Senior Corner

January/February 2006
By Olga & Stan Kahan,

Co-Chairs, USATT Senior Committee

949-830-6699 (ph) • naf@berkeley.edu

Senior Corner

By Olga and Stan Kahan

These oncoming months, April and May, are lucky ones, highlighted on the world map of table tennis in 2006.  The World Team Table Tennis Championships (April 24 – May 1) and the World Veterans Table Tennis Championships (May 15-20) will be held in Bremen, Germany.

After these events the world’s attention will shift to South American.  Rio de Janeiro, the bustling and dazzling capital of Brazil, has been chosen to host the World Veterans Championships in 2008.  So start building up your energy and ardent desires for these exciting events.

Last December, when we were involved in operations at the USA Nationals in Las Vegas, NV, we met Mr. Mustafa Erbas, an international umpire from Canada.  Mr. Erbas, as a visiting umpire, he is widely known among U.S. table tennis players.  He has also officiated at the U.S. Nationals the past seven years, and also umpired at the Pro-Tour Events in Chicago, IL, and Fort Lauderdale, FL.  In an addition to his official position as an International Umpire, Mr. Erbas is closely involved with Canadian table tennis, working in Edmonton, Alberta, where the last World Senior Games were held in July.  Ninety members of the Canadian Central Senior Table Tennis Association  (Mustafa Erbas is its President) are over 55 years old and 50% of them are women. Many are strong players and most of them compete at local, national and international events.

Our USATT Senior Committee is eager to develop further contact with Canadian Senior table tennis active participants in order to work closely together towards our target – to organize the Las Vegas Continental Senior Games in 2007.

Alfred Palumbo, President of Sunrise Sports Foundation, Inc. (Clearwater, FL.), together with the Foundation Secretary and Treasurer, Margo Lindsay (“Margo Magnificent!”) won gold in the last Huntsman World Senior Games in Utah.  In the same tournament, a Floridian Nahed Williams, the Sunrise Foundation Controller, shared silver medals with Wilfredo Escobar, a regional umpire from California.  Sari Kisbany also won silver medals together with her Mixed Doubles partner Barry Meisel from Spain.  Lynwood Smith, a multiple-time gold medalist from Palm Springs, Fl., was victorious at various international Veterans Games.          

Alfred Palumbo is proud of his fellow Floridians, particularly, for their involvement in the Sunrise Sports Foundation. This successful non-profit charitable organization promotes low-cost or free athletic competitions and educational clinics for all adults, mature and young.  For more information about the Sunrise Sports Foundation in Clearwater, FL., call 727-669-0899 or email Margo.lindsay@SunriseTableTennis.com.

The 2006 Stiga North American Tour stops are set and in conjunction with these main events, the senior events – the “Sol Feingold Memorial Competitions” are also scheduled, as follows:

According to Alan Williams (NATT), final arrangements are being made now.

The Meiklejohn Senior Games in PA will once again run in conjunction with the four-star Quaker City Open (March 11-12), the week following the U.S. Open Team Championships in Reno, NV (March 3-5).

Be ready for senior competitions in 2006 and keep the ball on the table!

Good luck to you all!