Friends reunited (left to right standing) Tomas Berner, Hans Westling, Christer Johansson (sitting) Siv Hammarlund, Inga Bremer, Gudrun Bergström and Marita Neidert (Photo: courtesy of Hans Westling)
by Ian Marshall, Editor
Japan’s Yuya Oshima and Kasumi Ishikawa won the respective Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles titles at 2016 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open in Stockholm on Sunday 19th September.
The tournament brought to a conclusion the 21st year of the ITTF World Tour and as with all international it brought together friends; some with longer memories than others.
Notably present to watch the proceedings were Siv Hammarlund and Gudrun Bergström, both ladies whose thoughts must always be with their late husbands, men so prominent in the world of international table tennis.
Lollo Hammarlund was elected President of the International Table Tennis Federation at the Biennial General Meeting in Tianjin in 1995; very soon after gaining the office which filled him with so much pride he fell ill.
Sadly as we watched China’s Kong Linghui progress to win the Perrier Men’s World Cup title in the French city of Nîmes, later in the year in October the passing of Lollo Hammarlund was announced.
Likewise the contribution of Nils Bergström was immeasurable. He represented Sweden at the World Championships in London in 1948, before becoming President of the Union Table Tennis Union and later a member of the Executive Committee of the International Table Tennis Federation. He passed away in August 2013.
No doubt those two gentlemen were very much in the minds not only of Siv Hammarlund and Gudrun Bergström but also of the other members of the Swaythling Club International who met in Stockholm.
Also present for a very enjoyable lunch and memories exchanged, was Hans Westling, Chair of the World Veteran Championships Committee, alongside Tomas Berner, Hans Westling, Christer Johansson and Marita Neidert.