Rockhampton Table Tennis Association’s four representatives at the annual Queensland Veteran Championships in Mackay last week faced tough assignments against some of the best players from across the state. Clubs from Cairns to the Gold Coast and west to Toowoomba were in attendance, resulting in many challenging matches across team and individual singles, doubles, and mixed doubles events.
Ann-Louise Stewart, Monica Deeth, Pam Clarke, and Warun Wilkinson represented the local club with distinction. At the conclusion of the tournament, Deeth was selected to represent the state in the over-60 women’s division at the nationals in Tasmania in September, and Wilkinson earned a spot in the over-50 men’s section. Had Stewart and Clarke been available for selection, both would have undoubtedly been chosen for their respective age groups.
The three ladies performed prominently in the finals of the individual events. Stewart brought home the silver medal in the over-40 category and a bronze in the over-50, losing both times to Mackay’s Emma Widdup. Deeth and Clarke each won a bronze in the over-60 individuals, with Deeth coming very close to upsetting eventual winner Kathy Pham (Brisbane) in the semi-finals. Clarke narrowly missed gold in the over-65 singles, losing to Brisbane’s Gayle D’Arcy 11-9 in the fifth set, resulting in a silver medal after a walk-over win in the semis.
Stewart teamed up with regular partner Emma Widdup (Mackay) in the over-50 women’s doubles to claim the silver medal after a narrow defeat by Helen Barnett (Gold Coast) and Bernadette Mitchell (Bundaberg) in a five-set thriller. Stewart also won gold with Qi Li (SEQ Club) in the over-40 event and took silver in the over-40 mixed doubles with Anthony Jeffress (Moreton Bay) after another close 3-2 outcome. Additionally, Stewart secured a bronze medal in the over-50 mixed pairs with Paul Green (Mackay) after a semi-final defeat by the eventual winners.
Clarke partnered with Linda Towler (Moreton Bay) to win silver in the over-60 doubles and bronze in the over-65 doubles with Marianne Orman of Townsville. Deeth and Bundaberg’s Peter Spratley took bronze in the over-60 mixed doubles, and Clarke repeated this result with the same partner in the over-65 event.
The team events were fiercely contested, with some age groups combined, making it challenging for older competitors to face quality players who could be at least ten years younger. Stewart and Deeth competed in a team competition across the over-30, over-40, and over-50 sections, achieving good results and finishing in fifth place in a very competitive environment.
Clarke and Linda Towler (Moreton Bay) competed in the over-60 division, winning the silver medal. They remained undefeated until the final round, where they were bested by Brisbane’s strong pairing of Gayle D’Arcy and Clare Owen in a decisive match.
Wilkinson, participating in his first Q-Vets, formed a composite side with Bundaberg’s Andrew McCurley and Rashid Aziz. Through challenging team's matches followed by more high-level Table Tennis in the individual events, Wilkinson gained valuable experience and clearly caught the eye of the state selectors. His performance and the experience gained will undoubtedly serve him well in future competitions.