Memories of the 2018 World Veteran Championships in Las Vegas (Photo: Mike Rhodes) Restricted, not as complete as in previous years, the Veteran calendar is announced for 2021. Unfortunately owing to COVID-19 there are cancellations 2021 Saturday 6th – Sunday 7th FebruaryVetts Southern Masters, Crawley, EnglandCancelled Friday 12th – Sunday 14th FebruaryAarhus Veteran Open, Aarhus, DenmarkCancelled Saturday 13th FebruaryInternational Veteran TournamentHolice, Czech RepublicEmail: sejpka.ladislav@seznam.cz Saturday 20th MarchTisnov Czech RepublicInternational Veteran TournamantEmail: sejpka.ladislav@seznam.cz Saturday 20th – Sunday 21st MarchVetts North West MastersPreston, EnglandCancelled Friday 2nd – Sunday 4th April3rd International Tournament - Rotary ClubMomchilgrad, BulgariaEmail: dkara@gmail.bg Saturday 17th AprilInternational Veteran TournamentHavirov, Czech RepublicEmail: sejpka.ladislav@seznam.cz Saturday 17th – Sunday 18th AprilVetts Western MastersThornbury, EnglandCancelled Monday 26th April – Sunday 2nd April20th World Veteran ChampionshipsBordeaux, FranceCancelled Saturday 15th MayInternational Veteran TournamentHostinne, Czech RepublicEmail: sejpka.ladislav@seznam.cz Saturday 22nd
Year: 2020
Ebby, yet another landmark, a special celebration
Ebby Schöler, respected by all (Photo: Rémy Gros) Player, official, businessman; there have been many landmarks in his illustrious career, on Tuesday 22nd December, there is yet another.Eberhard Schöler celebrates his 80th birthday. Born in Zlotow in north west Poland, always known as Ebby, he succeeded his wife, Diane, as President of the Swaythling Club International in 2013, a position he holds currently, having taken a one-year break in 2018/2019 when fulfilling the role of Deputy President. It is during his tenure of office, at meetings held at the Liebherr 2017 World Championships in Düsseldorf and ratified two years later in Budapest that the overall responsibility for the World Veteran Championships was transferred from the Swaythling Club International to the International Table Tennis
World Veteran Championships cancelled
Scheduled to be held in Bordeaux from Monday 26th April to Sunday 2nd May, the 20th World Veteran Championships has been cancelled. The organising committee issued the following statement on Monday 14th December “It is with a lot of sorrow that we announce the final cancellation of WVC2020 which was meant to take place in April 2021. We must sadly accept that the health crisis linked to COVID-19 might still be running on the rescheduled date of WVC2020 in 2021.Facing this circumstance, we gathered the main WVC2020's stakeholders and assessed all risk management. They unanimously highly recommend to cancel the event. Health of players, accompanying persons, referees, volunteers and all stakeholders being our top priority.Be aware that our team remains mobilized so
Pandemic, yet incredible numbers introduced to table tennis in Slovakia
Play outside, perfect answer (Photo: Alica Chladekova) The pandemic, the invisible enemy has very much brought sport to a standstill; not for Slovakia’s Alica Chladekova, it is quite the reverse, face a problem, find a solution. She continues tirelessly to promote table tennis, not necessarily at the highest level but more at grass roots; encouraging more and more young people to try the sport that everyone has played, and everyone can play. World Table Tennis Day, staged annually on 6th April, had to be curtailed but undaunted, Alica Chladekova did manage to organise three events. Top speed table tennis (Photo: Alica Chladekova) More impressively during the spring months she initiated a project "We are going to play ping - poooooong" that witnessed the involvement
Jacques Secretin passes away
Jacques Secretin as we remember him (Photo: Malcolm Anderson) It is with great sadness that the passing of Jacques Secretin is announced; he died on Tuesday 24th November; he was 71 years old. He will be most remembered for winning the men’s singles title at the 1976 European Championships in Prague and one year later in Birmingham the mixed doubles in partnership with Claude Bergeret at the 1977 World Championships Born on Friday 18th March 1949 in Carvin, located in the department of Pas-de-Calais, in the north east of the country bordering the English Channel, Jacques Secretin started to play in an era when the basis of the racket used today was established. In fact, until he was 12 years old he
Eva Jeler joins Table Tennis Australia
An appreciative smile from Eva Jeler (Photo: ITTF) A retirement from the post of Germany national coach on Monday 31st July, having in various capacities worked for a period of 37 years for the German Table Tennis Association (DTTB), a new venture now beckons for Eva Jeler. On Monday 23rd November it was announced that she will assume the role of National Coach – Performance Pathway (Able-Bodied) for Table Tennis Australia. She will work alongside John Murphy, National Head Coach (Able-Bodied) and Simon Gerada, National Performance Pathway Manager (Able-Bodied). “Eva is a world-renowned coach of the highest order. She has directly influenced the development of many world class players such as Jörg Rosskopf, Steffen Fetzner, Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Ruwen Filus, Christian Süss and Petrissa Solja.
