TTT State League 2022 Report

What an event!

State League is the Premier event on the Table Tennis Tasmania (TTT) tournament calendar.

Last year, any Tasmanian table tennis club was able to submit their expression of interest by tender to host this 2022 event. TTT was delighted that fledgling club, Port Sorell Table Tennis Club (PSTTC) submitted their offer and was subsequently chosen to facilitate this year’s event. This club has been in existence for less than 2 years but has seen extraordinary growth from within the Port Sorell/Shearwater locality. This is a direct result of the 100% commitment and dedication of the 2 founding members, Graeme and Christa Foulis, now also supported by a great team of hard-working table tennis loving volunteers and committee members.

To host a state premier event is no small matter and for a club that started with nothing but love and a passion for the game to take this on, is nothing short of remarkable. The lack of a suitable venue within the Port Sorell/Shearwater area that meets the required standards to accommodate an event such as this was disappointing. The Latrobe basketball stadium therefore became the chosen location. This however presented major logisticalchallenges in providing and relocating the equipment needed for this event. To the credit of PSTTC and their army of tireless volunteers………they made it happen!

Seven table tennis clubs within Tasmania, the 8^th club being PSTTC,  made the journey to the Northwest to battle it out for supremacy on the table. Everyone was amazed upon entering the stadium at the setup they were to play on over the weekend. Brand new tables, new court barriers, new scoreboards…….as close to table tennis heaven as we could wish for! If only it could have been played in Port Sorell/Shearwater, the home of PSTTC.

Worldwide, some 360 million people play table tennis, and,in almost every country in the world. It is one of the top 10 sports played in Australia and is thriving here in Tasmania. It’s no wonder that so many people are discovering the joys and physical benefits of playing this great sport.

As in any sport, some teams rise to the top and are proud and deserving winners, whilst others, still aspire to reach that mark. So it was on this weekend of play. The Hobart based University of Tasmania (UTAS) team were in blistering form and showed clearly without any doubt, why they are the best in the State. Young men and woman, agile, fit, talented, and yet beautifully humble in victory, took out the prestigious honour of the best club in the State and won the Division 1 Shield for this year. That Shield honours Bill (dec) and Anne Atkinson, in recognition of their contribution to table tennis. Both Division 1 & 2 Shields are new in recognition of services to Tasmanian table tennis.

The Division 2 Shield was won by the Launceston club. This inaugural shield was named the “Evans/Walker Shield”. Named after 2 still living giants of the game, Brian Evans and Margaret Walker (now Gabbedy), 2 people both from the Northwest of the State who have contributed so much to table tennis and have contributed to the game in so many ways.

You may be asking the question; “How did the PSTTC club do in their first year of participation in State League?”

The answer is, they did extremely well! 100% for participation, 100% for enthusiasm, 100% for commitment, 100% for demonstrating the right attitude, and yes, they also came away with a shield. Perhaps not the prestigious coveted winners shield, but on the bright side, no-one else took home the Wooden Spoon Shield.

What a weekend we had!  Thank you PSTTC and Tasmania Table Tennis community for making this one of the best State League events.

Pieter Holwerda

President Table Tennis Tasmania