News – Page 2 – Dumfries Table Tennis Club

Success at the North Ayrshire Open

Our players were out in full force on the Ayrshire coast at the North Ayrshire Open last weekend. The event started with a brilliant Friday night Scotland v Ulster Junior International friendly match organised by Table Tennis Scotland. Our own Shannon Brown represented Scotland as the national team won 6 out of 7 matches to take the overall victory.

Shannon was back in action on Saturday. The Women’s Singles showcased her skill and resilience, the highlight being a nail-biting 5th set win at 11-9 against Maureen Moran in the quarter-finals. Although the semi-finals brought a formidable opponent in Ulster’s Grace Looney, Shannon’s valiant effort was commendable.

In the men’s Senior singles Dawid Sulkowski flew the flag for Dumfries with a strong run to the last 16, then made it to the semi-final of the men’s Senior doubles with his partner Chris Wheeler. Well done Dawid! Special mention also to our illustrious alumnus Danny Bajwa who made it to the semi-final of the men’s Senior singles and was runner-up in the men’s Senior doubles.

On to Junior Sunday and Dumfries had a bumper crop of youngsters competing. Shannon bossed her group in Sunday’s Girls Junior Singles, where she executed a smart game plan to progress into the semi-finals. Once again she ran into Grace Looney and – despite a bold fight – bowed out. But congratulations to Shannon for displaying great physical and mental resilience, and taking another encouraging step as she returns from injury.

Shannon and Cory teamed up for the Open Junior Doubles and did well in their group, notching a win and giving the top-rated Ulster pairing a good scare despite not reaching the knockouts. In the singles competitions, Olivia Maxwell continued her rapid progress with a battling display in both the U13 and U15 girls groups. Still going strong, Shannon was back on the table and made it to the quarter-finals of the girls U19 singles competition. Boyd Telfer brought his limitless energy and reached the knockout stages of the boy’s U13 competition and gained some priceless experience by playing up to U15. Cory Dawson fought through a tough group with an impressively determined and positive attitude to reach the U15 knockout stages. Evan Robertson did the club proud by toughing it out in a super challenging U19 group – an experience which will make him even stronger.

Finally, Finley Boyd reached the knockout stages of the U15 boys competition, then cruised to the semi-final of the Banded Cadet competition where he ran into Isaac Ishmael. No strangers to each other after hours training together, Fin and Isaac slugged out an epic 5 setter that came down to a handful of points. Isaac took the win and then played a great match in the final to win his first silverware! Congrats Isaac! Isaac also competed in the U15 singles and played some great table tennis over the day.

Well done to all of our players and it’s especially good to see such a hard-working, dedicated and talented bunch of juniors representing the club together. Thanks to North Ayrshire Table Tennis and Table Tennis Scotland for organising such a great event.

Success at the North Ayrshire Open Read More »

New heating installed

News

We’re delighted to have our new heating system installed, so no more struggling to play in freezing temperatures! We now have 12 individually operated infra-red heaters, which means we don’t have to heat the whole hall when only one or two tables are in use. And as they’re on timers, they can’t be left on accidentally overnight – a problem in the past. Thank you to Alastair from Purdie Electrical for the work.

The new system should give us a saving on some of our energy costs, but we hope to be able to install solar panels in future which will reduce costs significantly long term.

New heating installed Read More »

League report – weeks 5 – 6

News

Jason Fleming reports:

