Table Tennis

Stokes comes out on top again

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:31:47 +0100

Ashley Stokes struck gold to win the Men's Singles competition at the Maccabi GB Table Tennis Championships in Willesden.

Spectators were treated to some excellent performances from some of the biggest names in Jewish Table Tennis at the Capital City Academy in an event that attracted a record field. This was combined with the glimmer of former champions still making the tables sparkle, whilst the younger players paved meteoric tracks on their way to table tennis stardom.

To start, in the coveted Men’s Singles category all the seeded players got through their groups, and a few others besides. There were some unusual results in part at this stage but seeing that the top two winners from each group went through to the knockout stage there were ultimately no surprise visitors to the first round proper.

A number of the top seeds are currently, or have at some time been, ranked inside the top 100 on the official England Men’s Ranking List so we expected to see some good games here.

So onto the Knock-Out stage and on table 1 the top seed and last year’s winner of this event, Eli Baraty, faced a very much improved Leslie Samuels. Baraty, who is still on the mend from a life threatening illness, seemed to be struggling. Maybe his late entry to this year’s event due to his uncertainty on fitness was a mistake. There could be no excuses though because Samuels played well winning the first game.

This prompted Baraty to re-think his tactics winning a close second game. The third also went his way by a big margin and come the fourth game Baraty secured a win, but only just.

On another table the young powerhouse and former top 10 England Junior Guy Ben-Aroya beat the up-and-coming Junior, Jack Josephs, but not before dropping the first set to Josephs. A disappointed Josephs was now out of the Men’s event, but he was to be victorious elsewhere.

Last year's runner-up, the fifth seeded Keith Lesser, now faced Matt Spero who was seeded a place below him. However, in a reversal of last year’s result when Lesser beat Spero, this time Spero beat his Essex compatriot taking him through to the next round and, in the process, making Spero the first seed to beat a higher-ranked player.

Maccabi table tennis stalwart Dov Katz’s game was underway on another table. Katz, who has shown a life long passion and dedication to Jewish table tennis and is so well-known that you would think that he has been around for a millennia. However, in truth, Katz is still only in his thirties and playing as well as ever. Nevertheless he had a fight on his hands from the hungry junior, Sasha Somers, who was eager to make a name for himself if only he could beat the legend.

This game went the distance and most sets went close but the experienced Katz came through leaving Somers having to wait for another opportunity against him some day in the future.

Meanwhile, Leeds player Yoni Caspi beat the venerable John Tendler three sets straight, thus setting him up for a next round meeting with Ashley Stokes who had a bye from his furst round draw.

While this was going on, the talented no. 7 seed Rafi Marom was playing the ninth seed and Veteran no. 1 seed, Jeremy Banks. Banks who has had some fantastic results this year and has that magic ability to get all manner of hard hit balls safely back on the table. But was this going to be any good against the abilities of Marom? Not on this occasion it wasn’t. Despite the fact that Banks took a set off Marom he couldn’t quite find the ‘X-Factor’ and although this was not a foregone conclusion Banks nevertheless ended up losing to Marom in an exciting four-setter.

Lastly, second seed and previous winner of this event, Adam Laws, played another Leeds contestant, Richard Abrahams. Abrahams is a very capable player was up for the challenge. However, Laws, who was recently ranked as high as 30 in England, was surely going to be a challenge for anyone. This was the case as Laws beat Abrahams three games straight, although Abrahams must surely be pleased that he took Laws the distance in one of those sets.

The quarter-finals saw Baraty facing Ben-Aroya. Ben-Aroya is Baraty’s prodigy, having been coached by him since a toddler, and he has never beaten Baraty. But all that was about to change as Ban-Aroya powered himself to a very worthy 3-1 victory leaving Baraty disappointed but pleased for his former pupil and happy under the circumstances just to be there to play.

Next up was Spero against Katz. Spero took the first game and threatened Katz’s immaculate record. Ever the fighter, Katz came back with aplomb beating Spero in the next three games. Spero always looked like he should get further but yet again he crashed out in the last eight leaving Katz to fight it out in the next round.

