2019 New Zealand Veterans Championships Report

By Jennifer Aduckiewicz (National Advisory Panel Member - Veterans)

The NZ Veterans Championships are always played over the Easter weekend. Australians have been attending for nearly 20 years. Again, this year they were played in Taupo, some 3hr drive south of Auckland. Special thanks to David Kilmister, the Tournament Director and Ron Garrett the hardworking Referee while John Lea and Christine Young did all the computer work along with a host of supporters. The Taupo Events Centre proved to be an excellent venue with plenty of space, good lighting and equipment. With 22 tables in constant use and a fantastic tuckshop keen to keep feeding the hungry hordes, players from across Australia and New Zealand could concentrate on playing their best or catching up with old friends. 

Off to a brilliant start winning the Test Match 32:28 in a close encounter, our nearly 50 Australian players went on to compete in both the Teams and the Individuals events. New Zealand reigned supreme in the younger age groups of the Men’s and Women’s Teams events with only Wen Ung and Bryan Harper representing ACT winning gold in the 0/60 event. Teams gold medals were also won by our 0/75 Women’s Teams of Pam Tait & Margaret Mulcahy, Qld’s Werner Borkhardt, Eddie Lee and Col Gradwell won the 0/75 Men’s Teams and Case De Bondt & Jim Furness won the 0/80 Men’s Team event. There was disappointment for those who played hard to achieve 3rd place as no bronze medals were awarded in the Teams event. 

Altogether there were about 150 players who entered the Individual events and by my reckoning a third were from Australia with many who had not played in a New Zealand Championship before. It was good to see their enjoyment of the tournament and the forging of new friendships. There were some outstanding performances. George Abdilla from SA not only won his Test Match games but went on to win gold medals in both the 0/60 and 0/65 Men’s Singles. He beat Australian Brian Berry in the 0/60s and Auckland’s William Weinstock in the 0/65 Men’s singles. All were brilliant matches with George’s partner Dianne cheering him on from the sidelines. George was ranked No 1 in the Order of Merit for both age groups. Michael Bowrey won the impressive 0/50 Men’s Singles trophy for the second year in a row while Igor Klaff and Case de Bondt took out gold in the 0/75 and 0/80 Men’s Singles respectively. Not to be outdone by the ‘Boys’, Jennifer Aduckiewicz and Julie Coombes both beat the indomitable Tanya Sulimova in the 0/65 and 0/70 Women’s Singles respectively. Pam Tait won the gold medal in the 0/75 Women’s Singles, an event she almost owns. The best player of the championships, however, was New Zealand’s Barry Griffiths whose skill and power on the court kept the spectators gasping. There were also many great doubles and mixed doubles victories. 

All the great results from the New Zealand Veterans Championships can be found by clicking here.

By Monday night the matches were over and some had to rush off to make their flights but many of us got gussied up for the annual Dinner Dance. The bar was covered from 6.30 pm while people gathered to reminisce about the last smash that refused to go on or the tight 5 setter that ended in a net/edge. Still we were among good friends. John Lea thanked the Australian contingent for supporting the Championships again for without us our NZ cousins would have won all the medals. 

After a smashing baked dinner and NZ pavlova and cream the Order of Merit list was announced by Val Beaver and the Aussies were there in number with 8 of the 13 No 1 places going to Australia.  Undoubtedly, it was our 0/75 Men and Women and our 0/80 Men who were the stand-outs. Six of the eight Women named in this category were from Australia with Pam Tait leading the charge and the first seven of the 0/75 Men led by Igor Klaf were Australian. Case de Bondt No 1, Colin Geraghty No2 and TT Lee at No3 were our top performers in the 0/80 Men.  As I said in my Test Match Report- “May they live forever”. 

Jennifer congratulated the Taupo Table Tennis Organising Committee for running a highly successful tournament and invited all New Zealand and Australian player to enter the ITTF Veterans Tour event to be held in Townsville in September, and to attend the Australian Master Games and the Australian Veterans Championships in South Australia in October this year. 

We all look forward to the New Zealand Veterans Championships to be held over the Easter weekend in Christchurch next year.