History of U.S.

Table Tennis
Vol. XI: 1981-1982

Everyone expects service from the USTTA, but the Sport wont make any
progress in 20 years if we dont get good results from the National Team.

BY TIM BOGGAN
USATT HISTORIAN

1983 U.S. World Team at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
Front: Ricky Seemiller, Attila Malek, Danny Seemiller, Eric Boggan, Scott Boggan.
Back: Houshang Bozorgzadeh (Mens Captain), Insook Bhushan, Alice Green,
Kasia Dawidowicz Gaca, Angelita Rosal Sistrunk, Yvonne Kronlage (Womens Captain)

TIM BOGGAN
Tim Boggan is a former
International Table Tennis Federation
Vice-President, a former three-term
President of the United States Table
Tennis Association (now USA Table
Tennis), and a former Secretary of the
Association.
For 13 years he served as Editor
of the USTTAs National Publication,
then followed by editing his own
magazine. He is the author of Winning
Table Tennis (1976), and thereafter
Volumes I through X of his continuing
multi-volume History of U.S. Table
Tennis.
He taught English at Long Island University in Brooklyn for 33 years, and
since 1965 has been a prodigious writer for the Sport. Having retired from teaching,
he is currently the Associations Historian and Chair of its Editorial Advisory Board.
He has received the ITTF Order of Merit Award and the USTTA Barna
Award. In 1985 he was inducted into the USTTA Hall of Fame, and in 2006 received
the Mark Matthews Lifetime Achievement Award.
He was a member of the 1971 U.S. Ping-Pong Diplomacy Team that
opened the door to China, and since then has attended, as official or journalist, more
than 25 World and International Championships. In 1975 he Captained the U.S. Team
to the Calcutta Worlds.
As a player through six decades, he has on occasion, in addition to some
modest early tournament success, and, later, some success in World Veterans
Championships, been the U.S. Over 40, 50, 60, and 70 Singles and Doubles
Champion.
Tim and his wife Sally have been married for over 50 years. Both of their
sons, Scott and Eric, were U.S. Junior then U.S. Mens Singles and Doubles
Champions. Both are in the U.S. Hall of Fame.
Price: $40.00

History of U.S. Table Tennis

VOL. XI: 19811982:

Everyone expects service from the USTTA, but the Sport wont
make any progress in 20 years if we dont get good results from
the National Team.

by Tim Boggan, USATT Historian

Copyright 2011

This book is for Si Wasserman:

Player
Club Owner/Manager
USTTA Coach/Committee Chair
USTTA E.C. Member
U.S. World Team Captain
Author
Benefactor
Photo by Mal Anderson

Still again, I want to acknowledge how much I appreciate Larry Hodgess great contribution.
Without his experience and efficiency (particularly in helping me to shape photos and lay out
pages), I might not be able to continue writing these books.

Still again, Mal Anderson gets more than a special nod for sharing with me his enormous, near
half-century collection of photos of players and officials.

Still again, I pay special thanks to Dave Sakai for his many years of giving me the help and
encouragement I need to produce these books my way.

Still again, I take this opportunity to applaud Professor Scott Gordon, the USTTA Film Archivist, for his determined efforts to locate and preserve the all too few films from our historic
past.

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COPYRIGHT 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced
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owner.

Acknowledgements
From Oct., 1933 through Nov.-Dec., 1993, the name United States Table Tennis
Association (USTTA) prevailed; thereafter the Association is referred to as USA Table Tennis
(USATT). During the years this volume deals with (1981-82), Im of course greatly indebted
to the official publication of the USTTA, Table Tennis Topics.
Those to whom I particularly want to show my gratitude: Liguo and Li Henan Ai, John
Allen, Ann Alvarez, Mal Anderson, Peter Antkowiak, B.K. Arunkumar, Michael Bachtler, Bob
Barns, Tom and Melinda Baudry, Sally, Scott, and Eric Boggan, Mark Bortner, Houshang
Bozorgzadeh, George Brathwaite, Bard Brenner, Quang Bui, Bernie Bukiet, Tommey Burke,
Mike Bush, Charles Butler, Dick, Sue, Scott, and Jimmy Butler, Errol Caetano, Jack Carr, Ray
Chen, Sam Chinnici, Lim Ming Chui, Cam Clark, Robert Compton, Jay Crystal, Joe
Cummings, Fred and Carl Danner, Wendell Dillon, Rey Domingo, Mariann Domonkos, Jim
Doney, Graham Duncan, Mel Eisner, Dick and Sue Evans, Wojtek Fibak, Jens Fellke, Shazzi
Felstein, Neal Fox, Igor Fraiman, Harry Frazer, Danny Ganz, Yim and Betty Gee, Alfred Gill,
Danny Goodstein, Alice Green, Fred Grobee, Howie Grossman, Ray Guillen, Don Gunn, Bill
Haid, Rufford Harrison, Al Herr, Judy Hoarfrost, Larry Hodges, Chuck Hoey, Bill and Liz
Hornyak, Jack Howard, Franz-Josef Huermann, Engelbert Huging, Steve Isaacson, Peter
Johnson, Bob and Barbara Kaminsky, Dennis Kaminsky, Gus Kennedy, Harold Kopper, Zoran
Zoki Kosanovic,Yvonne Kronlage, Mike Lardon, Don Larson, D-J and He-ja Lee, Tim Lee,
Y.C. Lee, Marv and Caron Leff, Frank Levy, C.F. and Faan Yeen Liu, Ardith Lonnon, Attila
Malek, Bob Mandel, Barry Margolius, Jeff and Mona Mason, Bowie Martin, Sr., Brian and
John Masters, Tom McEvoy, Mary McIlwain, Jack McLarty, Jim McQueen, Jamie Medvene,
Jack Buddy Melamed, Brian Miezejewski, Dick Miles, Tom Miller, Stan Morest, Manny
Moskowitz, Leah Thall Neuberger, Joe Newgarden, Khoa Nguyen, Arthur and Louise Nieves,
Kathy and Sean ONeill, Tyra Parkins, Bob Partridge, Bobby Petty, Power Poon, Tom Poston,
Marty Prager, Haig Raky, Pam Ramsey, John Read, Marty Reisman, Errol Resek, Danny
Robbins, Sylvia Rosenthal, Lee Ross, Leon Ruderman, Dave and Donna Sakai, Nisse
Sandberg, Sol Schiff, Ron Schull, Perry Schwartzberg, Dr. Michael Scott, II, Dan, Rick, and
Randy Seemiller, Millie Shahian, Adham Sharara, Ron Shirley, Simon and Irena Shtofmakher,
Dr. Mitch Silbert, Dan and Patti Simon, Angelita Rosal Sistrunk, Tom Slater, Neil Smyth,
John Soderberg, Bill Steinle, Duke Stogner, Dave Strang, Dell and Connie Sweeris, John
Tannehill, Junior Tebbe, Fred Tepper, Paul Therrio, Lyle Thiem, Larry Thoman, Bob
Tretheway, Zdenko Uzorinac, Jim Verta, Budimir Vojinovic, Ron Von Schimmelman, Bob
Vukovich, Derek Wall, Tom Walsh, Scott Wan, Si Wasserman, Michael Wetzel, C.J. Williams,
Gene Wilson, Tom Wintrich, Ai-wen and Ai-ju Wu, Dick Yamaoka, Mort and Evelyn Zakarin.
I again want to thank Leah Neubergers sister, Thelma Tybie Sommer, for agreeing
after Leahs death, that I might, in succeeding her as the Associations Historian, have access
to her conscientiously-kept records, letters, photos, newspaper clippings, magazines, and
tournament programs from around the world. I want also to thank again Leah and Tybies late,
longtime friend Bob Green for taking the considerable time and trouble to box up and send to
me all this indispensable information.

Chapter One
1981: World Championships Aftermath.
Although the following comments by Gus Kennedy, Rufford Harrison, Lyle Thiem,
Jack Carr, Bill Steinle, Eric Boggan, and Mike Bush are spread out over almost a years worth
of Topics, I group them here in my opening chapter because they provide a transitional link to
my coverage of the 1981 Worlds with which I ended Volume X.
Ill begin with what interested our International Chair, Gus
Kennedy, at Novi Sad (TTT, May-June, p. 8; Sept., p. 2; Oct., p.
6, 1981). My fondest memories, says Gus, are based on walking amongst the people, dealing with hundreds of helpers, volunteers, officials and players.The Championships have meaning
for me not in my seeing the actual matches, but in my attempts to
quickly learn the actual order structure or hierarchy in charge and
to learn how and to whom questions should be asked.
He praises Jovan Dejanovic, the very active Lord Mayor
of Novi Sad who was also the President of the T.T. Organizing
Committee. He had to attend four or five functions daily, including escorting the tour on the free day to Belgrade where one of
the stops was at Marshal Titos grave. Also, he showed great
skill at singing folk songs at the Swaythling Club dinner. Gus
also had nice things to say about Slobodan Jeremic, Secretary
Gus Kennedy
General of the Yugoslav Federation.
Gus was pleased to have Coach Ai Liguo as a roommate. The
first night he was at the hotel it caused quite a stir with the security
people. They didnt expect a Chinese to be with the U.S. Team.
Gus reports that at Novi Sad the ITTF agreed on the following
Rule changes that, with one exception, will take effect July 1, 1981
(exact words dependent on a clear
reading). Most of us have seen
these rules observed, but
thirty years ago they
Ai Liguo
were just coming
into force.
A player is said to obstruct
the ball in play if he or anything he
wears or carries touches it before it
has passed over the end line or
sidelines of his court, without its
having touched his court since last
being struck by his opponent.
An umpire does not have to
warn a player for a service of
Is this considered an obstruction by the receiver?
doubtful legality, on the first occaCartoon by Budimir Vojinovic
4

sion in any matchwhen a service judge has been appointed.If either the umpire or the
service judge is sure that the service action is illegal he must call Fault; if neither is sure, he
must remain silent.
A service in which the ball, in passing over or around the net, touches it or its supports is a let if the ball then touches the receivers court or is volleyed by the receiver or his
partner, and now, in addition, if it is obstructed by the receiver.
The proper sequence in doublesis the sequence established by the first server and
receiver in the rally, whether or not there has been an error in the order of serving or receiving.
The rule for dealing with an error in ends, serving or receiving, is now the same in
all circumstances; as soon as the error is discovered, play is interrupted and the players change
to the correct ends or the correct order of serving and receiving, resuming play at the score
which has then been reached.
In World, Continental, and Open International Championships, the racket, if covered
on the striking surface, must be covered with rubber of a brand and type approved by the
ITTF (goes into effect Jan., 1982).
In World and Continental Championships, the players on a team in a team match, and
players from the same Association forming a pair in a doubles match, must be uniformly
dressed, with the possible exception of shoes and socks.
When an assistant umpire is appointed, he will sit at the side of the table opposite the
umpire and he will act as timekeeper, stroke counter, edge ball judge and service judge, with
authority to make the final decision on fact within his jurisdiction and, as time-keeper, he will
no longer be subject to the direction of the umpire. For World Championships, a separate
official will normally be appointed to act as stroke counter.
In addition to the normal score calls, the umpire may indicate certain decisions by
means of hand signals. When a point has been scored, he may raise to shoulder height the arm
nearer to the player or pair who won the point and he may raise his arm above his head to stop
play when, for any reason, the rally is a let At the change of service he may point with his hand
towards the player or pair due to serve next.
If a person persists, after being warned by the umpire, in trying to give advice to a
player other than during authorized intervals in play, the umpire must ask that person to leave
the vicinity of the playing area for the remainder of the match that is then in progress. If the
adviser refuses to leave, the umpire must suspend play and report immediately to the referee.
The ITTF has given sanction to the Japan Table Tennis Association to invite players
from Taiwan to Japan this season under the following conditions:
that the name of the participating association from Taiwan in relations with the JTTA
shall be Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association.
that the emblem to be attached to the playing costume and any belongings of the team
members shall be as admitted by the IOC with the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee.
that no national anthem is played or national flag shown of any participating association in the international tournament to be held in Japan
that no two Chinas or one China, one Taiwan evidence or atmosphere shall be
created by the exchange.
Sanction has also been given to the USTTA to invite players to the U.S. Open Championship under the exact same conditions. But, says Gus, before we returned from Novi
5

Sad, we received word that arrangements had been finalized with the Peoples Republic of
China for their team to come to our Open, thus we did not extend the invitation authorized by
the ITTF to China Taipei. [Because, should the Taiwanese accept, China would decide not to
come?]
Rufford Harrison (TTT, May, 1981, 16) reminds us of what has been discussed in some
of my previous volumesthe two-China problems that heretofore have resulted in the
Peoples Republic of China (PRC) keeping Taiwan, the Republic of China (ROC), out of the
ITTF and its now 125 member-countries. Rufford says that had Taiwan been admitted, the
ITTF felt that the PRC would have withdrawn. And the fear was that many of the communist
countriesand perhaps in more recent years some of the undeveloped countries that have
received Chinese largesswould leave with them, and so split the Federation in half. So
should the ITTF have been pragmatic or humanitarian?
They opted to be pragmaticand so did not admit Taiwan into the Federation. Supposedly it could be argued that the Republic of China, despite being limited in area by its Title
and Constitution, was not clearly an independent entity representing a limited area, but was
part of a Chinese union. And that meant that in considering an application from such an
association the views of any association already in membership from the same unity shall be
taken into account. Of course the PRC objected to Taiwans admittance. Which is where the
matter stood until last year when the IOC proposed accepting the ROC as Chinese Taipei,
and the PRC agreed. So now this sticky conflict will be resolvednot only will countries host
the Taiwanese, as the U.S. has done and will do again, but both Chinas will have teams playing
in the 1985 World Championships.
We now turn to belated comments concerning U.S. players
at the Apr. 14-26 Novi Sad Worlds. In writing his first Topics
column (Oct., 1981, 8), USTTA Vice-President Lyle Thiem introduces himself as one whose views reflect the average USTTA
memberthe kind of person I meet and talk with at tournaments
and correspond with by mail and telephone. The one year I have
been on the E.C. has convinced me that my views usually correspond with those of the players both weak and strong, the active
club member and worker, and the avid Topics reader. [Lyles
views are usually Everymans? My own experience as Topics editor
Lyle Thiem
doesnt show me such unanimity among USTTA members.]
Lyle follows with a lengthy write-up of his airport-to-airport experiences on his way to
Yugoslavia with his friend Cam Clark. Cam, whod be shooting video tapes of the tournament,
had excess baggage charges of $132. But perhaps better that than Carol Davidsons considerable inconvenience. Because she was late for her departure at Kennedy Airport, she and her
luggage parted and didnt catch up with one another until the third day after her arrival in Novi
Sad.
Lyle has views on how the U.S. players performed at Novi Sad:
In Team play our women were simply outclassed. Carol and Faan Yeen played creditably. Sheila tried her best, but was just too nervous to perform well. She just was not in
position to execute her best shots and she performed at a level far below what she performs at
here in the U.S. She has been our #1 woman on the Team Squad for two years now and Ill bet
6

if she makes the Team for the next Worlds she will play like everyone knows she can. Cheryl
had about 12 hours notice to make the trip since Angie couldnt go. Im sure she gained a lot
of experience. She also didnt play as well as she does normally but did exhibit flashes of her
true ability in the final match even though she lost. The big problem with the Womens Team
was the doubles. We were just inexperienced.
Our Mens Team matches were truly emotionally-packed experiences to behold. Danny
was superb. Eric was spotty. Ricky was tight but came through when necessary. Bush just
wasnt with it at all. He appeared to be in a fog and overwhelmed by the splendor of it all. It
seemed to me that his primary purpose was to see how many girls he could corral. He looks
good in practice. According to him he practices more than anyone. But he just isnt matchtough. I expected more from him after playing in a league in Germany. One American had the
perfect excuse for the Swede Thorsells poor showing: too much practice with Bush.
Scott played up to expectations and has matured immensely both as a player and as an
individual. He lost some tough matches even though playing well enough to win. The breaks
went against him at crucial times but he hung in and fought off the bad breaks as well as bad
calls. [Well, as I described in Vol. X, in the Netherlands tie, Scott both lost it and hung in
there.]
I was proud that at the E.C. Meeting in Las
Vegas I had voted for Scott to have the opportunity to
try out for the U.S. Team. Scott was being judged because of some behavior problems at the Worlds in 1979
[several Team members, we saw, had those], in Canada in
September of 1980 [I discussed what I considered
Houshangs self-serving charges against Scott and Attila
Malek in Vol. X), and even in Las Vegas in December
although the latter incident shouldnt have influenced any
voting [what incident, and did it influence the voting,
and, if so, why?]. There were some on the E.C. who felt
Scott should not even be considered as a potential U.S.
Scott Boggan
Team member. In fact, the straw vote of the E.C. after
Photo by Robert Compton
Scott pleaded his case was 4-4. However, when the final
vote was taken, Scott prevailed 5-3 to be able to try out.
We influenced somebody to switch votes. [This was a big swing for Scott and his supporters.
Instead of maybe quitting table tennis, hell go on to a succession of peak performances.]
Jack Carr (TTT, Mar., 1981, 8) writes that, according to Item 24 of the Dec., 1980
E.C. Minutes, A proposal that Scott Boggan not play on any U.S. Team for one year and not
play in the Dec. Team Trials failed 3-4-0. An eighth E.C. member, contrary to what Thiem
says, wasnt there for the vote? Earlier, an amendment that Scott be excluded from the World
Championships failed only for want of a second. Question: why would such a vote fail only
because there was no second to call the question? Why not failed for want of a second?
Otherwise, the implication is that had the vote been seconded, Scott would have been excluded from the World Championshipswhich of course wouldnt necessarily follow. Why
then does the writer Carr include that word only? Answer? Then Jack writes: that Scott
Boggan be placed on probation for one year, and that he play on no other U.S. Teams abroad
except in the World Championships. Passed 5-3-0.
7

Lyle says, At the Worlds, I was proud that I had been for Scott all the
time even though he probably didnt know it. Scott didnt let me down. He
played well in the Vegas trials and I didnt observe any bad behavior. I felt he
also played well and behaved well at the Worlds. I should comment that Erics
behavior at the trials was anything but exemplary and there was more than one
incident at the Worlds where he caused us to be embarrassed. If he will now
mature as Scott has appeared to, he wont be a problem.
Scott also played well in the singles qualification matches. Bush did
well in the consolations until the quarters when he snatched defeat from the
jaws of victory and lost to the Brazilian Inokuchi 21-15 in the third after drubbing him 21-8 in the first and having a seemingly overwhelming lead in the
Eric Boggan
second. He played like his mind went blank and his arm turned to concrete. Maybe
he was trying to remember whether or not he had lined up a date for the night. [Carr
thought this derogatory tone excessive, unbecoming to a USTTA Vice-President. In a letter to the
E.C., Jack, whod said in his Nov.-Dec., 1979 column that Lyle deserves our support for Vice
President, now was of the opinion that Thiem was a worthless E.C. member.]
Danny didnt do nearly as well against Takashima in the singles as he thought he
would. Did he really think Takashima had shown him everything during those weeks of practice in Japan? Takashima was up for the match despite the fact that he appeared to be limited
in his movements. I heard someone say later that he was playing with fourteen acupuncture
needles in him. Ricky had to play in a Qualifying round the Defending World Mens Doubles
Champion Anton Stipancic. He lost deuce in the fourth to Tova, the now slower and heavier
veteran who wisely used the third game to catch his breath. Surely he needed all the skill and
luck he could muster to dig out that thrilling fourth game.
Erics first-round match with the Japanese veteran
Masahiro Maehara was also a real heart-stopper [Eric lost
to this 1981 All-Japan Champion, -17, -22, 19, -18]. If there
would have been a way that Eric could have avoided giving
Maehara the one ball that he could consistently put away,
then I believe that Eric would have won.
In this first Topics column Lyle had written, he says, I
was one of five members of the USTTA Executive Committee who attended the World Championships. Let me say that
I paid my own way 100%. I may stand corrected but I
believe all of the other E.C. members had their expenses
paid either by the USTTA or the ITTF or a combination of
the two. Dont get me wrong. Im not complaining. I was
grateful to be placed on the list of Officials even though
1981 Japanese Champion
my way was not paid.
Masahiro Maehara
Maybe Lyle is complaining just a tad, but mostly he
From 1983 Nittaku Magazine
probably feels, after Carrs Apr., 1981 column in which Jack
wants to know just whose way was paid, that he makes sure everyone knows he didnt get any
perks overtly or covertly.
In the intervening months, Harrison is the first to respond; Carr will follow. Harrison
says, I think we should put Lyle Thiem straight in regard to funding of E.C. members at the
8

World Championships. They got no [airline] help from the USTTA or the ITTF. The US
Olympic Committee did provide three [airline] tickets, one of which even the E.C. was not
told about at any time; they went to Sol Schiff, Gus Kennedy, and Mal Anderson.
Carr also seizes on Lyles I may stand corrected statement and responds: Lyle
Thiem makes some disturbing and surprising statements, particularly for an Executive Committee Vice-President. This was one of the reasons the Nominating Committee could not
propose him for reelection. Lyle wrote that four E.C. members [not counting Lyle] at the last
World Championships had their expenses paid either by the USTTA or the ITTF or a combination of the two. I refute this statement. I have checked with two of these E.C. members and
they are unaware of any USTTA or ITTF funds being used to pay for the expenses of any E.C.
members. Were there four E.C. members at the World Championships or were there five as
Thiem states? [Schiff, Kennedy, Anderson, Harrison, Thiem, right?] Lyle Thiem should back
up his statement with facts and figures or admit that he was wrong and explain why he wrote
the accusation in the first place. [Wow! Thiem was making an accusation? Is that what it
was? Why in the world is Carr coming at Thiem like this? Lyle later responds that admittedly
hed caused confusion because he was referring to E.C. expenses at the World Championshipsnot their airfare to and from the World Championships. [Lyle is talking about food and
lodgingwhich IS picked up for the ITTF-connected four?]
Bill Steinle has a companion article on the same page of Topics as Lyles. Not surprisingly, his comments on what he saw and felt at the Worlds differ from Lyles.
Like Lyle, Bill was attending his first Worlds. I guess Im as narrow-minded as most
Americans who think we are the best and greatest in everything, he says. But when you get
involved in the WORLD, you start to realize how small we really are, and that there are other
people who can do things better than we do them.
Bill speaks of two problems he had at the Worlds. One was to know who to watch
when so many great players were playing at the same time.What I thought were wonderful
shots were just normal for these players.I had never realized it before, but the important part
of this tournament is the team event. The singles and doubles are all secondary events. I may
be wrong, but I feel the U.S. Team feels that singles are primary.
I heard a comment from someone that the reason Eric is playing so bad is that hes
subconsciously building up for the singles. I dont believe Eric was playing so bad, it was just
that the class of the players were good enough to make him look bad. The balls that he can
drive through 1900-2300 just dont go through the 2300 and up players. [But when you
consider Erics excellent results against world-class players at both the World Cup and the
Polish Open prior to the Worlds, its likely that factors other than his playing skill were operative here.]
The other problem Bill had was putting up with the conduct of the U.S. delegation.
We were staying at the best hotel in Novi Sad, most of it new. It was not the Waldorf but then
again we were not paying Waldorf prices. A lot of the help at the hotel worked 12-14 hours
everyday and they did their best to service all of our needs. Many of them learned our language or parts of it to make our stay easier, but what they received in return were comments
like, You expect me to eat this s?Is this the only kind of garbage they have?How
can I play if we are supposed to eat this junk?Damn dumb waiters dont understand
anything.Thats a hell of a thingwe have to pay extra for drinks. Surely somebody
ought to teach our players to be more considerate.
9

Scott Butler was with us after the first few days and, with the help of Gus Kennedy
and John Read, they allowed him to stay at the hotel with everyone else. He did not have meal
tickets and he was willing to pay each time he ate, but he would get a comment like, Dont
pay right away. They fix me a special meal all the time and sometimes they dont take my
ticket. Thats a hell of a way to educate a 14 or 15-year-old child. Scott is a well-mannered,
polite young man but this environment might change him.
Can you imagine a person from another country
coming to your town, staying in the best hotel, and, on
going to the lobby and sitting in a chair, taking off his
shoes and socks and putting his feet up on another chair
and falling asleep? At least five different people came over
to look at his badge to see what country he was from.
They walked away shaking their heads.Everyone reading this please remember that wherever you go you represent the USA and that you may be the only Americans that
some people ever see. They may form their opinions of all
of us in the U.S. from your actions.
We went to the city of Belgrade to see Titos
Tomb. A couple of our group had to be asked to be quiet
because they were laughing and joking so loud as they
were going through the shrine.
Now, says Bill, a novices thoughts about the
Marshal Tito
U.S. Team. When I read Topics and saw who was going to
Courtesy of Zdenko Uzorinac
be on the Mens Team, I was pleased, so I sent my donation to the fund. [Of the nearly 200 donors who responded to Gus Kennedys Topics fundraising pleas, Bills contribution was one of the most generous.] After seeing them play and
their conduct on the floor, I think a couple of them [Scott and Eric] should be banned from the
U.S. Team unless they learn how to control themselves. Losing 10-12 points in a row just
because you thought an umpire made a bad call is stupid. We surely dont have players good
enough to give that many points away. I do not believe in winning at all costs no matter what.
I do believe in trying your best at all times. It would have made me real happy to see Rey
Domingo and George Brathwaite playing with Danny and Rick Seemiller. Rey is one of the
few players in the U.S. with world-class shots, and I know The Chief puts out all the time.
Both would be a credit to the U.S. Team, along with Danny and Rick Seemiller. Too bad they
are getting old. If Ricky had Dannys confidence he would have been just as good a player as
Danny. Ricky really needs a coach, someone he believes in and can listen to between games.
The coaching I saw for the U.S. sometimes sounded like a sandlot football huddlefour
different opinions all at once.
I dont know how good the U.S. coach [Houshang? Ai Liguo?] was, but it sure
didnt appear that anyone on the team listened to him about the game. [See photo of Scott
listening to Ai Liguo (Vol. X, p. 528)]. It appears to me that a fellow would have to be really a
super coach in order to coach the U.S. Team.Why not let Danny be the playing coach? [He
is, of course. Has the respect of all the players.]
I would rather see Tim Boggans way paid for by the USTTA so I could read articles
about the Championships in TTT, than to see coaches sent the way they are now. As a matter
10

of fact, I would rather see Tims way paid than to have a fifth man on the Team. Unless the #3,
#4, and #5 men are of equal ability, the fifth man will surely not be used when the Team is
playing in the First Division in Tokyo in 1983.
The whole Team should thank Dick Yamaoka of the Tamasu Co. for all the information he gave them on the Hong Kong Team. Without this information, the Team would have
been hard-pressed to beat Hong Kong.
Steinles comments brought forth another point of viewfrom U.S. Team member
Eric Boggan (TTT, Nov., 1981, 6), at the time undefeated while playing #1 for Angby in the
Swedish League where his mentor/coach Nisse Sandberg says, Eric has been a very intense,
very good team player for me. Heres Erics response to Bills self-described novices
thoughts about the U.S. Team:
To the Editor:
I disagree with just about everything Bill Steinle said about the U.S. Team at the World
Championships.
Bill said, I may be wrong, but I feel the U.S. Team thinks that Singles are primary. I
dont think any of us on the Mens Team felt that way. We all realized that we wouldnt be
going very far in the Singles. But in the Teams we knew we had to get into the First Division
for 1983. Otherwise, the earliest we could make it would be 1985four years away. We all
felt confident about our chances of going up.
Then Bill told us that someone said, The reason Eric is playing so badly is that hes
subconsciously building up for the Singles. I didnt have the best record on the Team, but I had
the second best record. I dont think I played so bad at all. I felt I won some very important
matches for the Team. The ninth against Wales, for instance. Or the ones in that very important
tie against Rumaniain both of which I was down 1-0 and rallied to win. And in the final
playoff against Hong Kong that would tell us if we would be going up into the Championship
Division or staying down, I came through. I won two from Hong Kong and I was a strong
supporter for Danny and Ricky when I wasnt playing. No way was I even thinking about the
Singles where my draw was Maehara, Kim Wan, and Desmond Douglas. I was thinking about
the Singles? That was really a sick thought. Who said that?
I think
most of us
the players
anyway, and
probably most
of the officials
and entouragetreated
our head
waiter very
nicely. Sure,
there was a
complaint or
two. Where
wouldnt there Eric Boggan on his way to beating Hong Kongs Vong Iu Veng at the Novi Sad Worlds.
11

be? Once one of our group objected to a waiter, said, I was here first and my food gets served
last. But all the players chipped in and got the head waiter a birthday present, then invited him
to a party for the U.S. Team and always said Thanks or little things like that when he was
serving us.
Some food we just couldnt eat. What looked like one thing to us on the menu turned
out to be something else. Would Bill have rather had us been polite, not said anything about it,
not have eaten, and then played worse? We wanted to eat and told Houshang our food problems. He said to the waiter, Our boys cant eat this. They replaced the food and we usually
ate what they brought. Was that being so nasty?
Bill mentions Scott Butler, said the bad environment he found himself in might change him. But he
doesnt mention the fact that Scott Butler was wearing
the same sweat-suit as the rest of the Team, which wasnt
right. The players went through a lot to make the Team
and deserve consideration and respect. Can anybody with
the U.S. contingent suit up and impersonate a U.S.
player?
In his match against the Netherlands Scott
Boggan was cheated violently. He looped a ball from the
middle of the table and hit the Netherlands players
corner edge. The officials said, Side. They were obviously dazed from sitting down all day. (I once even saw
an umpire talking to another umpire while a point was in
Scott Butler
play.) If you loop or hit a ball from the middle of the
Photo by Mal Anderson
table, it can only hit the edge, not the sidea monkey
could figure that out. Scott appealed to the player and, led by Houshang, we appealed to the
Netherlands coach to give us the point. He just shook his head and waved his hand back and
forth. Scott was naturally upset, even stunned, and lost a number of points in a row. After that
the game seemed out of reach.
Having George Brathwaite and Rey Domingo on the
Team wouldnt have helped. They are good players but too soft.
The worlds finest players would spin them off the table. George
and Rey would throw up floaters, lobs, and chops. You dont
beat excellent powerful players that way. Bill, as you yourself
said, youre a novice player, have been playing only a couple of
years, and dont know much about tactics to be telling us about
them. [Comments like this wont endear Bill to Eric.]
Also, we arent China and dont have six coaches. We have one
coach for the Mens Team who has the respect of every member
on the Team. [Scotts respect too?]
Yes, things can get hairy with only one coach. But
Houshang concentrates on every point and on the opposing
player. He knows our games well and knows a lot more than
most people think he knows. Hes been to so many World
U.S. Team Captain/Coach
Championships.
Houshang Bozorgzadeh
12