Now for the game of Stokes versus Caspi. Up to this point Stokes hadn’t really been tested, but Caspi threatened to change that. However, it wasn’t to be a happy ending for Caspi as Stokes ran away the victor in three straight sets in a fairly one-sided affair.

The last tie was a thrilling contest as hard hit spins shots were being fired at all directions, interspersed by delightful deft shots that had the crowd spellbound. It was close but eventually the higher ranked beat Marom to the finishing post. One day, Marom will get to the final but, unfortunately, it wasn’t to be this time.

Ben-Aroya lined up to take on Katz in the semis. Katz had been here before but not Ben-Aroya so could the former still keep his belief or would he let the 'Legend' get the better of him? Katz lost the first set 12-10. Then, over the next two games, there were some tremendous rallies with Katz showing some vintage performances. However, in the end, Ben-Aroya kept up his concentration and his relentless power play to win 3-0 and Katz was left shell-shocked but still able to applaud the young pretender.

In the second semi, crowd pleasers Laws and Stokes went head to head. The play was of the highest quality which is what you would expect from two players who have been so highly ranked in England. The rallies were long and exciting and the games were being shared equally leaving them to fight it out in the deciding 5th game. This started off well for Laws, but a series of missed serves let Stokes back into the game and Stokes, sensing a bit of nervousness on Laws’ behalf, went for the kill. He took the fifth and final game to get him into his fourth Men’s final.

An expectant crowd now gathered for the showpiece match - Stokes against Ben-Aroya. A very good game unravelled, with some fantastic crowd-pleasing rallies but not many of the winning points were going Ben-Aroya’s way. Maybe at last the moment was too much for Ben-Aroya or maybe Stokes was just too good. Whatever the reasons, Stokes was the ultimate victor and in doing so won this title for a record-breaking fourth time. He left Ben-Aroya reflecting on what a great tournament he had been involved in. He certainly seemed as happy with his silver medal as Stokes was with his fourth gold.

Maccabi GB Table Tennis chair Mel Davidson said: "This year’s championships went exceptionally smoothly. This was in part due to employing expert help using computerised scheduling.

"We had an absolute bumper entry making this the biggest event I have been involved with over the last 10 years.
Many categories were at their maximum level. We had a particularly mammoth response from the junior players with a fantastic entry from all categories including the under-12 and under-15 events.

"Overall we must have had more than 250 people passing through the hall during the course of the day and we had high praise from many on how much they enjoyed the whole experience.

"Of course, this year is the Maccabiah Games in Israel and all our team players did well today. This must surely be good news for our chances of a medal out there.

"Table tennis is again on the ascendancy with many youngsters showing an interest in the game and this has been demonstrated by the sheer numbers who entered. This event is the culmination of very hard work over many months but I couldn’t do it without the help of a team of dedicated personnel."

Team GB unveils Maccabiah table tennis squad

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:31:00 +0000

Maccabi GB have selected the GB Table Tennis Squad for this summer’s Maccabiah Games in Israel.

The squad is made up of four teams – Junior Boys, Junior Girls, Open Men and Masters – and is spearheaded by multi-medal winner and Maccabiah stalwart Dov Katz, also co-chair of the Maccabi GB international table tennis committee.

The delegation features the cream of English Jewish Table Tennis talent, many of whom have Maccabiah experience, with a number of highly-ranked England players.

The Junior Boys team features Jack Josephs, a double-gold-medal winner at the last European Maccabi Games in Vienna and current England Junior No. 60; and the trio of Sasha Somers, Joseph Klein and Ronen Weinstein, who are all competing in their first Maccabiah Games.

The Junior Girls Team has two athletes - Zoe Waxkirsh, England Junior Girls No. 151, and Sharon Bamberg – both of whom will also be competing in their maiden Maccabiah.

