Home page

WEDNESDAY NIGHT SOCIAL PLAY

Welcome to 2021! Hopefully everyone had a pleasant time over the holiday period.

In preparation for the Pre-Winter season which is scheduled to start on Tuesday 2nd and Wednesday 3rd February, there will be social sessions on the next three Wednesday nights (January 13, 20 & 27) for anyone who wishes to come along and get into some sort of form (and fitness !!). The cost as usual will be $6.00 (adults) and $5.00 (juniors). Round robin competitions will be organised for those who want to get into competition mode or you can practice with others if there are sufficient tables available. Play will be scheduled to start at 7:15, so if you will be arriving after that time, please ring the Centre on 4155 2388 so you can be included in the round robins. It's expected the finishing time will be between 9:00 and 9:30.

The other social sessions on Friday mornings (8:30 - 11:30) and Sunday afternoons (12:30 - 4:30) have already resumed, and are available for anyone who wants to have a hit. Turn up when you like and leave when you like for these sessions.

Nominations for the Pre-Winter season are now open, so please add your name to the lists at the canteen or contact Dave Delpratt by email. Nominations are due to close on Sunday 31 January. If you know anyone who may be interested in playing, please encourage them to come to the Centre sometime between now and January 31 so they can be advised which night will be most suitable for them to join - the more players we have, the better it is for everyone.

2021 MEMBERSHIP AND PLAYING FEES

At the monthly Committee meeting held recently, the 2021 membership fees were confirmed. These are:

Adult - Level 2 (Competition players) $100.00

Concession - Level 2 (Pensioners, Students) $90.00

Adults - Level 1 (Social play only); All Juniors $55.00

Membership fees for 2021 are now due. It will be greatly appreciated if they are paid as soon as possible and by the end of February at the latest.

A range of changes to playing and coaching fees were decided at the meeting. These can be seen by going to the FEES page on this website.

2020 BUNDABERG CLOSED CHAMPIONSHIPS

The 2020 Bundaberg Closed Table Tennis Championships were held over the weekend of 13-15 November. They were dominated by the Fourro family who won a combined nine events, including both the Mens and Womens Open Singles. Father, John, made a clean sweep of his Veterans events, along with his wife Lorraine, who also turned back the clock to claim the Womens Open Singles for the first time since she won it three years in succession from 2006 – 2008. Their son, Brett, who returned to Bundaberg earlier this year after working and playing in the Brisbane area, won the Mens Open Singles for the first time, as well as combining with his father to take out the Mens Open Doubles.

Both the Open finals went down to the wire. In the Mens event, after being the hot favourite due to his dominance in club competition since his return, the younger Fourro was pushed all the way to seven games by former South Australian Junior representative, Anushka Mudalige, who had won a tough semi-final from Braydon Chapman in six games. In the final, Fourro led 2-1 but missed a golden opportunity to win the fourth game which he eventually lost 12/10. Mudalige took advantage of Fourro’s decline in confidence to win the fifth game 11/9 before Fourro produced an extraordinary sixth game that he won 11/0 to again level the match. In the decider, Fourro held on to the lead throughout to clinch the match and title 11/6.

Lorraine Fourro met two-time champion and 2019 runner-up, Rebecca Tran, in the final match of the Womens Singles round robin after both had won their earlier matches in close straight games results. The first two games were shared in relatively close scores before Fourro quickly took the third game 11/2. However, Tran fought back to win the fourth 11/9 and take the match to a deciding fifth game. In a seesawing contest, each led at different stages only for Fourro to reel off several excellent shots towards the end to win it 11/8.

John Fourro was generally untroubled to win six events – the Mens Open Doubles with son Brett, the Over 40 and Over 50 Mens Singles events, and the Over 40 Doubles, Over 40 Mixed Doubles and Over 55 Doubles with wife Lorraine. She also added the Over 40 and Over 50 Womens Singles titles to her tally.

Braydon Chapman won two major Junior titles, in both cases downing the top-seeded Anushka Mudalige. In the Junior A Grade Singles on Friday afternoon, Chapman prevailed in four games after losing the first, then won the Under 18 Boys Singles for the first time on Saturday with another four game result in a fiercely contested five player round robin that included many close games.

Natasha Jefferson was also a first time winner of the Under 18 Girls Singles when she beat her doubles partner and Bundaberg Junior team mate, Tahia Zia, in a five game thriller. After Tahia won the first game 11/4, Natasha took the next two 12/10, 11/9. Tahia leveled the score but Natasha won several long rallies late in the decider to win it 11/8. Natasha also beat Tahia in the final of the B Grade Singles in the best match of the tournament, coming back from losing the first two games to win it 13/11 in the fifth game which featured even more great rallies between the two girls.

Andrew and Matthew Udal also had good tournaments, winning a combined five titles. Andrew, after narrow losses to Braydon Chapman and Anushka Mudalige in various events, dominated the Restricted Singles for players not seeded in the Open Singles, and shared doubles wins with his brother in the Restricted Doubles and Under 18 Doubles. Matthew, who battled a knee injury throughout the tournament, also had success with Tahia Zia in the A Reserve Doubles and Under 15 Doubles.

Siblings Vinuka and Sithuki De Silva were both dual winners, Vinuka taking out the A Reserve Singles and Under 15 Singles in tough finals against Kane Chantarat. Sithuki was successful in the Junior D Singles then the Under 11 Girls Singles. Seven year old Janiru Hewamadduma also won twice, putting his talent on display in his first tournament, when he defeated his sister, Sithuki, to win the E Grade Singles after sharing the Junior D Doubles with her. Will Martin had his first tournament success with victories in the Junior C Singles and D Grade Singles, while Aimee Westerman, Levi Sarin and Kody Owttrim also won titles for the first time in Junior events.

Gordon Albrecht won the Para TT / Special Olympics Singles from Jan Baldock who then won the Wheelchair Singles in a five game thriller from Nikki Gourley.

ERIC CREE SHIELD v ROCKHAMPTON

Bundaberg Table Tennis is rejoicing after regaining the Eric Cree Shield from Rockhampton in sensational circumstances on Saturday 7 November as the two clubs celebrated fifty years of inter-club competition. Winning for the first time since 2016, in the presence of four members of the original Bundaberg team, the overall result was not decided until the fifth game of the final singles of the last match. Bundaberg is now looking towards next year’s clash in Rockhampton, hoping to go back-to-back for the first time since 2001 and 2002.

LATEST COVID-19 INFORMATION

(as at 26th September)

As we progress through what are hopefully the final stages of the COVID 19 pandemic,

please continue to follow the advice below when playing here until further notice:

All players and visitors must register and use the sanitiser immediately on their arrival at the Centre
Each player and the umpire is to use the sanitiser spray when they come onto the court
The table, and umpire chair and table should be wiped at the end of play
Hands are NOT to be wiped on the tables
Players/umpire should not shake hands at the end of the match.
Social distancing of 1.5 metres is still in place