual tournament, ran by the Hasselt club in the Flemish region, has been popular with Irish teams over the years, but few have been as successful as last weekend proved. This year, UCD TTC and the newly formed ‘Rebel Alliance’ were the two Irish representatives in action over the three days.

UCD were quick out of the blocks, as both their ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams sealed their place in the semi final of their respective divisions by Saturday evening. The A team, made up of Irish Internationals Alexander Gillen, Charlie Fitzgerald and Conor Gallagher, didn’t stop there as they brushed all aside as they continued their relentless pursuit in the Junior Boys Elite section. They eventually came through to claim the title – a fantastic achievement!

Team supremo Alexander Gillen continued his impressive form as he raced towards victory in the Junior Boys singles event. In the Final he accounted for Hoffmann (Lux) in convincing fashion, a excellent performance by the France based Junior.

The ‘B’ Team, made up of Louis Murphy, Joey Nelson & Alan Pattison came close in their semi but had to settle for the 3rd place spot. The success for the Dubliners didn’t end here though, as both Louis Murphy and Alan Pattison took their place on the podium with joint third in the Junior Boys Club singles.

A new initiative combining two clubs resulted in two Junior Club titles for Munster. West Cork, who are regular travellers to Hasselt joined up with Ballincollig TTC for their first trip to the event. The “Rebel Alliance,” had three teams with the Boys made up of James Kelly, Niall O’Driscoll & Dylan Grace. Junior Girls; Chloe O’Halloran, Nora O’Sullivan & Mair Kelly while the U13s comprised of Ciaran O’Donoghue, Erik Olsson & Jake Adler.

The Girls went through their team competition without dropping a match reaching the final against a strong German Team from Braunschweig. The team showed great camaraderie and each contributed to the final victory. The Boys completed the double against Bech-Maacher from Luxemburg who included Elite Boys Finalist Tom Hoffmann when Dylan and James pulled off a fine 5 set doubles victory. 

The U13s very nearly reached their final but lost in a competitive semi and then went on to win the 3rd/4th play off to earn their moment on the podium.

The highlight for the Rebel Alliance in the singles was a championship victory for Ciaran O’Donoghue in the U13 Boys Club singles event seeing off Dutch opposition in a competitive final. The semi final against the top German player saw Ciaran turn round a 2 set deficit with a 19/17 win in the third and then the final two sets in a thrilling if somewhat tense match.

On behalf of Table Tennis Ireland, we would like to congratulate all of those involved in these successes. You should all be extremely proud!

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!