The Open Men and Masters Teams are laced with players who have international experience. These include Ashley Stokes, medal-winner at both the 2009 Maccabiah Games and 2011 European Maccabi Games and current England Men’s no. 71; Louis Rosenthal, multi-medal winner at numerous Maccabiah Games and former England U21 no. 2; Rafi Marom, playing in his third Maccabiah and who earned the highest medal haul by any GB table tennis player at the 2004 JCC Maccabi Games; and former European Maccabi Games bronze medallist, Guy Ben-Aroya, who will be featuring in his first Maccabiah. Another former European Maccabi Games athlete, Michael Gerrard, leads the Masters Team in his debut Maccabiah Games.

Team Manager Dov Katz said: "Table Tennis is one of the few sports that Jewish players excel at on the national stage and we are privileged to boast a squad which includes an array of nationally ranked players. With the athletes we’ve got, our Men’s Open Team have every chance of winning a medal and emulating the 2009 Men’s Squad [who won bronze]. Our Junior Team also comprises top players alongside some up-and-coming stars, and Mike Gerrard, another talented player and member of the 2007 European Maccabi Games squad, leads the Masters team."

Speaking about his goals for the 19th Maccabiah he said: "At the European Maccabi Games in Vienna in 2011, we had unprecedented success winning three golds, three silvers and three bronzes with each member of the squad winning a medal. Israel this summer will be a much tougher competition but we are confident that we will do well. We have selected a squad that has a beautiful blend of international experience and Maccabiah debutants, both strong in ability and individuals that understand the Maccabi ethos. Whilst we want to come back with medals, making Jewish friends from all over the world will be the defining legacy of this squad.

"We have a superb committee in place comprising myself, Lee Vandermolen as my co-Chair, Mel Davidson, the Chairman of Maccabi GB Table Tennis and Junior Team Manager Yoni Caspi, who himself is an excellent player, and we are all working hard to ensure that everyone has an enriching and life-changing experience."

Maccabi GB Table Tennis chairman Mel Davidson said: "Our Senior Team is made up of players who are currently or have recently earned their living from playing and teaching the sport of Table Tennis, making them by definition true professionals. They are held in high regard by players from within and outside the Jewish Table Tennis fraternity and as a team are of a standard to be envious of. For these reasons I am confident that they can achieve a medal-winning position."

SQUAD:

19th Maccabiah GB Table Tennis Committee:
Dov Katz - Co-Chair
Lee Vandermolen - Co-Chair
Mel Davidson - Chairman of Maccabi GB Table Tennis

Team Manager:
Dov Katz

Junior Team Manager:
Yoni Caspi

Junior Boys:
Jack Josephs
Sasha Somers
Joseph Klein
Ronen Weinstein

Junior Girls:
Zoe Waxkirsh
Sharon Bamberg

Open Men’s:
Ashley Stokes
Louis Rosenthal
Rafi Marom
Guy Ben-Aroya

Masters:
Michael Gerrard

Maccabi GB is still looking for Masters (40+) players and any interested applicants are encouraged to complete the online application form which is available from www.maccabigb.org.

Majestic Mill Hill triumph

Danny Caro — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 10:41:32 +0100

Mill Hill are the national inter-Shul table tennis champions.

Last year’s consolation event winners claimed the top title in fine style against last year’s victors Norrice Lea at JFS in Kenton.

Led by Maccabiah veteran Dov Katz, a team featuring Leslie Samuels and Alan Rayne proved too strong for the
Suburb side who fielded their own Maccabiah medallist in Adam Black.

The victorious team also recorded wins over Elstree & Borehamwood (4-1) and Woodside Park (4-0).

Radlett with yet another Maccabiah master, Jeremy Banks, pipped last year’s runners-up, Jonathan Jackson’s Elstree and Borehamwood, to third spot.

Edgware Yeshurun, represented by Graham Davies, Philip Baigel and Peter Gaunt, took the Consolation event after edging out Mill Hill B in a match that went down to the final game.

Elstree and Borehamwood’s team of Mark Collins, Oliver Assor and Jamie Saleh retained the junior crown after going through the event unbeaten. They overcame a Radlett team featuring Sam Krisman, Josh Banks and Brandon Clapich.

