Sport / Medals galore as Shetland records best showing at mainland table tennis event
SHETLAND made its best ever showing at a national table tennis event last month, taking home multiple gold and silver medals.
The Table Tennis Scotland interleague is one of the top tournaments on the calendar and sees players from across the country competing for silverware in all age groups.
Shetland again entered two teams at under-13 girls level and both started strongly, with 4-1 wins apiece over Aberdeen Cadets.
They then both faced reigning champions Edinburgh. The A team made a great start, with Peony Li and Eve Johnson winning their opening singles and able to clinch the match if they won the doubles.
At 2-1 down this did not look likely, but Li and Johnson rallied to take the last two sets 11-5, 11-5 and clinch the match.
Shetland B were up next and Ava Swift and Hanna Sneider did not drop a set in securing the first two singles matches.
They then won the doubles 3-1, which set them up for a final showdown with Shetland A for gold.
Shetland B took an early lead after Swift’s 3-1 win over Eve Johnson, making Peony Li’s match-up with Hanna Sneider a must-win.
Li took the first two sets and looked on easy street, but Sneider soon levelled the match. Li came out firing, producing several of her trademark winners to secure the match 11-3.
In the doubles Li and Johnson found their best form, winning 11-7,11-3,14-12. Shetland A now led 2-1 and needed to win one of the reverse singles to be champions.
Li continued where she left off, this time against Swift, dominating to win 11-3,11-6,11-7.
Sneider won the final singles to make the final score 3-2 for Shetland A.
Shetland have won this trophy before in the early 2000s but have never come first and second before, which was said to be a tremendous achievement for the girls.
Shetland also had a strong team in the under-13 boys, but never having won a medal in any of the boys age groups it was a big ask. Shetland also had a B team, showing good strength in depth.
Shetland A started well, with 5-0 wins over Stirlingshire and Midlands and Shetland B.
They then played Edinburgh, with the winners guaranteed a medal. Dylan Ritch got Shetland off to a fine start, defeating Dheer Rathod 3-0, before Ayanda Armitage lost narrowly to Samuel Rodzach to level the match.
The next match between Terry Peterson and Ojas Annamwar was all square after four sets, and the fifth set was also a nail biter.
However Peterson showed great competitive spirit to win it 11-9 and give Shetland the lead.
Ritch started positively against Edinburgh number one Samuel Radzoch, and went on to win 3-1 to put them into a gold medal match against favourites Aberdeen.
The boys were still competitive, but unfortunately Ritch injured himself at the start of his second match and was unable to complete the match, confirming Aberdeen’s victory.
Nevertheless, it was silver for Shetland and the first ever for a Shetland boys’ team. With Ritch and Peterson still eligible next year, they should be in with a shout again.
It did not end there for Shetland’s medal haul with Joan Smith and her partner Fiona Kinloch winning the veteran ladies. They defeated Edinburgh in the final 3-0 to take the gold.
The results demonstrated the great strides that have been made during Joan Smith’s tenure as table tennis development officer.
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