Table tennis trio to tackle Kiwis in Test Match

From left, Paul Green (over 60s), Alan Bruhn (over 65s) and Ken Hay (over 80s) ready to take on the Kiwis.

THREE local table tennis players have been selected to represent Australia in an annual Test Match against New Zealand after their performance at the Australian Championships in October 2022. 

Paul Green (over 60s), Alan Bruhn (over 65s) and Ken Hay (over 80s) are from the Sunshine Coast Table Tennis Club.

Ken runs weekly social table tennis games and practice in Nambour and has represented Australia in previous tournaments, before COVID interrupted proceedings in recent years. 

Ken said he would call on his six decades of experience throughout the international event. “Table Tennis is not like it used to be years ago when everybody had the same bats,” he said. 

“Now there are different rubbers on the bats and you need to learn what all the different rubbers do because spin and speed is involved. 

“Also there is long pimple, short pimple and fat pimple rubbers that can be applied to the bat and this has made the game very tricky.”

Ken said all this added up to making the game more technical. “It’s like a game of chess, you need to think ahead several moves as you are playing.  You need to outfox your opponent.” 

This year’s event will be held in Nelson on the South Island of New Zealand from April 6 and the teams in each age group will play a mix of singles and doubles that will determine the overall winner. 

Club spokesman Greg Williams said the players were outstanding and would do Australia proud. 

Meanwhile, at the club junior level, coaching director Patrick Wuertz has inspired a raft of new juniors to join the club and they are already tasting success. 

“Patrick is one of the highest ranked players in Queensland and an absolutely magnificent coach. Our Juniors are loving it, are having fun and have played with great skill, grit, determination and sportsmanship in the current Qld Closed Junior Championships in Townsville. 

“We have dedicated coaching staff, table tennis programs and the facilities here on the Sunshine Coast to develop junior table tennis players to State representative level, Queensland champions and Australian representative players. It’s a popular sport here in Australia (over 200,000 registered players and nearly 1 million occasionally) and worldwide is played by more than 300 million people. Bring on the Commonwealth Games and Olympics. 

“The magic of table tennis is that it can be played by children from just three or four years of age, right through to veterans over 80 of all abilities and gender. It’s played indoors, so it doesn’t matter about the weather. Its low cost. And it’s non-contact, low impact, fun, will speed up your reflexes, sharpen hand eye coordination and improve fitness.” 

• For more information about Table Tennis on the Sunshine Coast about where to play or joining a Club go to Sunshine Coast Table Tennis Club www.sunshinecoasttabletennis.club.