More than 120 players competed in the Maccabi GB-sponsored event.

Maccabi GB National Shul table tennis preview

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:28:27 +0100

The 2012/13 National Shul Table Tennis League in partnership with Maccabi GB takes place on Sunday in Kingsbury.

More than 20 teams will compete in Senior and Junior events that see almost double the number of players that entered last year.

New entrants from synagogues in Edgeware, West Hampstead, Woodford, Barnet and Hendon will join 2011's competitors from Hampstead Garden Suburb, Mill Hill, Elstree, Radlett, Woodside Park and Buckhurst Hill.

2011's Senior League champions Norrice Lee begin their defence at 9.30am and will face a stiff challenge from last year's runners up Elstree and Borehamwood and Mill Hill who both feature Maccabiah players in their ranks.

Equally, new entrants bring a surprise element to the table and promise a day of fierce and closely fought competition.

The Senior event features a group stage where all teams play each other with the top side taking the title.

Similarly, Juniors, who kick off at 12.30, will need to be consistent as they face playing all the sides in their groups.

Names to watch in the Senior event include Maccabiah medallists Dov Katz, Keith Lesser, Jeremy Banks and Adam Black, who will all be representing different Shuls.

In the Juniors, last year's unbeaten Judah Jackson and JCC/Maccabi Games competitors Sam Krisman and Jacob Nico-Katz also play for different Shuls. With talent so well spread it's hard to call who will come out on top in both events.

Spectators are welcome to watch some great table tennis or even have a go themselves from 1pm, when you can take part in the Maccabi GB Community Table tennis event next door.

For further information about the National Shul League (NSTTL), contact Adam Black 07977415127

For tickets to the Maccabi GB Community Table tennis day, contact Valerie at Maccabi GB 0208 457 233

Maccabiah table tennis trial dates announced

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 09:21:32 +0100

Trial dates for Table Tennis at the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel have been announced by Maccabi GB, in partnership with UJIA.

The trials will take place at Kulanu in Kenton on Sunday July 15 from 1pm. The day is open to players of all age groups including: Youth (U18), Open and Masters (40+) and for both male and female competitors. Players of all abilities are invited to take part.

Mel Davidson, chairman of Maccabi GB Table Tennis, commented: "The trials for the Maccabiah Games are always an exciting time as we look to send the strongest squad possible to Israel next summer.

"The standard of table tennis within the community is particularly high at the moment, however we invite everyone to come along and try-out.

"The squad we sent to the European Maccabi Games in Vienna last summer was our most successful ever and we hope to repeat this success next year."

Lee Vandermolen and Dov Katz have been appointed Maccabiah Sports Co-Chairs, with Katz also acting as Team Manager, following the record-breaking medal haul in Vienna last year.

Vandermolen experienced his first international Maccabi Games at the European’s in Vienna last year and Katz has a long Maccabi history having been involved in a number of international Maccabi events including six European and five Maccabiah Games.

Anyone wishing to attend the trials must have registered their details online at www.maccabigb.org.

Baraty steals the show at Maccabi GB Table Tennis championships

Tue, 01 May 2012 12:23:07 +0100

Eli Baraty won the prestigious Men's event at the 2012 Maccabi GB Table Tennis Open Championships at the Harefield Academy on Sunday.

The 29-year-old, who is currently ranked 35 in the country, won the MGB junior title twice in his youth has been trying for over a decade to prove his prowess in the Men’s open category but has been thwarted each time.

However, he continued his excellent run of form by defeating Keith Lesser in straight sets in the final.

Baraty has been in excellent form this season. He recently beat beat the no. 9 ranked player in the country and former England no. 1.

In a hall filled to capacity, with almost 100 players competing throughout the day, Baraty started the event in less than impressive form dropping a number of sets to lower ranked players. However, it is often difficult for a player of his standing to motivate themselves at the group stages, but the top seed showed his true colours by qualifying from the group stage.

