The 2015 Table Tennis Wellington Veterans Open Tournament is open to all-comers. If you turn 40 or more in 2015 then you are eligible – mark your calendar!
As this weekend’s weather reminds us, winter interclub season is upon us. Clubs are invited to submit entries for the 2015 Winter Interclub season – Series I. Teams come from clubs including composite teams from more than one club.
All the action starts in a few weeks so talk to your club interclub contacts to ensure you are on the team lists and have your up to date contact information.
Timetable – Series I & II
(assuming 6 team grades)
Tues 12 May Entries close for all grades To be advised Grading matches if required Tues 19 May Premier & Division 2 grades commence* Wed 20 May Division 1 & Division 3 grades commence* 6-17 July School holidays (no interclub play – North Island Champs being played) Tues 21 July Premier interclub recommences/Div 2 Grade Champs* Wed 22 July Div 1 & 3 Grade Champs* 28/29 July Remaining divisions of interclub recommence 8/9 September Final rounds will be played 15 September Finals night – all grades
NB: There will be no Premier Grade on 1 September due to the National Secondary Schools Champs
*Assuming three grades below Premier
Congratulations to Merv Allardyce and Eddie Moore in the O80s: Over 80 Men’s Doubles Silver Medalists Merv Allardyce and Eddie Moore. Eddie was also Over 80 Men’s Singles Silver Medalist.
Eddie Moore also was a Silver medallist in the O80s singles!
Wellington Medalist at 2015 NZ Veterans – Depak Patel, Lindsay Ward and Ian Talbot
In the individuals events, Lindsay Ward got Gold in the O60s and Bronze in the O50s.
Also a picture from the Bronze Medal playoff match – Wellington 3 New South Wales 1 (thanks to Malcolm Wong for sending in these pictures): L-R Lindsay Ward, Bryan McConnochie, Ian Talbot (Wellington) Shinji Hiraoka, Stephen Tai (New South Wales)
In the Teams, Depak Patel and John Gan won Silver in the Over 40 Men B group.
As in the picture below, Ian Talbot, Lindsay Ward, and Bryan McConnochie won Bronze in the O60 Men
The 2015 Marlborough Open Form is here: 2015 Marlborough Open Form – this is being held in Blenheim on May 9/10 with all details are in the form. Entries are due May 4.
The Autumn Open (a rating tournament) is upon us. Clear your calendar for the May 2/3 weekend and enter in as many events as you can. Tournaments are a great way to test your skills, watch, and learn. See you there!
(entry form updated April 17)
Businesses in Wellington are invited to submit entries for the 2015 SUMMER BUSINESS CLASS league being run on Tuesdays from 28th April to 26th May (held at the Newtown stadium).
The entry form is here: 2015-april-business-class-entry-form (or as a pdf). Please read this for the details. Entries are due Wednesday April 22 to Steve Montgomery (contact details in the entry form).
The Over 60s New Zealand team including Lindsay Ward beat Australia 3-2.
Likewise the Over 65s New Zealand team including Bryan McConnochie beat Australia 3-2 too!
In the domestic representative teams:
In the Over 60s Wellington won Bronze (Ian Talbot, Lindsay Ward, Bryan McConnochie)
In the Over 40s B-Grade Wellington won Silver (Depak Patel, John Gan)
Congratulations to the above and to all Wellington competitors!
Below is a picture taken by Reg Feuz of two of the old timers of TTW: Brian Hearfield and Bob Knight who hadn’t seen each other in years and had a great time catching up on Wednesday! Brian Hearfield and Bob Knight at TTW Summer Intercub
(C8H8)nFYI, a TTNZ article here describes the current state of play regarding the move from the current celluloid ball to the ‘plastic ball’ (for details see here & here):
From TTNZ:
INTRODUCTION OF PLASTIC BALL
Table Tennis New Zealand has just received our first supply of the new Stag 3 star Plastic Ball. All National Coaches, Associations, and all players representing New Zealand overseas in the 2015 season will be provided with a supply of the new plastic ball to trial. We would welcome feedback on the new ball.
The Stag 3 Star Celluloid ball currently used for all TTNZ tournaments will again be used for all TTNZ 2015 tournaments.
Once we have had the chance to assess the new ball, TTNZ will change to a Plastic Ball in the 2016 season for all TTNZ tournaments.
We should be able to get some plastic balls in during the year (some players have some already) to try out, watch this space…
Also here is a cover sheet for the Business House competition (posted earlier here) that is underway on Tuesdays @ Newtown. Business Class Summer League 2015
Ivan Moffat was born in 1917 in Wellington. He was 97 in August last year and is Table Tennis Wellington’s oldest Vice President. He started playing at age 12 at the Boys Institute in Tasman Street, Wellington. This began a lifetime involvement with table tennis.
