Four of the city’s leading keen-age Table Tennis players are in Mackay to participate in various competitions at the annual Queensland Veteran Championships. This tournament, which has attracted a strong entry from an array of clubs spanning from Cairns to the Gold Coast and west to Toowoomba, runs from the 17th to the 21st of July.
With formidable competition in the team and individual singles, doubles, and mixed doubles events, our Veterans will need to work hard for every victory. However it is certain that they will be giving their all in every match they contest.
Pam Clarke will continue her long-standing commitment to state competitions, which began when she was a junior nearly a generation ago. At this year’s Q-Vets, she will be competing in the over-65 division as well as some events in the over-60 category.
Ann-Louise Stewart and Monica Deeth are both players with strong and consistent all-round games. While their basic styles differ, they can always be relied upon in a team environment and, on their best days, produce impressive results against a variety of opponents. At this tournament, their main focus will be on the over-50 events, but they also aim to make an impact in the over-40 age group.
Making his debut at the Q-Vets, newcomer Warun Wilkinson will compete in the over-50 age group in all available events. Although he has only been involved in the local fixture scene for the past year, Wilkinson has shown rapid improvement in his overall play, and any tournament experience is likely to further enhance his competitive edge.
Players at this carnival are limited to participating in two age groups, typically their own age division and the one below. This often means competing against players who can be up to ten years younger, presenting an added challenge.
These four Rocky representatives all fared quite well in the opening round of fixtures in the new open-grade season at the Leichhardt Park playing centre last week. Stewart came within a whisker of upsetting the reliable Gerard Watts, a former local and state veteran representative, in a match that went the full distance, with Watts narrowly winning by two points in the deciding fifth set. Ann-Louise then went on to play one of the fixtures' frontrunners Rayden Smith. Despite a strong challenge from Stewart, Smith closed out the game 3-0.
Deeth and Wilkinson are in the same team this season in the second division, and they both performed well against Leo Lai and Joe Clifton. Deeth nearly caused an upset against the division’s leading player, Lai, losing 11-8 in the decider, while her teammate managed to take a game off Lai, and both defeated Clifton. Clarke reversed her previous result against Linda O’Sullivan in a five-set battle, but the tricky defence of Geoff Geddes proved too challenging in their encounter.
With a new season comes a new leaderboard! To see all the match-ups and results throughout the season, check out the following link: https://www.rockhamptontabletennis.com/fixtures-v2