The first seed to fall was no. 4 Ivan Lewis, ranked 35 on the English Veterans list. He went out to the no. 6 seed and Maccabiah doyen Dov Katz in the quarter-final stages.

Then fifth seed Rafi Marom saw his quarter-final jinx strike against as he bowed out in straight sets to no. 3 seed Matt Spero.

A further last eight match saw Jeremy Banks (2012 winner of the Milly Superstein Cup for outstanding Achievement in Jewish Table Tennis) lose to Baraty, but not before taking a set off the left handed magician.

And in the last quarter-final, second seed Lesser overcame 19-year-old powerhouse Guy Ben-Aroya - a former top 10 England Junior who is just coming back to the game after a break of over a year.

This set up a semi-final clash between Lesser and Spero. In a match full of long and exciting rallies and a score which constantly changed favour, Lesser eventually beat Spero 11-9 in the fifth and final game where Lesser came back from a 4-0 deficit, thus securing Lesser a place in the final.

In the other semi saw Baraty take on Katz. The last time these two met at this event it was Katz who ran out the victor. But Baraty was determined to make sure that history was not going to repeat itself by beating Katz straight sets. He went on to claim the title with an 11-7, 11-8, 11-6 victory over Lesser.

Jack Josephs won the Junior Boys' Singles crown. The number one seed for this event was Zach Mandel (2012 Winner of the Sylvia and Yoram Katz, Most Promising Junior of the Year). Zach was seeded to meet Josephs in the final.

Josephs beat the much-improved Daniel Reece at the last four stage but there was a shock in the other semi-final where Mandel was defeated by competition newcomer Sasha Somers.

Somers, the son of multiple men’s winner of the past, Perry Somers, showed some considerable talent by beating Mandel in an exciting five-setter, but he could not repeat his performance in the final where he lost to the much improved Josephs, aged 14.

Mandel exacted revenge in the cadet semi-finals where he beat Somers to set-up a final against Josephs who had seen off Daniel Gaunt in his semi-final. Gaunt had an impressive competition and did well to take a set off the talented Josephs

Josephs secured a second title by defeating top seed Mandel.

Mandel showed grit and determination to walk away with one title after partnering Josephs to win the Junior Doubles title. They beat upcoming talents Sammy Kaye and Jamie Rosen in the final.

Results went the way of the formbook in the Veterans event, with top seed Ivan Lewis beating second seed and former winner Jeremy Banks in the final.

Micky Lang beat Ian Mablin to take the over-55’s category title, with Lang being the first name on the cup in this new event category.

The Men’s Doubles Final was contested by the top two seeded pairings of Baraty/Lewis and Lesser/Marom. There were some close games in this match in which the rallies kept the crowd on the edge of their seat, but eventually the winners were Baraty and Lewis. This giving both players two titles apiece so far.

Baraty then made it a triple in the mixed doubles event by partnering Sally Prowen to a victory over the pairing of Dov Katz and Samantha Cohen. This was not however Prowen’s only title as she beat Jo Radivan in a repeat of the last championships Women’s event final and in doing so she notched up her 91st Maccabi title going back to the 1960’s.

The well subscribed and always hotly contested Banded event was won for the fourth consecutive year by Darren Reece over Richard Abrahams from Leeds.

Other final’s results on the day were the Junior Girls event which saw Zoe Waxkirsh beat Natasha Garbarz in a round robin event, and in another well subscribed event, the newly created novices category, Wayne Levy beat Alex Zuckerman.

Mel Davidson, the National Chair of Maccabi GB Table Tennis said: "This event at the fantastic Harefield Academy is run in the most professional way possible, but we do not lose sight of the fact that it must also be an enjoyable day out for everyone - both for the top players and more novice players and in this we succeed.

"It does have it's serious side with some coveted titles to be won although all attending should also see it as a good day out.

"There were many more cadet and junior players this time which is a feat in itself but even more encouraging is their overall strength in depth with even greater numbers of them already getting some serious table tennis exposure on a regular basis.