You said you would rather see Tim Boggans expenses paid for instead of sending our
usual coach or a fifth man to the 1983 Worlds. Thats absolutely ridiculousto send in place
of a coach or a player a man who writes Topics so YOU can read about the tournament.
Imagine how the fifth player on the Team would feel if, after the tryouts, someone would say to
him, Im sorry, but youre not going to the Worlds. Were sending Tim Boggan to write about it
for Topics. That player would strangle the guy who said that. And what if this player were Sean
ONeill or another young player with a future? He could learn so much from a trip like this.
But the topper came, Bill, when you said that
Dick Yamaoka was the major reason for us
beating the Hong Kong Team. Dick Yamaoka is a
very nice man. He reminded me of little things
like, Keep your serves short or Think of your
backhand as an offensive shot and dont be afraid
to use it. But in that important Hong Kong match
it was Danny who told me the most important
things. He knew how Vong played from a training
camp a few years back. He said, Vong always
expects the ball back in the same spot from
Danny Seemiller
Dick Yamaoka
practicing drills that way so much. So try not to
put the ball back in the same spot after he loops
or hits the ball. I took Dannys advice to heart. I made sure not to put the ball in the same
spot. I hit one to his forehand, one to his backhand, then one to his backhand, one to his
forehand, tried to mix him up. When I played this match the score of the tie was 3-1. When I
won, deuce in the third, that broke open the tie at 4-1. Apparently, Bill, you couldnt see how
we ourselves were responsible for this winhow fired up our Team was, what perfect styles
we had to play these anti-sided Hong Kong men, and how, finally, we were just better players.
ERIC BOGGAN
Vallingby, Sweden
As Ive showed, Jack Carr quotes from the Minutes: that Scott Boggan be placed on
probation for one year, and that he play on no other U.S. Teams abroad except in the World
Championships. Passed 5-3-0. I myself believe some USTTA officials are excessively punitive-minded against Scott, and to a lesser degree against me. Were too independent-minded,
too free-spirited. Of course I know whats coming, and so I think the differences Ive been
describing in this History between the Boggans and some of those in power in the Association,
including its Executive Director, are germane to actions well see in future volumes.
Im going to close this chapter with excerpts from Mike Bushs unusual write-up of the
Swiss Open (TTT, July-Aug., 1981, 10) which is sure to give readers pause for thought.
From what Sol Schiff told me, once at the Worlds and twice over the vast gap
between continents by telephone, it was certain that, yes, the Swiss Association President and
General Secretary had guaranteed the U.S. Team, Scott Boggan and me, entry and full hospitality (hotel and food) in the Swiss International Open Championships held in Zurich the
weekend after the World Championships. [Something wrong here. Was Mike lying? Was Sol
lying? Was Sol authorizing Scotts entry into the Swiss Open contrary to E.C. authorization?]
13

Scott and I believed Sol all three times. (And, indeed, U.S. Team Manager John Read
had corroborated Sols understanding of this guarantee at the Worlds.) But when Scott and I
arrived in ZurichScott, exhausted after a number of rides, trains and buses, and I, after a
monotonous 24-hour train ride from Novi Sadthe Swiss organizers said they had no idea
who we were, knew nothing of us being entered in the tournament, and, with a gesticulation of
the hand, nothing of us getting hospitality. [Which meant what? That Sol did not have such a
guarantee, but said he did? Or that the Swiss President did not pursue the understanding that
he had with Sol with Swiss Open officials?]
Of course Mike, though
unable to make contact with the Swiss
President, protested, protested, protestedreally forced Swiss Open
officials to finally offer to put them
into Mens doubles. But no singles. No
team. No hotel. No food. It was the
best they could do. After Mike threatened to go to the newspapers, they
could get a free hotel room, but no
food. Scott said, No way, and left.
[Im sure Scott thought Sols assurUSTTA President
ances were at the very least suspect.
Sol Schiff
Perhaps if Sol indeed had an agreement
From First Seoul Open
Program
Mike seems to be holding his with the Swiss President he realized
nose with regard to his Swiss later that he had no authority to give
Scott permission to play another tournament abroad, and so,
experience.
without telling Bush, didnt follow up as he should have? Perhaps
the Swiss President didnt follow up as he should have? Whatever the truth, Scott had to be
disappointed and angered by his pointless trip to Zurich.]
Mike again protestedbut, no, the President could still not be reached. And, furthermore, said the Swiss officials, weve had enough problems and annoyance from you people.
Youre no longer welcome in this hall. Go home! Get out! Mike finally left.
Thereafter, there were no more Bush articles submitted to Topics on world-class play
that many readers had enjoyed, and no mention of Mike and Scott playing in tournaments in
Germany or anywhere else. PerhapsI dont knowthis was because Gus Kennedy had
announced in his October column that, If you intend to travel abroad to play in any tournaments [and how many USTTA members would do that?], where you are not accompanied by a
USTTA official, you will need a letter of introduction. This is so the foreign association knows
you are a USTTA member in good standing. If Scott cant play abroad, that probably prevents Mike from finding a U.S. Teammate, so hes handicapped too and may well have decided
it wasnt worthwhile to travel to a tournament hed otherwise go to. Two U.S. World Team
members already in Europe, making t.t. their means of livelihood, being prevented from
representing the U.S. in a controversial 5-3-0 decision (4-4 tie the motions defeated), by a
single vote from an E.C. member. It seems to me stupid, unjust, especially considering the
circumstances involved in the charges against Scott.

14

Chapter Two
1981: Jan.-Feb. Tournaments Prior to the Taiwan Teams Tour of the U.S. 1981: Tims
Westfield Club Interview with Polish Tennis Star Wojtek Fibak.
After the Peoples Republic of Chinas sweep of the World Championships at Novi
Sad, weve every reason to believe theyll continue to maintain their strength. Meanwhile, Im
going to play catch-up with U.S. tournaments, and in the processin fact, in the very next
chaptershow you, er, some different Chinese, from the Republic of China, competing as
welcomed goodwill ambassadors to our country.
First, however, Tom Wintrich (TTT, Apr., 1981, 13) takes us to South Lake Tahoe:
Possessing a promoters viewpoint, I immediately saw the dream:
majestic Sierra Nevada resort towns welcome Americas top players to big
money tournament. Fringe benefits abound, including high-rise hotels,
casinos, show lounges, fine restaurants, 14 separate ski areas, sister cities
blanketed in white, and, among the many tourists, 150 ping-pongers ready
and eager to compete.
Nothing wrong with that dream, and I look forward to the day when it
materializes because Ive yet to see a better tournament site. But for 1981,
the South Lake Tahoe Winter Invitational would draw but half the projected participants and
be limited to $1,200 prize money. It was an emotional and financial disappointment for promoter Hal Reynolds, who had fallen victim to the great expectations syndrome (as so many of
us have), but who nevertheless was responsible for producing an excellent two-star regional
tournament with a strong field of 2200-plus players.
Tom has mostly good things to say about the Tahoe recreational-complex venue. The
gym provided excellent lighting, a sure-traction floor, and ten new Crown tables (though space
would not permit barriered-off courts). Tournament Director Peter Antkowiak and Control
Desk Manager Harold Kopper also win Toms praise, as does Antkowiaks hard-working wife,
affectionately nicknamed Sha Na Na. She ran the concession stand and, at tournaments
end, produced a magnum of Korbel champagne along with cheers to anyone who could get a
drinking cup in front of it. Additional thanks , says Tom, go to Ed Hu, and to another local,
Bob Hoffman, who provided me with hospitality, and to Shonie Aki of Berkeley.
Results: Open Singles: San Franciscos Henry Low ($400) in succession over Dean Doyle
(17, 10, -17, -22, 5), Dean Wong (15, 17,
11), and lefty penholder Chalk Wu (12, 17,
13). Low clearly showed that the big
shot-makers dont necessarily fare well
against someone with solid table control
based on steady blocking off both wings,
and who also has the ability to spin or
crack in a winner at the right moment.
Womens: three-time National Champion
Patty Martinez (helloresort play brought
Henry Low
Martinez...later
her back to tournament competition?) over Patty
Photo by Tom Wintrich
Photo by Mal Anderson
15

11-year-old sensation Lan Vuong. Open Doubles: Doyle/Quang

Bui over Low/Wu, 19 in the 4th. Over 40s: Bernie Bukiet, 61, over
Aki. Youth: Low over Doyle whod advanced by Wong, 14, -20,
17. U-15s: Khoa Nguyen over Lan.
Under 2000s: Bob Mandel over Jim Vu. U-3700
Doubles: Doyle/Nadine Prather over Bob Partridge/Tim
Aquino. U-1800s: David Chun over chopper Shahram Amidi,
19 in the 5th. U-1600s: Wayne Lo over Benny Wong, deuce in
the 5th. U-1400s: Hoffman over Stevan Rodriguez whod
eliminated Cleo Clark, 19 in the 3rd. U-1200s: Bill Holland over
Dan Lim. Hard Rubber: Doyle over Kopper whod escaped Mas
Hashimoto, deuce in the 3rd.
In reporting on the Jan. 10th North Omaha Boys Club
Bernie Bukiet with
Open (TTT, Mar., 1981, 14), Tom Walsh tells us that the Omaha
Melba Martin, his
players have a non-profit organization thats barely able to
first-place prize.
survive, for they have no sponsors, and are not only faced with
rising costs, but must suffer the cold indifference of the media.
So the provision of a gym by the Boys Club, the major efforts of its Director Ike Snell, as well
as other Boys Club employees contributions, and the support of the players and spectators
were much appreciated.
Hoping to get more juniors interested, Tom says he held the tournament in a predominately black district where we expected a large junior turnout, but were disappointed because
only a few Boys Club members entered. However, the 38 entries, including a number of our
regular local players, did allow us to run many of the events round robin, so at least there was
plenty of action for everyone.
Results: Championship Singles Round Robin Matches: Roland Rittmaster over Mark
Kennedy, 18 in the fifth. Mark had been having an uninspired season (his rating was under
2000 for the first time in years), but hed been encouraged with his wins over Ben Nisbet and
Mike Baber at Caesars U.S. Team Trials. Although hed been practicing regularly with National Intercollegiate Champ Todd Petersen, Mark wasnt at all sharp against Kansas Citys
improving junior Rittmaster. Rolands third-ball kill game nullified Marks generally softer
offensive spins and Mark missed too many bullet kills.
But then in another important matchsurprisethough in the last few years weve
become accustomed to Todds somehow driving Mark back from his secure inner-table game
in the last moments of every tournament to take the match, this time it was different. Mark
wanted to win, the more so after his loss to Rittmaster, so he coughed up all the bones out of
his throat, and went at Todd determindedly.Refusing to allow himself the luxury of picture
kills from 20 feet back, he stayed at the table, looping and hitting. And when he hit Todds
body with a kill, there was a red welt that gleamed. Result: another crowd pleaser, another
five-gamermatch to Kennedy.
Arlen Zimmer had made the final round robin, but once there couldnt win a game. So
that meant undefeated Rittmaster could win the eventIF he upset Petersen. But against Todd
it turned out he had no chanceand the 2-1 three-way tie that followed was broken by games
won and lost: 1. Petersen (5-3). 2. Kennedy (5-5) 3. Rittmaster (3-5).
Other results: As (U-1800): Zimmer over Rod Cowles whod had to go five to get by
Steve Finney. A Doubles: Todd/LeRoy Petersen over Kennedy/Pat Chastain. Bs (U-1650):
16

Cowles over Dan Bonderer. B Doubles: Don Taylor/Chastain over Bonderer/Finney. Novice:
Gary Zdan over local tennis pro Richard Pruch. Hard Bat: Kennedy over T. Petersen. U-17:
Steve Kirby over Tom Fassett. U-15: Kirby over Lover Joyce. Junior Doubles: Joyce/Cornell
Beck over Kirby/Glenn Taylor, -21, 16, 19. U-13: Mario Branch over Dustin Risch. U-11:
Risch over El Lamona Hozkins, -18, 21, 21.
We learn from Ron Schull that 18-year-old Peter Bjurman,
playing out of Sidney, Ohio, was way too good for other Open Singles
entries at the Jan. 10 Columbus Winter Open.. The tall, trim Swede
plays only at tournaments. He has no one to practice with during the
week. The quiet and very personable exchange student will return to
Sweden after the 1980-81 school-year. He has a big backhand loop
and kill, and a solid backhand counter, accented with fluid footwork.
Runner-up in the Open event was Dave Strang who defeated Charlie
Gayler, 19, -19, 19, 17. Gayler took 3rd Place over Rod Mount.
Ron Schull
Other Results: Womens: Dixie
Faust over Barb Stuart, 19 in the 3rd. Open Doubles:
Bjurman/Mount over Gayler/Jim Repasy.. As: Repasy over
Don Story in five, then over Charlie Buckley whod eliminated Mount, 17 in the 5th. Bs: Gayler and Dwight Mitchell
didnt play the final, split the prize money, after Mitchell had
escaped Glen Marhefka in five. B Doubles: Gayler/Schull
over Ron DeMent/Bob Kondash. Cs: Mitchell over Jerry
Denno, 17 in the 5th. Ds: Denno over Chris Williams whod
eliminated Steve Miller, 10, -19, 21, 19. Es: Scott Maddox
over Wayne Beard. Novice: Gene Nasierowski over Bill
Dave Strang
Trivett. Esquires: DeMent over Aaron Edwards. Seniors:
DeMent over Kondash. U-21: Bjurman over Maddox. U-15:
Maddox over Phyllis Trivett.
Winners in the Jan. 24th Atlanta Winter Open: Championship Singles: Larry Thoman
over Jim McQueen in five, then over Scott Leamon. Interesting match:
Thomas Nunes over Erle Davis, 18 in the 5th. Womens: Rita Thomas
over Mary Giles and Debbie Upchurch. Doubles: Mickey Huff/Herb
Beckham over McQueen/Pete May. As:
George Cooper over Mark Gibson. Bs:
Jurgen Meinecke over Larry Bartley, 20,
-19, 17, then over Jim Upchurch. Cs:
Henry Hogan over Brian Kruger. Novice:
Hogan over Robert Brown. Seniors:
Davis over Beckham.
Bard Brenner reports that the
biggest upset at the Jan. 10-11 City of
Miami Open, held at Newgys Table
Tennis Center, was that of proprietor
Joe Newgarden himself who in the
Seniors downed legendary Hall of Famer
Joe Newgarden:
Thomas Nunes
Laszlo Bellak Results: Championship
has his own dress code.
From @ALLTEL.Us
17

Singles (RR): 1. Elman Concepcion, 2-1 (7-5)d. Hoyes,-13, 14, 16, -11, 12; d. Garcia. 2.
Newly arrived Russian migr Alex Gombay, 2-1 (7-6)d. Concepcion, -15, 19, 8, 16; d.
Hoyes, 17, -15, 21, -17, 18. 3. John Shaun Hoyes, 1-2d. Garcia. 4. Roberto Garcia, 1-2d.
Gombay, 18, -19, 19, 18. Quarters: Concepcion d. Steve Federico, 18, -19, 18, 19; Gomberg
d. Marty Prager, 12, 18, -22, 16; Hoyes d. Joe Sokoloff, -20, 20, -20, 20, 13; Garcia d. Bellak,
18, 12, 10. Womens: 1. Judy Tun. 2. Linda Chong. 3. Nadine Yuen. Championship Doubles:
1. Garcia/Sokoloff. 2. Jerry Thrasher/Brian Miezejewski. 3. Prager/Hoyes. 4. Bellak/Lenny
Bass.
Winners at the Jan. 10th Westfield Open: Open
Singles: Rey Domingo over Mike Bush in five. As:
Marcy Monasterial (what happpened to Marcys job in
Africa?) over Don Peters. Marcy, old-time hustler that
he is, still plays with a paddle he bought in 1944. If I
had another paddle, Id have a hard time coping, he
said. But not nowthough hes got arthritic knees
and last year was diagnosed with diabetes. So, if you
pity him, be careful. Other good matches: Monasterial
over M-L Shum, -15, 19, 19; and Peters over Francisco Hall, 23-21 in the 3rd. Bs: Mike Kuklakis over
Eliezer Shadmi. Cs: Chris Lehman over Mike Heisler.
Mike Kuklakis
Ds: Richard Lewis over Melvin Maxwell. Es: Ray
Gabb over Jason Moi. Fs: Stephen Rue over J. Chan
whod escaped Moi, 20, -13, 20. Gs: C. Jones, 22, -20, 16, over Mamouh Soliman, advancer
over Chan, 24-22 in the 3rd. Unrated: Michael Henry over M. Basson. Seniors: Peter Holder
over Tim Boggan. U-17: Heisler over Moi.
Thanks to the continued help of Dan Dickel, Colin
Mallows, George Chranewycz, Bob Barns, Ron Herman, and
Harry Stern among others, the Westfield, N.J. Club holds
regularly scheduled monthly tournaments. Ill describe the
Open event that took place in the Feb. 7-8 Lincoln Open at
Westfield in a moment, but first the other Results: Women:
Shazzi Felstein over Flora Ng. Open Doubles: Eric Boggan/
Rey Domingo over Alex Tam/Dave Sakai. Esquires: Tim
Boggan over Mike Lieberman.
Seniors: George Brathwaite over
Peter Holder. U-17: Fulap Lee
(from down 2-0) over Julian
Millan, -14, -18, 18, 20, 16. U-15:
Harry Stern
Photo by Mal Anderson
Jason Moi over Jasmine Wang. U13: Wang over Billy Lipton.
Other Results: As: John Sisti over Barry Dattel whod just
slipped by Jeff Steif, deuce in the 3rd. A Doubles: Harvey Gutman/
John Fisher over Sisti/Brian Eisner. Bs: Bob Holland over Stephen
Yeh. Cs: T. Smith over Peter Dunn, 18 in the 3rd. C Doubles: Sal
Kaufmann/Tim Spengler over Ng/Lee, 19 in the 3rd. Ds: Nick
Maffei over John Jarema whod knocked out Ira Summer, 19 in the
Jasmine Wang
18

3rd. Es: Anthony Cox over H.Y. Tsang. Fs: Anthony Lambert over Alan Steif. Unrated: A.
Gittelman over V. Gomez.
The Open Singles at this Lincoln tournament was won by Eric Boggan, who, though
hed not been practicing for much of January because of a fractured finger hed suffered in a
playful New Years Day bout with brother Scott, was snapping his game more into shape with
every passing match.
Extending Eric, whos
Ben Nisbet
recently joined a Long
Photo by Don Gunn
Island health club and has
taken to lifting weights,
forcing him into a heavy
five-game quarters match,
was Bostons Ben Nisbet.
Ben, having just this winter
finished high school, was en
route to Pittsburgh (where it
may be, come fall, hell go
to or at least enroll in
college). Preparatory to next
weeks Lehigh Valley Open
in Bethlehem, PA Ben
planned to practice with
Randy Seemiller (brothers
Danny and Ricky having
gone one off to the Western
Japan Open).
Down 2-1 to Nisbet,
Boggan often looked like he still had his whole playing arm in what a second-opinion doctor,
throwing up his hands in horror, had termed an absurd cast for such a small fracture. Thus in
the fifth, if Ben had not tried to lift some impossible, up-from-under-the-table forehands, the
outcome might have been different. Still, not a bad showing for Nisbet who (2164) always
seems to me to be underrated.
In another quarters match, Rey Domingo downed Ali Oveissi, while Alis attractive,
sensible wife, Chris, kept close track of figuresat least, notebook in hand, thats what I think
she was cheerfully doingso many forehands hit in or missed, so many backhands challenged
when the serve was placed precisely here, or there. Ali himself, however, on losing three
straight, was not so cheerfulhis practice situation in the Washington, D.C. area, he said, was
very bad.
Dave Sakaiwasnt he often practicing down there? If not his table tennis, his backgammon, his bridge (My play of the hands pretty good, I just dont know how to bid).
Daves stay-at-the-table hand-play was pretty good at Westfield too. In the quarters, he didnt
go down docilely to George The Chief Brathwaite, kept steadying himself with self-encouragement. So, though, Womens Singles winner Shazzi Felstein might off-court have urged him
to move his outer-board checkers a little faster, here at this table, by slowly, patiently moving
George in and out, he rallied to win the third and fourth games. In the fifth, however, The
Chief came out aggressively, got an early lead and held it to win the match.
19

In the last and perhaps most interesting

quarters, Alex Tam, making a rare tournament
appearance, and Pandit Dean put on an exciting
display of contrasting styleswith Alex finally
blocking down looper-limbed Pandit, 28-26 in the
fourth.
Against Boggan in the semis, the midthirtyish, heavy-smoking Tam, who may have the
best penholder backhand of anyone in the country,
showed flashes of his once world-class form. But
after splitting the first two games at 19, he could
not keep Eric from scoring clusters of points
perhaps the more so because he never once toweled-off in an effort to stop Erics momentum.
Maybe in the future Alexs at least local play will be
continuous? Surely the more pleasant yet seriousminded professionals like Tam in our tournaments,
the better.
Alex Tam
In the other semis, Domingo won two
close games to down arch-rival Brathwaite three
straight. George was unbelievably unlucky. Said one spectator counting up Reys end-game
nets and edges, Whats that? Five straight? No, said his friend. Seven straight.
In the final, Eric had a relatively easy (14, 18, 16) time with Rey, his friend and doubles
partner.
Next stop: Bethlehem.
After which Eric will fly to Germany, then, as we saw in the last volume, join Mike
Bush to play in the Polish Open. After that, its back to Germany for extensive training, and,
according to his letters home, more discomfortuntil a month or so later hed be off to Novi
Sad for the Worlds.
Tims Westfield Club Interview with Wojtek Fibak
Its 1981 and Wojtek Fibak is one of the worlds best tennis players. In 1980, after
reaching the quarters at Wimbledon, the U.S. and French Opens, he was ranked World #10 by
Tennis Magazine. Originally from Poland, Wojtek (pronounced Voytek) now lives with his
wife Eva and their two daughters, Agnes, 5, and Pauline, 2, in a secluded baronial mansion in
Greenwich, CT. Although he didnt come to professional tennis until he was 23 years old, he is
now, at the age of 28, Polands only officially recognized professional athlete. Other wellknown Polish athletes are what Fibak calls fiction amateursthat is, though they profess to
be employed somewhere and may actually draw a paycheck, their real and only job is to work
hard all day at whatever sport theyre trying to master.
Of course Wojtek, with his law degree picked up somewhere almost casually along the
way, makes an intelligent and sophisticated spokesman and goodwill ambassador for Poland.
For one thing, he spiritually shows his roots by his love of Polish art (the famous paintings in
his Greenwich home may well represent the finest private collection of its kind in this or any
other country). For another, he displays a willingness from time to time to gather up some of
his friends from the Tour and help stage exhibitions, clinics, and tournaments in his homeland.
20

What, you may well ask, is tennis

star Fibaks connection with table tennis?
Well, he has a cousin, 20-year-old Rafal
Kolasinski, who just recently came from
Wojteks home town Posner, to visit Wojtek
for a whileand it turns out that Rafal is a
table tennis player who wants to see what
the state of the sport is in this country. What
better way for Fibak to help him than by
finding two local players privy to the action,
Eric and me, and inviting them to his home
to hit some with Rafal in the downstairs
table tennis room, and to get to know them.
After that, curious, and eager to give moral
support to Rafal who wants to play competitively, he takes him to the first tournament
possiblewhich happens to be the Feb. 7-8
one at the Westfield Club, generally recognized
Wojtek Fibak
as the best, almost the only club in the area.
Wojtek is himself something of a
table tennis player (for the first 16 years of his life he played five times as much table tennis as
tennis)indeed, since he prides himself (Borg not withstanding) as being the best table tennis
player of the tennis pros, he smiled and signed autographs at Westfield. In fact, he even went
so far as to purchase from that $22,500 hed won in Philadelphia the week before a $2.00
USTTA playing permit. Then, pulling out of his bag what, in his basement, hed been calling a
normal racket (blade with 1940 drug store pips), he agreed to partner me in A Doubles, in
what needless to say was his one and only match of the tournament. After which, and after
having spent most of the morning and afternoon observing Rafal and Eric and me and all the
others play, he kindly consented to give us his upfront thoughts about the sport:
TIM: Well, Wojtek, you look like youve seen enough. You look like you want to say
something to me even before I ask you a question.
WOJTEK: Yes, I must tell you. You work
Tim Boggan
very hard. You play a lot. I admire you. Youre not
Photo by
tired. Not too upset, though you just lost. You play
Fred Grobee
non-stop. You have a devotion to the sport. You get
much satisfaction out of it. You take it professionally.
Its therefore sad for me to have to tell you that
theres nothing professional about table tennisnot
from what I see here.
TIM: What do you mean?
WOJTEK: Well, obviously, if this is one of
the better clubs in the country, as you told me earlier,
no table tennis player can devote his life to the sport. Theres no dressing room. The walls are
not painted and theyre peeling. The floor is dirty. A gas station looks better than this. There
seems to be no hygienic requirement here.
21

TIM: Oh, cmon, Wojtek, its bad, but its not that bad, is it? Youre spoiled from
tennis.
WOJTEK: Yes, maybe so. For sad as the state of table tennis must be to you and
Ericand maybe youre so close to it you cant see how bad it is*I feel very, very fortunate
that, thanks to the 45,000,000 people playing my sport, tennis has become widely recognized
all over the world.
TIM: But table tennis, too, is recognized all over the world.
WOJTEK: Yes, Im sure in many places it is very popular. And yet this country, the
U.S., has more to offer than any other. Why then in table tennis is it so far behind?
TIM: You really feel the American people would want to come to see the good players?
WOJTEK: Of course. If you had a decent place to stage the matches, Im sure people
would pay $5 a ticket to see Seemiller, or Boggan, or Domingo, or Brathwaite play. Maybe in
one evening youd get 2,000-3,000 spectators.
TIM: You mean, theyd justcome?
WOJTEK: Well, naturally it would require a promoter with connectionsone who
loves the game. But people would come to watch champions.
TIM: You sound pretty optimistic nowwhereas a few minutes ago, you were very
negative.
WOJTEK: You must somehow be your own worst enemies. I cant believe the sport
isnt taking off. Sure, the conditions I see today are bad. But there are nice people herethe
ones who are running the tournament, the players. Young and old. Theres an atmosphere of
good sportsmanship. Oh, there are a few words and shouts now and thenbut there are no
arguments, no bad calls, no cheating. Surely if this club is typical the sport is just waiting for
its chance. It came for tennis, and it will come for table tennis. There are differences in the two
sports though that I never noticed until today.
TIM: Like what?
WOJTEK: Well, physical ability is more important in tennis. A guy like you who blocks
well over the table could never survive. You cant move. People would run you down. When
you have to run for an hour and a half, the guy whos stronger and faster is going to beat the
guy whos better with his hands.
TIM: Then Im in the right sport?
WOJTEK: There are other differences too. Theres more luck in table tennis. You can
lose a game by making one mistake, one missed shot, or lose it on a net. In tennis you get
another chance. Also, I always thought tennis was a nervous game, but table tennis is so
delicate, the touch so important, that its even more trying on your nerves.
TIM: What really taxes the professional players patience is that the sport doesnt catch
on.
WOJTEK: Yes, I know how much frustration you must feel. Perhaps in some small
way, I can help. After all, table tennis is the closest thing to my sport tennis, and its a shame
that Eric cant make a living at what he does so well. Eric is a lot like John McEnroein his
talent, his intensity. Ive spoken to John (like Eric he also lives on Long Island) and he knew
about Eric and Danny Seemiller, and perhaps he and I and maybe another pro or two could
lend our name to give publicity to a tournamentmaybe a $10,000 Invitational event, with
time set aside for pro-am matches. Maybe I could help get sponsorship for such a tournament
and you could run it.
22

TIM: Well, of course that would be great, Wojtek. In fact, I cant think of any better
endingor beginningto our little match-interrupted interview here than that. I know, as
always, youve a very busy schedule coming up.that youll soon be off to Europe. But I
know, too, that I speak not only for Eric and myself but for all the players you see here and the
many more all over the country who would greatly appreciate any help you could give us. In
the meantime, good luck to you and Rafel, and thank you very much for the interview.
WOJTEK: Thank you, Tim.
[Rafal later played in tournaments not at Westfield but in several other parts of the
country. However, despite the de rigueur niceties that ended the Fibek interview, neither I nor
to my knowledge anyone else tried to get Wojtek involved in table tennis, and I never heard
from him again.]
SELECTED NOTES.
*In 2004, the New York Times carried a May Day
interview with Ann Kuklakis Alvarez, a member of the
Westfield, NJ table tennis club. Much of the interview by Fran
Schumer stressed not Anns prowess as the best Over 60
woman player in the U.S. but the Westfield Club itself. Here,
sharing Fibeks point of view, is part of their conversation:
One flight up and across from the train station on
North Street West, the club is famous for its lack of amenities.
Its embarrassing, it really is, Mrs. Alvarez said with affection. Once they finished most of the floor and moved the
tables in, the work stopped and they started playing. For years
Ann Alvarez
and years, they never did anything else.
Still, for $24,625 less than it would cost you to join a golf clubannual fees are just
$375 a year for adults; $130 for juniorsyou get access to eight state-of-the-art Stiga-brand
tables, lumpy couches, plastic benches left over from when the room was a bowling alley, and
bathrooms. And what bathroomsthe womens, a mix of broken tile, fake flowers, and
somebodys discarded chandelier, is not the kind you would see at Expo.
Does appearance alone explain the lopsided ratio of male to female player (203 to 17)?
We had a lively discussion of why there were no more women, one player wrote in an
e-mail message. Among the explanations offered: The place is a pigsty; Women arent
aggressive or competitive enough to stick it out; There arent enough girl-feeder programs;
and The guys arent good-looking enough.
Whatever the reason, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. First, theres the bond
among people who share a common sport, especially if that sport is out of the
mainstreamAnd second, because it attracts players from so many countries, barriers of race
and ethnicity fall.

