News & Views from the Colchester Table Tennis League
with Press Officer Martyn Green

28th April 2008
COLCHESTER PAIR TAKE GOLD TO BECOME NATIONAL COLLEGE CHAMPIONS

Greg Green and Mike Shore representing ‘The East’ at the recent British College National Finals at Loughborough won Gold in the Men’s Doubles Table Tennis competition. The pair initially qualified in the regional tournament on behalf of the Colchester Sixth Form College, winning at Cambridge and faced stiff competition at Loughborough in the National Finals primarily in the form of Filton College, representing the South West and Grantham, the East Midlands. Both are Table Tennis Academies with full time coaches and both were well beaten by the Colchester pairing along with the West Midlands, coached by former England number one Desmond Douglas. Their only hiccup was against the North East who finished fourth following two defeats. The East Midlands won Bronze, The South West Silver, losing only once, to the East who took Gold on ‘head to head’ count-back. To win any National competition is noteworthy but for seventeen-year-old Green who won Silver last year and sixteen-year-old Shore, this represented arguably their best achievement to-date.

In the replayed Kiltie Cup Final H20 Rowhedge C turned things round winning 5-3 against Rayne after the Braintree team generously allowed the final to be replayed following Rowhedge player shortages. Kevin Gowlett led the way winning all four games he was involved in backed up by Dave Moss who beat Andrew McEwan and Alan Burgess. Steve Kerns was unlucky to be on the losing side as he remained unbeaten in the singles supported by Steve Pennell who beat Alan Burgess.