In Division 1, The Spinners hold the dignity of being league leaders at the end of the year, although Top Bananas can easily regain top spot with their games in hand. The Spinners didn’t have it all their way in their two matches, however, as the duo of Kay Solaja and Brian Kirkpatrick went down 4-1 against Gordon Duff and Shona Morton of Netflicks. A particular game of note was Duffy’s spirited display to recover from 2-0 down against Kay to win in the fifth. Spinners’ fortunes were bolstered by the acquisition of Danny Bajwa making his return to the league, as they saw off Jason Fleming and Paul Borrowdale of Gaulty Towers 4-1. Fresh from his recent exploits in British League, Danny didn’t really need to get out of first gear, whilst Jason probably wished he was still on paternity leave at home with his newborn baby. Gaulty Towers’ consolation point came through Jason’s win against Kay. Also in Division 1, Smashing Pumpkins had a comfortable 5-0 victory against Apple Crumble, followed by a rematch against Netflicks, who must have hoped to get revenge for their defeat earlier in the season. Nonetheless, again Smashing Pumpkins were able to prevail as they won 3-2, their overall victory spearheaded by Shannon Brown who won both her singles matches. With plentiful rearranged matches to take place in the coming weeks, it will be intriguing to see how the division shapes up in January and February.

The tussle between Table Toppers and Two Slips and a Gully for Division 2 pre-eminence continued as both sides put Sultans of Spin to the sword – Table Toppers winning 4-1 and TS&G winning 5-0 – before both sides faced off against each other in a top of the table clash. TS&G’s young duo of Cory Dawson and Isaac Ishmael will have hoped for revenge against Annie Borrowdale and James Hutchinson, though in the end experience yet again prevailed as Table Toppers clinched a 3-2 win. Annie made a crucial contribution by winning both her singles matches, whilst Isaac had a good win in five against Jim. Cory will feel hard done by to have lost both his singles matches in five, nevertheless, his side remain in first place, albeit Table Toppers have games in hand to make up the deficit. Steve Cussell and Ray Pirrie of The Owd Coots were able to cement their position in third, with 4-1 wins against Hurricanes and Sultans of Spin. Lastly, Hurricanes picked up their first win of the season through a hard-fought 3-2 win against Watsonians – Mike Watson winning his two singles matches to salvage two points for his side.

In Division 3, Graeme and Finley Boyd of Blade Runners continued their sprint to the title, producing a perfect display in winning 5-0 against Chuckle Chums. Even at this stage, their lead appears almost unassailable, thus the decisive battle of the division will come down to the battle for second place, which is currently neatly poised between Double Trouble and Titans by a single point. Titans’ duo of Evan Robertson and Theuns Wiese had a resounding 5-0 win against Falcons, before they faced off against Olivia Maxwell and Boyd Telfer of Double Trouble. In the end, the latter duo had a big 4-1 win against Titans to leapfrog them into second place, with key wins from Boyd and Olivia proving crucial.

Full details and tables are as always at https://www.tabletennis365.com/Dumfries.

League report – weeks 5 – 6 Read More »

League Report Weeks 3 – 4

News

Jason Fleming reports:

Weeks 3 & 4 of the Dumfries Table Tennis League 2023-24 saw a number of teams in action, as league leaders sought to rubber stamp their authority across the divisions, whilst other sides were seeking valuable points at the early stages of the season.

An unblemished performance from Top Bananas against Smashing Pumpkins saw them extend their lead at the top of Division 1; the duo of Dylan and Reuben De Silva dispatching their opponents Paul Dowson and Barry Kirkpatrick with aplomb in a comfortable 5-0 win. Elsewhere in the division, Kay Solaja and Brian Kirkpatrick of The Spinners bounced back from their early defeats this season with 5-0 and 4-1 wins against Apple Crumble and Smashing Pumpkins respectively. Of particular note against Apple Crumble was a close five tussle in the doubles which Kay and Brian were able to sneak through, enabling their perfect result. Against Smashing Pumpkins, Kay was in ruthless form as he won both his singles matches in straight sets. Paul rescued a consolation point for his side through a battling 3-1 victory against Brian. The epic father-son battle between Brian and Barry saw it go all the way to the fifth end, until age and experience was able to prevail with Brian winning. Barry ruing his chances afterwards – ‘I’ll get him one of these days!!!’ Iain Macleod and Craig Wilson of Apple Crumble were seeking to bounce back against Gordon Duff and Shona Morton of Netflicks, although it was the latter who managed to pull through with a 4-1 win. Their sole point coming through Iain’s straight sets win against Shona. Gaulty Towers will have a hectic schedule throughout December and early January as they play catch-up on a number of rearranged fixtures, in part due to injuries and paternity leave within the team (Congratulations from us all on the new arrival, Jason!). After these results, Top Bananas remain top of the table whilst Apple Crumble have the unfortunate position of sixth in the league.