23

Chapter Three
1981: Taiwan Team Plays Matches in the U.S. 1980-81 Swedish/American Exchange
ProgramJimmy Butler to Sweden. 1981: Remaining Feb. Tournaments.
Reports of a Taiwan Team Tour of the U.S. begin on the cover of TTT, Apr., 1981.
Three articles detail the Teams visits to San Francisco, CA (Feb. 12), Miami, FL (Feb. 22),
and Corona, CA, Feb. 27. Results of a U.S.-Taiwan tie played in Columbia, MD (Feb. 18),
shown in that same issue of TTT (18), Ill also incorporate into this coverage.
Heres Tim Lee to start us off:
It seemed like yesterday when the Taiwanese toured the U.S. (Nov.-Dec.), hut here
they were again. Not the National Team this time, but a corporate team sponsored by the
Retired Servicemen Engineering Agency (RSEA). Again the purpose of the group was to
promote goodwill.
This RSEA team was not supposed to be as good as the Taiwan National Team, but
that Team had killed us, and later on their Tour had defeated some of our top U.S. players.
Prominent among this new Taiwan contingent were Group Leader Tsu-Wang; Secretary Tzun
Fon-Yun; Coach Chen Chiang-Fa; Womens Captain Ou Yang Hsiu-Lin; and Mens Captain
Chang Chiang-Tsang.
The Taiwan Womens Team beat our local U.S. Women, 5-0, but both Diana
and Lisa Gee were recovering from being sick, were afraid to risk a relapse, and so
didnt play. However, our local Mens Team avenged that loss with a 5-2 win over their
Taiwan opponents.
First, the Womens results:
1st Match: Kuo Hsiao-Mei d. Cindy Miller quite easily. Coach Jeff Mason said Cindy
didnt have too much of a warm up and was cold, and that she was using her backhand too
much and her forehand not enough.
2nd Match: Taiwans Lin Mei-Lin straight-game stopped Thu Yen-Tan, an immigrant
from Vietnam via France (there long enough to become the #2 Junior Womens player). All the
Taiwanese were penholders and played a spin/hit game, whereas all our women were
shakehanders and generally not aggressive enough. Compared to Lin, Thu was slow of foot,
her shots not powerful enough.
3rd Match: Chang Hsiu-Yu, Taiwans #1 and the only returning player from the Fall
Tour, looked impatient but beat Tina Smilkstein two straight.
4th Match: Womens Captain Ou Yang Hsiu-Lin d. Cindy Miller, 2-0, though Cindy
played brilliantly.
5th Match: Wang Su-Chao d. Miller, 2-1.
Now the Mens results:
1st Match: Dean Doyle over Vang Pukung, 2-0.
2nd Match: Henry Low, playing up closeto-the-table, d. Peng Jiang-Chung, 2-1.
3rd Match: Lefty penholder Chalk Wu,
who plays with three-year-old Friendship rubber
Chalk Wu
and an ultra-fast Double Happiness blade, d.
Photo by Tim Lee
24

Hung Tsung Nien. Even though his rubber is very old, Chalk (pronounced Jack) can still
get a lot of spin and speed from it, for his fast racket makes up for any loss of speed due to the
rubber. Chalk won the first, but in the second was down 13-717-13. Hungs serves were
giving Chalk problems, but he rallied, and up 19-18 he started high-tossing his serves and
going for it. At 20-19 he served, then loop-killed down the line to take the match.
4th Match: Erwin Hom over Chen Jiann Li, 19, 20. Homs
serves were a key factor. Last week hed been practicing them
and third-ball follows in preparation for the Intercollegiate
Regionals in San Diego and his practice paid off.
5th Match: A clear favorite, Taiwan Captain Chang ChiangTsang d. (Im game) U.S. Team Captain Masaaki Tajima, 2-0.
6th Match: Hung Tsung Nien, though down 1-0 and 20-17 to
Doyle, came back to win. Up triple match point, Dean looped
off, hit off, and fell victim to Hungs furious rally climaxed by a
loop-kill that tied up the game. Up 22-21, Dean was forced away
from the table and after lobbing, lobbing, lobbing, hit off. 21-all.
Finally, Hung won it, 25-23. In the third, down 15-13, Hung got
six in a row and broke open the game.
7th Match: Low d. Vang, 2-0finishing him off with two powerful backhand kills.
The RSEA Team plays like the National Team in that they use a
long backswing and follow through. But unlike their counterparts,
Erwin Hom
they are inconsistent. Their serves and serve returns are not so
Photo by Mal Anderson
good either.
At the conclusion of the matches, The Taiwanese Team reciprocatedthis time took
our players out to dinner. Of course wed like to thank the whole contingent not only for the
dinner, but for their goodwill, and their good play.
At Columbia, MD, Taiwan defeated
the U.S. 5-4. Specific results are as follows:
1st Match: Brian Masters d. P.K. Vang, -22,
14, 14.
2nd Match: Masters d. J.L. Chen, 14, 18, 16.
3rd Match: T.N. Hung d. Dave Sakai,
18, 18.
4th Match: Sakai d. Mens Captain C.T.
Chang, 22, 17.
5th Match: Hung d. Igor Fraiman, 12,
Brian Masters
18.
th
Photo by
6 Match: J.C. Peng d. Fraiman, 19, Mal Anderson
17, 18.
7th Match: H.M. Kuo d. Donna
Newell, 16, -14, 21. [Exhibition play?]
8th match: H.Y. Chang d. Yvonne Kronlage, 8, -18, 10.
9th Match: Masters/Sakai d. Hung/Peng, -14, 18, 20. [Surely an Exhibition Match?]
25

Bard Brenner picks up the Taiwanese in Miami, immediately tells us

more about them:
Three officials, five women players, and five men players made up
the Taiwan RSEA Team. Three of the women, Chang Hsiu-Yu, Kuo HsiaoMei, and Lin Mei-Lin, and one of the men, Hung Tsung-Nien, are also
members of the Republic of China (ROC) Team. The coach of the ROC
Team, Chou Lin-Chen, General Secretary of the Taipei TTA, was also traveling with this
RSEA group that had made Newgys its Florida exhibition stop. Chou had formerly toured
with Richard Bergmann when theyd played shows with the Harlem Globetrotters. Rounding
out the traveling party was Mr. Paul Cheng-Tzu Mao of the ROCs Coordination Council for
North American Affairs, whose office is in San Francisco.
In getting used to the conditions at Newgys, the Taiwanese obligingly hit some with
Newgy regulars including Bard himself who was honored to play with the #1 Mens Team member
Hung Tsung-Men, the sole lefthander in this all-penholder group. During one short practice
session, Bard said, I was treated to a number of goodiesa block-chop kill of a loop, double
motion serves, backhand penholder loop, and an extended-arm forehand smash that one major
newspaper would say exploded like a laser beam. Practice was followed by Baskin Robbins (these
Taiwanese were all ice cream freaks) and rest for Saturdays sightseeing activities.
On Saturday, after a
photo session at Joe
Newgardens Nationwide
Studios, off everyone went to
see Miami Beachs luxury
homes, hotels, and the ocean.
Following a Chinese lunch,
there was more sightseeinga
trip through Coconut Grove, a
stop at the Parrot Jungle where
the birds did a show for the
visitors, and then on to the
beaches of Key Biscayne where
we got caught in the Superstars
traffic jam on the way back.
Players representing the Republic of China and the U.S.
That evening the Taiwanese
pose before playing a Friendship Match.
wanted steak, then after dinner
they were taken to the Carni-Gras at the University of Miami. Everybody was too tired,
though, for a jai-alai stop.
Next morning, the Team was up at 5:30 to leave for the John Pennekamp Coral Reef
underwater park and swimming. On the way back they sampled bar-bee-qued chicken and key
lime pie. Finally, it was time for the big Sunday 7:00 p,m, Matchand the one-table court at
Newgys had been all prepared. There was an umpires chair for Herbie Aronson, special
sections for VIPs and the press, and spectator seats ringing the table. Thanks to Marty
Pragers promotion and Bob Gordons media efforts, the show would be seen by hundreds in
person and then millions through the media. Newspaper photographers arrived even before the
start of the event.
26

The teams marched in, were introduced, and exchanged gifts. The Taiwanese received tee-shirts with surprisetheir pictures on them from host Joe Newgarden, and an
Honorary Native Proclamation from Mayor Clarks office for having seen Miami like a
native. Then play began.
1st Match: a smiling confident Lin Mei-Lin won in straight games over a nervous,
out-of-practice Nancy Newgarden-Putnam, and as a result Lin had her picture in Mondays
Miami Herald.
2nd Match: an equally out-of-practice Peter Pradit lost two-zip to Peng Jiang-Chung.
But Pradit and Peng both made ABC Television when Channel 10 came by and filmed part of
their match. Later, CBS News (Channel 4) showed up.
3rd Matchthe match of the eveningin which Chang Hsiu-Yu beat Judy Tun, deuce
in the third. A tense match, relieved by Laszlo Bellaks follow-up exhibition.
4th Match: Hung Tsung-Nien, keeping the blitz alive, with an easy win over Jerry
Thrasher. Consolation prize for Jerry: a quarter-page picture of himself in the next days
Miami News.
5th Match: Hung/Peng two straight over Thrasher/Pradit.
6th Match: Kuo Hsiao-Mei in straight games over an ailing Linda Chong.
The door prizewhod that go to? Ironically, someone who never played ping-pong
in his life.
Then, as Mary McIlwain reports, the Taiwanese were back in California to conclude
their U.S. Tour (from which it was said theyd go on to play Matches in Honolulu and Tokyo).
At the Corona Club before a crowd of over
300 enthusiastic fans, the Taiwan Team faced a
Southern California All-Star Team under the sponsorship of Harvard Sports, Inc., the Corona Parks and
Recreation Dept., and the Corona TTC. Corona
Mayor Dave Felix and Parks Director Ken Redlin
greeted both teams. Mayor Felix then presented each
participant with a Corona Proclamation that made them honorary
citizens of Corona. First Class Team Coordinator Peter Antkowiak did
U.S. honors, offering handsome engraved plaques and top quality
hand-screened T-shirts made in the USA. Taiwan presented richlyengraved medals. Our U.S. Womens team was Captained by Mary
McIlwain. Our Mens Team by Ichiro Hash Hashimoto (who, if
Peter Antkowiak
needed, had two relief players in Joe Poon and Jerry Fleischhacker).
First, the Womens play (umpired by Charles Childers): Taiwan
d. the U.S. 5-3. (after being down 3-0):
1st Match: Lan Vuong, 11, upset Taiwans H.M. Kuo, 15, 16.
2nd Match: Jamie Medvene, with much improved footwork and all around play, d.
S.C. Wang, -14, 15, 23. [Exhibition play?]
3rd Match: Chin Yur Wu, playing for the U.S. but formerly #2 in Taiwan, won another
(exhibition?) thriller for us over M.L. Lin, [1980?] National Girls Champion of Taiwan, 17, 18, 25.
4th Match: Taiwans 1981 National Girls Singles, Womens Singles, and Mixed Doubles
winner H.U. Chang d. Angie Sistrunk whod driven up from San Diego to play and coach.
27

5th Match: Kuo and Lin Mei-Lin d. Vuong and 16-year-old Hanna Butler, 17 in the
third. Californians would like to see these two girls practice under a doubles coach. The
combination of a penholder righty with a lefty shakehander, plus the way they serve and hit,
could eventually make then great contenders.
6th Match: H.L. Ou Yang d. Butler, 10, 13.
7th Match: Lin d. Medvene, -18, 16, 15.
8th Match: Wang d. Wu, 19, 18.
Now the Mens play (umpired by Harold Kopper): Taiwan beat the U.S. 8-4:
1st Match: Captain Chang Chiang-Tsang d. Dennis Barish, former U.S. Junior Champion coming out of retirement, -19, 17, 17.
2nd Match: Vang Pu-kung d. Mas Hashimoto, 12, 10.
3rd Match: Hung Tsung Nien d. colorful sportsman Jeff Stewart, 17, 16.
4th Match: Incredible Craig
Craig Manoogian
Manoogian brought down the house
Photo by
Barry Margolius
with a crowd-pleasing two-straight win
over Peng Jiang-Chung.
5th Match: Stewart/Mike Carr d.
Hung/Peng, -19, 19, 8.
6th Match: Mas Hashimoto d.
Chang, -13, 18, 17.
7th Match: Hung d. Manoogian,
2-1.
8th Match: Chen Jiann Li d. Amin
Jaffer, 7, 19.
9th Match: Vang d. Barish, 19, 18.
10th Match: Someone d. Stewart, -20, 10, 20.
11th Match: Mas Hashimoto d. Chang, -13, 18, 17.
12th Match: Someone d. Manoogian, -19, 10, 14.
(Exhibition Match: Hung d. San
Diegos Tony Koyama.)
Peter Antkowiak worked endless
hours to make this event a class
presentation.He made a huge Welcome
sign, and he and his wife Chana picked up
the Taiwanese Team in L.A. and treated
both teams to dinner at the Sizzler followed by a trip to Tyler Mall and then back
Tony
to the matches. The day before the matches
Koyama
Peter almost lost a toe and was in great
pain through all of this. BRAVO, Peter,
bravo, for a job well done!
Swedish/American Exchange Program
Just as Chinese players in groups are now visiting the U.S., preceding an ever-increasing flow of individual Chinese stars wanting to become U.S. citizens in the 30 years thatll
follow, so more and more U.S. players have been traveling abroad to improve their play and
28

learn about other cultures. Shortly, as well see, Sweden will be a second home for Eric
Boggan. Meanwhile, heres Sue Butler (TTT, Sept., 1980, 4) to tell us about the Swedish/
American Exchange Program she and Angby Club founder Nisse Sandberg have organized:
Two years have passed since Scott Butler started the Swedish/American exchange
program. Scott and Sean ONeill have been to Sweden twice. John Stillions, Brandon Olson,
Ben Nisbet, Cheryl Dadian, Bob Russell, and Dean Doyle have been or are going soon. We
have had from one to three Swedish players here for every American visiting Sweden. At the
1980 U.S. Open, 29 Swedish players were entered, many as a result of the direct-exchange
program.
American players in Sweden enjoy not only the comradeship and hospitality of a host
family for five-six weeks, but compete in tournaments every weekend (average size like the
U.S. Open) and practice and train with a Swedish club during the week. Since all Swedish
table tennis players compete for and through clubs, American players do the same while in
Sweden. John Smith from New York competes as John Smith from the Angby Club, etc. This
provides the visitor with a special incentive to play at a top level and gives him/her a built-in
cheering section.
Room and board is provided free by the host family. Travel, tournament-related expenses while in Sweden, and of course spending money are to be supplied by the player. Even
when these expenses are totaled, the advantages of foreign travel, excellent training and
facilities, and the abundance of top competition far outweigh the cost.
Scott Butler Interviews Brother Jimmy (TTT, Apr., 1981, 16)
Scott: How does it feel to be the U.S. [U-11] Champion? Different from before?
Jimmy: It feels good, but I dont feel differentjust the same. I dont even think
about it.
Scott: What is your training routine?
Jimmy: Lots of stroke and pattern practice, footwork drills, and drills that make me
move a lot. Before big tournaments I train and practice and also run a lot. After the U.S.
Closed and in January, I dont work out as much.
Scott: How do you feel about training?
Jimmy: Some stuff I likeswimming, playing games, running. I dont like drill and
stroke practice.
Scott: Do you practice strokes and drills anyway? And, if so, why?
Jimmy: Yes, because I know it helps me improve, and my dad makes me.
Scott: Do large tournaments put extra pressure on you?
Jimmy: No, I feel the same in all tournaments. I like competition. The larger tournaments have more good players. I dont really like easy matches. Its no fun!
Scott: You join Eric Boggan, Ricky Seemiller, and others who have older brothers that
are top players. How does that feel?
Jimmy: The good things are: 1. I have a top practice partnerI wouldnt like the
sport as much otherwise because there wouldnt be someone who loves it like I do to play
with, since my friends dont know anything about table tennis. 2. If you are always practicing
with someone better than you are, you will improve. 3. It also teaches you how to lose! The
bad things: 1. You lose ALL THE TIME! 2. My dad (coach) is much more critical of me and
my strokes and not Scott. 3. Sometimes I think Scott gets more attention and press, but then
29

hes older and has had more experience. I dont feel pressure to be as good as Scott. I think
Im as good or better than he was at my age. I like that.
Scott: Today you go to Sweden. How do you feel?
Jimmy: Excited! I have been for about two months. Before, it was far off and I didnt
think about it.
Scott: What do you expect in Sweden?
Jimmy: I really like the idea of prizes instead of trophies. I hope I can win some.
Scott: Because of your great birthday, you can play in the U-9 division. Do you feel
nervous knowing youre competing for a club (Angby) and trying to win points for the club?
Jimmy: No, I want to win for them, but
I dont feel pressure.
Scott: How about playing people youve
never seen before?
Jimmy: I must study their styles and
watch carefully. I must play hard and change
my play when needed.
Scott: Youve never been to a foreign
country (besides Canada). What do you expect?
Jimmy: I want to see the countryside. I
want to taste the food and see the customs of
the people. Im interested in the games they
play. Im going to school with Daniel
Frejhammar and Im looking forward to that.
Scott: What about missing six weeks of
U.S. school? Will that cause problems?
Jimmy: Not really. My teacher gave me
work to do. I have math and reading to work
on. Im writing a report on Sweden for my
Jimmy Butler
class and others when I return home.
Scott: What do you think your biggest
problem is with table tennis?
Jimmy: Temper, keeping my head.
Scott: What do you plan to do about it?
Jimmy: Its hard to keep your head in a really big match. Also, if Im tired, its hard. If
I think I should win and Im not winning, that bugs me. Im working on it and probably will
always have to.
Scott: What is the strength of your game?
Jimmy: Forehand kill, I like to attack. I dont like to push, unless I have to. I like to
go for the big shot even if the game is close.
Scott: What other sports do you enjoy?
Jimmy: Basketball, snow and water skiing, fishing.
Scott: What are your goals?
Jimmy: Several. Travel. I like to be in the paper and on TV. I like to see my picture in
public and be known for something special. I guess that means I want to be really goodthe
best!
30

Remaining February Tournaments

Results of the Feb. 28th Seattle Open: Open
Singles: Quang Bui over Peter Joe. Open Doubles: Bui/
Dave Talcott over Alan Michael/Rob Roberts, deuce in the
3rd. Womens: Parello Smith over Sym Gallucci. Mixed
Doubles: Bui/Smith over Leslie Ehn/Brenda Hendrickson.
Seniors: Joe Chen over Eric Calveley. College: Rick
Livermore over Bob Rinde. U-18 Boys: Johann Persson
over Wong Ly. U-18 Girls: Liana Panesko over Olga
Ziduliak. U-14: Sonny Chew over Panesko.
AAs: Chen over Calveley. AA Doubles:
Roberts/Talcott over Calveley/Ehn. As: Vic
Walsh over Rinde, deuce in the 3rd, then
over Talcott. Bs: Tore Fredrickson over
Jim Wolf whod stopped Dave Krauss, 2-1.
B Doubles: Kim Goldschmidt/Yu over
Quang Bui
Harry Ma/Peter Wong, 18 in the 3rd. Cs (64
Photo by
Mal Anderson
entries): Ma over Mike Grooms. C Doubles:
Ma/P. Wong over P.Y. Wong/Simon Ng.
Womens Cs: Panesko over Polly Ma.
Novice (64 entries): Paul Lee over Ng.
Novice Doubles: Chew/Karol Ziduliak over P. Wong/Jew, 19, 20. A Consolation:
Karol
Ziduliak
M. Dubois Hall over Krauss. B Consolation: Danny Carbo over Rey Pollydore. C
Consolation: Jerry Stephens over John Reyes.
Gloria Quiat Jones (TTT, Apr.,
1981, 13), in giving us the winners of
the Arizona Open, played Feb. 14-15 in
Phoenix, offers bountiful thanks to a
number of helpful people: Harold Kopper (Referee),
John Harrington (outlandish sense of humor), Mark
Jaffe, Bill Baker, Clark Tatum, and Dean Doyle (a
true champion). Winners: Open Singles: Doyle over
John Merkel. Open Doubles: Merkel/Max

Dean Doyle
Photo by Mal Anderson

McCallister over Doyle/Kenig. Womens:

Thomasina Burke (1588) spent Valentines
Day handily winning the Region 15 Intercollegiate Championship held in Salt
Lake City, and Kim Gilbert (1492), a

Kim Gilbert
Photo by Mal Anderson

31

brilliant young player, fractured her thumb. That left the way clear for Nadine Prather (1574)
to win the Womens over Pam Jaffe (1328). Womens Doubles: Prather/Jaffe over Jones/
Gould. Mixed Doubles: Doyle/Prather over Mark/Pam Jaffe.
U-2000: Scott Preiss over Frank McCann, Jr., 25, 21, then over Tim McCann whod
eliminated Robert Compton, 25-23 in the 3rd. U-1850: Preiss over T. McCann. U-3600
Doubles: Roger Baldner/Jerry Fleischhacker over Jay Jett/Tony Martin. U-1700: Bill Burke
over J. Dillon, -18, 20, 20, then over Wesley Kam. U-1550: Baldner over Bob Groenig. U3200 Doubles: Burke/John Gee over Compton/Alvarez. U-1400: Ferdinand Trinidad over J.
Pond. U-1250: R. El Wailly over F. Guttierrez (from down 2-0). U-1100: El Wailly over D.
Hallstone. Senior Esquires: Sy Kenig over Carl Weinberger. Esquires: Mac Horn over Kenig,
-22, 12, 19, 18. Seniors: Kopper over W. Livingston, 17, 20, 21. Senior Doubles: Gene
Wilson/Richard Badger over Ted Pacyna/Baldner. U-17: Gilbert over Dan Bryan. U-15: Bryan
over Audrey Ryberg.
Those receiving valentines, as it were, at the Feb. 14th Oklahoma City Closed: Open
Singles: Russell Finley over Brian Thomas. Open Doubles: Thomas/Trent LeForce over Finley/
Alan Stacy. As: Chin-Chang Hwang over LeForce in five. A Doubles: Stacy/Jay Herod over
Percy Harvey/Wally Collins. Bs: Richie Crawford over Faramarz Tabesh. Cs: Crawford over
Peter Luna. Ds: Jerry Smith over Collins, -15, 22, 18, then over Todd Attalia. Es: Mike Chan
over Bobbie Jones. Fs: Paulette Echohawk over Allen Cornelius. Gs: Boyd Roby over Todd
Sills. Hs: Al Litchenburg over David Freeman. Consolation: Kent Langston over Rick Dehne.
U-15: Herod over Attalia. U-13: Mike Chan over David Johndrow, 19 in the 4th. U-13 Consolation: Roby over Franz Bazar.U-12: Jones over Tom Rahling
Winners at the Ohio Open, held Feb. 21st in Dayton: Open Singles:
Randy Seemiller over Simon Shtofmacher, 19, 12, -20, 18.
Womens: Donna Newell over Dixie Foust. Open Doubles:
Seemiller/Steve Lowry over Brian Bartes/Foster whod knocked out
Bob Cordell/Jim Repasy in five. As: Faan Yeen Liu and Mike Kim,
whod survived Pat Cox, 19 in the 5th, didnt play the final, split the
prize money. Bs: Cordell over Newell. Cs: Zeke Kulhanek over Sid
Stansel whod advanced, 19 in the 3rd, over Gary Briggs. Doubles II:
Kulhanek/Bob Suter over John Dichiaro/Steve Miller. Ds: Saeed
Shamania over Tim Robbins. Es: Shamania over Ron Arcaro, after
Ron had -19, 23, 21 sneaked by Michael Hugh-Sam. Seniors: Suter
over Dichiaro. U-17: Bartes over Hari Mallik. U-15: Bartes over
Harold Holzer. U-13: Greg Margolis over John Kinch.
This year, over Valentines Day weekend, Dan, Patti, and Pam
Bob Cordell
Simon, with the help of their friends, particularly Dave and Donna
Photo by Christian Muller
Ferrey, ran the best Bethlehem, PA Lehigh Valley Open ever. No
more Saturday play into the wee hours of the morning, and on
Sunday the final match of the evening was ready to go off by 7:00 oclock.
How did the Simons avoid that terrible 12-table time pressure they were under last
year? By dropping the lowest of the lower-rated events. Which explains why entries were
down from 298 to 235. The casual players just couldnt find their level of competition here.
Hey, protested one who saw no point in entering, I thought this tournament was supposed
to promote table tennis! But of course as the only established annual tournament in the East
of any stature$2,000 in prize money here (imagine, only one such tournament a year!)
32

thats exactly what it was doing. But those who stayed away couldnt see it, couldnt understand, or care, really, that if you have no tournaments for your best players (a tournament in
which, mgod, an U-1400 player not only plays right along with the best players in the country
but has his own event), you have no sport at all. Have nothing that anyone serious could take
seriously. For Dan Simon, for me, for others whove worked hard
for the sport, to hear that unthinking remark, to be forced to recognize that after all these years thats the way even well-meaning
people still think, or rather dont thinkwell, to those who still
hope, its depressing.
Of course the tournament went along
quite well without its 1000-rated players.
This was due primarily to the additional help
of some of Professor Simons Data Processing students here at the Northampton Community College and the volunteer assistance
of Dr. Mitch Silbert who, much to the
Dan Simon
amusement of Pam Simon, kept calling the
Control Desk the Operational Table. Every single Singles match in
the Open was played, two at a time, on feature tables until the later
rounds when every match was singled out for attention.
Dr. Mitch Silbert
So well did everything go, in fact, that on Sunday Mitch (whod Photo by Mal Anderson
earlier pleasantly surprised the Control Desk staff with his magi-like
gift of assorted nuts and fruit) was able to run an unscheduled but very popular round robin
Esquire event, while Nirvai Dosi thoughtfully did the same for the Consolation kids.
The seedings and placings in the 50-entry Open apparently couldnt have been more
fairly programmed, for in the first four rounds there were only six matches in all that werent
quickly over with. The most exciting of these occurred in the 2/3 second round when Pandit
Dean beat me, 22-20 in the 3rd after Id caught up from 20-17 triple-match-point down; and
George Cameron finally got through Sam Balamoun, 26, -20, 19 in the third.
All the quarters matches (like all the eighths) were won three straight. Randy Seemiller,
whose parents and sister were here rooting for him, as if he were Danny and maybe gonna win this
tournament, struggled some with Russian immigrants Igor Fraiman and Simon Shtofmahker before
falling to Eric Boggan. Only in their third game did Randy remind us of some of the close matches
hes played Eric in the past. He had an ad and the serve, but Boggan placed a perfect passing return
down the forehand line to tie it up. Then, ad down, Seemiller served off.
Brian Masters had no trouble with Lim Ming Chui, perhaps because recently Ming while
swimming had hurt three fingers on his playing handhad jammed them into the side of the pool.
I dont want to make that an excuse, he said with an excusing little smile. But Brian kept serving
to my backhand and it hurt when I pushed or tried to hit my own backhand in.
Earlier, Mingd had no difficulty eliminating Scott Butler, U-21 winner, whod flown in
from Iowa and was staying at the Simons with Barry Margolius and me.
Want me to get you so you cant move? Scott said to me at breakfast prior to our
Sunday morning matches.
Ive got trouble enough moving now, I said. You tryin to end my table tennis career?
Oh, cmon, he said. It wont hurt. Here, put your hands flat out on the table, then
one over the other, like this.
33

O.K., O.K., I thoughtit was but a little cross to bear.

