2005 USATT Hall of Fame Inductee: Richard McAfee

By Tim Boggan, USATT Historian

Richard McAfee’s first USTTA-sanctioned tournament was in 1963 at the Orlando, FL City Auditorium. He’d come in as the Florida Boys Club Champion and thought he was pretty damn good with “his trusty fifteen-plied-handle hard rubber racket.” But was he in for a surprise! In his first game in the Junior’s he was beaten 21-2, and didn’t win a game all day. What were his opponents playing with to show such “spin and speed”? The inverted sponge racket of course. When his father arrived to take him home, Richard prevailed on him to buy him one of those much needed rackets, and, with Tournament Director Harry (“H”) Blair’s help, a Butterfly selection was made—and McAfee’s long table tennis career was started. Perhaps because of this memorable occasion he’d consciously or unconsciously have a soft spot for Butterfly? (Later, he’d do set-up work for them at major tournaments.)

After coming of age as a Junior, he graduated to winning Orlando Open Singles and Doubles events (usually with Ray Mergliano). His steady progress eventually resulted in a National title—the 1972 U.S. Open Class B Championship (275 entries!).

However, Richard’s most notable triumph was yet to come. It was big news, and Topics readers had Joe Sokoloff’s story to thank for it (Mar.-Apr., 1973, 26). Our five-time National Champion D-J Lee was beaten—for the first time by a U.S. native-born player—when the 22-year-old McAfee did him in at the Dec., 1972 Detroit U.S. Open Team Championships.

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