Interclub competition brings the Queensland Table Tennis community together

After 18 months of restrictions and difficulties some of the Queensland table tennis clubs were finally able to get together for the inaugural Andro Team Cup, which took place last Sunday at the Moreton Bay Table Tennis Association (MBTTA).

The competition was originally planned as a small event to give clubs an opportunity to keep their participants engaged and involved with the community. Andro Team Cup organiser Patrick Wuertz (Health Wellness and Table Tennis) said he was pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm immediately shown by the five clubs he invited to participate. 

“When I first reached out to the Bundaberg and Districts Table Tennis Association (BDTTA), MBTTA, Wynnum Table Tennis Association (WTTA), South Brisbane Table Tennis (SBTT) and Sunshine Coast Table Tennis Club (SCTTC), I never imagined that all five would be interested. 

“We had only planned for a small competition, but we ended up with 40 children from across the five clubs,” Wuertz said. 

With the event, Wuertz wanted to provide a welcoming and comfortable environment for beginner players that had just recently started their table tennis journey, so that they could have fun and get their first taste of competition. The format of the event was also devised in order to ensure each player could be exposed to as many playing styles as possible over the course of the tournament.

“It was about how many sets they played, because every set counts. Each child played against nine different players, rather than the usual two or three that they would face in a traditional tournament. 

“It opened the participants up to the various styles of competition, see what’s out there and meet other new players like them,” Wuertz said. 

To further promote the social aspect of the event, lunch was included in the sign-up fee, with participants able to spend time together and get to know each other to create a competitive but healthy and friendly environment.

Organisers hope the event can become a regular bi-annual competition that will continue to develop the junior competition across Queensland.