Whereupon Scott quickly put down a heavy glass of orange juice atop my fingers, then
jokingly took his hand away, leaving the glass precariously balanced there.
See, I told you, he said. You cant dare move.
He was rightunless I wanted to make a mess, I was helpless.
Whered you learn that? I asked him.
At the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Camp, he said.
On Sunday, just before Jerry Thrasher was to play and lose to George Brathwaite,
somebody stole Jerrys racket. Gee, he said, I went through about eight rackets before I
finally found that oneI really liked it. This, coupled with the fact that The Chief had
clearly made up his mind to keep the ball short and so try to frustrate vicious super-looper
Jerry the more, prevented the match from being close.
Against Dave Sakai, whod beaten him two weeks earlier at the Bean Pot Open in
Boston, Rey Domingo was relentless. When Dave couldnt keep the ball short on these fast
tables, Rey, who was following the ball beautifully and moving into position to attack better
that Ive ever seen him do, was just too topspin powerful.
Meanwhile, if the Open matches had thus far been rather dull, there was always the 62entry (Under 2200) As to talk about. It had its early-round excitement too, as witness Jeff
Pedicinis marathon 19, -19, 27 win over Dave Ferrey.
Advancing to the semis were New Jerseys John Sisti, whod won the As in Westfield
the week before, and Bill Sharpe, Sam Balamoun, and Enoch Green, three long-time Philadelphia players who, having no club now, were playingwhere?
Turns out that Enoch had recently been visiting and practicing with Ron Lilly in the
Washington D.C. area, that Sam had sometimes gone over to play with Parviz Mojaverian at
the Philadelphia Pharmaceutical College he was going to, and that Bill, who is mostly into
tennis now, along with Enoch (and a few other Philly players) had been going occasionally to
some Playworld place on Frankford Ave. where, amidst the pinball machines and the moveable
indoor miniature golf course, maybe four dead t.t. tables with broken-down nets could be set
up in the dimmest lighting imaginable at a charge of $1 per person per night.
Listen, said one Philly player, these poor conditions help. I mean, if you can play
here, you can play anywhere.
So its always been, huh? And
perhaps always will bewith
city after city having no decent
club or place to play. Evening
Magazine called, said another
Philly player. Maybe one of
these nights were gonna get
TV coverage. At this place?
Pathetic.
Both of the junk players,
Bill and Enoch, reached the A
final. Bill, who was -17, 19, 14
pressed by John Allen, uses a
big thick balsa wood racket
with 007 on the backhand (but
Enoch Green
Bill Sharpe
34

no sponge base) and Black Power on the forehandand naturally, like most two-sided players, hes a flipper. Enoch uses 008 Phantom (with a sponge base) on his backhand and 1.5
Tackiness on his forehand for chopping. Or, since he too flips his racket cleverly, he can also
very effectively flat-hit his forehand with the Phantomas in fact he did against Pandit Dean,
then Balamoun, then in the final Sharpe, whom he beat three straight
Greens toughest match was against another garbage player, Haig Raky, back in the
second round. Enoch has a disconcerting, half-turned-away-from-his-opponent serve, so that
his body position is something like the to-the-side one Im in when I hit in, or used to hit in,
my no look forehand. Is it legal? somebody wanted to know. Answer: Yes, even though
his opponent cant see the ball go up, its legal so long as the umpire can see the ball. Since
Enoch changes table ends during the match and the umpire remains stationary (so sees the ball
clearly one game, doesnt see it another), Enochs request for another umpire to sit opposite
the one already in the court will invariably be granted. Or so, after a few beers, Manny
Moskowitz, Chair of the Referee/Umpire Committee, was saying.
As you can imagine, then, there were opponents who complained not about Enoch and
Bill, who have always been recognized as good sportsmen, but about their rackets. Moaned
one victim, I run, I work hard, but I cant begin to handle their spin. Nobody plays with such
a racket in my area. What ambition do I have to continue? But said another, Hey, look, you
have to be a damn good player to play this game with anythingwith even a frying pan or a
garbage can. Instead of running or working out so much (how easy that is, really, if youre in
good shape), maybe you should make up a combination racket and find a playing partner
wholl take turns using the thing with you until you both understand how to play against it.
Pretty good advice, eh?
The (Under 2000) Bs likewise
Judy Tun
went to a junk player, Judy Tun,
Photo by
winner also of the 18-entry Womens
Brian
Miezejewski
Singles when she just -19, 23, 17 got by
Ai-ju Wu, then received a default over
Linda Chong whod suffered a shoulder
injury. Judy, a former member of the Thai
National Team, trained in China in 73,
76, and 79. She had a -23, 19, 19
squeaker against Ron Snyder in the
quarters, then downed Rafel Kolasinski,
tennis star Wojtek Fibaks cousin, in the
semis, and John Fisher in the final.
The 20-year-old Kolasinski, who
plays table tennis in a weekly league in
Poland and draws a factory paycheck to prove it, in his spare time plays the piano and composes. On losing to Ms. Tun, he said apologetically, I cant play against a woman.
Fisher also had a very close call in the quartershe just got by Howie Bush, deuce in
the third. John found Judys racket very difficult to handle, particularly when she served. She
uses Black Power on her forehand and Feint (with no sponge base) on her backhand that she
puts onto 2 mm spongelike the Chinese make their rackets someone said. John, who was
being coached by his friend Rey Domingo, hung in there from 19-14 down in the third, ran
seven straight, before succumbing in the fourth. Its very nice to get a game, he said. Im
35

having a good time. At least I got to the 2000 final. Not bad for an 1887-rated player. Where
did all the good guys go?
Before continuing on with the semis and final of the Open, Ill give you the results of
other events: Cs: Jeff Young over Jordan Michelson, 19, -19, 19 (theres getting to be an
accepted convention across the country that for many a game lost one just records the score
21-19?). Ds: Dan Walk over Morris Jackson, then over Ahmet Kaya, both 2-1. Es: Mark
Vrabel over Billy Lipton who barely eked out a win over John Wetzler, 24-22 in the third. Fs:
Randy Gross over Bruce Fureman, -20, 17, 20. Esquires: Bob Brickell over Mort Zakarin.
Seniors: George Brathwaite over Bill Sharpe. U-21: Scott Butler over Jeff Pedicini. U-17:
Mike Walk over Kiet Loi. U-15: Ai-ju Wu over D. Walk. U-13: Jasmine Wang over Lipton.
Youth U-12: Ty
Hoff over Rajiv
Dosi. Twenty
years later, Ty
will have won a
number of U.S.
Open/Closed
Hardbat Singles
and Doubles
events.
The Under
3600 Doubles
went to local
player Dai Tran
who teamed
Ty Hoff in his youth
with Thanh
Khac Tran, both Vietnamese but no family relation. Dai once spent a couple of months in a
Viet Cong brainwashing camp where on passing the requisite Communist reorientation tests he
promptly decided to try to get the hell out of Vietnam. Boarded a bus going into Thailand
where, as guards with machine guns went suspiciously down the aisle, he pretended to read a
local Thai paper. They brushed his paper they came so close to himbut they didnt see, any
more than he did, that the paper he was reading was upside down.
By 4:30 Sunday afternoon the Open Doubles was finishedBoggan and Domingo had
beaten Sakai and Masters in fourand now Eric and Brian were ready to begin the first of
the semis matches. As expected, Masters lost the first, and then, down 17-9 in the second, he
just gave up, began fooling around, chopping balls, flinging in a shot here and there, so that,
strange strategy, Boggan, disinterested, gave up too until, amazing, the score was deuce.
Brian, trying now, missed a high-ball kill that cost him the pointthe gameand, without any
further lapse of concentration on Erics part, the match.
The Brathwaite-Domingo semis was very nearly a replay of their match the week
before in New Jersey. George analyzed that hed lost at Westfield primarily because he was
having trouble returning Reys short serve to his forehandfor in pushing the ball back to
Reys backhand he couldnt stop him from spinning in follow after follow. So when during the
week after his loss he had occasion to read His En-tings advice that if you have to push, be
sure you push long to the middle to cut down the angle of your opponents attack, he thought
hed give it a try.
36

In theory
then it was
clear to The
Chief that
Rey Domingo
Domingo was
singularly
prepared for
any initial
push to his
backhand,
and that once
he got that
fast spin in he
would be able
to hold his
forehand
advantage,
would follow
it up with
another and
another until
the odds were hed win the point. As it happened, the match was very close. At 19-all in the
second, Brathwaite had missed trying to sock in
a high ball and had lost a big swing game. Now
he was down 2-1 with the score tied at 19-all. So
what did George do? He unconsciously reverted
to pushing Domingos serve back to his backEric Boggan
hand and Rey with astonishing quickness took a
chance, got around his forehand and angled in a
spin shot that whipped untouched down the line. Eventually then Domingo won this deciding
game at deuce.
So quickly had the Sunday matches been run off that at 6:45 only the Open final
remained to be played. Although it had originally been announced in the local paper to start at
8:00 p.m., and then, when the time gap became apparent, to start at 7:30, the match really
couldnt be delayed much past 7:00 oclock, for though players wanted to see it, they also
wanted to start for home. So Simon took the plunge and got it going, hoping paradoxically,
and of course being somewhat reassured by past experience, that few if any strangers from the
local community would suddenly appear to see it.
In the first game, Domingo was aggressively on the move and Eric sluggish. In the
second, it was just the reverse (though at the end Eric, leading 20-9, got wild and careless and
Rey brought it to 20-18). In the third, Eric again seemed slow, especially moving for net balls,
but he won the game comfortably, often catching Rey with a backhand thrust to the middle
after hed drawn him in by shortening the bounce of the ball with his anti. But in the fourth
game Erics drops became too predictable and on these fast tables not so effective. Domingo,
moving beautifully, was seemingly out of the point, then attackingly back in. Why, I wondered,
George Brathwaite

Photo by Barry Margolius

37

was Rey not playing all-out aggressively against Eric? He couldnt resist the applause his
spectacular returns earned? But up 17-10 I guess he knew what he was doing. Only right then
Eric started one of his rallieshad it broken at 18-16 with a very big net for Domingo, then
just fell short at 19.
At the beginning of the fifth, Eric failed to return three of Reys serves. Then, at fourall, he had a ball skid on him. I thought this was supposed to be a good table, he said loudly.
Nopeno point penalty rule. It is! shouted a voice from the crowd. Then, failing to put
away any one of a number of lobs, and missing another high ball, Boggan again fell behind, 106and with more ineffectual drops, 16-12. Suddenly, though, as hes done so often in the
past, Eric in a rush rallied to 17-all. Then, getting the serve, went ahead 20-18. At which point
he served and followed for the matchan easy follow but he missed it. And in a moment
Domingo had tied it up20-20 in the fifth.
But again Eric got the next to last point he needed, and nowI wonder if at this
moment any off-the-street spectator suddenly walked in. Youd almost have to say it was
worth his trip! Eric and Rey played the most exciting point of the tournament or perhaps even
the season: each taking turns at being the predominant attacker, each repeatedly refusing to
give up the exchange, Eric showing excellent footwork almost for the first time in the match,
each snapping the ball at the other, and each again moving from out of position, backhand,
forehand, back into position, threatening with every motion to make an immediate end of the
pointuntil finally Boggan barely prevailed.
Throwing up his arms heavenward, he jumped, ran, leapt over the barriers, danced his
way back to Domingo, shook hands, circled round, and as the crowd gave both players a long
ovation, again raised his arms in victory.
Later Domingo was to say, I had a chance to kill a backhand that last point, but the
racket slipped a little in my hand and I couldnt do it.
As for Eric, though this was the third time hed won this Championship, Id never seen
him more excitednot even when he won the Nationals. Would that here or abroad hed keep
that spirit, that enthusiasm for the game, for life, always.

38

Chapter Four
1981: March Tournaments.
Mona Miller reports (TTT, Sept., 1981, 21) on the first (Mar. 7-8) Open held at the
new Sacramento club. Mona says that, considering the $1200 rent on their building, the
survival of the clubwith six tournament tables and four practice tablesis dependent on its
monthly members, nightly dues, and once-a-month tournaments. The club has a lot going for
it: a large upstairs spectator section which offers an excellent view of the players yet keeps
spectators out of the way of the players; office space; and a pin-ball/TV room for whoever
wants to relax outside the table area. Available for periodic viewing: both a four-hour video
tape of the 1979 World Championships, and the San Francisco Team Matches with the Taiwanese whod visited in February.
Results: Khoa
Nguyen over
Erwin Hom,
then over
Masaaki
Tajima, both
in five. Open
Doubles:
Khoa
Nguyen/
Cindy Miller
Trong
Photo by Mal Anderson
Nguyen over
Hom/Ed Hu.
Jeff Mason
Photo by Mal Anderson
Womens: three-time National Champion
Patty Martinez over Cindy Miller. Mixed
Doubles: Hu/Martinez over Jeff Mason/Miller. As: Nguyen over David Chun in five. Semis:
Nguyen over Kurt Jensen, 18 in the 3rd; Chun over Mike Greene, deuce in the 3rd. Bs: Nghia
Tran over Grant Connell. A/B Doubles: Jensen/Jim Bjornsson over Hu/Holabird. Cs: Connell
over George Kwong. Ds: David Chu over A. Sanada. C/D Doubles: Horan/Tim Aquino over
Leung/P. Lau. Es: H. Li over Lau. Fs: Lau over J. Yung. Gs: Chris Holton over D. Cornwell.
Seniors: Tran over Harry Nelson. U-17: Chu over Chun. U-13: Damon Woodward over
Aaron Cherkas.
Yim Gee, in his Sept. Junior of the Month article (21), gives us the following background on Khoa Nguyen who, as weve just seen, was a triple winner in this Sacramento
Open:
Khoa Nguyen is one of the most unknown, under-rated junior players in the country.
Hes 14-years old, an immigrant from Vietnam. A ninth-grader at Santa Clara, CA High
School, he started playing table tennis at age nine. His playing experience is limited by lack of
sponsorship. He wants to play in the U.S. Open and in Canada and abroad, but hes unable to
do so because of a limited family budget. Khoas one of seven children in the family. He has
had no formal training to speak of, is coached mainly by his father, and practices with his
39

brothers.Yet he is among the top four players in Northern

Khoa
California behind Henry Low, Dean Wong, and Chalk Wu, and
Nguyen
is currently the U.S. U-15 Doubles Champion (with Brandon
Photo by
Don Gunn
Olson)..
At 410 and 96 pounds, Khoa looks small but is a
master looper. He spins the ball with authority and cleverly
moves his opponent around with deadly ball placements.
Mental toughness is his greatest strength. He is calm under
pressure and always has that shy and satisfying boyish smile no
matter whether he has just lost a close match or won a big one.
He looks as if hes saying, Ive done my best. With players
like Khoa who needs the point penalty system.
At school Khoa plays other sports such as football,
soccer, baseball. However, table tennis is his game of choice
because, he says, Its easy. A player of natural talent, he
practices four days during the week at home (one to two hours
each day) and plays matches on weekends at San Jose State
University. His usual practice routine includes forehand loops,
service, short ball, backhand hit/block, and footwork. His favorite players are Tibor Klampar
and Guo Yuehua
When I asked him what his goal was, Khoa responded quickly with that same shy
boyish smile, To be the U.S., then the World Champion! As an immigrant, Khoa, you know
this is the land of opportunities. I sure hope your dreams come true.
Harold Kopper (TTT, Set., 1981, 18) tells us that Montclair, CAs first tournament of
the year, its Mar. 7-8 Winter Open, turned out to be the biggest (104 entries) and best (24
players rated over 2000) ever held. The Club thanks Tournament Chairmen Kopper and Tom
Anderson and those who helped them: Ralph Muramoto, Chris Marble, Jeff Ellis, Tom
Johnson, Abe Abramowitz, Y.C. Lee, and Wiley Butler. Also assisting were Steve Krell and
Steve Shapiro who did much of the umpiring; Peter Antkowiak who provided various tournament materials; and Mary McIlwain who handled the tournaments Publicity.
Results: Open Singles: Craig Manoogian over Rick Guillen. Two fine players whod
been inactive lately returned to play. Dennis Barish was beaten by Phil Moon; and Dean
Galardi was stopped by Jerry Fleischhacker. Open Doubles: Manoogian/Fleischhacker over
Mike Baltaxe/Mas Hashimoto, 19 in the 3rd, then over Tony Koyama/Gary Hranek. Seniors:
Mike Blaustein over Y.C. Lee, -10, 21, -19, 13, 17. Juniors: Stevan Rodriguez over H. Butler.
AAs: Koyama over Bernie Bukiet (from down 2-0), 18 in the 5th. As: Mike Carr over
Charles Childers, 16 in the 5th. Bs: Joe Poon over D. Francis, deuce in the 4th. Semis: Poon
over Jose Marin, 20, 23; Francis over Leon Ruderman, -18, 18, 19. U-3700 Doubles: Childers/
Jamie Medvene over D. Kung/Moon. Cs: Stephen Yen over Tibor Racz. Ds: Hannah Butler
over Allen Blyth. Es: T. Van Nguyen over Ellis, 19 in the 5th. Fs: Karl Dreger over Larry
Blankenship. Novice: S. Hanley over Chris Salgado, 19 in the 4th. Unrated (21 entriesthis
event, played early, allowed the Tournament Committee to provisionally judge players rather
accurately for the rating events): Jim Johnson over S.K. Lam. Hard Rubber: Fleischhacker
over Kopper, 19 in the 5th. Draw Doubles: Childers/Rudolph Morfin over Shapiro/Douglas
Payne.
40

Tommey Burke (TTT, Sept., 1981, 18) fills us in on the Arizona Closed, played Mar. 28-29
at the ARCH gymnasium in Phoenix. Eyes were on John Merkel, says Tommey, cause since hes
rated higher than anyone else, is much more serious than anyone else, and has a beautiful, strong
and quite consistent spinning game, they wanted to know if he could finally win the Arizona Championship. Surprisingly, this title has always eluded him. After a straight-game win over Mark
Davee, John reached the final where his opponent was Randy Nedrow whod advanced over Scott
Preiss, -18, 18, 19, 17. And this time John did come through, though it took him five games to do
it. John played extremely well in the last two games, killing and looping through Nedrow. It
seemed like he couldnt make an error, and Randy succinctly summed it up when he said to the
viewers, Would somebody throw some cold water on him!
Other results: Womens: Burke over a much improved Nadine Prather. Maricopa
Singles (Merkel, fearful of playing too many events, didnt enter): Nedrow over Bill Kenig
who prevailed over Davee, 8, 26. As (U-1900): B. Kenig over Preiss. Bs (U-1700): Wesley
Kam over Bob Ryberg, 19 in the 4th. U-3200 Doubles: T. Burke/D. Bryan, Sr. over Tony
Martin/Jimmy Wang in five. Cs (U-1500): Mike Landis over Victor Rackers. Under 2800
Doubles: Jerry Dillard/Lisa Sutter over Dave Gemeundin/Scott Beck, 19 in the 5th. Ds: Beck
over Wiley Riggs. Es: D. Bryan, Jr. over H. Zuniga. Hard Rubber: Nedrow over Merkel, 22, 14, 20. Senior Esquires: Sy Kenig over Ken Hoover. Esquires: John Porter over Gene Wilson, 18 in the 3rd, then over Kenig, 16, 18, -22, 17. Seniors: Porter over Bill Baker. Senior
Doubles: Baker/Kenig over Daniel/Carl Weinberger.
Joe Cummings (TTT, May, 1981, 20) opens his
write-up of the Mar. 14-15 Texas Open by asking, What
goes on here? 139 entries96 of them in the round
robin! And the quality? How about (though not Smith,
Bhashkar, and Fagan from yesteryear) Perry
Schwartzberg, Quang Bui, Roberto Byles, Mike Lardon,
several-time Texas Champ A.V.
Rao, 1973-75 Nigerian World Team
member Lekan Fenuyi, Ernie Byles,
and Joe Cummings making up the
Gary Fagan
top eight seeds. This had to be the
most highly-rated group of players in the history of the Texas Open.
Joe congratulates Roland Schilhab, Terry Ziegler, and their staff. They
had to deal with a number of problems as they were caught by surprise at
the huge turnout. There were certainly complaints, especially the first day
when so many of the better players were unable to play at all for a very
long time, but the organizers patiently stuck with it and ended up hosting
an outstanding tournament. Thanks, too, to Dick Gage and the University
of Houston for the use of their Stiga tables.
Of the eight seeds Joe mentioned, only one of them didnt make it to
the quartersand that was Joe, who in the round of 16 lost a -17, 20, 11, 19, 18 tough one to Russell Finley. Later, Russell had to default out of
the As because he had to get back to his job, and somehow, due to
negligence on my part as editor, the winner of that event got left out. In
Don Weems
another eighths match of note, Roberto Byles was pressed to 18-in-thePhoto by
fourth by Don Weems, who was playing for the first time in four years.
Mal Anderson
41

Joe singles out the eighths match between #5 seed Rao and #12 seed
Scott Ryan as the most exciting. Scott lost the first two games rather handily, but then his offense really started to come on. And Rao, who is a superb
chopper, suddenly found he had quite a fight on his hands. Scott dominated
the third game with some spectacular loops, kills, and precise placements. In
the fourth game though, up 20-17 triple-match-point, Rao seemed ready for
the quarters. But then, connecting on some magnificent forehand kills, Scott
ran off four straight points. However, he didnt get the winning fifth. And
three points later Rao had won the game 23-21 and with it the match.
Joe will continue with the late-round matches of the
Open, but first Ill let him give us what other results he has.
The Defending Champions in the Open Doubles were Fenuyi
A.V. Rao
and 1893-rated Zeigler who were certainly not favorites to
repeat, especially as, back in the round of 16, theyd just gotten
by Finley and Kirk Golbach, 25-23 in the deciding third. But then they swept
past Cummings and Tommy Vaello in the round of eight, and astounded everyone by downing Schwartzberg and Lardon, 10 and 12, in the semis. Ive seen
Terry play for many years now, but against Perry and Mike he was simply
unbelievable. If you had just walked in during this match you would have
Kirk Golbach
thought that Terry was one of the countrys best players. To make it just perfect
for him, he and Lekan successfully defended their title against Bui and Wasfi in the final.
Shirley Woo took the Womens from Ms.
Kulcharnpises (later better known as Peggy
Rosen). But the 1974 Thailand Sportswoman of the Year and a graduate of the
Thailand Dental School, paired with Bui to
win the Mixed from Buddy Melamed and
Woo who finished second in the
Consolations to Paul Green. Buddy won
both the Esquire and the Seniors over
Grady Gordon. Bs went to Jim Bell over
Peggy Kulcharnpises
Jacob DeLeon, a former All-City football
Shirley Woo
star but a newcomer to table tennis.
Gary Garner scored a succession of
upsets to take the Cs. And future pro golfer Brad Lardon
birdied in to win the Juniors.
The quarters provided many of the Texas players
with their first look at Brads brother, former Long Island
standout Mike Lardon. The tenacious Rao was only about a
75-point underdog to Mike, so Joe and others thought he
might pull an upset. Lardon, however, made not only some
fine shots but was strategically brilliant. Moving Rao in and
out and continuously attacking at various speeds with welldisguised placements, Mike never let the former Texas
Buddy Melamed
Champion into the match.
Nor was the next quarters ever in doubt. Schwartzberg was just too strong for Finley.
42

Ernie Byles
Photo by G. E. Jones

Against Ernie Byles, Quang Buis control of the table and his
quickness decided the issuematch three-zip to Quang
Joe said the fourth quartersbetween Jamaican World Team
member (and Defending Texas Open Champ) Roberto Byles and
Nigerian World Team member (and former Texas Open Champ)
Lekan Fenuyifeatured some of the greatest rallies I have ever seen.
Lekan was rated 2144. Yeah? FORGET IT! When Schwartzberg
was asked what he thought Fenuyis rating should be, his response
was, At least 2350. Lekan usually doesnt play in tournaments, nor
does he practice much. But he sure can be awesome.
One outstanding point they played was the best of the tournament. It started slowly but soon both players were countering
well back from the table. Roberto then connected on a severe
sidespin loop that forced Lekan to reach out and put up a weak
return. Whereupon Roberto moved in and, instead of smacking the
ball, made what appeared to be a perfect drop. Lekan, however,
not only reached the ball but slapped in a crosscourt forehand that,
turnabout, would allow him to win the pointwouldnt it?

Lekan Fenuyi

Roberto Byles

Photo by Mal Anderson

Photo by Beaumont Enterprises

Maybe. Roberto stretched far to his right and retrieved it

only in doing so was forced to end up with his back facing the table.
Lekan then blasted a forehand for what appeared to be the winner.
But amazingly Byles got his paddle up over his head and (reminiscent of that incredible catch Willie Mays made off Vic Wertz in the
1954 World Series), looking back over his shoulder, miraculously
returned the shot! Never mind if it proved only a short reprieve as
Lekan smashed the return onto the table and into the stands for a
winner, it was a sight to behold. Naturally the crowd went crazy.
Fenuyi then went on to dominate the match, 17, 16, 8.
Now to the two semis. Although Lardons well-placed
forehands were pretty much keeping Schwartzberg at bay, the
very critical first game finally went to Perry at deuce. Mike,
43

Mike Lardon

inspired, however, won the next two, the pivotal third game at deuce. But late in the fourth,
Perry began to take control and from there on out won the match easily. Schwartzbergs
backhand counter became much more effective as the match progressed. Perry also became
more aggressive at varying his placements, and this opened up opportunities for him to get in
his forehand kill.
In the Fenuyi-Bui semis, the first game could have gone either way. But incredibly
Lekan at the end got in four loop winners, each of them clicking the back edge of Buis side of
the table. Thereafter Quang never again challenged.
Who was the favorite in the final? Schwartzberg with his higher rating? Probably. But
Perry hadnt won this or any Texas tournament since 77 and Fenuyi had beaten him in the 79
Texas Open. So neither player figured to control the match.
Both players games have certain similarities. Both depend primarily on their forehand
for the winner. Both have excellent power and touch, yet neither seems to get a tremendous
amount of topspin on his forehand. Looking back, all four of their games seemed to be decided by who could position himself to get the first forehand in. And that was Schwartzberg.
Despite some very nervous moments, Perrys concentration was stronghe didnt let this
tournament get away from him.
Another tournamenton only five tablesthat was
drawing lots of play was the Mar. 27-29 $2,000 Wisner Open,
Wow! said LeRoy Petersen (TTT, May, 1981, 22). By Saturday morning we had 125 players in our small town of 1200 or
so. Problem was, Where do you put everyone? Our local motel
has only about a dozen units. But we do have some small towns
and more small motels close enough for the players to stay. And
some of our visiting players have made friends here over the
years and so were welcome in private homes. Also we opened up
the Auditorium on Friday and Saturday night and some sturdy
souls slept on the floor there.
LeRoy praised his tournament crewprobably the best
Ive ever worked withbut he doesnt tell us who they were.
Also, he thinks the players who come to Wisner are nice, and hes
mindful that if you take care of the lower-rated players year after
year youll have a successful tournament. However, there were a
LeRoy Petersen
couple of things that needed fixing and would have to be worked
Photo by Mal Anderson
out. Some of our new citizens who havent been in the States that
long are rated too low. And some who havent played in the past few years and are just starting
back are much better than their rating. One player LeRoy wants to commend is Robert Carr of
Australia, rated 1896 but more like 2100 when he gets in shape. He was enough of a gentleman not
even to enter the U-1900s where he could have picked up a nice check.
Results: Mens Singles: Quang Bui over Houshang Bozorgzadeh, after Houshang had
eliminated John Stillions, 18 in the 5th. (Earlier, John had advanced over Brandon Olson, -21,
18, 20, 18.) U-2050: Eric Seiler over Dana Jeffries who defeated Carr in five. A Doubles:
Todd Petersen/Mark Kennedy over Howie Grossman/Eric Seiler. U-1900: Gene Lonnon over
Tom Odette, -14, 21, 16, then over Joel DeRider. U-1750: DeRider over Spencer Wong. U1600: Randy Holman over Tom Fasset, 26, 16, -21, 15. U-1500: Voyon Suprato over Champ
Narotam. U-1400: Ardith Lonnon over Narotam who survived Paul Lewis, 20, 22. Seniors:
44

Tom Walsh over John Hinde. 3rd Place: John ONeal over George Szeto. U-21: Bui over Olson
whod gotten by Stillions, 19 in the 5th.
Cliff Metzger reports that the Salina, KS Club put on its
first sanctioned tournamentthe Mar. 14th Smoky Hill Closed.
It drew 75 players (45 of whom were unrated). Open Singles
went to 19-year-old Mayur V. Shah, three-time Kenyan Junior
Champion and now a freshman at Witchita State University.
Runner-up was Trent LeForce. Other results: As: Paul Olivier over Tom
Walsh. Bs: Bill Conrad over Steve Haworth. Cs: Anh Van Luong over
Alfred Litchenberg. Ds: Luong over Venki Parmesh. Juniors 15-16:
Freddie Marchena over Kyle Kelly. Juniors 13-14: LeForce over Jay
Herod. Juniors 11-12: Trey Adams over Litchenberg. Juniors 10 and
Mayur V. Shah
Under: Tom Rahling over Nghia Ong.
Winners at the $1,780 Wongs Wok Invitational, played Mar. 28-29 in Milwaukee: Mens:
Hakan Sigrell over Peter Bjurman, 16, -22, 17, 18. Best matches: Sigrell over Paul Pashuku, 19 in
the 4th; Simon Shtofmahker over Geoff Graham, 15, 24, -19, 19; Joe Yoon over Wayne
Wasielewski, 18 in the 4th. Mens Doubles: Ted Stomma/Bjurman over Sigrell/Tom Running
Womens: Cheryl Dadian over Irina Shtofmahker. 3rd Place: Jenny Lange over Grace Wasielewski
(from 2-0 down), 19 in the 5th. Mixed Doubles: Graham/Dadian over Shtofmahkers.
Results of the Mar. 14-15 Florence, MA Spring Open: Open Singles: John Allen over Dave
Gold whod escaped Eli Koulis in five. Noteworthy match: Harry Morris over Steve Marceno in
five. Womens: Karen Rugar over Michelle OBrien. Seniors: Jose Borges over Warren
Rasmussen, -16, 19, 20, 19. U-17: Rich DeWitt over Dave Hager. U-15: DeWitt over Ricky
Bowling. U-13: Hugh Reiss over Dan Bernstein. U-11: Peter Pezaris over Joshua Bernstein.
U-2000: Gold over Marceno. U-1900: Morris over Ira Summer. U-1800: Robert
Oakes over Marcel LaChapelle. U-1700: Oakes over Bob Green. U-1600: Hager over Frank
Hrobak. U-1500: Hrobak over Chris Kalagher (from down 2-0), 17 in the 5th. U-1400: DeWitt
over Bowling.U-1300: Ray Baillargeon over Jerry Gingras, 19, 20, then over Bowling. Under
1200: Gingras over Bowling, 18 in the 5th. U-1100: Terry Mahoney over Jeff Oakes. U-1000:
Jim Hallene over D. Bernstein, 23-21 in the 5th. U-900:
Larry
William Percy over Jose Ramos.
Hodges
Al Herr (TTT, May, 1981, 26) gives us a lively writeup of the Butterfly Spring Open, played under the direction of
Tom Poston Mar. 28th at the Wilson, N.C. Club:
Larry Hodges was the number one seed at 2056. Early
in the tournament, as Larry would agree, his game resembled a
bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, minus the bacon and
tomato. Larry didnt have his smash, and he obviously wasnt his
usual loop-drive self. In the quarters of the Championship
Singles, Larry had all he could handle with the long-armed and
legged (and haired) Tait Anderson (1618). Larry stuck to spinning, temporarily reserving his smashes, and Tait therefore
succumbed. This enabled Larry to meet up with the countering
Walter Wintermute, the man who possesses tree trunks for limbs.
Larry converted the tree trunks to lumber, 11, 18, 18.
45

