Biggest amateur table tennis event produces great talent
Table tennis is still growing in Pretoria, as has shown the turnout and results of the recent Play Table Tennis Legends Invitational tournament.
The Play Table Tennis Legends Invitational had its sixth instalment recently and produced some great new local talent.
The end result was hardly surprising as defending champion Terrence Mathole recently returned from Sweden where he represented South Africa in the World Team Championships.
That didn’t mean he had an easy time. Recently crowned SADF table tennis champion Weldon van der Bergh gave him all kinds of uphill in the final. But the young star repeated the heroics of the previous Legends, prevailing 4-3 in a tense and exciting final that had the spectators on their feet.
The win earned Mathole over 1,000 ranking points and takes him to the top of the Play Table Tennis Gauteng North rankings, with Van der Bergh leaping 19 places into fifth overall.
In the bronze medal match, Madhav Bissa defeated Kobus Heyns 3-1 to give him a solid second place on the latest rankings.
The Legends was the biggest of its kind to date, with 48 players battling for glory. It also had the toughest qualification criteria, with some previous stars not even making it into the tournament.
The tournament also identified a number of exciting new talents – most notably debutant David Breetzke, who finished 11th. Two juniors, Jordan Theron and Waldo Glas, who finished joint 23rd in a very tough competition against senior and veteran players. also showed that they have the talent to be future champions. Both boys will be representing Gauteng North at the SATTB Juniors in Secunda at the end of June in the under-18 and under-15 divisions respectively.
The next instalment, Legends VII, will take place in early September. The qualification criteria for this one will be even stricter, with players required to play in at least five of the weekly events in the three months preceding.
The attention now shifts back to the 4-player Inter-Venue Challenge, where the log-topping Eagles have lost only one out of twelve encounters and look set to continue their dominance in the competition.
But the real focus of Play Table Tennis is to promote the sport’s grassroots. This is achieved through weekly social events played at venues around Pretoria. This serves as a feeding ground for higher structures while still presenting the opportunity to play in a relaxed and social environment.
For all the information, along with full past event results, rankings, statistics and events calendar, please visit www.playtabletennis.co.za.