During World War 2 Ivan was a private and sapper with the 36th NZ Army Battalion (1941-45) in the Pacific. He borrowed a bat from the Salvation Army and played with his fellow soldiers when there was time.
Ivan played interclub for the St Josephs Club in Mount Victoria. He was in their 1954 winning E Grade Team. In the final St Josephs beat Kilbirnie RSA 12-8. There were 61 teams in E Grade that year, in 8 sections. The next year Ivan was playing C Grade. His team won Section 3 and finished 3rd of 4 teams in post section play. Brian Hearfield (TTW Life Member) recalls that he played against Ivan in B Grade. The St Josephs team also included Jack Dobbs and Bob Gallagher. Bob who played for St Josephs (1957-62) said that Ivan was an attacking player who used the same side of the bat for both forehand and backhand. Bob also said that Ivan was the most awkward player he has played against. Ivan also played in the A Reserve Grade. He later played for St Pats in Kilbirnie. His wife Florence (better known as Florrie or Flossie) was ever present with him on club night and at his interclub matches.
Ivan was on the Wellington Table Tennis Association Executive Committee (1962-73). He was on the Emergency, Tournament and Hall, and Equipment Sub Committees. Ivan was also the Recording Secretary for A-B Grades (1963-73). He was a Junior Selector (1962) and Senior Selector (1963-70). He was the Manager for Wellington Teams in matches against Wairarapa, Canterbury (Clapshaw Trophy) and the Grades Match against Hutt Valley. He was the Manager of the Wellington Teams at the NZ Championships (1963) and Women’s Team (1964-67, 1969-70). Ivan was on the New Zealand Table Tennis Committee (1974).
In the then annual match against Hutt Valley, Ivan was in the Wellington Executive Team (1962,1963,1965,1967,1969 & 1972), C Grade Team (1955) and A Reserve Team (1971 & 1973). The Executive Team won 10-2 (1963) 12-0 (1967) 7-5 (1969) 11-1 (1972) and the A Reserve Team won 8-4 (1971) and 7-5 (1973). Ivan won the Wellington Open Veteran Men’s Singles (Over 45) on 4 occasions (1963,1965, 1966 and 1968). Ivan is a qualified National Umpire. At the New Zealand Championships, Ivan was Deputy Referee (1965), Assistant Referee (1979) and Referee in 1986,1988, 1991, 1996 and 1998. Former Wellington coach Paul Escott said that at the New Zealand Championships, Ivan (Tournament Referee) proudly worn his Wellington blazer. His wife Florence was there at the tournaments with him until she passed away in December 2004.
Ivan left Wellington to move to Papakura, Auckland in July, 1978. He joined the Papakura Club and continued playing and being an official. He was rewarded for his services by being made a Life Member of the Auckland Association (1994), Papakura Club (2005) and Counties Association (2013). Ivan is the Patron of the Papakura Table Tennis Club since 2008 and the joint Patron of the Counties Association. There was a story in the Papakura Courier in 2007 when Ivan won the Papakura Club Doubles at the age of 90. A fellow Auckland Committee member referred to him as always strict but fair. He had an engaging personality and was always able to communicate with all ages and all types. As Referee he would ensure that the playing conditions were right. He would check that the barriers were in their right place, and that the net heights were correct at the start of each session. Ivan had a true love for the game.
Ivan played table tennis until he was 94. He said that table tennis had helped him maintain his coordination and fitness in his life. He was a visitor at the 2014 World Veteran Table Tennis Championships in Henderson, Auckland. Ivan enjoys seeing his family: his son Keith and wife Eunice, 4 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. Ivan has moved into a rest home in Papakura in 2014.
Ivan Moffat at the 2014 World Veteran Championships.
2009 NZ Open Under 21 Women’s Singles
L/R: Yang Fang (A), Ivan Moffat (A Presenter),
Lee So Bong (Korea), Dawn Ee (A), Jenny Hung (C)
2009 NZ Open Under 21 Men’s Singles
L/R: Phillip Xiao (A), Ivan Moffat (Presenter), Ryan Zhu (A),
Kevin Wu (A), Lingnan Kong (A)
1984 Auckland Assn 60th Jubilee Committee
L/R: Rear: Ivan Moffat, Bob Lassen, Alan Tomlinson, Jim Coad, Nick Krajancic.
Front: Valley Kwok, Roy Munday, Bob King, Dick Rassie, Bruce Penberthy
1965 NZ Open Wellington Assn Committee
L/R: back: J S Crossley, W S R Jopson, I L Moffat, R G Lea (referee).
front: D R McGregor, I L Houghton (tourn manager), A F Stanley
1967 Wellington Teams to New Zealand Championships.
Managers were Ivan Moffat (left seated) and Ivan Houghton (Right seated)
Table Tennis Wellington 