The newcomers to the league, Cory Dawson and Isaac Ishmael of Two Slips and a Gully, continued their impressive start to the season in Division 2, with strong 4-1 and 5-0 wins against Watsonians and Hurricanes. Although finishing 4-1 in the end, their match with Gary and Mike Watson of Watsonians was a cracker, evidenced by three of the five matches going to a deciding set. Mike salvaged a point for his side with a battling win in the fifth against Isaac, whilst Cory excelled in winning both his singles matches. This form was sustained in their game against Iain Murray and Graeme Allison of Hurricanes, as they stormed to a 5-0 win. With TSG at the top of the table in Division 2, their closest rivals, Anne Borrowdale and James Hutchinson of Table Toppers, replied with a resounding 5-0 win against Steve Cussell and Raymond Pirrie of The Owd Coots. Although Steve and Ray came close in the doubles – losing out in the fifth set – Table Toppers took no chances in their other games. Steve offered a colourful description on how the games went for his team that I have chosen to omit for a good reason! The other two matches in this division both comprised Phil Jones and Colin McGlyn of Sultans of Spin: Firstly, a 4-1 win against Hurricanes which had plenty of close matches throughout. In the end, Phil and Colin’s five set wins against Iain and Graeme proving crucial. Hopes of replicating this result in their second match were dashed, as the Watsonians beat Sultans of Spin 4-1; Mike Watson winning both his singles and doubles matches to give his team an important win.

A quick glance at the Division 3 Table would indicate how relentless Blade Runners have been this season thus far as they already look strong contenders to claim the title. Full of confidence, Graeme and Finley Boyd dominated in both their games, first against Olivia Maxwell and Boyd Telfer of Double Trouble and then against Evan Robertson and Theuns Wiese of Titans, winning 5-0. Undeterred by this result, Double Trouble recovered with a strong 5-0 win against Falcons, despite a battling performance by Anne Beattie and Flora Howie in the doubles. Titans had a good performance in their other match against Chuckle Chums, winning 4-1. Elaine Colquhoun and Jean Campbell pushed their opponents all the way, with Elaine picking up a good win against Theuns. Nonetheless, Evan and Theuns were able to pull through with a solid performance to keep them within touching distance of second place.

Full results and tables on the league website

League Report Weeks 3 – 4 Read More »

League Report – Week 2

News

Jason Fleming reports:

Due to fixtures being rearranged, only one match took place this week in Division 1. In the epic battle of fruit-related names, Top Bananas continued their strong start to the season through a resounding 5-0 victory against Apple Crumble; Dylan and Maria De Silva having a bunch of fun in winning both their singles matches and doubles in straight sets. Top Bananas now sit neatly at the top of the table, with Gaulty Towers and Smashing Pumpkins now trailing in joint second place, albeit with a game in hand.

In Division 2, league newcomers Two Slips and a Gully – comprised of Cory Dawson and Isaac Ishmael – had an epic match with The Owd Coots (Raymond Pirrie and Steve Cussell), which finished 4-1 in favour to the former. Despite its eventual match score, there were plentiful close matches throughout, including a five setter in the doubles (sets 3 and 4 going to deuce) which eventually went to the young duo. Steve and Cory played out a close five-setter in a back and forth game, where Steve managed to recover from 0-2 down to force a decider. However, Cory managed to get over the line in the end, and a strong performance overall from both him and Isaac has placed their team top of the division on game difference.