"We clearly could not make an event like this successful without the players and their families attending. However, we also must not forget those who help to get it set-up in the first place and to this end I would like to thank Keith Lesser for his outstanding commitment both before and on the day, particularly in respect of his scheduling and organisational talents.

"Also my thanks go out to Tony Jacks, Jackie Jacks and Christine Davidson for their tireless assistance in the lead up to the event and also on the day and finally to the National Tournament Referees, Alan Shepherd, Margot Fraser and Arthur Clark whose skills helped keep the event on track.

"Some of the performances here will help us decide which players will represent the Team GB table tennis teams at next year's Maccabiah Games in Israel."

2012 Maccabi GB Table Tennis Championship Results:

Men's Singles: Eli Baraty bt Keith Lesser

Women's Singles: Sally Prowen bt Jo Radivan

Veteran's Singles: Ivan Lewis bt Jeremy Banks

Junior Boys' Singles: Jack Josephs bt Sasha Somers

Junior Girls Singles: Decided by Round Robin – Winner: Zoe Waxkirsh / Runner up: Natasha Garbarz

Cadet Mixed Singles: Joseph bt Zach Mandel

Banded Mixed Singles: Darren Reece bt Richard Abrahams

Over-55’s Mixed Singles: Mickey Lang bt Ian Mablin

Novices’ Mixed Singles: Wayne Levy bt Alex Zuckerman

Men's Doubles: Baraty/Lewis bt Lesser/Rafi Marom

Mixed Doubles: Baraty/Prowen bt Katz/Samantha Cohen

Junior Doubles: Mandel/Josephs bt Sammy Kaye/Jamie Rosen

Baraty and co oozing X-Factor

Danny Caro — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:02:55 +0100

If there’s one sport that Jews are good at right now, it’s table tennis. There was a real sense of optimism about the sport in Vienna last summer when I was around the table (no pun intended) with the likes of Dov Katz, Lee Vandermolen and Eli Baraty at the European Maccabi Games and it’s clear to see why.

At both Junior and Open level, there are a plethora of players who hold national rankings and the signs look good going into next year’s Maccabiah Games in Israel.

Team GB claimed a record medal haul in the sport in Vienna and if you’re not interested in the football finals at Wingate & Finchley on Sunday, I advise you to get down to the Harefield Academy to see some of the top stars in action at the MGB Table Tennis Championships.

Baraty is the top seed in the Open category where, if all goes according to plan, he should play Keith Lesser in the final.

The other seeds – Matt Spero, Ivan Lewis, Rafi Marom, Jeremy Banks and Guy Ben-Aroya – will be looking to impress while it will be interesting to see who Katz performs following the arrival of his new baby boy, James.

The sleepless nights and dirty nappies have affected even the best sportsman but I’m sure Dov will be looking to get as much shut-eye as possible in the build-up to the big event.

Indeed, young James could be described as a Maccabiah baby. He is a great advert for Jewish continuity after Dov met wife Perry in Tel Aviv at the 2009 Games. That was certainly one match made in heaven.

There will also be an array of talent in the Junior Boys and Cadet event with wonder kids Jack Joseph and Zach Mandel among the ones to watch.

The championships have been put together by Maccabi GB National Table Tennis chairman Mel Davidson for the 10 consecutive year.

* Spare a thought for Richard Bronzite. He’s taking part in a bike ride to Sicily, raising funds for Norwood. By his own admission, Richard isn’t the fittest person so it will be interesting to see how he copes with four days on the bike and one of hiking, especially with Mount Etna erupting earlier this week. He’s participating in the even along with Rob Gold and 40 other professionals.

* Good luck to the Team GB squad travelling to Marseille to defend their European Maccabi Football Trophy this weekend.

The team completed their preparations with victory over a combined North London Raiders team last weekend while their fund-raising efforts were there for everyone to see at last weekend’s Anekstein Cup final. With the London Inter-League Cup not taking place this season, it’s a real chance for players from the lower divisions to sparkle on the big stage.

