Table Tennis NZ has a page on the Umpires & Referees Committee check it out if you’re curious or interesting in progressing your umpiring skills. There’s a lot of good material up there. You may or may not know that when Malcolm Wong turns up at at tournaments like the recent Autumn open that while he might pick up his bat and play – he is also there in a more official capacity. Malcolm is indeed an International Umpire and a National Referee!
Malcolm is also the TTNZ Umpires and Referees Committee Convenor so has work in between tournaments too. For example.
Malcolm travelled to Palmerston North last September to present Jim Jarmin with his 50 Year Umpiring Service Award (1967-2017).
Jim was born in Manchester, England. He started playing table tennis at the age of 19 in Birmingham. In 1966 Jim moved to New Zealand where he joined the Mount Albert Table Tennis Club in Auckland and qualified as a provincial umpire that same year. Jim later moved to Palmerston North in 1980. He has served on the TTNZ Umpires and Referees Committee and the Table Tennis Manawatu Committee and was also a founder member of the Manawatu Table Tennis Veterans Club. Jim was awarded Life Membership of Table Tennis Manawatu (14/11/2014). Jim, with Chip Eade (Waitemata), won the NZ Men’s Over 45 Doubles in 2005 and the Over 65 Men’s Doubles in both 2005 & 2006. He was selected for the NZ Men’s Over 70 Team in the veterans test against Australia in 2008. Jim said his proudest achievement was winning the 2014 World Veterans Consolation Men’s Doubles with Werner Krafft (Australia).
The 18th Manawatu Veterans Doubles Tournament, sponsored by Himatangi Transport, was held on the same day as Jim’s award. There was a morning session (62 entries) where players played with their selected partners (6 groups round robin). In the afternoon session (58 entries) players were matched with another player (6 groups round robin). Prizes were given for the first and second place pairs in the morning and to the first place pair in the afternoon. Players came from Wanganui. Stratford, Taumarunui, Edgecumbe, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington. Only Tony Rutledge came from Wellington. He played in the morning session. Former Waterloo player, Ian White (83), who now lives in Levin also played.
-Malcolm Wong & Matthew Hobbs
Table Tennis Wellington 