All teams were in action in Division 3, with Double Trouble and Blade Runners being in devastating form against Chuckle Chums and Falcons respectively. DT picked up a big 5-0 win against CC, with Olivia Maxwell winning both her singles matches and doubles in straight sets. Young Boyd Telfer of Double Trouble was pushed close by Elaine Colquhoun and Jean Campbell, but managed to come through unscathed. Elsewhere, the father-son duo of Graeme and Finley Boyd in Blade Runners had a perfect start to their campaign with a 5-0 win against Falcons. Next week should be interesting as they face off against Double Trouble in an early top-of-the-table clash in this division.

Full results and tables on the league website

League Report – Week 2 Read More »

Schools Qualifiers Results

News

Congratulations to everyone taking part in the Primary/Senior Schools Qualifiers at the club on Saturday 25 November. Everyone played really well, with some great games. Many thanks to Shannon for organising everything. Results as follows

Under 12s Winner Boyd Telfer, R/U Fergus Patterson

Under 14s Winner Cory Dawson R/U Isaac Ishmael

Under 16s Winner Darragh Fraiel R/U Evan Robertson

Schools Qualifiers Results Read More »

League Report – Week 1

News

Jason Fleming reports:

A number of faces, old and new, were in action across the three divisions in week 1 of the Dumfries Table Tennis League 23-24.

Gaulty Towers and Smashing Pumpkins are both top of Division 1 on 5 points, by virtue of commanding victories against The Spinners and Netflicks respectively. Jason F of Gaulty Towers won his singles and doubles matches comfortably without dropping a set, though his teammate Graham Gault was made to work hard against Brian Kirkpatrick in a five set tussle, facing a torrent of backhands that even Mr Kreanga himself would have been proud of. Eventually the Kreanga-esque backhands dried up and Graham was able to prevail, allowing his side to sit top of the table on game difference.

Smashing Pumpkins were able to ‘disarm’ their opponents Netflicks through a resounding 5-0 victory: Paul Dawson winning both his singles and doubles matches comfortably. His teammate, Shannon Brown, had a cracking game with Netflicks’ Gordon Duff which went all the way to the fifth, including a third set which went to 19-17! Shannon won 3-2 in the end, giving her team the perfect start.

Lastly, the reigning and defending champions, Top Bananas, were in action, playing against The Spinners in a game brought forward a week. They had a solid 4-1 win in the end, with Kay picking up a consolation point for his team through a good win against Maria De Silva. Top Bananas’ Dylan De Silva decided that he did not just want to convincingly win all his matches, but also to momentarily attempt to incapacitate his opponents through his smashes, with poor Brian and his gut being the victim after being struck in three consecutive points.

Elsewhere across the divisions, the Table Toppers, comprised of Anne Borrowdale and James Hutchinson are, would you believe it, the table toppers this week in Division 2. Their team were ran close against youngsters Cory Dawson and Isaac Ishmael of Two Slips and a Gully who put in a more than respectable performance: Although the score finished 4-1 in the end to Table Toppers, the youngsters won the doubles and James needed all his pimply wiles to see off both boys 3-2.

Elsewhere in the division, The Owd Coots of Raymond Pirrie and Steven Cussell won 4-1 against Colin McGlynn and Phil Jones of Sultans of Spin. Colin won a close opener against Steve, before OC reeled off four consecutive matches to finish the first week in second place on game difference. Time will tell if Steve’s tactic of stealing all the match balls so other teams are unable to fulfil their fixtures will pay dividends – we shall see. Two further matches took place in Division 3, with Chuckle Chums and Titans winning their matches 4-1 against Falcons and Double Trouble respectively. Jane Shearn and Jean Campbell were undefeated in singles for CC, while Evan Robertson won both his singles and doubles matches for Titans to give them a strong start to the season. All of the players in this division are newcomers to the league and it will be exciting to see how this division progresses over the season.

For further details of the results and tables, please see https://www.tabletennis365.com/Dumfries.

League Report – Week 1 Read More »

Exciting Sponsorship Opportunity

News

Calling all local businesses and supporters! We are now seeking sponsorship. By sponsoring our club you can support a local community organization which aims to inspire the next generation of table tennis players, while giving as many people as possible, young and old, the chance to play table tennis for exercise, fun and socialising.

