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President's Welcome - Sept 2013

21/9/2013

Welcome to the 2013-14 season in the Edinburgh and Lothians Table-Tennis League. A year ago I was writing this in the immediate aftermath of watching the table-tennis at the London 2012 summer Olympic Games; this time we are looking forward to the XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow from 23rd July to 3rd August 2014. This time last year we were all inspired by the quality of the Olympic Table-Tennis, I am sure that in summer next year the Commonwealth Games Table-Tennis will have a similar effect, hopefully with one of our most distinguished former players, the Scotland men’s Number 2 Craig Howieson, featuring prominently.

This season we have 51 teams in the four Divisions, three more teams playing than last year, so we have had to use the 14-team weekly grid, rather than the 12-team grid. Having 51 rather than the maximum of 56 teams indicates the return of that well-known team, FREE WEEK, in most Divisions (sorry, Division 3!).

Royal Dynasty continue to sponsor us, and the Royal Dynasty Tournament will be held in Bathgate Academy on Sunday 2nd February 2014. The Edinburgh Closed tournament will be on Sunday 8th December 2013, at Penicuik. The Edinburgh Schools tournament will be held early in 2014.

This season the people who have won the last seven or so Premier League individual averages (David Atkins of North Merchiston 1 from 2007 (I think!) to 2011, including with 100% in 2008; Christopher Wheeler of Murrayfield 1 with 100% in both 2012 – at just 12 years of age! - and 2013) will not be playing in the Edinburgh League, so we will have a new Premier League individual champion. And with other changes in the composition of both Murrayfield 1 and North Merchiston 1, the teams which have won the last 11 Premier League championships, the destination of the Premier League Championship is less certain than in previous years.

Looking at slightly broader horizons than just the Edinburgh League, this season the Scottish National League has expanded from three Divisions to four Divisions of eight teams, which I think it the greatest number of teams in this the fourth season of the SNL. It will feature five (itself a record) teams from the Edinburgh League.

This is the second year of inputting match scores to the online scoring system, devised by Dr Robert Inder, the 2013 Player of the Year. Physical scorecards are to be kept until the end of the season, but are no longer to be posted to the Match Secretary.

May everyone have a happy and rewarding season, no doubt punctuated by a goodly amount of subordinate hand fist-clenching!

Ken Benjamin
President

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Level 1 Coaching course in Edinburgh

President's Welcome - Sept 2013

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Level 1 Coaching course in Edinburgh

President's Welcome - Sept 2013

Grid now on website

Archives

Edinburgh and Lothians Table Tennis League