Sport
18 August, 2023
Orford dominates the tables
ORFORD players dominated the tables at last weekend’s two-day Minor League tournament in Warrnambool.
Teams from Colac, Terang, Orford and Portland competed in the tournament.
The event saw some great games played and no doubt there were a few sore, tired but happy players fronting up to work this week – and more table tennis at various locations.
President Colin Venn noted in his presentation speech that Orford had “raised the bar that other associations had to rise to or it could be Orford versus The All Stars next year.”
Orford Association president David Rowbottom thanked all his players for putting their hands up to play for the weekend, making it easy to field five teams from the nine-team pennant competition the association runs over winter.
The extra A grade team that filled the void left by Terang allowed extra players to enjoy the high standard of table tennis, playing with and against other players.
This was the third time an association had dominated all grades and the second time Orford has won all grades since being accepted into the tournament in the late 1990s when Camperdown couldn’t field a team in A grade.
Since then Orford has gradually added grades and now competes in all levels.
Over the years numerous Orford players’ names have adorned the aggregate trophies and this year all were won by Orford players and in some cases returning to Orford players for a second consecutive year.
Players also used the weekend as a good hit out before starting the finals on Wednesday night. Congratulations to all players who contested the various grades last weekend.
Results were as follows: A grade Winners – Orford A: Aaron Rowbottom, Gordon Gunn and Rebecca Cain. Aggregate: Aaron Rowbottom This is the fifth time that Aaron Rowbottom has won the Finlay Lucas Aggregate Trophy, being undefeated for the weekend.
Both Gordon Gunn and Jason Smith were equal second after losing a rubber.
Aaron is still behind the record of Finlay Lucas (eight times) but has time on his side to equal or pass. Orford B- Sarah Lazzaro, Darren Smith, Joey Sinnott and Daryl Dyson.
B Grade Winners – Orford: Roger Learmonth, Peter Owen and David Warhurst. Aggregate: David Warhurst. This is the first time David Warhurst has won the aggregate trophy and is a highlight from a 40 plus year table tennis career.
C Grade Winners – Orford: Gordon Gray, Ian Wortley and David Rowbottom. Aggregate: Gordon Gray. Proving you are never too old, 75-year old Gordon Gray scooped the pool in this grade using his 65yrs of table tennis experience to outlast his opponents.
Gordon has played longer than some of his opposition has walked.
D grade Winners – Orford: Tony Storer, Gareth Spring, Kelly Wortley and Norbet Kraft. Aggregate: Kelly Wortley and Tony Storer.
In her first year of playing pennant with the Orford Association Kelly Wortley joined veteran Tony Storer as joint aggregate winners.
Tony commented that the score sheets may have indicated easy wins to Orford over the weekend but when you have a large number of rubbers going to four or five games each match, the wins aren’t as easy as the scoreboard says.
In the Saturday afternoon championships the majority of Orford players didn’t take part as they returned to their farming duties.
A grade Singles champ Jason Smith (Portland), runner-up Gordon Gunn. Doubles champ Jason Smith and Gordon Gunn. B grade Singles champ Andrew Deroon (Terang), runner-up Darren Johns from Colac; doubles champ Adrian Lane and Darren Johns from Colac.
C grade Singles champ Gordon Gray, runner-up Tim Hol (Portland). Doubles champ Warren Williamson from Colac and Gordon Gray.
