Ulf Thorsell, a player who set the standard for others to follow (Photo: courtesy of Swedish TTA) Skills developed at the Spårvägen club, Ulf Thorsell died suddenly at his home in Albufeira Portugal on Tuesday 8th June. Born on Sunday 18th March 1956, he was 65 years old. Ulf Thorsell was the golden boy, the prodigy. At the 1973 European Youth Championships staged in Athens, he fell just one step short of a full house. Alongside Thomas Berg, Christer Hafn and Per Sandström, junior boys’ team gold was secured, later he partnered Christer Hafn to junior boys’ doubles success, prior winning the boys’ singles event. Significantly in the final he beat England’s Desmond Douglas, a player against whom he was overcome on more than
Month: June 2021
Anton Hamran elected President of Slovak Table Tennis Association
Anton Hamran at the conference on Friday 18th June (Photo: Slovak TTA) At the helm of numerous tournaments under the umbrella of both the International Table Tennis Federation and European Table Tennis Union, on Friday 18th June, Anton Hamran was elected President of the Slovak Table Tennis Association In a secret ballot, of the 50 delegates present he gained an overwhelming 45 votes, the term of office being from 2021 to 2025. A member of the ETTU Youth Committee and holder of the ETTU Badge of Honour, he succeeds Zdenko Kriz who held the post for 38 years. Anton Hamran was formerly the Secretary-General of the Slovak Table Tennis Association; moreover, he is the man responsible for the quality printing of the Swaythling Club
Fujie Eguchi, one of Japan’s finest, passes away
Fujie Eguchi in 2015 (Photo: World Table Tennis) The oldest living world champion, Japan’s Fujie Eguchi passed away on Friday 28th May. Born on Friday 18th November 1932 in Nagasaki Prefecture, Fujie Eguchi moved to Osaka at the age of seven. She went to Higashisenba High School, where when 13 years old she started to play table tennis, before entering Osaka Pharmaceutical University. Petite, pen-hold grip using one side of the racket only, alongside the likes of colleagues Tomie Okawa, Kiiko Watanabe and Kimiyo Matsuzaki, she was instrumental in setting a new trend in the sport of table tennis; speed both with movement and technical skills hallmarks of their play. Prior to her appearance, defensive skills, combined with sporadic attacking strokes were very much
Anatoly Amelin, 75 years old
Anatoly Amelin in 1968 Born on Saturday 8th June 1946, now on Tuesday 8th June 2021, we mark the 75th birthday of Anatoly Amelin. Representing the Soviet Union, Anatoly Amelin established a most successful men’s doubles partnership with Stanislav Gomozkov. At the World Championships in 1967 in Stockholm, the duo emerged the runners up, two years later in Munich they were bronze medallists, a tournament in which Anatoly Amelin also reached the men’s singles semi-finals. Additionally, in Stockholm, partnering Zoja Rodnova, mixed doubles bronze was secured. Likewise at the European Championships, in three consecutive tournaments commencing in 1966 in London, it was men’s doubles bronze in harness with Stanislav Gomozkov. All were tournaments in which he was a member of the Soviet Union men’s team that