Meanwhile, on the other side of the draw, Jim McQueen was busy upsetting the tricky
Alan Evenson. (Alan had shown up despite a Maryland/Virginia-area tournament on the same
day). McQueen, who looked like a cross between one of the Blues Brothers and Dick Tracy,
subtract a good tailoring job, felled the conniving Alan, 16, -18, 19, 17. This put slick Dick up
against Larry.
These two finalists, Larry and Mr.
Life-of-the-Party (McQueen would
lead the vociferous, voracious army
of pizza eaters after the tournament),
had recently played a lot against one
another. Jim, according to Larry, was
attacking more than his usual daily
allowance allowed lately. The
Hodge nevertheless took down
I dont why he violates the
slick Dick, 20, 8, 19. Jims singular
dress code like this.
apparel didnt have the mesmerizing
effect on Larry it had on others.
Jim McQueen
Photo by Mal Anderson
One of the more scintillating matches occurred between the
ferocious-spinning Arlie Proctor, runner-up earlier to Al Herr in
the U-17 final, and the aforementioned Walter Wintermute. Arlie came into the tournament
with a fresh new rating of 1469. Blood-thirsty and all, he started out well against Walter,
zinging in shots, most of them well-placed loops. This made Wintermute look nothing less than
terrified. Arlie spun to a two-up lead, but then Walter started zinging back Arlies zingings and
rallied to take the last three games.
Other Spring Open Results: As: Evenson,
alternating loop drives with lobs, over
McQueen. Back in the quarters, Jim had advanced 20, 18 over Virginias Eric Life. Eric
hadnt played in what was described as a long
time, but looked plenty capable. He began sluggishly but sure didnt look sluggish physically.
(Either Eric works out regularly or is good at
holding his breath. He had muscles in places
where others dont have muscles.) Bs: Flip
Carico over Anderson, 6, 7Tait couldnt adjust
to the Flippers rubber. Cs: Rick Mundy over
John Gray, -22, 19, 15. Ds: Ken Harris over
Bill Steinle
Photo
by Mal Anderson
Norman Labrador. Es: Gray over Jim Hunter. Fs:
1. Ron Martin. Seniors: Bill Steinle, soon to be
part of the U.S. entourage at the Novi Sad Worlds.
Frank Levy (TTT, May-June, 1981, 23) does a good job covering the $4,500 Louisiana
Open, played Mar. 21-22 at Baton Rouge.
Good money, good schedule, good competition, and good times. That was the Louisiana Open in a nutshell. Congratulations to Power Poon, Tom Baudry, Mel Douglas, Charles
46

Hoyt, John Wen, Ron Hoff, Ben Chiu, and Glenn Singletary for running a smooth program.
Many thanks to volunteer umpires Power Poon, Tom Baudry, Larry Thoman, Terry Ziegler,
and Terry Canup.
The money was a cool $4,500, generously spread all the way from Open Singles to D
Singles, and even included a sizeable chunk for the slam-bang-I-can-spot-you-points-and-stillBoggan-adjective-beat-you Handicap event. In all there were 129 participants, 16 of whom
had a rating over 2000.
The schedule ran straight and true, from 9:00 a.m. Saturdaywith all play stopped by
10:00 p.m. to allow for party, party, party) through 6:00 p.m. Sunday.
The draw in the Open Singles set up a couple of ambushes in the eighths. George
The Chief Brathwaite had a 450 rating-point advantage over Takako Trenholme, Womens
winner over the Thai player well come to know as Peggy Rosen. But, surprise, he needed
them all just to squeeze out a 12-in-the-fifth victory.
Ricky Seemiller was not as fortunate, for an inspired Roberto Byles used his new anti
aggressively and moved Ricky from corner to corner and right out of the event in four games.
(Ricky had mentioned earlier that the fast Harvard and Detroiter tables would cause him to
play badly or average, but not good.) Each point was a highly emotional mini-war and each
game went to the wire, but the brass ring belonged to Byles, 19 in the fourth. Robertos
brother, Ernie, did well, too, in taking a game from Pan American Champion Eddie Lo.
All the other eighths were won, predictably, in straight games: Danny Seemiller over
Ben Nisbet; Perry Schwartzberg over Larry Thoman; Rey Domingo over Roland Schilhab;
Canadas Alex Polisois over Jacob DeLeon; and Quang Bui over Mike Lardon.
On then to the quarters. Danny Seemiller played ferocious points in taking down
Eddie Lo, 9, 16, 13. Eddie would hit, hit, hit and Danny would so calmly counter that it
sometimes looked like a planned exhibition. Danny later said that Eddie had been hot and, but
for the luck of the draw, would have been a strong contender in the final round robin.
Schwartzberg stopped Brathwaite, but, as you can see12, 20, -18, 19it wasnt easy.
Domingos now I attack, now I lay back style allowed him to 11, 12, 17 cruise by a too
aggressive (is that a surprise?) Bui.
And Polisois 10, 16, 15 easily brought down Byles
Alex Polisois
causing Ricky Seemiller to say, How could that guy have
beaten me? Ask Levy. Frank said, Rickys girlfriend distracted every eye in the place.
Now, before Levy continues with the final round robin
of the Open, I want to give you the Results of the other
events: Open Doubles: Seemillers over Lo/Polisois. Mixed
Doubles: Brandon Olson/Trenholme over Brathwaite/Michele
Garner. Seniors: Ben Chiu over Charles Hoyt. U-21:
Schwartzberg over Bui. U-17: Tarek Zohdi over Ed Poon. U13: Alex Poon over James Schiro. Handicap (49 entries): Rey
Domingo ($120) over Greg Kelly ($60). Domingo sweated
his way into the final with strong serves and solid defense.
Greg hit, killed, drove, and smashed his way into the serious
bucks. But in the end, a 16-point spot from Domingo wasnt enough. Rey also scored points
elsewhere by mingling with novices, asking them with a smile if theyd like to hit some with him.
47

AAa: Nisbet over R. Byles. Semis: Nisbet over Lardon, 22, 18; Byles over Olson, 12, 22, 18. As: Scott Ryan over Rafal Kolasinski. A Doubles: Schilhab/Ziegler over Smith/Jim
Kemp, 19 in the 3rd. Bs: Ziegler over Schilhab. Cs: DeLeon over Bill Mobley. Ds: Zohdi
over Bill Opdyke, 17 in the 5th. Es: William Humphrey over Peter Luna. Novice: A. Poon over
George Loli. Open Consolation: Olson and Kolasinski didnt play the final.
Heres Levy again to finish up the Open with the final round-robin matches:
Danny Seemiller had commented earlier that he expected Perry Schwartzberg to play
him the best, after about a billion practices togetherand this proved to be the -15, 13, 19, 9
case. He knows all my shots, Danny had said, and it was amazing to see Perry hang tough
again and again because of this. As the points would develop, Perry would anticipate with
astonishing accuracy where Danny would put his next ball and with what rubber. Sometimes
the spin on the ball and the shot angle seemed to demand from Danny a certain response, but
that response didnt come. Hed flip the racket and last-second swat the ball the other
wayright where Schwartzberg had miraculously appeared. Although these exchanges usually
served only to keep Perry in the points somewhat longer, they made for a marvelous show.
But, despite his great play against Seemiller, Schwartzberg could not beat Domingo or Polisois
and had to go home with fourth-place money.
Domingo downed Polisois three-zip. And in turn was blitzed by Seemillerbut not
without giving the crowd a thrill by sharing with Danny the most spectacular point of the
tournament. And this despite the ironic fact that Rey had said of his match with Danny at the
last U.S. Closed, I cant back up against him. I have to stay at the table to win. Danny quickkilled to Rays backhand and Rey lobbed it up and backpedaled all the way to the barrier, just
in time to take another laser-bolt kill on the backhand. He lobbed again and Danny leaped into
the air and crushed another one, his immensely powerful left-handed drive keeping Rey pinned
deep on his weak backhand side. Maybe five times Danny hurled himself into the air and threw
his entire body into brutal kills and each time Rey would sweep his arm into a picture-perfect
deep lob. Finally, though, Danny angled a ball more toward Reys middle, throwing him off
just enough to force a miss. The whole place went nuts with applause for both of them.

Rey Domingo

Danny Seemiller
Photo by Neal Fox

48

Chapter Five
1981: USTTA Potpourri.
The E.C. and its Executive Director are not eager to let the Membership know what goes
on at its policy-making Meetings or to encourage disparate voices that might foment controversy.
Recording Secretary Harrison urges rank-and-file members interested in seeing the complete
Minutes to contact someone who has a copyeither a USTTA Committee member or that person
who represents the interested partys affiliated club (though it wont be long before the affiliated
clubs wont get Topics anymore). However, leave it to problem-identifier/problem-maker (but not
problem-solver) Jack Carr to ferret out pieces of this and that to make up his monthly column
which, as Ive said before, the E.C. would like me, as Editor, to reject. Self-serving, irritating,
unceasingly critical Jack most certainly is, but hes also informative, and sometimes his peppered
questions, though often not taken seriously, are significant. As Dr. Michael Scott says, Couldnt
someone on the E.C. occasionally answer Jack Carrs probing questions directed to the E.C.?
Most importantly, like me, Jacks very being, his identity, is built on decades of table tennis involvement, and to deny his inquiring voice would not only be unjust but stupid.
Regarding the upcoming E.C. election, Jack, as Chair of the Nominating Committee,
reports (TTT, Feb., 1981, 8) that his Committee nominated the following from the applicants
(those not nominated arent mentioned, and campaign statements, if any, arent in Topics but may
have been sent out to the membership): For Vice-President: Fred Danner (incumbent), Bowie
Martin (incumbent), and Stan Robens. For Treasurer: Yvonne Kronlage.(incumbent). Jack said
ballots were mailed to the 4,103 adult USTTA members. This is an increase of 255 over a year ago
when there were 3,848 such members.
And speaking of increases, an Adult (17 or over) USTTA membership, as of Jan. 1, 1981, is
now $15 (three years for $35); a Junior membership is $10 (three years $25); a Family membership
(if all share the same address) is $25 (only one Topics is provided though), and a Life membership
$150. Theres also a pro-USTTA Supporting membership ($75), a Corporate membership ($50),
and a Foreign membership ($15 surface mail; $30 air mail). Topics alone costs $10 a year.
Following up on the E.C. election, Carr said (TTT, May, 1981, 17), Because of a clerical
error by an E.C. member, the ballots were sent to all USTTA members as of January 10 instead of
January 1. I do not think this affected the ultimate election results, and it had the advantage of
including new members and renewals at the U.S. Closed. Consequently, there were 4,305 eligible
voters, and of these 1,041 voted. Results: For Vice President: Fred Danner (645 voteselected),
Chui Fan Liu (626 voteselected), Bowie Martin (526 voteselected). Also: Mal Anderson (the
one incumbent the Nominating Committee had not endorsedwhy not?403
votes), Stan Robens (268 votes), (Gene or Sue?) Sargent (157 votes), John
Read (71 votes).
Jack adds, Even though Mr. Lius petition was not strictly technically in accordance with the Bylaws, it is felt that it met the intent of the
rules, and Chui Fan fulfills the requirements to serve as an E.C. VicePresident. If there is any objection, the E.C. will have to make the final
adjudication. Jack thanks Fred Danner (who was running for E.C. office)
and Lyle Thiem (who was in E.C office) for their help. (Doing what?) He
also thanks his Committee membersEarl Adams, Dave Cox, Dick
Feuerstein, Andy Gad, and Don Nash.
Dave Cox
49

New Committee Chairs: Equipment: Bill Haid; Exhibition

(formerly chaired by Dave Sakai, this Committee disappears);
FilmDon Story; Instructional MaterialsDon Story; Intercollegiate (formerly chaired by Dan Simon, this Chair becomes Vacant);
MembershipSarah Haid; OlympicPaul Therrio; PhotographyMal Anderson. Planning, Public Relations, and Television
Chairs all disappear. Theres a considerable delay trying to find a
Great Plains Club Chair to succeed Bob Tretheway. Pat Collins is
named Northwest Regional Director.
Questions for Executive Director Bill Haid: (1) How can
one rent films of World Championships? [Check with new Film
Chair Don Story.] (2) How know what other table tennis magazines in English are available to readers? [See list I append.] (3)
And how about putting together a Directory of USTTA table
tennis players, listing addresses, and phone numbers, and perhaps
even ratings? [Itll take a while, but in 2008 an extensive USATTmember Directory will be available for purchase.]
If Executive Director has too much to do, he might turn
the Equipment Chair over to Tim Lee. Despite his youth, Tim
started a Table Lines column in Topics (see Mar. and Apr.,
1981 issues) where he and his friends give members an Equipment Report. Heres our policy, he says:
To report on a complete variety of table tennis equipmentrubber sheets, rackets, balls, nets, shoes, clothing, etc.;

Not to return rubber

sheets, balls, shoes, and clothing sent us [Tim Lee and friends have other uses for balls];
To return rackets, if requested to do so, but only if return postage is paid by the person
sending us the racket;
Not to be held liable for any equipment thats damaged in the process of being tested
and returned.
Please send only new table tennis equipment1981 models only, please.
50

Tim and friends highly recommended for Clothing the Yasaka Training Suit; and for
Rackets the Butterfly Tamca-5000 Rapier Carbon (penhold); the Butterfly Tamca-5000
Gergely Carbon; and the Yasaka Topspin 5 (penhold). With his Equipment Reports, Tim will
run afoul of the USTTA and will have to stop them.
Our first Olympic Player Representative is Faan Yeen Liu.
She describes (TTT, Apr., 1981, 8) how, in the company of many
other sports representatives, she attended the Jan. 30-Feb. 1
annual meeting of the USOC in Colorado Springs. When we
arrived we were presented with a briefcase full of papers and
reports, an array of books and magazines, and some drinking
cups with Olympic emblems on them. At the meeting, she says,
we heard and discussed various reports from such sub-committees as sports medicine, publicity, finances, etc. We heard a report
on the progress of the plans for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. We also saw a great film about the Olympic movement called
The Struggle and the Triumph (a film I hope many others get
the chance to see).
Yvonne Kronlage has articles in both the Mar. and Apr.
Topics saying shes in the process of finalizing two Olympicsponsored training camps for girls and boys in late June/early
July. Stan Wolf says hes preparing a three-year coaching program, and that a Coaches Clinic is planned during the U.S.
Faan Yeen Liu
Open at Princeton, with International Coaches as guest speakers. Also, says Stan, the USTTA proposes to hold a training
camp in July-Aug. at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC).The camp will be for
training juniors16 boys, 16 girlsand coaches (five will be needed for each session). Ai
Liguo will be the Head Coach, assisted by Dean Doyle and Quang Bui. All participants will be
given free food and lodging. Coaches completing the camp will be certified at the USOTC and
will be asked to conduct coaching clinics in their region. Stan hopes to create a network of
such coaches.
In his Apr. Topics Coaching Corner, Larry Thoman stresses
the Importance of Bending the Legs. American players, particularly
beginners, he says, stand too stiff-legged. This causes them to move
sluggishly, to have trouble effectively handling low balls, and to lack
power on their strokes.The idea is to try to get the feel of starting
to sit down.The lower ones center of gravity, the more stable he is
and the less chance he has of losing his balance.It is imperative to
be balanced for proper stroke execution.
Deep bending of the legs is especially important for forehand
offensive play because it lets one use the power of ones legs in his
strokes.One does not have to squat nearly as much when attacking
with the backhand. Maintaining the squat position is strenuous. One
should work on developing the muscles along the front of the thigh.
For Petes sake, he said An unusually good exercise for this is to walk around stooped down
to walk like an ape, not like an ape for as long as possible. [And hope nobody thinks youre
try to look like one!
unbalanced?]
Boos Brothers photo
51

Harrison (TTT, Mar., 1981, 8) warned that we had NOT yet been accepted as an
Olympic sport and chastises those E.C. officials whove indicated that we have. But IOC
President Samaranch in a recent visit to the President of France, had made a press statement
that table tennis would come into the 1988 Olympicswhich certainly suggests theres not
much doubt that it will. Carr finds Ruffords chastisement negative, caustic, insulting.
Harrison reminds USTTA players that the USOC expects something in return for the Colorado Springs facilities and the roughly $40,000
grant per year theyre giving us. Always concerned about the exteriors of
proper dress and demeanor, Rufford urges (TTT, Feb., 1981, 2) that we all
be conscious of our deportment. We can expect to be watched, to be
inspected. Those who work for the USOC will read Topics, will look at
the activities of our committees.We must strive to be acceptable to the
possibly staid, conservative officials of the USOC [and to those of the
USTTA, including Rufford who long has relished being a decorum-minded
official ever-ready to take punitive action against offenders].
One way to begin being accepted? If every USTTA member were
to join the U.S. Olympic Society (the current discounted price of $7.50 a
year gets you the USOC magazine, the Olympian, the USOC pin, and an
Olympic Society Membership card). Or, stretching out for more goodwill,
Rufford Harrison
USTTA members could buy a copy ($75) of the colorful 275-page Olympic Book. Its a collectors item which features a complete pictorial and editorial recap of the
1979 Pan American Games, 1980 Olympic Winter Games, and 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.
Gus Kennedy (TTT, Feb., 1981, 2) says that at the Winter E.C. Meeting, our Olympic
Delegate, Fred Danner, was made privy to the Olympic Athletes Job Placement Program.
Turns out that many large companies would be willing to hire amateur athletes who are
deeply interested in continuing their athletic career. Such companies would make it possible
for those hired to continue training and taking off time from their job to compete. The
USTTA could nominate three men and three women interested in such positions.
Dennis F. Keegan, USOC Director of Public Relations, gives us
(TTT, Apr., 1981, cover; reprinted
from the Aug., 1980 Olympian)
some background on the USOC
Training Center at Colorado
Springs. Back in 1977, innovative
approaches to amateur sports
program management and development and new concepts in training
and sports medicine application
were tried and tested at the soon
closed (too remote, too costly)
Squaw Valley Center. Now at
USOC Weight Training facility
Colorado Springs comes the follow-up for athletes selected by their
National Governing Bodies. USTTA athletes who attend get the use of all facilities free, as
well as free room and board, and perhaps transportation expenses.
52

Of course it is the American people who finance these athletes, individually and
through corporate support, with their generous contributions to the non-profit USOC. The
national sponsor for the Olympic Training Center is the Burger King Corporation, whose
contribution accounts for 22% of the total operating costs. Currently, the cost of training and
providing for one athlete for one day at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center is a
meager $12.61!
Olympic Training Center Director Bob Matthias says, No athlete with the drive,
ability, talent, and determination should be denied the opportunity to compete, develop and
fulfill his Olympic Dream.
For the first time, USTTA Olympic Chair Paul Therrio
tells us (TTT, May, 1981, 28), Table Tennis will be part of
the National Sports Festival, played at the downtown
Syracuse, NY War Memorial Center, July 24-27. There
will be 16 male, 16 female competitors in the following
events: Mens/Womens Singles; Mens/Womens Doubles;
Mixed Doubles; and Mens/Womens Teams.Each
athlete will receive travel, food, lodging and apparel from
the USOC.The value of these goods and services
amounts to about $2,000 per participant. There will be considerable media
Paul Therrio
exposure, including many hours of prime-time network television, giving
the sport of table tennis its first major identification with the other Olympic
sports. [Nope, wont happenno ABC media exposure for table tennis.]
Also, for the first time, Table Tennis will be in
the Junior Olympics. USTTA Junior Olympics Chair
Richard Butler tells us (TTT, Mar., 1981, cover) what
this competition consists of:
Preliminary/Developmental Level. Any boy or
girl whos an amateur athlete can enter a locally-run
tournament (say in a Y [especially a Y], rec center, or
school gym) and have
fun playing at least a
number of preliminary
Dick Butler
round robin matches,
providing (1) they
qualify by age and (2) they purchase a
$3 Junior Olympics USTTA membership.
There are 14 eventsUnder 9, Under 11, Under 13, Under 15, and Under 17 Singles
both for boys and girls, and Under 13 and Under 17 Doubles both for boys and girls. The age
cut-off date is the same as it is for USTTA Juniors. To be eligible for the 1981 March-AprilMay Preliminary Level tournaments (and those that follow) players must be under their respective age limits as of July 1, 1980. Prizes will consist of special, different-colored Sears
ribbons for 1st through 4th place.
State Association Level. [Exactly the same entry conditions prevail, and you neednt
have played in a local Preliminary tournament.]
53

Regional Level. The Regions referred to are the 7 tournament regions of the
USTTAPacific, Northwest, North Central, Great Plains, Midwest, Southern Region, and
Eastern Region (plus separate, special consideration for Alaska and Hawaii). Only the top 3
boys and 3 girls in each of the 14 events held at the State level can qualify for this Regional
Level tournament (though if your state has a USTTA National Junior Champion whos an
amateur, you can send a 4th eligible player). Since no money is available to send state winners
to regional tournaments (run preferably by experienced USTTA directors), its hoped that local
sponsorship will pick up the players expenses. Prizes will consist of large gold, silver, and
bronze medals from 1st through 6th place.
[National Level. The finals of this AAU-USA Junior Olympics will be held, under the
direction of Ron Shirley, at the Courts in Oklahoma City, OK, Aug. 1-2. As expected, the winners
of the Sears ribbons will be those whove diligently honed their games in USTTA tournaments.]
1981 U.S. Open Tournament Director Mel Eisner has been hyping
his June 18-21 U.S.
Open in Topics, and
Buddy Melamed, for
one, appreciates
Mels and his
helpers efforts:
Whoever prepared
the entry blank and information booklet for the U.S. Open at Princeton
Mel Eisner
deserves a lot of credit. Travel information, room accommodations, tournament rules and entry requirements were easily understandable. The hosts of
this Open appear to know what theyre doing.
Jack Carr
says that Mal Anderson, the Rules Committee Chair, wrote me that
over 90% of the
tournament players
serve illegally. So if so
many serve that way,
what does that mean?
That the umpires, not
the players, are deciding
Linda Chongs serve
whats strictly permisTim Boggans serve
sible, whats legal and what isnt, and that the players dont like
such strictures? Which raises the question whether its an umpires
game, or a players game? Clearly, the vast majority of players dont want interference from a too
strict umpire. In the absence of an umpire, if one doesnt serve strictly by the book, does his (her)
opponent object? If not, why not? If so, what comes of the objection? Do the players themselves
make an adjustment? Or is an umpire called? In actual practice, how often is an umpire asked for?
From my experience, relative to the many matches played: not very often. Why is that?
Three years after Mals complaint, U.S. Team Captain Houshang Bozorgzadeh, makes
this point:
54

Everyone knows that the speed limit on most highways is 55 mph. Do most drivers limit
their speed to this? Seldom are drivers stopped if they are going 60 mph, as actual enforcement
differs from the written rules.If referees in the U.S. decide to start their own campaign enforcing
the rules as they believe they should be enforced, instead of how the international community
enforces the rules, this will only hurt the efforts of our U.S. players to stay competitive.
Old millennium or new, old international community or newthe new has stricter umpires
than in Houshangs time, officialdom is much more thoroughly entrenched?not much has
changed: individual umpires still make individual decisions, some of which are much disapproved of
by players and spectators. Do these decisions enhance or detract from the play? Such differences of
opinion will continue for decades.
In his article Change the Serve Rule (TTT, Feb., 1981, 5), Jack Carr raises several
questions. Why, for example, isnt cupping allowed? Mal Anderson replies (TTT. Mar., 1981,
7): the ITTF did consider changing the service rule to allow cupping the free hand when
holding the ball. The delegate from the Peoples Republic of China stated that if this change
was approved the Chinese players would return to the next World Championships with serves
that no one else in the world could return. The rest of the delegates believed him [and no
wonder since the Chinese have showed such serve mastery in the past with whatever was legal
at the time]. So, o.k., forget cuppingat least cupping for an advantage. (See in my Vol. X,
Chapter 27, p. 397, Mal checking out, as it were, 1985 Worlds Mens Doubles Champion,
Swedens Ulf Ticken Carlsson, cupping the ball on serve.)
Mal notes that Jack mentions how world-class players often violate other parts of the
service rulefor example, the high toss serve is supposed to rise within 45 degrees of the vertical, but it often exceeds that. Mal agrees that, if allowed, players do violate the ever-changing
service rules. But, he says, without these complicated rules, most points between top players
would consist of missed serves or easy kills of poor service returns Were not too far from that
nowCarr says (though he doesnt tell us where he got this information) that at the last World
Championships the typical point lasted 2 and strokes.
Mal believes that if we had better umpires (Gus Kennedy says there are now over 600
ITTF qualified International Umpires in the world) and they were stricter, these violations
would stop immediately, completely, and without fuss. Without fuss? Always without fuss? I
certainly question that. Theres too much room for divergent opinions. Mal says the service rules are very precise. Perhaps they are.
But therein lies the problem, for to determine the precise preciseness
is a subjective matter. A machine- consistency insuring uniformity and
fairness is not possible among even the best umpiresand, despite
efforts to produce them, how many of those are there? Its just
undeniable that at World Championships or anywhere else, umpires
varytheir skills vary, their personalities vary. How often have I
heard one umpire, observing another, say, I probably wouldnt have
called a fault for that.
Carr writes that after he read Mike Bushs lines about how Liang
Geliangs service is the best Ive ever played against, he wants Mike to
describe this serve in detail, and wants USTTA Coaching Chair Stan
Wolf to write an article on it and show the serve in sequence photoStan Wolf
graphs. [Grab your expensive camera, Stan, go to Germany, find Liang,
Photo by Mal Anderson
55

and get him to show you and the world the secrets of his serves.] Jack is always wanting someone
else to do things.
Stan writes (TTT, Feb., 1981, 8) that Joola has a new longpips rubber on the market. Its called appropriately Twistfor the
pips are not straight but twisted. The direction of the bend of the
Long Pips
pips, says Stan, has a distinct effect on the flight of the ball.
Experiment and see is his advice. The variations twist enough to
make an opponent cry, do they?
Not Bob Allen (TTT, Mar., 1981, 18). He says, Quit CryTwist
ing. He believes the real junk is sandwich rubber because it has
necessitated the development of rubbers like Feint, Phantom, Screw,
Anti, and so on. But after the defensive player has for so long been at the mercy of the
offensive player dont begrudge him if he moves with the times. Bob suggests that each
player choose the rubber best suited for his style of play (in my opinion its all junk, but as long
as there is money to be made off equipment its going to be part of the game) and quit crying
about what his opponent is using. Players should play as best they can, have fun, and make
friendsthats the purpose of Table Tennis or any game. (In another article, Terry Canup
praises over 80 competitor Dr. Stan Morest for doing precisely that.}
One player who made a lot of friends was Long Islands Sid Jacobs.
Ive appended my own remembrance of him. And here, too, are tributes from
fellow Long Islander Danny Ganz (TTT, Apr., 1981, 20) and Manny
Moskowitz (TTT, May, 1981, 17).
We Lost a Friend writes Danny:
We shed a tearthe big clown went off and left us to play in other
places.

