Table tennis players from all over Ireland traveled to Ballymena Academy on the 12th of September to take part in the prestigious County Antrim Open Table Tennis Championship. The Open also included the first two Ulster Masters Series events, namely, the SportNI sponsored over 40s and SportNI sponsored over 60s.
The first event of the morning, the over 40s Masters started sharply at 9:30 AM with forty players playing in 10 groups of four competing in what was the first Ulster Master Series event of the season. The top two in each group progressed to the Ulster Series over 40S main event while those in 3rd and 4th place played in the Ulster Series plate event. After four hours of frenzied table tennis Rodney McKirgan from Dungannon emerged as the over 40s champion defeating Oksana Pavlova from Donegal in a tight three game final.
The over 40s plate final was won by local Ballymena player Oliver McQuillan who defeated Castlewellan’s John Huyton in the final.
The Masters over 60s event with 16 players playing in four groups started at 1PM . After over three hours of table tennis “King” Des Flanagan emerged the winner in a very tightly contested final. Des came from two games down and 6-3 down in the 5th and deciding game to beat Bangor’s Gus Agnew – last season’s overall Ulster Masters champion.
The plate final was won by the evergreen Arnold Morgan from Banbridge who defeated Ards legend Ossie Patterson.
Thirty four players contested the Co Antrim open with 8 groups of four or five players trying to get their name on the prestigious County Antrim Cup. The event started at 2PM and after five hours of continuous play the final of the event was contested by Ormeau’s Adam Faulkner and defending County Antrim champion Tom Colvin from Craigavon. The two players had recently returned from competing in the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships in India and they were both in top form putting on a great exhibition of attacking table tennis against exceptional defense. The spoils eventually went to Tom Colvin who retained the Cup with a 3-1 victory.
The plate final had youth against experience with Glenburn’s Wai Tat Sum against Dublin’s young table tennis sensation Liqi Wang. Experience prevailed over youthful exuberance on this occasion with Wai Tat Sum winning 3-1.
Tournament referee Norman McBride thanked all the participants and congratulated the various finalists. He also thanked tournament manager Stephen Baillie and his assistant referee James Sterling for making the event run so smoothly. Sponsors TTU and SportNI, Ballymena Academy and all the Ballymena TTC players who set up the event were also thanked. The next venue in the Ulster Masters Series is in Ards on 3rd October.
Norman McBride
