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2009 News
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
World Class TT on TV, and the Internet
Universal Sports channel, available on some local cable systems, (and through the air on a digital 'side' channel from NBC's local
affiliates, probably including digital over the air channel 30.3) . will begin airing matches from the recent World Championships at various times & days beginning in mid-May 2009. Repeat broadcasts are expected throughout the summer and early fall and streaming video of even more matches are available archived at ITTF.com
The digital signal may be available even through a cheap rabbit ears antenna - if you are close enough to the station towers and can't get it through your cable provider.
You would need a digital TV set rescanned for broadcast channels after you temporarily attach an antenna in place of the cable, or the add-on onverters available at Walmart and other stores for around $50, attached to a recorder or old-style non-digital TV set. If you have a high-speed internet connection, iphone etc, matches from past events are often available at Youtube, and current and recent tournament matches are also available to stream or download at sites like ITTF.org.
Posted by netta_ct
at 4:22 AM EDT
Updated: Wednesday, 11 November 2009 3:26 AM EST
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
A Champion passes from the scene
Mike Demsey, a USATT Hall of Fame player, and national and world wheelchair Table Tennis Champion, shown below as flag-bearer for the USA team to the Para-Olympic Games, passed away suddenly from an anueryism in April at age 52 .   He was one of the first players I played against, as teenagers, in USATT tournament competition in Ohio in the early 1970's - as shown in the B&W photo. Not only an accomplished champion among wheelchair players, he was a 2000 level rated player competing among the able bodied. Shown recently with son Henry above, he was remembered by many in the TT community at recent memorial services in Columbus and San Diego as a 'champion' father, , husband and friend. His HOF biography is available here: http://www.usatt.org/magazine/03jan-feb/hof_02.shtml His memorial website here: http://www.usttf.org/mike_dempsey.html
Posted by netta_ct
at 6:28 PM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, 12 May 2009 4:33 AM EDT
China takes World TT Titles in Japan
 China's Wang Hao kisses the trophy in the awarding ceremony after winning over his compatriot Wang Liqin in the men's singles final match against at the World Table Tennis Championships in Yokohama, Japan, on May 5, 2009. Wang Hao won the title after beat Wang Liqin 4-0 in the final.(Xinhua/Ren Zhenglai)
China swept all the gold and silver medals in the eight-day championships, leaving only three bronzes to be split up by the Hong Kong team, South Korea and host Japan. It was China's fourth, or third straight clean-sweep of the world championship golds. The overwhelming success made Chinese table tennis boss more worried than joyous. "I am concerned about the future of table tennis," said Cai Zhenhua, chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA). "I hope not only does China enjoy table tennis, but also the whole world." Cai, also a Chinese vice sports minister, promised that the CTTA would help the rest of the world close the gap with China in table tennis. "We have started an aid program to raise the standard of the sport in the world, which includes attracting more non-Chinese players to the Chinese professional league and inviting foreign players to train with the Chinese team," he said. In a lopsided men's final, the top-seeded Wang Hao, who earned a tag of "big-time choker" after finishing twice in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, crushed Wang Liqin 11-9, 13-11, 11-5, 11-9 to win his first major singles title. Wang Liqin, whose victims included Olympic singles gold winner Ma Lin, withered after losing the first two sets with the narrowest margin. Ma Lin and Ma Long picked bronze medals.
Posted by netta_ct
at 4:41 PM EDT
Monday, 6 April 2009
Senior Games TT set for early May
EVENT POSTPONED DUE TO FLU CONCERNS (REGULAR CLUB SCHEDULE UNAFFECTED) RESCHEDULED SENIOR GAMES DATE WILL BE ANNOUNCED HERE AND BY E-MAIL Players 50 years or older - as of dec 31st 2009 - are eligible for the 2009 Connecticut Senior Games event - once again hosted by CT TTA at Middletown. This year's event will be held starting shortly after doors open at 5pm on Sunday May 3rd. Advance entry is encouraged, but walk-in entries will be accepted as space allows. Participants get a free Senior Games T-shirt and compete with players based on age groupings. The club is open for regular play at 6:30 and event participants are welcome to stay for that after their seniors play ends. Entry information is available at: http://www.seniorgamesct.org/ Results from last year's tournament are available at the bottom of this newsblog.
Posted by netta_ct
at 3:35 AM EDT
Updated: Friday, 1 May 2009 4:10 PM EDT
Sunday, 11 January 2009
Confirming our playing schedule-
We expect that weekly sessions at both locations will continue as listed at the homepage throughout 2009, including the summer. Please understand that 'normal' winter snowstorms won't usually cause cancellations, and that we have always played on Sundays during the Superbowl and on almost every three day weekend . New Phone numbers and procedures: To confirm current regular schedules and locations, check the recorded schedule message - available 24/7 at (203) 66O-1363. (Only) call my other number, my cell phone - preferably about an hour to 90 minutes before any session - if weather seems a possible issue. I'll leave a temporary outgoing message on my cell phone, or return your call as soon as I can, IF we have a weather related cancellation. Otherwise trust the regular schedule phone message, cancellations are rare and I only have these procedures because so many players drive 30 to 60 minutes to join us at either location. Or If the regular schedule recording is unavailable when you call, try back a bit later -then call my cell phone and leave a message, including name and full phone number, if a recording is still not available - PM hours at (2O3) 668-l945. Since my cell phone number is listed on the internet, and costs me by the minute, I frequently have the ringer off and check my voice messages and caller ID periodically to return calls, especially when expected, including if a session, or other pre-planned coaching would need to be be cancelled. Don't expect an immediate call-back from my cell phone unless it's urgent, like a cancellation, and also , messages at the regular schedule information number,only get to me as forwarde e-mail attachments which I may sometimes have problems or delays retrieving. - best to talk in person, e-mail me, or leave a message on my cell phone - depending on the urgency and length of your inquiry. .