Danny Ganz

In the 40-some-odd years that we knew him, never once did he say die or quit.
In the mid-thirties from Jerome Ave. to the Bronx, which at the time housed the best this
country had to offer in table tennis, from Sol Schiff on down to the Broadway table tennis romperroom run by Mr. Lawrence, never once did he quit. You had to take him, all 210 pounds of him.
His defensive rubber racket spoke in many languages and played with no shame.
Yes, we shed a tear. Who else would build a 400-pound dog house for my 11-pound
poodle. The house still sits in the back yard, the dog long gone although the house and sign Beware of Dog is still available for all to see. A remembrance of course of the warm lovable clown
who had just finished his dinner and came to pick me up in his spotless Buick, and who would then
sit down again to eat, saying, I always play better after one of Beverlees home-cooked meals. His
timing was lousy but his manners were faultless. He always cleaned his plate twice. On the fill and refill.
We shed a tearas we all lost SID JACOBS. A true friend.
We love you Sidney
Danny and Beverlee
Manny Moskowitz adds, Table Tennis indeed lost a true competitor with the recent
passing away of Sid Jacobs. I knew Sid for many years and it was always a delight seeing him at a
tournament. He was always ready to lend a helping hand, and even during his recent illness, while
physically unable to play actively in the sport he loved so much, he still offered his services as an
umpire. Sid was dedicated to Table Tennis, and I know wherever he is, he will still be competing!
56

Sid Jacobs
Photo by
Mal Anderson

57

Chapter Six
1981: April Tournaments. 1981: Tung Dhin Phan/Jackie Heyman Win National
Intercollegiates.
Bob Partridge (TTT, Sept., 1981, 21) reports on the 142-entry Northern California
Open, held Apr. 25-26 at the Concord Club. The Open Singles produced some fun matches for
the spectators as far back as the eighths: Quyen Huynh over Howie Grossman in five; Jerry
Fleischhacker over Mas Hashimoto, 16, -20, 18, 20; and Dean Wong over Mike Baltaxe, 19 in
the fifth. Then a tense quarters match saw Chalk Wu rally to defeat Henry Low from down 2-0.
In the one semis, Attila Malek, the 1979 National Champion, exhausted from lack of
sleep (why isnt he getting enough sleep?), fell woozily to Wu three straight, 28-26 in the
third after leading 20-15a finish that had the audience cheering in delight and disbelief. In
the other semis, because of a pulled leg muscle, Wong, down 11, 16, and 4-0 in the third,
defaulted to Quang Bui. Quang then took the final from Chalk, 18 in the fourth.
Bui is so unflappable and has such intense
concentration that he is sure to be a powerful force
in table tennis for many years to come. His attacking game is difficult to handle unless he can be lured
away from the table.Look out for Wu, too. He
has a smooth, steady and powerful game, and as he
gets more experience with the top players in the
U.S. he is going to give them fits.
Other results: Womens: Lisa Gee over
Jamie Medvene. Open Doubles: Bui/Khoa Nguyen
over Grossman/Baltaxe. AAs: Kenny Lee over
Grossman. As: Nghia Tran over Charles Childers, 21, 19, 21, then over Hussam Ahmed. Bs:
Quang Bui
Workenen Babu over David Lee. B Doubles: Barry
Tsai/Herbert Louie over Sydney Asser/Sauseda in five. Cs: Izy Kanfer over Alan Leung
whod survived Mohammed Aghili, -18, 20, 19. Ds: Yee Hung Choy over future U.S. Hall of
Famer Tom Miller. C/D Doubles: Aghili/George Sanguinetti over Napoles/Sumaraga, 19 in the
5th. Es: Louie over Tsai. Esquires: Ben West over Partridge. Seniors: Grossman over Tran.
Juniors: Nguyen over Tuan Le.
The Pikes Peak Y/USO Club held a Two-Man Team Tournament Apr. 4th. In the final,
Albuquerques Tien Van/Tom Wintrich defeated Dana Jeffries/Roger Kuseski after Dana and
Roger had knocked out top-seeds Howie Grossman/Bob Burke.
Joe Cummings (TTT, May, 1981, 20) tells us that the First Annual Alamo Round Robin
was held at the Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio. A Group play opened as expected:
After the original eliminations, the 12 top players [Cummings didnt enter] advanced to two
groups of six. Perry Schwartzberg swept through his half easily, but since there was no semifinal criss-cross that was the end of runner-up Frank Merczs chances (he lost only to Perry).
On the other side of the draw, Roberto Byles was expected, like Perry, to have an easy
time getting to the final. But, given entries from San Antonios Jacob DeLeon and Killeens
unknown Jose Solo, nothing could be further from the truth. Turns out that in 1978 the very
amiable Soto had captured the biggest tournament in Venezuela, one emblematic of the
58

National Championship. Hed also been a three-time Doubles Champion at that tournament,
and his Carabado team had twice won the Team title. In addition, hed represented Venezuela
in the 1978 South American Championships held in Chile. So he could play a little. Trouble
was hed been inactive since 1978.
It soon became apparent, though, that Jose had an excellent touch with his antitopspin backhand and that he attacked well off his forehand. He was rolling along undefeated
with two matches to go when he ran into DeLeon whod lost a hard-fought 19, 18 match to
Roberto. Against Jose, Jacob was hot. Opening up with an arsenal of forehands and
backhands, DeLeon blasted Solo off the table, 12, 11.
So now what could Solo be expected to do against Byles? Not much. But with an
adept touch that continually left Roberto off balance, Solo won the first game at 19. In the
second, down 20-19, Solo had a chancebut Byles looped a ball that caught the table edge
and won that game. In the third, Jose again played splendidly and won it at 19. The three
competitors were therefore in a three-way tie with each having lost a match. But Byles (3-2)
had the edge in games over DeLeon (2-2) and Solo (2-3). Or so it would seem. But apparently
the tie-breaker was decided by total games won and lost in the six-player field, for Joe says the
winner wouldnt be decided until Jacob played his good friend Bo Lianza. A straight-game
sweep would put Jose [sic] in the final, instead of Roberto. [I dont see how.]
Jacob won the first and was leading in the second when a groin pull slowed him up.
Trying frantically but limping noticeably, Jacob fought hard to keep his lead. But Bo was too
strong and held on to win at 19. During the one-minute break Jacob worked his pulled muscle
back into shape and blasted Bo, 21-6, in the last game. It was thus a bitter- tasting win as
Jacob ended up just short of Roberto in game wins. [Either Joe or I as Editor made a mistake
because it must be that a straight-game win would not have put Solo in the final but DeLeon
[though its not made clear how].
The final
was Perry and
Robertos first
meetingand,
with Roberto
fighting to the
end, Perry won in
straight games,
16, 16, 22.
Other
results: A
Doubles: Schwartzberg/Cummings over
Byles/Mercz, 19, 19, 16. Bs: Mark
Morris over Russell Gordon, 18, 13. B
Doubles: Leon/Lianz over Soto/Tom
Kelly. Cs: Terry Canup over Dr. Stan
Perry Schwartzberg
Morest.
Photo by Mal Anderson
Results of the Apr. 11 Badger State Open
in Milwaukee: Open Singles: Hakan
Sigrell over Brandon Olson, 19 in the 4th. Doubles: Sigrell/Keiji Nomura over Tony Poulos/
Wayne Wasielewski, then over Geoff Graham/Craig Madsen. As: Tom Breunig over Mike
59

Menzer whod stopped Chuck Turchick, 17, -21, 19. Bs: Mike Nickell over Phil Jordan. Cs:
Jordan over George Szeto. Ds: Muthiah Nachiappan over David Berenson, -18, 19, 19. Es:
Jeff Knuth over Lew Leibowitz. Handicap: Sonny Henderson over Jack Batchelor. Seniors:
Breunig over Joe Bujalski. U-17: Nick Luu over Trang Nguyen. U-15: A.J. Lange over T.
Lange.
Winners at
Jerry Aleknus
the Illinois
Photo by Mal Anderson
Spring Open:
Open Singles:
1. Paul
Pashuku. 2.
Mike Kim.
Hakan Sigrell.
4. Jerry
Aleknus. As:
Sonny
Henderson over
Aleknus. Bs:
Mike Nickell
Paul Pashuku
over Q.T. Chung, deuce in the 3rd. Cs: L. Quang over K. Gates
Photo by Mal Anderson
whod advanced over Ramon Samari. 19 in the 3rd. Ds: Charlie
Huttar over Dean Branshaw. Es: John Denman over Szeto.
Manager Duke Stogner (TTT, Sept.,
1981, 22) shares with us his nine-year-old dream
come truethe establishment of Tickeys Table
Tennis Palace in Little Rock, Arkansas. Why the
name Tickeys? Well, says Duke, it was
derived from the corporate name, Table Tennis
Centers, Inc. Taking the first letters of each word,
TTCI, the president of the corporation, Jack
Haynes, said, That sounds like Tickeys. The
other stockholders took a vote and said so be it.
So whats this commercial center like?
Theres easy access to begin with. Its open to
Tickeys Duke Stogner: then and now
anyone who cares to rent a court for twenty
minutes ($1.20) or by the hour ($3.60). Theres organized play every night of the week
Mondays (handicap), Tuesdays (challenge matches), Fridays (open tournament), and the rest
of the days various league play, including a junior clinic on Saturdays. In addition to all the
table tennis activity, Tickeys has an arcade room featuring pinball and video, a pro shop, TV,
and refreshment machines.
As for playing conditions, each court is individually surrounded by 28-inch barriers,
with a 12-foot run-back and 5 and feet on each side of the centered table. Each court is
equipped with an umpire table and Butterfly scorecards. Tables are the International Harvard
#820 with the #55 USTTA approved net and post set. The floor is concrete but the playing
area has a coat of vinyl acrylic latex which gives a non-glare, non-slip surface. The ceiling
height is just 10 feet, but theres excellent fluorescent lighting throughout and the walls are
60

dark blue in
the playing
area and a
contrasting
lighter blue in
the nonplaying area.
An added
feature is that
the 6,200
square feet
area is completely heated
and cooled for
year-round
play. Sounds
good, huh? On
April 11th,
Tickeys had
its Grand
1981 AR
Closed Senior Openingwith a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
1981 N.J. State Champions (Westfield, Apr. 25-26):
Champ Otto
Championship: Rey Domingo over Mike Stern, deuce in the
Wenk celebrates
4th, then over John Sisti, 19 in the 4th. Best quarters: Stern
Tickeys Grand over Alan Feldman; and Sisti over Jeff Pedicini, both in five.
Opening with a
Championship Doubles: Sisti/Pandit Dean over Domingo/Bob
handstand.
Holland. Womens: Ai-Ju Wu over Jasmine Wang. Mixed
Doubles: Domingo/Wang over Sisti/Ai-Wen Wu.
As: Harvey Gutman over Pedicini. Bs: Peter Dunn over Mike
Kuklakis. B Doubles: Kuklakis/Chris Lehman over Bill Opdyke/John Andrade
whod advanced over Ray Wu/George Holz. Cs: Peter Louie over Dickel, 21,
-14, 22, then over John Jarema, 25-23 in the 3rd, after John had eliminated
Ai-Ju Wu
Kilpatrick, 19 in the 3rd. Ds: Clifton Jones over Dickel. Es: Louie over Wang.
Fs: Mauricio Soaves over Lup Tew Lew. Gs: H. Lim over Chris Hvasta, 20, 19. Unrated: Ed
Warshow over R. Spitzer. Hard Rubber: Feldman over Dunn. Senior Esquires: Dan Dickel
over Ed Gutman. Esquires: Gutman over Dickel, then over John Kilpatrick. Seniors: Elmer
Wengert over Kuklakis. Senior Doubles: R. Wu/Jim Releford over Kuklakis/Wengert. Boys U17: Pedicini over Ken Weinstein. Girls U-17: Ai-Ju Wu over Ai-Wen Wu. U-17 Doubles: A-J/
A-W Wu over Pedicini/Wang. U-15: Ai-Ju Wu over Wang. U-13: Wang over Rajiv Dosi. U-11:
Mike Schwartz over J. Kutash.
The R.P.I. Open, held at Troy, NY Apr. 4-5, sponsored by the Rensselaer Union and
organized by Sudhakar Kudva, Elizabeth Wiethoff, and Keibock Lee, drew 75 entries.A
total $830 in prize money was awarded to the first eight places of the Open event and the first
two places in the U-2200 event. Results: Open: Final: Lim Ming Chui over Rey Domingo.
Semis: Chui over Dave Sakai, 20, -20, 19, 18; Domingo (from down 2-0) over Polish tennis
pro Wojtek Fibaks cousin, Rafal Kolasinski. Quarters: Domingo over Ben Nisbet; Kolasinski
61

Lim Ming
Chui

Pandit Dean
Photo by Mal Anderson

over Pandit Dean (from down 2-0); Sakai over

Enoch Green; and Chui over Sparky James. U-2200:
Dean over Green. U-2000: Stu Kroll over Warren
Rasmussen, 17 in the 5th. U-1900: Rasmussen over
David Potter. U-1800: Rasmussen over Steve
Horowitz, 26-24 in the 5th. U-1700: Louis Posner
over Dennis Kaminsky, 18 in the 5th. U-1600: Hollis
Edwards over Mark Trapnell, 19 in the 4th. U-1500:
Jossy Mansur over Posner, 20, -18, 22, 23. U-1000: Joe Trausch over Brian Pollack. Novice:
David Feng over Lajos Horvath, 24-22 in the 4th.
Mike Lardon (TTT, July-Aug., 1981, 11), in writing-up the ACUI-I 10th Annual InterDave Sakai

collegiate Championships, gives us, along with the results, an unparalleled compendium of
appreciative niceties which Ill reproduce here:
This years Intercollegiate Championships was a major success. It was rewarding for
the tournament officials, the University of Minnesota that hosted the event, the spectators, and
especially the players.
The tournaments near perfect chemistry was unlike any in any tournament I have ever
played in in the U.S. All 32 participants (16 women, 16 men) were sent an itinerary prior to
the competition explaining the format of the tournament and professionally requesting that it
be respected by all players.
And respect proved to be the key to success: the officials respected the players and their
needs, the players respected the officials needs, and this air of respect permeated the appreciative
audience. It was a jubilant feeling when Craig Manoogian and I ate dinner out one night and
overheard those at the table next to us discuss how surprised and impressed they were with our sport.
So how did Tournament Director Dan Krueger do it? Well, it wasnt magicit was
primarily his care and thoroughness, and his and our good fortune to have Sportcraft provide a
generous grant. So thanks, Dan; thanks, Sportcraft Executive V-P Jim Miceli; and thanks,
Social Coordinator Steve Steblay for a really first-class tournament. It was a pleasure for
everyone to play his or her match on time..
62

The loser at a table was expected to umpire the next matchand they all did. That made
for an increased fairness in the competition and added another touch of class to the tournament.
Amy Schwartz, who was in charge of promotion, did a very good job contacting the
local papers and TV people and materialized some impressive signs that were clearly visible in
the right places.
Each player was expected to make himself or herself available at tournament photographer Jim Hemphils requestand all did so. And, surprise, surprise, we were all given a nice
print of ourselves. [Thats Lardon centered tall among the 32 participants in the accompanying
photo.]
Thoughtfully, too, there were complimentary oranges and lemonade and yogurt and
other healthy things to eat and drink. And speaking of such things I must say that Craig
Manoogian was not only a gentleman on and off the table, but, being a third-year nutrition
major at the University of California (Northridge), he enriched us all with his knowledge of
what we should or shouldnt put into our bodies.
Now about the competition.
The Mixed Doubles was won by Craig and Tina Smilkstein (University of California,
Berkeley). Tina has developed some impressive serves in the tradition of Oregons U.S. Mens
Amateur Champion Dean Doyle. She uses an overhead sidespin serve that enables her to
flexibly contact the ball on either side of the blade within a fraction of a second. Id hoped that
Sarka Dura (University of Houston), who had trained hard for and played well in this tournament, would have the chance to meet Craig and Tina. But I played poorly, choked a little, and
we never got that far. Sorry, Sarka.
The Womens Singles was won by Jackie Heyman (Montgomery
College) who played strongly, aggressively throughout the tournament. Prior to the competition, I asked Jackie how she thought
shed do (what a stupid question, huh?). Well, she said, I think I
have the potential to beat anyone in the country. I assume she was
referring to the womenthough Im not sure. Anyway, shes
probably right, for she kept her cool and outplayed the field.
Genevieve Hayes (University of Michigan) played well, but
couldnt gain control in the final. Tina and Thomasina Burke
(Arizona State University) were the semifinalists.
Saturday morning, in the Mens Singles, Lardon opened his B
Group play with a loss to penholder Joe Yoon (University of
Illinois). Joe played aggressively and made some crucial quick
blocks that were too much for me, said Mike. Joe then went on to
reach the semis by downing Todd Petersen, the Defending Champion.
Champion Jackie Heyman
Todd also had trouble with an Australian, Robert Carr (Iowa
State University), who thought very highly of his game. This
Australian was explaining to me the strategy he was going to use against Group A favorite
Manoogian once he got to the crossover matches: he would drop at the table, sidespin loop a
few, then come in and zip itthat would be all. The problem was that he couldnt get to
Manoogianlost to, among others, John Shaun Hoyes (University of Miami), a stocky pusher
and a hell of a nice guy.
63

After his loss to Yoon, Mike said, I played poorly but grittilyand in my last match in
the round robin beat Petersen to win my B Group with a 6-1 record. Todd and I played some
long exchanges, but he had a little trouble with my pips and I was lucky enough to win close in
three. Turns out, in advancing, Yoon (5-2) dropped his last two matchesone to the Australian, the other to the always congenial Ralph Bockoven (Boston University).
In the A Group, the unfamiliar Tung Dinh Phan (Portland Community College), who I
was told was #8 in Vietnam, advanced with a 5-2 recordlosing one match to the undefeated
muscular Manoogian, the other to an immensely improved Brian Eisner (Rutgers University).
Brians backhand loop is unquestionably the best in the country, and if he dedicates himself to
table tennis, hell keep Danny and Eric on their toes.
In the one semis, Craigs touch and overall confidence was evident as he defeated a
rushing Joe Yoon in four. Phan and I traded games, and then with a 17-13 lead in the third I
got tight and pushed Phans short, sidespin serves, while he, as if perfectly synchronized,
mechanically spun the returns and eventually pulled the game out, 23-21. The fourth was a
chiller: 28-26and I lost. But the crowd was so enthusiastic, and Phan such a gentleman that
I was proud to have played.
After the match I left for the hotel, not knowing what to expect in the finalthough I
sensed that Phan would be tougher against Manoogian this time around. I returned after the
match to see Craig in the distance, head downthen he looked up, smiling in embarrassment:
the match had gone 3-0 to Phan, a deserving champion.

National Intercollegiate Finalists

Photo by Jim Hamphil

64

Chapter Seven
1981: May Tournaments. 1981: U.S. Teams at May Scandinavian Junior Championships (Eric Boggan Wins Juniors from Strong Field).
Results of the Richland, WA Open, held May 910 at the remodeled Richland Community House:
Photo by
Mal Anderson
Open Singles: Final: Quang Bui over newly-arrived
Vietnam immigrant Hung Van Pham, 7, 20, 9. Semis:
Bui over Bob Mandel, -19, 1 [sic], 11; Pham over
Charlie McLarty, 11, -19, 5. 3rd Place: Mandel over
McLarty, 19, 9. An unusual set of up and down
scores, eh? Womens: Sym Gallucci over Liana
Panesko. Open Doubles: 1. Rob Roberts/Dave
Talcott, 4-1/8-2. 2. Bui/Mandel, 4-1/8-3/+45. 3.
McLarty/Bob Ho, 4-1/8-3/+27. Seniors: Ho over
Len Lukey-Ott. U-21: Pham over Mandel. U-18: Dan
Rommel over Drung That, 24, -18, 15, then over Dan Carbo. U-14: Duc Vo over Long
Duong. U-18 Doubles: Rommel/Carbo over Vo/Panesko.
U-4000 Doubles: Joe Chen/Peter Ansdell over McLarty/Jim Scott. U-1900s: Guyle
Wilson over Kim Goldschmidt, 20, 21, after Ken had knocked out George Kawamoto, 19, 25.
U-1700s: Lukey-Ott over Goldschmidt. U-3400 Doubles: Harold Fredrickson/Dan Carr over
Anthony Yu/Goldschmidt. U-1500s: Marv Motley over Keith Fiene. U-2800 Doubles: John
Fredrickson/Jim Brockus over McLarty/Dan Bruner. U-1300s: Brockus over Pete Williams
who just got by That, deuce in the 3rd. U-1100s: Rod Smith over Duong
Winners at the May 9-10 Sacramento
Open: Open Singles: Dean Wong over Nghia Tran
whod survived both Patty Martinez, 18 in the 5th,
and Kenny Lee, 19 in the 4th. Womens: Martinez
over Diana Gee. Open Doubles: Khoa Nguyen/
Trong Nguyen over Martinez/Ho (from down 2-0
and at deuce in the 4th) [that couldnt be Bob Ho,
who played Open Doubles the same weekend in
Richland, WA, could it?].
Mixed Doubles: Martinez/Ho
over Jeff Mason/Cindy Miller.
As: Tran over Workeneh
Babu. Bs: T. Nguyen over
Marcio Quintana in five. A-B
Doubles: Jim Bjornsson/Kurt
Jensen over David Chun/Gee.
Cs: Chun over Tom Miller.
Ds: Miller over Sarvesh
Mathur. C-D Doubles:
Dean Wong
Sumaraga/Napoles over Jim
Self/Miller. Es: Danny Louden over Tommy Louden. Fs: David Moon
Tom Miller
Sym Gallucci

65

over Lesley Hoton. Gs: Nancy Tyler over Paul Reisberg. U-17: Chun over Lisa Gee. U-15:
Chun over Diana Gee. U-13: D. Gee over Chun. U-11: A. Charkas over Mark Holabird.
Mary McIlwain (TTT, Sept., 1981, 20) reports on the $1,525 Pacific Coast Open, held
May 22-24 in Corona, CA:
TABLE TENNIS IS A SMASH IN CORONAthis was the headline that greeted
readers of the Corona Daily Independent newspaper; and on the front page there was an action
shot of D-J Lee. The whole front Sports page was devoted to the
tourney with excellent photos of Angie Sistrunk, Jamie Medvene,
and Attila Malekfive large photos in all and a story by Jerry Soifer
which read in part, If Peter Antkowiak has his way, Corona will
become a mecca for
Table Tennis in the
United States.
There was a
surprise Sportsmanship
Award this yearand it
Peter Antkowiak
went to Jose Marin. In
Europe he was a wellknown track star who in 1972 won the European 5000 meter race. Formerly from Spain, Jose
now owns and operates the Baby Time shop in Riverside.
Mary thanks the Antkowiak family, including Chanas sisters for cooking and serving
excellent food for a very nominal fee. What with their giveaways to helpers, they didnt even
break even! Thanks, too, to Pacific Regional Director Harold Kopper and those who assisted
him on the Tournament CommitteeKent and Bill Lewis, Jeff Ellis, Y.C. Lee, Hank Sonksen,
Rich Livingston, and Mary herself.
Results: Open Singles:
Attila Malek over Dean Wong
in four, then over Quang Bui,
three-zip. Best early matches:
Perus Carlos Brignardello
over Jeff Stewart, -16, 21, 11,
15; Jim Lane over Phil Moon,
Ray Guillen
11, 20, -16, 10; Malek over
Photo by
Marty Doss, 22, -18, 14, 17.
Neal Fox
In the quarters, with games
tied at one each, Ray Guillen,
playing against Brignardello,
hit the thumb of his playing hand on the table. This prompted quite a verbal discussion as to
the extent of the injury, but Referee Kopper gave Ray 15 minutes to see if he could resume the
match, which he did. Though he lost that game to go 2-1 down, he won the next two at 11, 18.
Open Doubles: Lee/Malek over Bui/Jim Lane whod stopped Brignardello/Alfonso Villar, 19 in the
4th. Womens: Final: Sistrunk over Medvene, -20, 24, 11, 11. Semis: Sistrunk over Lan Vuong, 14, 16, -20, 15, 11; Medvene over Tommey Burke, 14, -19, 19, -15, 19 (Tommey was carrying a
little helper with her).. Mixed Doubles: Brignardello/Sistrunk over Bui/Pat Hodgins.
66

U-2200: John Merkel over Doss. U-2000: Nghia Tran over Trong Nguyen whod
eliminated Tim McCann, 21, 19. U-1900: T. Nguyen over Kopper, -20, 24, 17, then over Dale
Francis. U-1800: T. Nguyen over Marco Chao, 15, -17, 20, 20. U-3600 Doubles: Francis/
Steve Krell over Livingston/Arnold Lloyd. U-1700: Dave Rogers over Jim Johnson. U-1600:
Shin Duk Kang over Hanna Butler, -24, 15, -21, 19, 17. U-1500: Stevan Rodriguez over
Larry Blankenship. U-3000 Doubles: Lee/Saigado over Ellis/Ferdinand Trinidad in five. U1400: Trinidad over J. Wang (from down 2-0), 26-24 in the 5th. U-1300: Chi Ngo over A. Hul.
U-1200: Al Espinoza over B. Kortsch. Unrated: C. Nguyen over G. Scholl whod eliminated
Rudy Hartman. Amateur: Mas Hashimoto over Sung Eui Choi, 15, -20, -20, 17, 18. Hard
Rubber: Guillen over Lane, 18 in the 5th. U-21: Wong over Wuk Kyong Choes, -16, 21, 12,
then over Bui, 17 in the 5th. U-17: Choes over D.N. Ly. Seniors: D-J Lee over N. Tran.
Esquires: Mike Blaustein over Rudy Kovin, then over Ted Pacyna.
Blaustein! This seems as good a time
as any to share with you part of a remembrance of Mike from his good friend Danny
Goodstein (as sent in a June 3, 2009 e-mail
to Pam Ramsey):
I met Mike in 1973 when he rediscovered Table Tennis in Hollywood. We
immediately became friends. He had a wonderful and extremely outgoing personality,
unlike me who was shy, silent, somewhat
crazed. Ebullient is probably the best word to
describe him. It seemed he lived to make
people laugh and I was no exception. Mike
was born in Hungary in 1927. I was born in
Mike Blaustein
Chicago in 1953. But somehow the stars
aligned and we collided at the bizarre, craziest, funniest assemblage of lunatic gamblers, hustlers,
and occasional athletesTHE HOLLYWOOD TABLE TENNIS CENTER. In other words,
paradise! It was Mike who regularly organized a back-room poker game at this Center. I never
missed a seat at the table. The kid from Chicago, hed dubbed me. Those were some of the most
hilarious times of my life. Even though I would always lose about $10 to $20, the trash talk,
sarcasm, snide remarks, and just plain funny verbal exchanges were well worth my investment.
As for Table Tennis, Mike played hard and actually improved remarkably, especially for
a man in his late 40s or [as we find him in 1981] early 50s. He was a choppera style that
always gave me trouble.
Mike was a Holocaust survivor. Yet not only did he have the strength to survive that
nightmare, he thrived in the United States. He started a successful business, married, raised
four beautiful daughtersFran, Gezelle, Karen, and Sharonand, even more amazing to me,
he was able to maintain a sense of humor second to none.
After the war, Mike lived in various places in Europe before immigrating to the United
States. As a result, he was quite a linguist. His English was perfect with a slight accent, or as
he always put it, I speak with an accident. At my request he taught me many Hungarian
expressions not quite fit for publication. Their literal translations sure were, shall we say,
colorful, and very, very funny.
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Mike was generous to everyonenot only monetarily but with his time. In 1976, Mike
was the first person I turned to when I desperately needed to be bailed out of a very scary
downtown jail. He was at the jail with the bail money in record time, which, in retrospect, may
have actually saved my life. The barracks I was confined to was populated by accused murderers and other violent, unsavory, and threatening men. And lots of them! After my five-hour
prison term, I never drank a drop prior to driving.
Mike was also an avid fisherman and never missed an opportunity to go out on fishingboat excursions. I remember in 1977 when he drove me to Zuma Beach, where I had never
been. It was beautiful! You dont see beaches like that in Chicago. I was no fisherman. I
waited on the beach with my book while he embarked on the fishing excursion. It was one of
the most relaxing and beautiful days of my life and at a time when I really needed some peace.
We simply had great fun together that dayas we always did.
First-time Tournament Organizer Dr. E. Mark Haacke tells us that the 110-entry
$1,400 Cleveland Spring Open was held May 2-3 at the very obliging Riverview Racquet Club
with its spacious court conditions. Mark was surprised that there werent more Ohio players
entered, and that the players didnt seem to be buying much from the three different equipment
sellers there (too many maybe?). He thanks those working the front desk with himRick
Hardy, Lori and Dave Berenson, Suzannah McCuen, and Linda Haackeand is very appreciative of those at the Riverview Club who so conscientiously prepared for the tournament.
Perhaps next time, though, Mark might get someone to cover the matches or at least give
Topics readers fuller results.
Cleveland winners: Open Singles: 1. Danny Seemiller ($400)came from behind to
beat brother Ricky, 18 in the 5th. 2. Ricky Seemiller. 3.-4. Rey Domingo-George Brathwaite.
Open Doubles: Seemiller/Seemiller [over?]. Womens: Elaine Walquist over Irena
Shtofmahker. Womens As: Dixie Foust over B. Scheuchar. Mens As: Jerry Fleischhacker
over Paul Burns.
Corinne Abatt (TTT, July-Aug., 1982) gives us a Profile of
Paul Burns (hes Chucks son, Dougs brotherthe three long
among the first families of Michigan table tennis). Paul graduated
from Wayne State University and makes a living both as a piano
teacher and performer in the Detroit area, specializing in classical
musicBach, Beethoven, Mozart, and other greats. I find a close
relationship between being a busy concert pianist and a serious
competitive table tennis player. Theres a strong parallel in the eyehand coordination. For me, music is an expressive, emotional type
of art. Table tennis is art on a physical levelthough of course
performing music is also physical. Paul, a defensive-minded player
who uses a combination racket, finds that his vocation and avocation complement one another very well. The table tennis player and
the pianist, he says, must be equally quick and sure.
Other Cleveland results: Two-Man Teams: Walquist/Jim
Turnidanski over Rick/Doug Hardy. Bs: Jeff Young over Aaron
Paul Burns
Smith. Cs: Dan Walk over D. Hardy. Ds: Gunther Schroeder over
Turnidanski. Es: Dave Shimko over B. ONeill, Unrated: Neil
Myers over Ali Mirabadi. Esquires: Lou Radzeli over Bob Brickell. Seniors: Brathwaite over
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Brickell. U-21: Joe Billups over D. Berenson. U-17: Billups over Walk. U-15: Walk over
Shimko.
Larry Thoman (TTT, July-Aug.., 1981, 16) in reporting on the $1,400 Shakelee Tennessee Championships, held May 16th at the Westside Racquet Club in Nashville, explains that
the sponsoring Shaklee Corporation is the nations largest manufacturer of nutritional supplements and is the second fastest-growing company in America. The top trophy of the many it
offered was over 2 and feet tall, and even the Novice trophy measured 18 inches. Larry
thanks not only his Nashville Club members who helped set up the tournament site, but
Allen Barth, Hugh Lax, and Kenny Gordon from Memphis, and Larry Bartley, Dave Heimer,
and Neal McLain from Nashville for doing a super job in keeping the tables full and in getting
all 239 matches finished by the reasonable hour of 11:30 at night.
The Westside Club, Nashvilles finest tennis and racquetball facility, provided
excellent conditions for player and spectator alike. There was a good floor, perfect lighting,
and lots of room for the eight tables set up on the number one tennis court. Spectators could
watch from the floor or from behind the huge elevated viewing window in front of the clubs
lounge area. Meanwhile, complete locker facilities, including showers, whirlpool, and sauna,
were made available to the tournament participants.
The center table was situated directly in front of the viewing window and was set
apart from the other tables by the presence of an umpire on one side, a scorekeeper on the
other, and a large Shakelee banner on the barrier in the back of the court. On this feature table
were played most of the important matches, including all the Championship matches from the
quarters on. This assured the spectators of at least one good match to watch throughout the
afternoon and early evening.
With regard to Championship play, 20-year-old Scott Leamon, a
student at the University of Tennessee (Knoxville), has for the last
two years been rated number one for Tennessee players, but winning
the state championship has eluded him. Not any more. This year,
Scott knocked off Defending Champion Larry Thoman in a tense,
hard-fought five-game final.
In their highlighted match, witnessed by approximately 200
spectators, Thoman was the first to make a move. He started scoring
with forehand loops and kills past the flat-footed Leaman who
couldnt even get his paddle on some of Larrys power shots. First
game to Thoman, 21-18. Larry then continued his strong play, and, as
Scott was becoming disheartened, went up 16-10 in the second. But
then Thoman faulted two of his own serves, apparently from growing
overconfident and thinking he had the match won before it was over
with. This was all Leamon needed as he came roaring back,
Scott Leamon
outscoring Thoman 11-2 on a series of fine backhand down-the-line
winners and forehand kills to take the second game, 21-18. This proved to be the turning point
of the match, for from then on Scott had Larry playing catch-up, desperate catch-up.
Not about to give up, Thoman tried valiantly to come back. Down 20-15 in the third,
Larry hit in four beautiful forehand loops to pull to 20-19. At which point Leamon served a
very short, heavy underspin serve and followed with a powerful forehand loop off Thomans
weak push return to win that game. In the fourth, up 20-16, quadruple match point, Scott
seemed a certain winner. But spurred on by shouts of Come on, Larry! Thoman used his
69

