The National Sport Centre was full of fun and laughter last Wednesday as 16 players took part in the third annual Isle of Man Table Tennis Association Wrong Handed Tournament.

This unique event, a test of adaptability and dexterity, saw all players compelled to compete using their ‘non-dominant’ hand, or ‘wrong hand’ as the title suggests.

While the competitive nature of table tennis was present, the tournament was primarily a fun event played in a notably friendly and light-hearted spirit.

The format involved 16 players split into two groups of eight, with the top four from each progressing to the knockout stages. After closely-contested matches in the groups, the quarter-finals saw a mix of dominant victories and narrow margins.

John Shooter beat Malcolm Lambert 11/8 11/9, Darren Smethurst defeated Russ Kent 11/6 11/6, Wayne Taylor got the better of William Shooter 11/9 11/6 and Amit Lanin beat Malc Lewis 11/9 11/9.

The knockout stage brought together seasoned competitors and newcomers to the tournament, all adapting to the unusual challenge.

In the semi-finals, John Shooter faced Smethurst who was playing in the event for the first time. Shooter took the first end 11/8 but Smethurst fought back to take the next two 11/8 11/4 to progress to the final.

The second semi-final between Taylor and Lanin was a close affair, with the latter taking the win 12/10, 11/9.

The final saved the best to last, with Lanin facing Smethurst again in what was a classic. Having already played each other in the group stage, where Lanin secured a hard-fought three-set win 11/9 9/11 11/6, it was a really competitive match.

This time though, it was Smethurst’s turn to scramble his way to victory, claiming the title with a hard-earned 11/8 12/10 win.

With Smethurst 10-8 up in the final end, Lanin pressed hard to get back to 10-10, only to fall at the final hurdle as his opponent composed himself to steal the final two points and take victory.

The final mirrored the competitive yet supportive bond between these two players who recently represented the island in the final British League fixture of the season.

A reminder that the Isle of Man Table Tennis Association prize presentation evening will take place on Sunday, May 10 at the Manx Legion Club on Market Hill, Douglas from 7pm.

Tickets for the event, which includes a raffle to raise funds for the island teams competing in the forthcoming Senior Schools Tournament in Cardiff at the end of June, can be booked by contacting Adam Teare on 495049.

Many thanks go to Maggie Mulhern for organising the event and running what was a really successful tournament.

KEN MITCHELL

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