Posted by netta_ct
at 4:52 AM EST
Updated: Tuesday, 12 May 2009 4:40 AM EDT
Thursday, 1 January 2009
2008-2009 SCHEDULE CHANGES
2008/2009 SCHEDULE
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Fairfield play will continue (weather permitting) in late 2008 and in 2009, on every Thursday (7-11pm) and on Saturday Afternoons (2-6pm) . Middletown Wednesday night sessions on Christmas eve, and New Years eve, were cancelled but resume in January. Sunday play in Middletown continued throughout December and continues throughout 2009. We expect that weekly sessions at both locations will continue in January and throughout 2009, including the winter, weather permiting. Please understand that 'normal' winter snowstorms won't cause cancellations and we have always played on Sundays during the Superbowl or on three day weekends like ML King Day. To confirm current regular schedules check the recording at (203) 660-1363 - That number is available '24/7'. (Only) call my cell phone - about an hour to 90 minutes before any session - if weather seems a possible issue. I'll leave a temporary outgoing message on my cell phone, or return your call as soon as I can, IF we have a weather related cancellation. Otherwise trust the regular schedule phone message.
Posted by netta_ct
at 3:27 AM EST
Updated: Tuesday, 13 January 2009 5:31 AM EST
Sunday, 2 November 2008
2008/2009 News Blog
Full House starts November in Middletown  The first Sunday in November saw a record turn-out for Middletown this fall of 24 players, playing on 11 tables.
Turnouts of 20+ players have been a regular occurance in Fairfield throughout the summer and fall, but typical participation in Middletown has been in the 12 to 16 players range this summer and early fall. While Fairfield is welcoming new players including new Polish friends Adam and Kris and Brazillian-born Douglas. it is also welcoming back old friends like Michael Lazerev among others. Middletown welcomes new regulars including Craig and Steve , and welcomes back Sunil, Kacey and Joe P, now #2 player on the UCONN TT Club's new traveling team. Joe is a regular student of Coach Strang and was a M-T TTC regular about 10 years ago as a 14 year old beginner then, recently returning to CT, and our sport.  Kacey who also started with coaching from Dave, a few years back, has recently been transfered to a new middle school in New Haven where, as PE teacher, he now specializes in sharing his Swimming and Table Tennis skill and knowledge with the kids.
Posted by netta_ct
at 1:26 AM EDT
Updated: Wednesday, 3 December 2008 5:16 AM EST
Saturday, 1 November 2008
New rules bring new racket coverings
 Changes in some equipment rules, including a new ban on the old practice of using special glues to 'boost' smooth rubber performance, have led many players, including local ones, to switch to various new 'pre-tensioned' rubbers to gain extra spin and speed performance.
Locally, most players have adopted Donic or Yasaka rubbers with the 'Tensor' feature, including Yasaka 'Pryde' or 'X-tend' and Donic 'Coppa Silver ' or 'Coppa Platinum' rubbers . While these rubber racket coverings are a bit more expensive - $40 or 50 per side compared to $30 for favorites like Mark V - in addition to extra spin and speed, without the bother of regular re-gluing, they also seem to last better than rubbers did when re-glued regularly. And they also have more 'control' when playing soft or defensive shots than re-glued rubbers ever had, making them suitable for less expert players than the higher level players who used re-gluing procedures before the recent rule changes. Curious ? As always ask coach/club director Dave for advice and info.
Posted by netta_ct
at 3:45 AM EDT
Updated: Saturday, 8 November 2008 5:11 AM EST
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
China dominates Olympic TT
China's Ma Lin celebrates after defeating his compatriot Wang Hao in the men's singles table tennis final match at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on August 23, 2008. [Agencies] All the major medals were taken by the host Chinese team in the Olympic Table Tennis. Full Results are available at ITTF.Com US Womens Team Wang Chen and Gao Jun fell one match short to rivals S.Korea while contending for a bronze medal, while lone US Men's rep David Zuang of NJ lost a 7 game thriller to the African #1 in a televised early round men's singles match. While TV coverage in the USA was mostly limited to afternoon and late-night timeslots, as usual the sport was heavily viewed elsewhere in the world, especially Asia and Europe, with record audiences of hundreds of millions viewing in the host country in particular. Also popular was streaming video of matches, both live and archived. If you have a high speed connection, look for matches archived at NBCOLYMPICS.COM or UniversalSports.com
Posted by netta_ct
at 3:57 PM EDT
Updated: Saturday, 8 November 2008 5:01 AM EST
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