We have a range of exciting sponsorship packages available ranging from £50 to £500 per annum, including packages that directly support our junior section and our National League teams.

Download the DTTC Sponsorship 2023-24 brochure to discover more about the club and the range of packages on offer for businesses, organisations or individual supporters, and share in our success!

For further information or any questions, contact Graeme Boyd sponsorship@dumfriesttc.co.uk

Exciting Sponsorship Opportunity Read More »

Scottish National League successes for Dumfries TTC teams

News

Jason Fleming reports:

Dumfries A and B were in action this past weekend for the second round of fixtures of the Scottish National League. Necessitated by the host venue of Bells being out of action, Divisions 1, 2, and 3 were played at St Matthews Academy, Saltcoats, whilst Divisions 4, 5, and 6 took place at Inverclyde Sports Centre, Largs. Dumfries A again played in Division 2, whilst Dumfries B played in Division 5.

Apart from Callum Morgan, our B team all stayed overnight at Inverclyde’s accommodation – thus Paul, Maria, and Gordon got to experience what can only be described as the shortest trek in sporting history (they just had to get in a lift to go downstairs to the sports hall).

The B team started the day with a 3-3 draw against Murrayfield F, though Paul and Maria were both unfortunate to lose out in close five setters which would have swung the overall match score in their favour. A chance for a breather in the second game, occasioned by a walkover against Aberdeen C. In the final match, the team managed a solid 5-1 victory against Joe Wilson B. In a bizarre turn of events, Paul ended up receiving coaching from the opposition in a match played in an exuberant atmosphere. Callum was in fine form for the B team winning all of his matches. Thus Dumfries B finished the weekend in 3rd place; All to play for heading in to the final two games in February with matches against the two sides directly above them.

On to our A team – Dawid, Jason, Dylan, and Reuben made their way to Saltcoats to continue our aim for promotion back to Division 1. A much welcomed addition to our side was found in Kieran Walker who had last played for us in SNL in February 2022. A question for another day is whether we are the same calibre as his teammates in France. We too had a walkover against Aberdeen’s A side, allowing Jason the chance to try and string four successive forehands together in a practice – I don’t recall achieving it. In our first actual match of the day, Kieran and Dawid spearheaded the team to a brilliant 4-2 victory against a strong Grange B side – Kieran winning both of his games 3-0. Dawid later reflected on how unpredictable and awkward the opposition can be in this division, and one quick glance at the table would evidence just how competitive it has been this season. Dawid had to dig deep in many of his games, including coming back from 2-0 down to beat Alan Whitton. Our resident chef Dawid always likes to cook well under pressure and, in a personal highlight for me, watching him shout ‘Cho! I’m cooking’ at the top of his lungs in the fifth set will always live long in my memory.

In our last match, wins from an exhausted Dawid and Jason secured a 3-3 draw with Murrayfield C which leaves us unbeaten in second place, just behind Murrayfield B. Dawid having an excellent season with 100% wins in his debut season. All in all a successful weekend for Dumfries with it all to play for heading in to the final round in February. Well done to all our players for their efforts and extended thanks to the organisers for all their hard work in arranging these venues.

Scottish National League successes for Dumfries TTC teams Read More »

New coaching session announced for Fridays

News

We’re pleased to announce we’re trying out an extra coaching session 19.00 – 20.30 on Friday evenings. It is open to players of all levels, and will run for six weeks from Friday 10^th November – Friday 15^th December. If it proves popular, it will continue on a regular basis from January 2024.

The sessions will be led by Shannon Brown. Shannon has represented Scotland as one of the country’s top juniors and is a UKCC Level 1 coach with lots of experience helping players to improve their skills and make progress. She will be assisted by UKCC Level 1 coach Paul Dowson, who also regularly coaches at the club.

The cost is £3 per session: no need to book, just pay by cash or card at the club on arrival.

New coaching session announced for Fridays Read More »