The Table Tennis 49 - ITTF

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Racketlon Gerald Gurney (ENG) You have, perhaps, heard of Racketlon, a form of tournament promoted by the ETTA and formerly devised by the Harlow Super League, Essex, England. I am much indebted to Keith Lasser (UK ranked #5) for his description of the sport: Racketlon is the sport in which you challenge your opponent in each of the four racket sports: table tennis, squash, badminton and tennis. A racketlon match contains four sets, one in each sport. Each set is played to 21 points, but the total winner of a racketlon match is not the one that wins most sets, but the one that scores the most points in total. In May, I was pleased to visit the Ipswitch Sports Club (only 30 minutes away), one of the dozen venues in the UK selected for events in 2008. The impressive club was well able to provide courts for 42 players - divided into various groups according to standard and age - and complete everything in one day. The only limitation was that table tennis was played in a squash court with a white background. Previously I had thought that players who had little experience of squash or badminton might find it difficult to gain more than a very few points, but I did not observe this in practice. Keith claims that Racketlon was invented in Scandinavia in the 1980s, but a former notable squash player tells me that he recalls competing in similar “Superbat” tournaments as early as 1976. This was at Blackheath Rectory Field. However, he never won a tournament as he had little experience of table tennis and found it difficult to cope with spin. Keith comments that “with such a new sport, it is inevitable that the standard of play is actually pretty poor.” I must concur with this, though I did watch a quality squash match and several keen encounters in other sports - where, however, it was difficult to follow the score. There is a full programme of UK and world events over a year, and it seems that Racketlon is well-established, but is there still time for it to be rechristened RACKE- TATHLON - on the model of PENTATHLON and in respect to the Greek language? (Table Tennis News, June 2008) ================================================================================ New Discoveries - Old Treasures Above: This cache of rare cloth-covered balls was found in a Horsman (NY) boxed set. Left: A pair of stylized net extenders of unusual shape, with wire mesh, from a set of “Table Tennis, The Greatest of New Games,” made by the North of England School Furnishings Co., Blackwellgate, Darlington. Jaques-Hamley’s Ping-Pong or Gossima sets are rarely found with their net extenders, which were rectangular in shape, and much wider extensions than this pair. Any other net extenders out there? 20
Celebrity Photo T Gallery - an Update Celebrity photos are always a fun exhibit, and some vintage and new photos have been found. Teen idol Fabian wowed the girls in the late 1950’s & early 60s. Row 2: a rare photo of a young Crown Prince Akihito (now Emperor of Japan), and a recent photo of the President of China, Hu Jintao. Row 3: Diego, star of the Werder-Bremen football team, a very trim looking George Foreman, boxing legend who is now at least twice that size! And Deng Yaping plays Olympics President Juan Antonio Samaranch at the Musee Olympique in 1998. Photo by Xinhua News Agency Photo: (c) IOC / J.P. Maeder 21
Page 1 and 2: The Table Tennis Collector Journal
Page 3 and 4: Great Shots: Historic Photographs T
Page 5 and 6: This American patent, filed in 1889
Page 7 and 8: Sure to interest you." A July Hints
Page 9 and 10: THE MUSIC OF TABLE TENNIS by Alan D
Page 11 and 12: Ping Pong (Your Serve) Ping Pong wi
Page 13 and 14: S This Tony Special Stiga picture b
Page 15 and 16: This postcard was sent by Tokyo spo
Page 17 and 18: Liechtenstein: 02.06.2008 Paralympi
Page 19: Cai Zhanghua, Deng Yaping and Kong
Page 23 and 24: F eatured Book: Twenty One Up, by l
Page 25 and 26: Erik Kenneth Muhr 2 Highgate Hill,

The Table Tennis 49 - ITTF

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