National Shul Table Tennis League review

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:07:58 +0000

Sixty-five players from 13 synagogue teams competed in the first-ever National Shul Table Tennis League, sponsored by Maccabi GB, which took place on Sunday.

Sides from Kingston to Southend headed to BATTS in Harlow, Essex, fighting it out for the hotly contested 2012 event.

The Open title was narrowly won by Norrice Lea of Hampstead Garden Suburb who pipped North London rivals, Borehamwood to win by two points. The battle for second place was equally tight with three teams tying on 12 points before Borehamwood were awarded the runners-up spot for winning more matches than Southend and Radlett.

Norrice Lea’s Adam Black and Michael Gerard delivered solid performances, while Peter Wilson, Steve Burns and Andy Fisch added strength in depth to edge out the opposition.

The Open consolation event was won by Dov Katz’s Mill Hill side with Kingston runners-up after Brian Hurwitz captained them to a nail-biting win over Woodside Park.

True to form, Radlett and Maccabiah star Jeremy Banks did not drop a match in his team’s campaign. Son, Josh Banks, was ably supported the up-and-coming Sam Krisman although that was not enough to stop Borehamwood’s father-and-son team, Jonathan and Judah Jackson leading their teams to Open and Junior medal positions.

The Junior title went to a Borehamwood side that was simply too strong for the opposition, only dropping six sets. Alongside the undefeated Jackson and Mark Collins; Oliver Assor, Jamie Saleh and Josh Zucker stormed to success taking a full 20 points.

In second place Norrice Lea’s Jacob Nico Katz was the key man backed up by fine performances from Jonathan Stelzer, Samuel Gottlieb and Nathan Sonn.

Radlett took the consolation title with Southend’s Plaskow brothers, Harri Berg, Gavin Rosehill and Reuben Burns runners-up. In fifth place with their team of newcomers, Chabad displayed brilliant fighting spirit against well trained and more experienced Junior opposition. Their team of Jodeci and Devante Joseph, James Benham-Whyte, Daniel Robert and Damien Zimelstern flew the flag for Buckhurst Hill.

Event organiser Adam Black said: "We've got England ranked players in our community, but the National Shul league isn't just about them. It's a league for all standards, for all kinds of Jews. Whether you're Jodeci from Buckhurst Hill or Yosef from Hendon this is for you."

Dan on the top table

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:09:22 +0000

Dan Olsberg this week became the youngest player to represent the Manchester Maccabi senior table tennis section.

Manager Joe Flacks had no hesitation in pitching the youngster into the team when a place came available and he was certainly not let down against a strong Shawfield side.

Olsberg, 10, pushed all his opponents hard and Flacks believes that with a "little more experience," an amazing victory would not have been beyond him.

The latest addition to the senior squad also showed no fear by volunteering for the doubles. Together with partner Ashley Landes, they lost in the fifth and final game after a titanic struggle.

Olsberg is part of the flourishing Maccabi junior table tennis section, coached by Stuart Landes. England no. 2 Louis Rosenthal is a former Maccabi player. The club features seven teams in the Bury League.

Vandermolen and Katz to lead GB Maccabiah Table Tennis assault

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:01:41 +0000

The management team for Table Tennis at the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel has been announced by Maccabi GB, in partnership with UJIA.

Lee Vandermolen has been appointed Sports Chair along with Dov Katz as the Team Manager.

Vandermolen experienced his first international Maccabi Games at the European's in Vienna last year while Katz has a long Maccabi history having been involved in a number of international Maccabi events including the European and Maccabiah Games.

Vandermolen and Katz worked well together in Vienna - leading the squad to its greatest ever international success, winning nine medals, three gold, three silver and three bronze.

Of their appointments David Kyte, the Team GB Head of Delegation, commented: "Following the fantastic job Lee and Dov did with the table tennis squad in Vienna last year, we are pleased to appoint them once again.

"Our Table Tennis squad is improving year on year and we hope to see this continue at next summer's Maccabiah Games."