Senior Corner

Jan/Feb 2007
By Olga & Stan Kahan,

Co-Chairs, USATT Senior Committee

949-830-6699 (ph) • 949-240-7157 (fax)

chanasura@lworld.net

“THE POWER OF THE DREAM” was a wonderful theme for the 20th Anniversary of the Huntsman World Sr. Games in Southern Utah last October.  Among 5,000 participants in 22 sports, table tennis players joined together in competing, socializing and promoting this wonderful sport.  Among the 200 table tennis players there were avid competitors from nine countries and the United States.  A group of players from Germany excelled in winning gold and silver medals. Gold winners – men and women – also came from Canada, England, Spain and Sweden.  They spread the delightful news to their colleagues and fans in their own countries and in other corners of the globe, even distant Mongolia.  Shuluun Otgonbaatar, the 54-year-old athlete from Ulaannbaatar (the capital of Mongolia), five-time national champion during his younger years, added another medal to his “Star Collection” in St. George, Utah.

Only one major problem developed when “lost and found” could not find one gentleman’s missing teeth. It was left at one of the tables, and the Huntsman staff searched for the tooth fairy for several days without success. Fortunately, there was soft food available when needed.

80-year-old (on Nov. 17) Byng Forsberg from Lode, California, in addition to his gold medal in the Huntsman World Seniors, succeeded in promoting his beloved table tennis beyond the senior community.  After his successful table tennis “match” against California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (the score has vanished) Byng made local, national And international news in various media, including CBS’s “The Early Morning Show.” With his gold medal from the Governator, Yang promoted our sport and fitness.  With his charming youthful smile he also was a special guest at the fund-raising banquet, hosted by the Mayor of New York City.  It was, indeed, the actual realization of the “POWER OF THE DREAM”!

A gold medallist (October 2006), Dorothy Peterson from North Mankato, MN, started playing table tennis when she was 10 years old.  Even now, in her 80’s, in the winter, this snow bird attends the Harlingen Table Tennis Club in Texas, where its members, young and old, meet two times a week.

Dorothy also hopes that Las Vegas will be a “center point” for the Continental (North American) Seniors, and other mature table tennis participants from Canada, Barbados, etc., wish it too!

The USATT Senior Committee hopes to work out the logistics of this important Senior project and to promote its execution by the end of 2007.  Then the twilight zone would become a reality by help of “THE POWER OF THE DREAM”!

The USATT Senior Committee will do its best to promote an exciting new program, initiated by Larry Hodges, with regard to the new USATT team league, in which many senior players would also be able to take part.  Please visit www.usatt.org./league and click on “USATT Team League” for additional information.

 Just believe in life, in the “POWER OF THE DREAM,” and hold on to your teeth!