Table Tennis Times A quarterly, independent, magazine from the world of English Table Tennis and beyond
Issue 35
Editorial
Late Summer 2024
We apologise for this edition being a little later than usual but there has been an extraordinary amount of table tennis action and news to cover, and we had two weeks in Rome which was followed by a bout of Covid-19 which we have just about recovered from. Being late also means there will only be one more issue this year but I’m sure will be another bumper issue. We start this round-up with a report on the table tennis at the Olympic Games which again ended with a clean sweep for China but also had some encouraging results for Europe in the shape of Sweden and France who both had some very impressive younger players. Let’s hope they can progress over the next few years. As usual we report on many tournaments at all levels. There is a report on the Brighton Table Tennis Extravaganza held in May where an incredible 1,276 people came to see what it was all about and most ended up playing! The adage proved true again “put a table up and people will play”. There is a hope to repeat this next year so watch out for the date and come along and be part of something extraordinary. Our popular “What was Happening” feature looks at 1984, just a mere 40 years ago. Richard Scruton contributes a nice article on the Yorkshire County Table Tennis Association, it’s history and centenary celebrations and also the Cheltenham League celebrating its centenary by Richard Comley. We also have a report on the Table Tennis England Annual General Meeting and an update on their governance of the sport. We mentioned Rome earlier and we have a comprehensive report on the World Masters Championships which had a record 6,100 players which details the considerable success of several English players. Regrettably we have several obituaries in this issue as we have lost some more significant figures: Tony Clayton, Judy Williams, Sir Jack Petchey, Clive Morris, Tony Hooper and Hilda Watts. Although this is always a little sad it must also be a celebration of their lives, and they will be remembered. Best wishes Diane and Harvey Webb Table Tennis Times 35: Late Summer 2024
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