tricky serves and potent forehand to tie it up 20-20, then eked out a 24-22 win. In the fifth, at
10-all, the players seemed poised to continue their climactic play, but suddenly Leamon reeled
off five straight points using some well-disguised serves and fine backhand winnersand this
time Larry couldnt catch up.
Other results: Mens Doubles: Leamon/Thoman over Barth/Bob Chamoun. Women:
Leslie Harris (after a two-year absence) over Defending Champion Rita
Thomas. Mixed Doubles: Thoman/Thomas over Leamon/Harris, 19 in the 3rd. As: Ata Ismail,
a recent arrival from India now attending Vanderbilt University, over Dave Abbott. Bs: Ismail,
18 in the 5th, over Bartley whod survived Chamoun in five. Cs: Jim Upchurch, 19 in the 5th,
over Alton Wolfe whod advanced by Bill Reaney, -22, 18, 16. Ds: Mike Bortner over Steve
Stangline, after Steve had eliminated Rainer Davis, 13, -21, 20, 15. Novice: Davis over Steve
Winters, 18 in the 5th. Esquires: John White (the only Defending Champion to repeat) over
Everett Henry. Seniors: Bartley over Stan Wallen in five. U-17: Thomas over Ronnie Williams. U-15: Thomas over Warren Seedsman.
Al Herr covers the 3rd Annual Butterfly Team
Tournament, played May 9th at Bowie Martins
Wilson, NC Club. The 19 teams (more than
expected) were split into two divisions. In Division I, Larry Hodges and Fred King (their team
appropriately named The Machine) walked over three opponents, then, in
the match of the tournament, had to battle it out with the second seeded
team of Billy James and Joe Griffis.
In the King-Griffis match, Fred as usual was hitting everything, causing
Joe to lob. The lobs that Fred
Fred King
usually hit so hard as to put them
away started coming backagain and again. After at
least eight deuces and four gallons of perspiration,
Joe hung on to win, 28-26. Fred had missed some
drop shots and his lob-hitting was erratic. But he
came back to win the second. Between games it was
interesting to see Larry and Fred conferring on
strategy. Usually theyre none too amiable opponents, always trying to figure out how to beat each
other. Fred lost the third at 17, even though he was
peppered with coaching from his partner.
Larry, in his contest with Billy James, gave
reckless abandon a new meaning. Though he lost
the first game at 9, he hustled about like maybe
Nittaku was going to stop making balls, and took the
next two games 18 and 15.
So now Larry could capture first place, be
the only Division I player to go undefeated, if he
could overpower Griffis. Joe started out hitting to
Larrys forehand while Larry was trying to get into
position to zing in some of his cannon-like loops.
After winning the first, 21-15, Larry, like a man
Larry Hodges
70

possessed, was up 15-10 in the second when Joe rattled him for four consecutive points.
Those were the last points Joe made though as Larry, with, as he said, hard exchange wiped
him out, 21-14.
To the Desk to the desk, please. Yes, To the Desk was the name of the dominating
team in Division IIthe players being Tim Poston and Al Herr. They were undefeated, having
only a little trouble with Ron Griggs and Bill Steinle. Tim lost but one match the entire tournament, and Al lost to no one, which enabled them to defeat Ty Hoff and Bill Roberts. Ty and
Bill had upset their Divisions #1 seeds, the undefeated Rick Mundy and Fred Hautsch. As
weve seen, To the Desk was made richer by a trophy awarded to each. And where would
Tim and Al take their winnings? To their desk of course!
The completion of the Division I and. Division II matches meant the end of yet
another tournament season for the Butterfly Club and a summer siesta. The Club would be
closed for a while to make way for more warehouse space
for the ever-expanding Martin-Kilpatrick Company. Sad,
Richard Bowling,
of course, but business is business.
some years later
Larry Hodges now headed home to Maryland to
play Northern table tennis. Things just havent been the
same since he left, and were all eagerly anticipating his
return in the fall.
Results of the May 2-3 Florence, MA Open: Open
Singles: Sugaru Araki over Bob Quinn in five, then over
Ira Summer whod barely escaped, first, Warren
Rasmussen, 18 in the 5th, then Lee Ross, 19 in the 5th.
Womens Singles: Tahnya Percy over Mary OMalley. U2000: Araki over Ross. U-1900: Gregg Robertshaw over
Summer. U-1800: Jossy Mansur over Robertshaw. U1700: Bob Oakes over Emmanuel Akosa, 18 in the 5th. U1600: Lou Posner over Dave Hager. U-1500: Posner over
Dave Perry whod advanced over Peter Johnson, 19 in the 3rd. U-1400: Jonas Nortey over
Johnson. U-1300: Rick Bowling over Jeff Oakes, 17 in the 5th. U-2600 Doubles: J. Oakes/
Johnson over Perry/Larry Millan, deuce in the 4th. U-1200: Marty Wencek over Gunnar
Johnson, Sr. in five. U-1100: Robert McPartlan over Doug Fisk. U-1000: Peter Pezaris over
Bob Zaiser. U-900: Gunnar Johnson, Jr. over Eduardo Mansur. Seniors: Rasmussen over Jose
Borges. U-17: Hager over Bowling. U-15: Bowling over Jeff Oakes, -20, 14, 19. U-13: Hugh
Reiss over Pezaris. U-11: Pezaris over Percy.
Winners in the Rhode Island Closed, played May 23-24 at Providence: Championship
Singles: Matt Stamp over Ed Hamamjian. Best quarters match: Dave Gold over Ed Raky in
five. Womens: Natasha Zadinova over Gail Barbour. Championship Doubles: Stamp/Gold in
five over Haig Raky/Joe Polselli, Jr. whod advanced over E. Raky/Irv Levine in five. As: Bob
Barbour over Polselli, Jr., deuce in the 5th. Bs: D. Deciantis over Jerry Bilyj, 17 in the 5th, after
Jerry had eliminated Jerry Becker, -15, 19, 18. Cs: Zadinova over L. Friedel, -18, 18, 21, then
over Brian Conti. Ds: Conti over Friedel whod knocked out Joe Polselli, Sr., -18, 20, 18.
Intermediate Doubles: Lou Posner/Don Desmarais over Steve Rosedale/Andoh, 20, 19. Es:
Andoh over William Percy. Novice: Percy over J. Lemoine. Seniors: H. Raky over E. Raky.
U-15: Lemoine over E. Preziosi. U-13: Peter Stewart over Peter Quinn.U-11: Steve Becker
over Victoria Percy.
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Although the highlights of

the U.S. Teams to the May
29-31 Scandinavian Junior
Championships have to do
with our Boys playScott
Butler and Sean ONeills runner-up finish in the Cadet Teams, and especially Eric Boggans
win in the JuniorsIm going to start here with Girls Captain Yvonne Kronlages Report
(TTT, Sept., 1981, 2) on our Junior Girls play (we didnt sendwhat we dont havea Girls
Cadet team)..
Yvonne said that she and our two U.S. Junior Girl playersCheryl Dadian and Ai-Ju
Wuwere met on their arrival in Stockholm by Nisse Sandberg and the parents of some
Junior players. Which was apropos since during these Angby Club practice days before the
tournament at Tranas theyd all be staying in the homes of local players. Theyd also play a
practice tie against Nisses Angby Club regularswhich theyd lose, 4-1, when only Cheryl
could win a match against Marie Leverfelt.

USAs Cheryl Dadian

Swedens Marie Leverfelt

Photo by Mal Anderson

Photo by Mal Anderson

Yvonne couldnt have been more pleased with the hospitality accorded them. These wonderful people took us sightseeing and chauffeured us around the whole time. When we
arrived in Tranas they helped us to get settled as best we could.
Tranas is a small town, best known as the home of the Stiga
factory. It has one main street and only two hotels. Places to eat
were very few, though we did find two pizza places, one of
which was in a disco hall. By six oclock in the evening everything was closed up. (On Sunday nothing was openbut a
group of Salvation Army singers was giving a service in the
towns center square which was next to our hotel.)
U.S. Girls Captain
Eric, in a letter home adds: The SJC was both good and
Yvonne Kronlage
bad. Good in that the conditions were fineStiga Expert tables,
Photo by Melissa Campbell
Stiga balls, and fair lighting. The matches started on time and
ended earlywhich was a nice change of pace from the usual. Bad in that the turnout was
horrible. Maybe 50 spectators on the final day. The town was absolutely dead, terribly dreary.
72

The prizes were almost embarrassing! A Stiga blade to each player and medals made of wood.
We didnt get enough culture this trip because we went only to the basic stores and had a set
schedule for everything. To me, Sweden seemed quite plain. Its getting more Americanized,
what with its sex shops and tourist signs in English.
Since Yvonne is about to describe our Junior Girls Team play, Im going to reproduce
here the Results of that event: Final: Czechoslovakia d. Finland 3-1: Sonja Grefberg (F) d.
Miluse Kocova; Marie Hrachova (C) d. Eva Malmberg; Kocova/Hrachova (C) d. Grefberg/
Malmberg; Hrachova (C) d. Grefberg. Important Matches: Czechoslovakia d. West Germany,
3-1; Finland d. Japan, 3-0.
Japan (3)-U.S. (2). Against Mika Hoshino, Cheryl had a hard time getting started.
Rushing her game and missing her hits, she lost the first at 15. In the second game, she slowed
down, played each point with more control and took her timewon it at 15. But in the third
she went back to how shed played at the beginningwas again rushing and lost badly at 11.
In the second match, Ai-Jus hits proved to be too much for Etsiuko Neha. Ai-jus
clever serves forced high returns which she would then just smash away. Still the match was
21, 17 close. Tie tied 1-1.
Naturally the doubles was the key matchthe one we needed to win, for we feared
the singles strength of Hoshino. But the Japanese girls were just too 17, 14 quick and steady
for us. Their footwork was excellent as they glided back and forth for every point, seemingly
always in position for each return.
In the fourth match, Cheryl played very well in defeating Neha 12 and 6. Tie tied again 2-2.
Against Hoshina in the first game of the deciding match, Ai-ju was in the lead all the
wayup until 19-all. Then the Japanese girl put some heavy chop on the ball and Ai-Ju pushed two
successive balls into the net. In the second game, Hoshino was in command from the start. Just
waiting for a pressing Ai-Ju to make mistakes, she easily won the game and the match at 14.
Yvonne felt that in training our athletes we must concentrate on doubles as well as
singles. Clearly, our players need good coaching, need, particularly, to learn good footwork.
We now move to the Junior Girls Singles. Here are those results: Final: Menni
Weizades (SWE) d. Marie Hrachova (CZE), -17, 18, 19. Semis: Weizades d. Susanne Wenzel
(W. GER.), 18, 17; Hrachova d. Sonja Grefberg (FIN), 16, 11. Quarters: Weizades d. Anneli
Johansson (SWE), 6, 17; Wenzel d. Mika Hoshino (JAP), 12, -16, 16; Hrachova d. Heidi
Bender (W. GER), 13, 12; Grefberg d. Pia Eliasson
(SWE), 21, 17. Eighths: Weizades d. Miluse Kocova
(CZE), 10, 17; Johansson d. Karin Zebethauer (AUT),
14, 19; Wenzel d. Eva Malmberg (FIN), -18, 12, 15
[Malmberg won the Girls Cadet Singles over Russias
Khasanova, 25, 11]; Hoshino d. A-C Cullin (SWE), 5,
22; Hrachova d. Gunnel Borgstrom (SWE), 3, -20, 10;
Bender d. Susanne Dahl (SWE), -13, 16, 21; Grefberg
d. Annika Lath (SWE), 14, 11; Eliasson d. Marina
Cergol (ITA).
Heres how our Junior Girls did: Cheryl lost to
Pia Eliasson of Sweden, a good steady hitter who
placed the ball very well. Ai-Ju also lost in straight
gamesto semifinalist Susanne Wenzel of West Germany who had little difficulty with Ai-Jus serves. Also,
Germanys Susanne Wenzel
73

the German girls hits were ferocious and very accurate. When she did chop or push, Ai-Ju had
trouble returning the ball.
The Junior Girls Doubles was won by the Czechs Hrachova/Kocova over the Finns
Grefborg/Malmberg, 13, 18. Our girls, Cheryl and Ai-ju, lost to Italy. But though the match
at times was exciting with some very long rallies and really quite marvelous returns by both
teams, once again our girls, in losing 14, 15, lacked togetherness and teamwork. [Maybe, too,
they just didnt have the shots?]
Yvonne concludes that we have a lot of work ahead of us to bring our girls up to the
standard of a contending European team that has a well-planned coaching program.
Now to our Boys.
First, the Cadet Team
results: Final: Sweden
III d. USA, 3-0: Lars
Olsson d. Scott
Butler, 15, -11, 13;
Hans-Peter Andersson
d. Sean ONeill, 13,
16; Olsson/Andersson
d. Butler/ONeill, 12,
20. Important
Matches: Sweden III
d. Sweden I, 3-2;
USA d. Sweden II, 31ONeill d. Stefan
Scott Butler
Sean ONeill
Svensson, 15, -12, 15
(Svensson was Cadet
runner-up in the Swedish Closed); Butler d. Lars Mattsson, 16, -19, 19; Svensson/Mattsson (a
lefty-righty combination) d. Butler/ONeill, 17, 20; Butler d. Svensson, 16, 18. Quarters:
USA d. Norwaywinning all six games.
Team Captain Danny Robbins said (TTT, July-Aug., 1981, 5), it
was no big surprise that Sweden III reached the final by defeating Sweden I.
There are just so many good players in Sweden. What was a big surprise
was that the American cadets, who are products of their private Junior
Development Programs, could manage to compete at all with the Swedish
players who have all the advantages that great at-home competition can
bring.
Actually, the U.S. players were favorites against the Swedish III
players. In previous matches, Sean and Scott, who are among the top cadets
in Sweden when they play there, had a combined singles record of 5 wins
and 3 losses against the opponents they were now playing.
In this particular tie, however, the U.S. cadets just played flatlost
3-0. It was strictly a matter of our not executing the shots needed to win,
while our opponents were able to capitalize on our mistakes. Angby Coach
Nisse Sandberg, whod observed Sean and Scott many times, said that, in
winning only one game, They just didnt look like themselves out there. I.
U.S. Boys Captain
for one, would certainly like to have the chance to play that tie over again.
Danny Robbins
74

The Cadet Boys Singles produced the following results: Final: Magnus Gidlof (SWE)
d. Thomas von Scheele (SWE), 20, 11. Semis: Gidlof d. Anders Thulin (SWE), 20, 19; von
Scheele d. Stephan Svensson (SWE), 20, 17. Quarters: Gidlof d, Hans-Peter Andersson
(SWE), 18, 19; Thulin (National Cadet Team member) d. Sean ONeill (USA), 19, -17, 16;
von Scheele d. Lars Mattsson (SWE), 16, 18; Svensson d. Scott Butler (USA), 14, 16 (Scott
had beaten Svensson 2-0 in the Teams). Eighths: ONeill d. Matti Seiro (FIN), 2-0; Butler d.
Thomas Bauer (AUT), 2-0.
Robbins said that, since Butler and ONeill had each made such a good showing in
Swedish tournaments they were seeded #2 and #4 respectively. But with the draw full of top
Swedish boys (whose ratings would range from 2150 to 2250) its disappointing but certainly
understandable that both Americans could lose in the quarters.
On now to the Junior Teams. Here are those results:
Final: Sweden II d. Sweden I, 3-2 (Jan-Ove Waldner (II) d.
Niklas Persson, 19, 18; Erik Lindh (I) d. Jonny Akesson, 15,
13; Waldner/Akesson (II) d. Persson/Lindh, 17, 19; Lindh (I)
d. Waldner, 7, 20; Akesson (II) d. Persson, 19, 12 Important
Matches: Sweden I d. Czechoslovakia II, 3-1; Sweden II d.
Czecholovakia I, 3-0.
Czechoslovakia I d.
USA, 3-2: Eric Boggan d.
Vladislav Broda, -16, 17,
20; Miroslav Broda d.
Brian Masters, 13, 11;
Broda/Broda d. Boggan/
Masters, 13, -19, 13;
Boggan d. M. Broda, 17,
11; V. Broda d. Masters,
19, 16.
The Broda brothers
Swedens Jan-Ove Waldner
would also win the Junior
Photo by Lars Sandlin
Doublesover Waldner/
From English TT News,
Czechoslovakias Vladislav Broda
Akesson, -20, 6, 15.
May/June 82
From Frances Tennis de Table,
Sept., 79

Eric Boggan Wins Scandinavian Junior Open

Danny Robbins will give us specific coverage of the Junior Singles. But, first, here are
the results: Final: Eric Boggan over Miroslav Broda, 16, 13. Semis: Boggan over Erik Lindh,
6, 10; M. Broda over Glenn Davidson (SWE), 9, 17. Quarters: Boggan over Vladislav Broda,
16, -18, 14; Lindh over Dvorcek (RUS), 12, 21; M. Broda over Niklas Persson, n.s.; Davidson
over Waldner, 14, 17. Eighths: Boggan over Jonny Akesson, 16, 14; V. Broda over A.
Polovinka (RUS); -22, 10, 18; Lindh over Nojiri Toshinobu (JAP), 16, -18, 12; Dvorcek over
Zbynik Stepanek (CZECH), 17, 20; M. Broda over Jan Ekstrom (SWE), -21, 15, 7; Persson
over Roberto Casares (SPA); 19, -15, 19; Davidson over Peter Becker (W. GER.), 16, 11;
Waldner over Jiri Javurek (CZECH), -15, 14, 19.
Danny noted that Brandon Olson, playing in his first overseas tournament, met
Dvorcek, the #1 Soviet, in his first match. The Russians strong spin-to-spin play was too
straight-game much for Brandon, especially when he hadnt the benefit of a warm-up match.
75

Still, the experience he gained should be useful to him during his two remaining years in the
Juniors. Brian Masters played Peter Becker his first match. The German long pips/inverted
chopper had the American confused by his change of spin. This caused Brian to play safe and
so allowed Becker to pick-hit through him and take the match.
In concluding, Robbins moves us
through Erics wins that will eventuSwedens
Jonny Akesson
ally give him the Championship. First
round: a routine two-straight blitz
over Per Iver Aleroy (NOR).
Eighths: Eric zipped the formidable
Jonny Akesson, who some Swedes
feel is their best Junior player.
Quarters: Erics opponent was
the Czech World team member
Vladislav Broda, a lefty Kosanovictype spinner. Since Eric had barely
beaten him in the Teams (deuce in the third), some seasoned observers were making Broda
the favoritethe theory being that combination racket players like Eric were going to be less
effective when the opposition had a chance to get used to them.
Eric, however, was playing very well by now, and he exploited Brodas long topspin
strokes by mixing quick hits and counters with middle-of-the-table anti-spin blocks that made
the Czech unsure of where he should
move. Except for Broda coming up
with a great second game (which he
won at 18), Eric dominated the
match.
Semis: The Boggan-Erik Lindh
semis, as everybody knew, would
determine the winner of the tournament. In the Singles at Novi Sad,
Lindh had pulled off a startling upset
by beating Chinas Xie Saike (unbeaten in the World Swaythling Cup
matches) and soon to be the 1981
U.S. Open Mens Champion.
Lindh had been the pretournament favorite. But at this point
Boggan was playing too well to let a
very confused-by-the-changes-in-spin
Lindh into the match. In the first
game, Boggan got off to a 7-011-1
lead before winning handily at 6.
Between games Lindh consulted with
his coaches (he had a committee of
three in his corner, including former
Swedens Erik Lindh
World Champion Stellan Bengtsson)
From Pingis, 4, 80
76

Scandinavian Open
Junior Champion
Eric Boggan

and apparently they decided that it was

perhaps best to keep Eriks topspins
away from Boggans backhand-changesin-spin. So instead they tried to have
Lindh angle more and key in to Erics
forehand. But the Swedes topspin
openings were met with a series of
blistering forehand smashes that helped
give Boggan a 9-1 lead and an easy 2110 victory.

Czechoslovakias Miroslav Broda

Final: Miroslav Broda, the right-handed identical twin brother of Vladislav, whom
Eric had also beaten in the Teams, had a difficult time with Erics change-of-pace play. So, no
problem, Eric won two quick games, the title, and was on his way to being recognized abroad
as a world-class player.

Eric Boggans forehand grip (1); his backhand block (2);

and his technique for fast flipping his racket over to side B into backhand attacking position.
From Nov. 6, 81 Stockholms Tidningen

77

Chapter Eight
1981: Early Summer Tournaments. 1981: Norwich Union Canadian Open. 1981: C.F.
Lius Conversation with Chinas Cai Zhenhua
Gary Hranek covers the June 6-7 San
Diego Open, played in the Conference Center at
Balboa Park. The Team event on Saturday was
played via a Corbillon Cup variant: two-person
teams playing best 3/5 games with, first, two
singles, then a doubles, then two more singles
with all five matches counting. Since the results
had the Peruvian team of Carlos Brignardello/
Alfonso Villar finishing first with a 4-1 match
record over the second-place team of Craig
Manoogian/Masahiro Hashimoto, also 4-1, I
might assume that, when in the final tie Craig and
Mas won 3-2 to give each team a loss, the tiebreaker would be head-to-head. But this wasnt
the case; total won-lost matches must have been
Perus Carlos BrignardelloMVP Winner
the decider since Hranek said Craig and Mas
needed to beat Carlos and Alfonso 4-1 to be the winners. Thus, with Craig and Mas leading 31, the undefeated Brignardellos final-match win over Manoogian allowed the Peruvians,
though they lost this last tie, to just barely take the title.
Gary said that indefatigable Carlos went on to win a total of 26 matches in the twoday event, and thus deservedly took home the Most Valuable Player award.
In Championship
Tony Koyama
Singles, in the semis round
robin, Tony Koyama,
though losing to
Jimmy Lane, 20, played well
to beat Ricky
Guillen in
straight
games, then
gave
Brignardello
Jimmy Lane
his only loss
of the tournament. Tony, angling the ball and counter-hitting, won the
first from Carlos. Then in the second, Carlos began taking the
attack and looped from corner to corner and won that game
easily. But in the third, Tony came back, got off to a big lead
and held on to win at 18. Lane and Brignardello finished off
Guillen, 2-zip, but then, when Carlos needed to blitz Jimmy
78

for the Championship, best he could do was beat him 2-1. The final three-way-tie order of
finish, then, was: 1. Lane, 2-1 (3-2). 2. Brignardello, 2-1 (3-3). 3. Koyama, 2-1 (2-3). 4.
Guillen, 0-3.
Other results: Championship Doubles: Lane/
Brignardello over Manoogian/Mike Baltaxe, 18, 18, 37 (sic: a misprint, else it surely would have
been mentioned in Hraneks write-up). As: 1.
Danny Banach, 2-1 (5-2lost to Kerekes, -17, 22,
18). 2. Lou Kerekes, 2-1 (4-3lost to McCann). 3.
Mike
Joe Poon (hed upset Manoogian in Championship
Baltaxe
Singles), 1-2 (2-4). 4. Frank McCann, 1-2 (2-4
lost to Poon). A Doubles: Dave Rogers/Charles
Childers over Jamie Medvene/Tom Highley whod
escaped Banach/Ferdinand Trinidad, -18, 20, 18.
Bs: Final: Harold Kopper over Marco Chao, 23, 17, 17, then over Highley. B Doubles: Final: Trinidad/Mike Blaustein over Chao/Heinz Kittel.
Semis: Trinidad/Blaustein over Amaury DSouza/Homabakht, 18, -20, 18; Chao/Kittel over
Gary/Lan Hranek, 23, 19. Cs: Highley, deuce in the 3rd, over Rogers whod eliminated Greg
Crumby, 19 in the 3rd. Ds: Bob Groenig over Ted Pacyna. Es: Trent Lewis over Trinidad, 20,
-19, 18. Fs: 1. F. Alcosser, 3-0. 2. Kevin Turno, 1-2 (3-2beat Andre Berracasa, 20, 19). 3.
Berracasa, 1-2 (2-2). 4. Harry Bloom, 1-2 (2-3beat Turno, -14, 20, 15).
Mary McIlwain (TTT, Dec., 1981, 22)
reports on the June wedding of well-known
player and model, lovely Pam Ramsey and
handsome Millard Phillips at the Little Chapel
of the Roses, Glen Abbey Park, Bonita, CA.
Mary said, The occasion was everything a perfect wedding should bea bright
sunny day in a chapel surrounded on the
outside by green, green grass, beautiful trees
and streams, and on the inside by music and
flowers and the many friends of the bride and
groom. Besides a Matron of Honor there were
four pretty bridesmaids, including a friend of
the bride, our own #1 table Tennis Champion,
Angie Rosal; four Ushers, including two
brothers of the groom; a flower girl; and a
Wedding photo of Pam Ramsey and Millard Phillips
dapper young son of Millards who was the
Ring Bearer. The grooms mother, Shirley, and
Pams parents, David and Dorothy Ramsey completed the wedding party.
The reception at the Little Lodge nearby was an equally perfect settingwith champagne, scrumptious food, and dancing on into the night. Table tennis players attending the
festivities were Lucy Alvarado, Angie Rosal and daughter Suco, Angies father Monico, Stan
Rosals wife Monica, and Cindy Cooper. When plans for the wedding were made, the Ramseys
didnt realize it was the same weekend as the U.S. Open, so Angie Rosal had to withdraw her
plans to play in that.
79

Bobby Petty, reporting on the Indiana Open held July 25-26 in Indianapolis, thanks
Jerry Button, Bob Miller, Luong Nguyen, and Dave DeMay for making this the best tournament in Indianapolis in the last decade. The venue for the tournament, the Racquets Four
Sports Centre, provided mens and womens locker rooms equipped with showers, sauna,
whirlpool, and free towel service. In addition, free pizza and Gatorade were available.
This weekend saw two one-day back-to-back tournaments. The stronger players
played on Saturday; the weaker ones mostly on Sunday. This event format pleased those who
really wanted to come to a one-day tourney, and as a result there were over 100 entries.
Bobby said this tournament was unique, for it incorporated a maximum award distribution.
That is, the events were set up with rating cut-offs, but any player reaching the semis of a
class event was ineligible for a lower-class event. Since trophies were awarded to semifinalists,
20 trophies were awarded to 20 different players. This system is very beneficial for encouraging new players.
Results: Open Singles: Jim Lazarus ($100) over Richard Hicks ($50). Womens:
Connie Warren over Cindy Marcum. Open Doubles: Jim/Tim Yates over Richard/Ricky Hicks
who defaulted in the fifth. Why? Mixed Doubles: Norma/Richard Hicks over Cindy/Jerry
Marcum. As: J. Yates over Mark Kraut, 19, -15, 21, then over George Lowi. A Doubles:
Jerry/Jeff Button over Joe Tang/Ernie Wu, 11, -19, 24. Bs: John French over Max Salisbury.
Cs: J.S. Horng over Bill Davis. Novice: Calvin Yang over Chau Nguyen. Esquires: Festus
Mead over Bill Hornyak. Seniors: Harry Deschamps over Mead. U-17: Jeff Button over Jerry
Nichols. U-13: Scott Dean over Darin Fletcher.
Larry Hodges covers the 68-entry Cavalier Open, played July 25-26 at
McLean, VA. The first tournament in Virginia in over three years, offering
over $500 in prizes, it was run and sponsored by Dave Sakai, with help from
the Northern Virginia TTC. Results: Open Singles: Arun Kumar, a long-pips
chopper from India, with a 2320 rating, over Nguc Do, a Vietnamese playing
in his first U.S. tournament. 3rd: Sakai, after being down 2-0 to Nguc, lost this
long counter-hitting match in five. 4th: Aram Avanessi, who defeated Ron Lilly
in five. Womens: Donna Newell over Barbara Kaminsky, 19 in the deciding
third (after leading 19-11).