Invitation extended to virtual memorial for Gus Kennedy
Gus Kennedy at the 1974 United States Open (Photo: Malcolm Anderson) Colleen and Roger Kennedy extend an invitation for a virtual memorial to acknowledge the life of Gus Kennedy who passed away on Monday 5th October at the Abbott Northwest Hospital in Minneapolis suffering from pancreatic cancer. A Zoom meeting will be held on Friday 4th December at 4.30 pm (Pacific Time). Pacific Time is eight hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)In order to receive the email with the event link, kindly register by 12.00 noon on Thursday 3rd December. Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAvf-yhpjMjH9LeONRmj13eTnQdC3dspyUx After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing this link to join.
Veteran tournament calendar updated
The calendar for veteran tournaments has been updated; unfortunately owing to the COVID-19, there are several cancellations. 2020 Saturday 31st October - Sunday 1st November 42nd Ifo Veteran Open, Gothenburg, Swedenn - Cancelled Thursday 12th - Sunday 15th November World Veteran Tour Istanbul, Turkey - Cancelled Saturday 14th - Sunday 15th November Vetts Eastern Masters Norwich, England - Cancelled Thursday 19th - Sunday 22nd November World Veteran Tour Aalborg, Denmark - Cancelled Wednesday 2nd - Sunday 6th December World Veterans Tour, Vancouver, Canada - Cancelled 2021 Saturday 6th - Sunday 7th February Vetts Southern Masters Crawley, England Contact: tournaments@vetts.org.uk Friday 12th - Sunday 14th February Aarhus Veteran Open Aarhus, Denmark Contact: linde@sport.dk Saturday 20th - Sunday 21st March Vetts North West Masters, Preston, England Contact: tournaments@vetts.org.uk Saturday
Thinking of Mips Van Kampen
The 1961 Yugoslav Open, the Belgian team (left to right) Mips Van Kampen, Georges Roland, Pierre Juliens and Joseph Demolin Born 95 years ago on Monday 19th October 1925 in Antwerp; we remember Mips Van Kampen passed away on Monday 19th August. Well respected, she joined the Royal Belgian Table Tennis Federation in 1949. In 1957 at the national championships she won the women’s singles title and with Maria Van Overloop enjoyed the same success in the women’s doubles event; the following year once again the pair emerged the victors. Consecutive women’s doubles successes; in fact it was to be four in a row. In 1959 and 1960, she secured the title in partnership with Ghislaine Roland. A most notable feat, one that
Executive Committee in real time
Members of the Executive Committee in Ratingen – (clockwise) Hans Westling, Di Schöler, Ebby Schöler, Harvey Webb, Reto Bazzi, Claude Bergeret (Photo: courtesy of Reto Bazzi) Virtual meetings the order of the day in recent times; however, for the Swaythling Club International, it is the real thing. On Saturday 17th October, they are meeting in the German town of Ratingen some eight miles north east of Düsseldorf; social distancing is strictly observed. Present for the gathering is Diane Schöler (Honorary President), alongside Ebby Schöler (President), Harvey Webb (Deputy President), Claude Bergeret (Secretary), Reto Bazzi (Rules Expert), Hans Westling (Chair World Veteran Championships Committee).