Seventy Five players from seven post primary schools in-and-around Belfast competed for almost four hours in Grosvenor Grammar School in Table Tennis Ulster’s Belfast Regional Singles tournament. Four events were contested with players playing initially in a round robin group of 3 or 4 players before battling for positions in a knock out stage.

The U19 Girls Singles was won by top seed Anjali Singh from Strathern who came from a game down to defeat Grosvenor’s Lily Parke in a competitive final. Joint third place went to the defeated semi-finalists’ Amelia Magowan and Rebecca Scott representing Strathern and Bloomfield respectively.

The U19 Girls Plate singles semi-finals was an all Bloomfield affair with Anna Ritchie defeating Lucy Kerr in the final and Kristy Gregg and Alexa Donaldson joint third.

The U19 Boys Singles was won by fifth seed Christopher Allsop from RBAI who defeated fourth seed and fellow RBAI player Aaditya Singh in the quarter finals, top seed Lagan College’s Alex Lo in the semi-final and second seed Euan Hanna from Grosvenor in an exciting final. Alex Lo shared joint third place with Our Lady & St Patrick’s top player Rafferty McKeague.

The U19 Boys’ Plate was won by Sullivan Upper’s Patrick Hamilton who defeated fellow Sullivan Upper player Reuben Shine in the final. Grosvenor’s Vybhav Bellamkonda shared joint third with Oliver Duffield from Sullivan Upper.

The U14 Girls Singles final was undoubtedly the match of the day with Our Lady & St Patrick’s star Nuria Goldstone saving several match points to edge past Bloomfield’s Leah Gal 19 -17 in the fifth and final set. Joint third went to beaten semi-finalists Maddie Armstrong and Jane Wilson both from Strathern.

The U14 Girls Plate event was won by Strathern’s Katie Ross who defeated Grosvenor’s Evie Nelson in the final. Sophie Boreland from Grosvenor and Strathern’s Ruby Norris were joint third.

Top seed Karstan Close won the U14 singles by defeating second seed and fellow Grosvenor star Matthew Bailie in the final. Joint third went to defeated semi-finalists Charlie Murray from Our Lady & St Patrick’s and Grosvenor’s Alfie Kennedy.

The U14 Boys Plate was won by Grosvenor’s Will Apsley who edged past Oliver Stinton from Friends in an extremely entertaining final. Grosvenor players Aaron Armstrong and Luke McKeown came joint third.

A big thank you to TTU’s Nicola Clement for assisting with the organizing of the event and Jimmy Sterling for preparing all the necessary documentation to ensure the event ran smoothly. Also thanks to an excellent top table of helpers Maeve Deery, Goldston Johnston, David Witherspoon, Simon Gough and school tournament county umpire Ala Al-Janabi who umpired many of the finals on the day. I would also like to make special mention of our host school Grosvenor Grammar for the use of their excellent faculties free of charge, to School Principal Dr Vasey for her kind words of welcome, Andria Peel who helped bring the event to the school and Mr. Kennedy for his tireless work and help throughout the event. Grosvenor also provided lunch which was most appreciated by the hard working top table.

Norman McBride

Ulster Schools’ Table Tennis Secretary and Event referee

Table of Belfast Regional Results 2024/5

U14 Girls

1st Nuria Goldston Our Lady & St Patrick’s

2nd Leah Gal Bloomfield

=3rd Jane Wilson Strathern

=3rd Maddie Armstrong Strathern

U14 Girls Plate

1st Katie Ross Strathern

2nd Evie Nelson Grosvenor

=3rd Sophie Boreland Grosvenor

=3rd Ruby Norris Strathern

U14 Boys

1st Karstan Close Grosvenor

2nd Matthew Bailie Grosvenor

=3rd Charlie Murray Our Lady & St Patrick’s

=3rd Alfie Kennedy Grosvenor

U14 Boys Plate

1st Will Apsley Grosvenor

2nd Oliver Stinton Friends

=3rd Aaron Armstrong Grosvenor

=3rd Luke McKeown Grosvenor

U19 Girls

1st Anjali Singh Strathern

2nd Lily Parke Grosvenor

=3rd Rebecca Scott Bloomfield

=3rd Amelia Magowan Strathern

U19 Girls Plate

1st Anna Ritchie Bloomfield

2nd Lucy Kerr Bloomfield

=3rd Kristy Gregg Bloomfield

=3rd Alexa Donaldson Bloomfield

U19 Boys

1st Christopher Allsop RBAI

2nd Euan Hanna Grosvenor

=3rd Rafferty McKeague Our Lady & St Patrick’s

=3rd Alex Lo Lagan College

U19 Boys Plate

1st Patrick Hamilton Sullivan Upper

2nd Reuben Shine Sullivan Upper

=3rd Vybhav Bellamkonda Grosvenor

=3rd Oliver Duffield Sullivan Upper