Donna Newell

Kumar,
Do, and Avanessi
are all strong
players who
became good at
the Game in their
home country.
Another is Igor
Gary Fraiman
whos started his
own table tennis company and from time to time may stock an unusual item or two. Heres the
hype for his Shock Watch (sells for $25). This revolutionary and amazing SHOCK WATCH
80

contains accumulated liquid metal which fractures when the ball hits the racket to intercept
and absorb harmful shock waves before they can aggravate an existing injury or before they
can create new injuries. Its these continuous shock waves that add greatly to the aggravation
of the elbow and shoulder Igors business partner Fred Tepper (TTT, Nov., 1981, 10)
shares with us his expatriate friends background as a serious table tennis player growing up in
Russia. Heres what Igor told him:
When Russian youth are approximately eight or nine years of age, they are given a
series of sport aptitude tests to determine what sport they will have the best opportunity to
excel in, and then they are placed in that program under a very highly qualified professional
instructor. Such a coach was I in Byleorussia (the third largest province in Russia) for 10 years
prior to my immigration to the U.S. in 1977. The pupils then continue to stay with that coach
exclusively until they finish their academic schooling. This, of course, afforded the instructor
the opportunity to mold and polish a youngsters basic raw talent to a very high level of
performance. This is what my instructor did for me and what I did for countless othersboth
male and femaleduring my career as a professional.
These potential future stars had the finest training available, got to travel to compete
regularly, and had all their expenses subsidized by the USSR Ministry of Sports so long as they
were playing on the team. Sounds terrific, doesnt it? Wouldnt we in the United States like to
have this same advantage too? But this is only part of the story.
I was allowed to excel and to play in tournaments until I finished the academic training.
The Soviets had made a Table Tennis Addict out of me and I needed to play and be around the
tables to feed this addiction. But then they pulled the rug out from under me as they do over
the years with thousands of other youngsters in the prime of their Table Tennis careers.
I was not allowed to travel and play tournaments past the time when I completed my
academic training. When my studies were over [and Igor wasnt good enough for the superelite National Team?], I had to take my place in the economic flow. I had trained very hard so
that I could play evenly among the Class players and then suddenly I was told directly or
subtly that I could no longer play tournaments. If I wanted to continue to play I had to play at
the ParksOUTSIDE. I had to relinquish the playing facilities and the gym to the youngsters on their way up.
Fortunately for me, my talent for Table Tennis wasnt restricted to just playing. The
powers within the Soviet Sports system recognized that I could teach and communicate with
youngsters on any playing levelfrom beginning to expert. So they sent me to a special
school where they developed professional trainers. I graduated two years later, qualified not
only to train Table Tennis athletes but qualified in tennis, soccer, badminton, basketball, and a
few other sports.
In 1977, when I came to this country, I was 29 years oldhardly an old man. I had
been a professional table tennis instructor, coach, and trainer, and was happiest when I could
bring my students (boys and girls) to a level equal to or surpassing my own abilities. But all
this time I myself was not allowed to enter my name as a participant in the many tournaments I
traveled to as a coach, even though I knew I could still win and play well.
Still, I was one of the lucky ones. At least I could practice with my students while I
was teaching them. Thousands of other top Soviet athletes over the years [who, regardless of
the specific sport, are treated the same] have three choices, none of which I would enjoy
making. (1) They can play outside in the parks. (2) They can play on a factory team against
81

lower level players. (3) They can retire and never play again. Of course if you had the rubles
you could go to see some excellent playbut having once been a very good player, it would
never be the same for you.
More Cavalier Open Results: U-2150s: Lilly over
Igor Fraiman, 18 in the fifth, then over Hodges, 24-22 in
the fifth. Ron, says Larry, should be commended for
his generosity when down 19-20 in the fourth he awarded
me a let ball when a ball I looped went straight down
wet! He didnt have to award me the point, there being no
umpire, but he did. So thanks, Ron. U-1900: Pat ONeill
over Bobby Hines. U-1800: Hines over Barney Reed. U1700: Anh Tuan Nguyen over Steve Thoren. U-3300
Doubles: John Tebbe/Nate Sussman over Ed Lasinski/
Steve Gonda. U-1500: Ahn Tai Nguyen [Larry says they
call him Anti]. U-1300: Larry Johnson over John Pellet
who advanced over John Vos, 19 in the third. Novice:
Claude Stults over Ursula Morgenegg. Handicap: Ursula
Morgenegg over Tahnya Percy. Esquires: Jim Verta over
Ron Lilly
Sussman. Seniors: Bob Kaminsky over Sussman. U-17:
Photo by Mal Anderson
Anh Tuan Nguyen over Mike Kaminsky. U-15: Anh Tai
Nguyen over John Haga. Jr. Miss U-15: Percy over
Michelle Newell. Jr. Miss U-13: Percy over Jennifer Newell.
Larry says special awards were presented to Bob Stephens and Jimmy Verta, officers of
the Club, for their many years of service to the sport. If wed only had a camera to catch Bob
Stephens expression at the announcement. [You mean, when he was identified as (what he
never was) a former USTTA President?]
The first annual Vitasoy-sponsored Open, held June 13-14 in
New York Citys Chinatown with $1,855 in prizes, was the only
NYC tournament of the season and therefore greatly welcomed by
local players.
There was disagreement in some quarters about the timing of
the tournament, coming as it did just a few days before the U.S.
Open. One fear had to do with the possible reaction of the many
players and spectators here in Chinatown who were being exposed
to tournament table tennis for the first time. Having been a part of,
or at least having glimpsed, the action at the tournament venue, the
Yung Wing School, would they travel the extra hour and a half to
Princeton the following week for the Chinese-dominated play there?
An understandable fear perhaps. Much more to the point though was the question of
sponsorship from the Chinese community that may or may not have come to the U.S. Open organizers had this $500-first-prize tournament been scheduled at another time.
At any event, among all concerned there was as much eleventh-hour harmony as
possible. Mel Eisner, the man primarily responsible for the U.S. Open, personally appeared at
the Chinatown tournament site to urge everyone playing and watching to come out to
Princeton for the matches. The Chinatown Clubs Tournament Committee of Alex Tam, Doon
82

Wong, Andy Diaz, Hing Wong, and Tim Boggan, among many helpful others, got all the
matches played off pretty much on schedule despite some cramped conditions. And the sponsoring Summit Import Corporations Soya Bean Products Company was given their moneys
worth in the very successful turnout of players and enthusiastic spectators.
Results: Open Singles: #1 seed Ricky Seemiller (rated 2448), having survived a first-round
match-point-down scare from Alice Green (rated 2028), eventually won the Open Singles over #2 seed Rey Domingo in a fivegame final. The #3 seed, Scott Boggan, no sooner arrived than he
left for the beach, upset in the first round by crafty Horace Roberts. Best matches were: Randy Seemiller over Ben Nisbet, -22,
20, 16, 17; George Cameron over Roberts, -24, 11, 21, 21; Lim
Ming Chui over Pandit Dean, 13, 20, -19, 13; and Domingo over
Randy Seemiller, 21, 19, 20. Womens Singles went to Alice over
Ti Chuang Hwa. Best match: Ai-ju Wu in peril over Hodiah
Davidson, -11, 21, 12. Open Doubles: Seemiller/Seemiller over
George Brathwaite/Domingo.
As: Brian
Eisner over
Wally
Leung in
five, then
Ti Chuang Hwa
over Nisbet
Julian Millan
Photo
by Mal Anderson
whod
outlasted
Sparky James, 28-26 in the 3rd. Bs: Julian
Millan over Cornel Garvis. Cs: Dave Taylor
th
over Manh Moc, 18 in the 5 . Ds: Ai-ju Wu over Taylor in five. Seniors: Brathwaite over Peter
Holder. U-17: Millan over Kiet Nitan Loi. U-15: Fu-lap Lee over Lap Nhan. U-13: Jasmine Wang
over Rajiv Dosi.
Norwich Union Canadian Open
You noted the absence of Danny Seemiller and
Eric Boggan at that New York Chinatown Open?
Thats because they were at the $5,000 Norwich
Union Canadian Open earning plaudits for their play
there. Heres Fred McKnight, Canadian World Team
member Becky McKnights father, paying tribute to
them:
I have never seen them fight harder or play
more brilliantly than they did here in the quarterfinal
Singles matches against the Chinese players, Cai
Zhenhua and Xie Saike. In my opinion, these matches
alone were worth the price of admission.
Thanks for coming Eric and Danny and
helping to make this Canadian Open the best ever.
83

Table tennis, sirTABLE TENNIS

Of course, the Chinese drew

plenty of thanks for coming too,
and perhaps no one was more
appreciative than C.F. Liu, for he
tells us (TTT, July-Aug., 1981) that
when the organizers of the U.S.
Open wanted a Chinese Team to
come to Princeton, I was asked to
negotiate, to extend an invitation to
them. Liu, whose daughter Faan
Yeen had trained in China last fall,
couldnt have been more pleased.
After some difficulties (mostly due
to our own table tennis
Dr. C.F. Liu
administrations political views), the
Chinese responded incredibly by agreeing to send a Team.
It would be the first time a Chinese Team would come to
Mrs. C.F. Liu
Photo by Mal Anderson
the U.S. to actually compete rather than to play exhibitions. And what a group they sent! Five current World
Champions; a National-level Coach; a representative of the China Sports Service Company (a
powerful National Organization); and, as the Team Leader, the Executive Vice-President of the
Chinese Table Tennis Association.
Sending such a contingent, said C. F., is perhaps the strongest statement the Chinese
Table Tennis Community could make in their desire to have a good relationship with us. From
their private statements to me it seems that the door is now possibly open for Chinese coaches
to come to the U.S. and for U.S. teams to train in China.
Naturally the Canadians wanted to take advantage of this historic event. So they asked,
Couldnt the Chinese Team come first to Canada before going immediately afterwards to the
U.S. Open? And again Liu acted as a successful go-between. When he arrived with the
Chinese at the Toronto airport, they were greeted by George Pardon, the CTTA President;
Ken Kerr, the Executive Director; and a host of Canadian Association officials. There were in
fact so many red-jacketed Canadian T.T. officials about that the airport appeared to be a
holding place for those ready to review the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Of course people
from the Chinese Embassy were there too.
Both Liu and Perry Schwartzberg (in adjacent Topics columns) fill us in on the exciting
playfirst with regard to the Team ties, then the Individual matches.
Team Play
Both the men and women played the Teams Corbillon Cup style. The mens teams
were divided into four groupsseemingly, said Liu [he wasnt sure?], according to world
rankings.
Those in Group A: China, Pakistan, Singapore, and South Korea II. Pakistantheyve
had a Chinese coach for a couple of yearsfinished second to China.
Group B: Hungary, Canada I, Egypt I, and USA II. Hungary advancedbut runner-up
USA II saw Quang Bui score a great three-game win over Hungarys Polish Open winner
Janos Molnar. Perry Schwartzberg lost to Zsolt Kriston, 2-0, and to Molnar, 2-1, and the U.S.
84

lost the doubles, 19, 19. Against Egypt I, USA II

dropped only one gamein doubles. But against Canada
I they were beaten in the tie, 3-1 (our men won the
doubles in three, but Schwartzberg went down to both
Joe Ng and Errol Caetano, and Errol stopped Quang as
well. USA II would finish 10th among the 16 teams.
Group C: South Korea I, Italy II, Canada III, and
Curacao (an island off Venezuela). The South Korean
high school players were very weak, so Italy II, also
weak but without any competition, advanced to play
Hungary in the semis. It should have been the U.S. in
that section of the draw. Since presumably it was known
that there were no South Korean National Team members at this tournament, how seed the Koreans above the
Americans?

Quang Bui

Giovanni Bisi

Massimo Constantini

Photo by Mal Anderson

From TT Butterfly Report, 5, 83

Group D: Yugoslavia (Cordas, Stipancic) didnt show. So: Italy I, USA I, Canada II,
and Egypt II. The U.S. in finishing first over Italys World Team members prompted
Schwartzberg to make some comments. After losing the first game, 21-19, to Giovanni Bisi,
Seemiller prevented the Italian from making a strong opening loop. He did this by being more
forceful in his service returns and by following with his own bullet loop, and so won the next
two games easily. Erics unorthodox soft ball/hard ball style completely confused Massimo
Costantini to the point of surrendering the match, 13 and 10. Eric played magnificently as he
cracked in one loose ball after another, backhand as well as forehand. The U.S. finished the
Italians, good sports, by taking the doubles, 16, 19. The Egyptians got only 55 points in six
games from us; the Canadians (Alex Polisois and Alain Bourbonnais) didnt do much better
69 points in six games.
The U.S. was not happy about meeting China in the semis, while Hungary thrashed
Italy IIthe team we didnt drop a game to in finishing in 3rd Place. There were only two
money prizes, and now the U.S. had no chance to reach the final. Eric let it be known he was
quite indignant:
85

The way the Canadians treated Danny and me at this tournament was disgraceful. They
took advantage of us when they saw we didnt have an experienced Team Captain to look out for
our interests. They crowded our four men into one room with two beds. They seeded a South
Korean high school team ahead of Danny and me, and kept us away from the Hungarians who
fielded a B team, one member of which was Janos Molnar whom they seeded above me.
Danny and I are professional players and were at a tournament like this to make badly
needed money to make a full-time living at the sport. Neither the Canadian Association or our
own helped us in any way with traveling expenses. I sat hundreds of miles in the crowded back
seat of a car to come here. For ten years, Ive paid my dues, become a world-class player
and now I want to be treated like one.
Against China, Seemiller opened against Xie SaikeWorld Champion in Mixed
Doubles and holder of a 14-0 record in Swaythling Cup competition at Novi Sad. In winning,
13, 13, Xie was constantly able to move Dan far to his forehand, thereby opening a wide gap
at Dans backhand. This tactic constantly forced Dan to make countless backhand retrieves
which were of course smothered by the ever-waiting Xie. In the second match, Boggan fell,
17, 13, to Cai Zhenhua, World Doubles Champion with Li Zhenshi, and World Singles runnerup to Guo Yuehua. Eric was able to baffle Cai with his anti-produced puff balls mixed with
strong forehand and backhand counters. But he too was unable to contain his opponent. Cais
tricky service followed by a ripping loop drive caused the close-to-the-table Boggan to face
continuous pressure to keep the bullet from coming. In the doubles, the U.S. did better
indeed, took a game. With Danny making few unforced errors and playing the ball to troublesome spots for the Chinese, Eric was able to unleash on the uncustomary weak balls sent out
by Cai and Li Zhenshi.
China of course also blitzed Hungary in the final. Xie destroyed an impatient Molnar,
sometimes stringing together eight or nine points in a row. Kriston then did a little better
against Cai. But the doubles was no match at all.
In the Womens Teams, there were two groups.
In Group A: China, South Korea II, USA, and Canada II. China obviously took it easy
on the U.S.World Womens Doubles Champion Zhang Deying d. Sheila ODougherty, 20,
13; World Champion Tong Ling d. Faan Yeen Liu, 19, 20; and Zhang/Tong d. Takako
Trenholme/Liu, 12, 23. The South Koreans also refused to give us a gameLee Jiong Jin d.
Liu, 19, 8; Kwak Mi Hee d. ODougherty, 17, 9; Lee/Kwok d. ODougherty/Liu, 16, 17. The
USA-Canada II tie had to have been great fun for partisans to watch: Trenholme d. Julia
Johnson, 17, 18; Becky McKnight d. ODougherty, 18, -17, 23; Johnson/McKnight d.
ODougherty/Trenholme, 18, -27, 16; ODougherty d. Johnson, 17, -20, 21; and McKnight d.
Trenholme, -13, 24, 8. Later, USA came back to take 5th place by beating Canada III:
Micheline Aucoin d. ODougherty, 17, -17, 18; Liu d. Birute Guhl, 14, 14; Aucoin/Guhl d.
ODougherty/Liu, 16, 17; Liu d. Aucoin, 18, 9; and ODougherty d. Guhl, 19, 15. USA also
reversed their earlier loss to Canada II: Liu d. McKnight, -18, 18, 18; Trenholme d. Johnson,
19, 14; and Trehholme/ODougherty d. Johnson/McKnight, 19, 19.
In Group B: South Korea I, Canada I, Canada III, and South Korea III. South Korea
was undefeated; runner-up was Canada I (Mariann Domonkos/Gloria Hsu). In the final, China
actually dropped a match to South KoreaPark Eun Ju/Baik Yang Mi took the doubles from
Zhang/Tong. Zhang seemed to have a great deal of trouble reading the spin of the chops of
Baik who used a racket with inverted on one side and anti-spin on the other.
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Singles/Doubles Play
In early Womens Singles matches, Takako
Trenholme lost a five-game killer to Becky
McKnight; Faan Yeen Liu dropped a close threegame match to the South Korean chopper Kwak Mi
Hee; and Sheila ODougherty fell in straight games
to Lee Jeung Jin. Canadas Birute Guhl had no
chance against Park Eun Ju (whod go on to beat
Kwok, 21, -21, 17, 19 in the best quarters match).
Guhls teammate Micheline Aucoin was straightgame stopped by Baik Yang Mi. And Ontarios Julia
Johnson ran afoul of Chinas Zhang Deying. But
Quebecs Mariann Domonkos knocked off fellow
Becky McKnight
Canadian Diane Bourdages with ease, then advanced to the semis by overcoming Baik in four. Of
course the Chinese won their semisZhang over Mariann, and Tong Ling (though giving up
a game) over Park. Zhang then became the Champion in a more or less uncontested match
with Tong, 13, 17, 19.
Womens Doubles went to the Koreans Park and Baik who, after showing no mercy to
Domonkos/Hsu, went on in the final to defeat, as they had in the Teams, the Chinese favorites, Tong and Zhangthis time, -19, 19, 19, 15.
In the Mixed Doubles final, it was Cai/Zhang, 10, 16, 19, over Errol Caetano/Mariann
Domonkos. But the Canadians were really the ones triumphant, for in the semis theyd upset
Xie and Tong, 18, 18, -17, 18.
Best first-round matches in the Mens Singles: Ku Hee Dae over fellow South Korean Chi
Chong Wong in the only five gamer; Molnar in a topspin battle over Costantini in four; and, in
perhaps the most interesting of the remaining straight-game matches, Boggan over Kriston, 17, 16,
20. Erics anti-ball pulled the Hungarian in close to the table whereupon Eric would attack with a
sharp hit or loop drive, causing Kriston to back up or try an unplanned quick counter.
The quarters were all played at the same time. On the one side of the draw, Bui took
up where hed left off in the Teams. He quickly jumped on a not so ready Molnar and
trounced him 21-9.But then a few choice words by the Hungarian Coach, ex-World Champion Ferenc Sido, obviously made a difference, and though the last three games were highlighted by some fantastic offensive play, Bui could not come through with a win.
Wow! Whats this? Danny Seemiller, ever crouching with Bengtsson-like intensity and
looping in vicious drives, has Cai Zhenhua down 20-9 in the first! In the second, Cai got off to an
early lead with his tricky service and loop-kill follow. But from down 12-8 Danny almost evened it,
pulled to within one at 13-12. Then Cai went on an 8-2 run. In both the third and fourth games,
Danny was 18-17 behind, right in therebut in both Cai never gave him another point.
On the other side of the draw, Li Zhenshi was his usual generous selfadvanced over
Ku, 6, 10, -21, 11.
Now, in the remaining quarters: 17-year-old Boggan vs. 19-year-old Xie, the seemingly invincible counter-driver and quick attacker. What a battle! said Schwartzberg.
Playing perhaps as well as he ever has in his life, the young American continued to counterdrive and smash toe to toe with his higher heralded opponentand then, miraculously, Eric
was up 20-19!...But a beautiful hit into Xies body just tipped the top of the net and flew long,
87

and Eric lost that opener 22-20. Still, he hung tough. Down 2-0 in games, in the third, Eric
was making good strong shots off his own service and handling Xies fast topspin serves
better. Pulling no punches, since all loose shots bespoke disaster, Eric closed to 18-all. Whereupon his ability to play under pressure, to win big points at the end of a game, caused Xie to
tighten a little. Game to Eric, 21-18. In the fourth, they were again at 18-all. But this time Xie
broke loose and won 21-18.
The one semis found Molnar taking a game from Cai Zhenhua. The other saw Li
Zhenshi a flashy exhibition winner in four over Xie. C.F. Liu said there were incredible lobs
and kills in this match. Several times Xie made counter-kill shots from outside the barriers,
then came up even with the net, only to dash back and lob some more. Cai took the final over
Li in four.
In one Mens Doubles semis, Cai and Li downed the Canadians Caetano and Derek
Wall, 14, 7, 19 (that last game letting them save some face). In the other semis, Seemiller/
Boggan prevailed, -22, 10, 14,-11, 15 over the Hungarians Molnar/Kriston. In the final, before
over 3,000 cheering spectators in a gym that was supposed to seat just over 2,000, the
Americans slugged it out with World Champions Li and Cai. A lot of people saw the New
Chinese, Liu said. They jumped and they pranced. They showed emotions. They played
doubles in different-colored shirts. They sometimes even showboated. But they played just as
well as they ever did. So Danny and Eric didnt win, but in losing 17, 19, 20 they sure engaged in many splendid rallies, spectacular shots, and had a lot of fun. Danny said that afterwards they couldnt go to sleep just talking about the doubles matches.
C.F. Lius Coversation with Cai Zhenhua
Before he gets to his Conversation (Interview), C.F. Liu (TTT, July-Aug., 1981, 3)
gives us the following background on Cai Zhenhua whom hell later thank for being frank and
cooperative.
The 1981 Novi Sad World Championships marked the first time Cai Zhenhua was on
the five-man Chinese Swaythling Cup Team. Indeed, he was a mainstay of that Team, for he
lost only to Stellan Bengtsson.
Physically, Cai is powerfully built, giving the impression more of a middle-weight boxer
than a table tennis player. He plays left-handed with a shakehands grip, using inverted rubber
on his forehand and soft anti-spin on his backhand (on both sides he has thick, fast sponge).
His style of play is flamboyant. He ranges all over the court. His kill-loop is one of the most
remarkable shots in all of table tennis. His entire body goes into powerful but fluid motion, and
he is airborne during the shot. The ball always rockets unerringly to a remote corner of the
table. The whole effect is quite intimidating. When the U.S. team manager, John Read, saw
him play the first time, all John could do was to shake his head and say, Incredible. Cai
always plays with exuberance. With his fast footwork and excellent body control, he is able to
do many acrobatic and crowd-pleasing things. He is an interesting player and character.
CFL: During your Teams travel to the U.S. you had an all-night flight from Beijing to
San Francisco. Then you waited all day in San Francisco and had another night flight. So when
you arrived in New York at around 10 a.m. your Team had gone two days and two nights
without sleep. [Huh? They didnt sleep on the plane?] Yet you wanted to practice early that
afternoon. To us, this is dedication bordering on fanaticism. Is that a usual procedure?
88

CZ: You guess it looked

like fanaticism. But the truth was
that after the World Championships all the Team members went
back to their own provinces.
Nobody had so much as picked up
a racket since then. Suddenly we
were called back to Beijing and
immediately started traveling.
Since the Canadian Open was to
take place in only two days, we
really needed some practice.
CFL: You are now 19
years old and second-ranked in the
world. We are all interested in
when you started to play and how
you made your way.
CZ: We all started at about
the same age, around 9 or 10. We
begin in school. There are table
Chinas Cai Zhenhua
Photo from Nittaku News, June, 83
tennis coaches in every school.
The good players play on the
school teams, then the city teams, then the province teams. They receive special coaching and
training. From time to time there are National training sessions when the most promising
players are gathered in Beijing and train there for months at a time. Some of these become
National Team members. I came through in this way.
CFL: We all enjoy watching your big loop. I imagine you were taught from the very
beginning to loop and fast attack?
CZ: No. In fact, until the middle of 1978 I was a chopper. The coaches made me a
chopper because I had very fast feet.
CFL: But your physical build is not that of a chopper.
CZ: I was very light when I was a chopper. Then when I started looping I realized I
was building all these muscles.
CFL: We all noticed that you seem to be very dynamic when you play. You run around
in between points. You jump. You even do cartwheels. The stereotype Chinese player we
know is stoic. We are just not accustomed to, though we greatly enjoy, your type of enthusiasm.
CZ: It is a great weakness of mine. I am excitable. I know I shouldnt be doing it, but I
cant seem to help myself. I am going to have to change that.
CFL: Youve had a chance to see our players now. What do you think of American
table tennis?
CZ. Both Danny and Eric are very good players.
CFL: How about your singles match with Danny? It seemed so close.
CZ: It was a bit awkward playing him. But I didnt feel threatened.
[Will Cai ever feel threatened by Danny, do you suppose?]

89

Chapter Nine
1981: Chinese Star At U.S. Open. 1981: North American Qualifier For World Cup.
1981: San Francisco Hosts Chinese Team On Their Way Home.
Before I begin my take on the U.S. Open,
Im going to give you comments from four
other attendees. The first (TTT, July-Aug.,
1981, 4) is a group article from the Tri-City
Club in Schenectady, New York:
To the Editor:
We thought the Open this year was a
very well-run and well-organized tournament.
We do have one gripe however. Before one of our players matches, several of us went up to
the control desk and, since all of us would be playing shortly, and since all of us had paid an
umpires fee for our events, requested umpires. [I think such an initial request is unusual, and I
wonder if these players, mindful of the disappearance of umpire fees at past Opens, werent
testing the waters, baiting the organizers regarding the payment of these fees.]
When they werent forthcoming, we figured, o.k., it was probably hard to find qualified
umpires, and so we said something like, Hey, we dont know what you do with the umpire
fees, but we want ours back.
At which point the man from the NJTTC behind the control desk started yelling at us, We
pay the Chinese with the umpire fees! What the hell do you think we do with the umpire fees!
Frankly, we wouldnt mind paying a Chinese fee in order for them to come to the
U.S. Open. But we dont think the Chinese are really being paid with the umpires fees. (And if
they are, well, thats a whole other argument.)
Anyway, we feel the tournament director should get decent people behind the control
desk and weed out the a_______. We also asked this man if we could leave a message there
for someone and he snapped No!
Were sorry if in our own irritation we insulted other people behind the desk, all of
whom, with this one exception, were very nice and considerate.
Prakit Jeerapaet isnt sorry for his heated blast (TTT, May-June, 1982, 6), still aflame a
year after the event. I am not exaggerating, he says, playing in that 1981 U.S. Open was
like playing in hell. People who participated in this prestigious tournament will surely agree
with me. His first complaint? The playing site was terrible. Why? There was no air-conditioning at all. People should have known that this place [Princeton Universitys Jadwin Gym]
could not be used for any sporting event in the Summer, not when the temperature inside was
so high. In the afternoon, the spotlights, the body heat from the people inside, and the heat
convection from the sun very easily raised the temperature inside the gymnasium to 120
degrees F. It was like being kept in an oven. It was so hot that many people developed heat
stroke; even one of the Korean women players was stricken with it. Sometimes it was so hot
that the whole tournament needed to be interrupted so that the ventilation fans could be turned
on to let the hot air circulate before it exceeded the danger limit. Most of the top players from
Europe and Scandinavia played much below their normal caliber because of the heat.
90

Jeerapaets next complaint

had to do with the uneven
flooring. Usually some part of
this gymnasium was used for
indoor track events, so it was
paved with rough surface
asphalt for traction. Many
tables were put on this kind of
flooring. Further, the floor
sloped at least 20 degrees. I
felt like I had been cheated to
pay such a high tournament fee
(especially the registration and
handling fee) when I needed to
spend many hundreds of
dollars for my whole family to

Princetons Jadwin Gym

Photo by Neal Fox

attend this tournament.

The accommodations at the official tournament hotelwas Jeerapaet satisfied with
those? Can you guess? We were promised a courtesy bus to the playing site. But, believe it or
not, the last ride we could get from the tournament site back to the hotel (three miles away)
was at 6:00 p.m. We came to the U.S. Open to watch the world-class players perform, but
there were many more good matches played at night, as late as 10:00 p.m. or later. [So youve
already spent so much money, whats a few bucks more for a cab ride?]
And the publicity! What happened to the TV coverage? If not from ESPN, why not
from the PBC network like before?...
In summary, the 1981 U.S. Open at Princeton was a disgrace
Jack Carr, however (TTT, Sept., 1981, 15) provided a sunny complement:
The New Jersey 1981 U.S. Open was a success. Congratulations to Mel Eisner and
his crew for a wonderful job. From the initial registration with minimum delay, free good Tshirts, and computer handout scheduling, it was apparent that this would be a well-organized
event. The U.S. mens team deserves praise for its play, spirit, and sportsmanship, and particularly its second-place finish to the great Peoples Republic of China team.
The Indian Industries (Harvard) tables were excellent, fast enough for top level offense
but not too fast for the defensive advocate. The lighting on all tables was near perfect. The
barriers were certainly adequate. Even though the mammoth playing area had three different
surfaces, it required only a few seconds to adjust from one to the other [sictheres a difference of opinion on that].
The personnel manning the control desk really knew what they were doing. All inquiries were answered promptly; even one serious disagreement between two officials was settled
in a gentlemanly manner. I was amazed with the near-perfect time-scheduling; in the one
instance it did get behind, this was made up by the referee and others lending a hand, which
they were able to do in a few minutes because of the computer draws and organization. I did
not hear of any unwarranted defaults or objections to the draws [sic: where was Jack when the
International Team and International Club matches were going on?].
91

The umpiring of the top matches was excellent

if not outstanding, allowing reasonable laxity with the
almost-impossible-to-comply-with ITTF serve rule. As
I was sitting near some non-playing spectators and
heard their Ohs and Ahs every time a high-toss serve
was executed, it occurred to me that they really liked
these serves. On further thought, it seemed to me that
if all serves were required to be high, many of the
umpires judgment calls could be made easier.
The compliance with the USATT dress code
was the best Ive ever seenwith only two exceptions:
one top player in a hard-rubber early-round; and
players no longer in the tournament practicing the final
day. The use of numbers on the backs of shirts was
excellent, and would probably have been more complied with if the programs had arrived on time and
stated the cities of the participants. It was a good idea
Chinas Zhang Deying
to require numbers on the backs of the shirts for
From
Frances
Tennis de Table, July-Aug., 81
entrance. [The non-compliant players after entering
then took the numbers off their shirts, or, on changing
shirts, didnt put the numbers back on?]
Where else could you get a room for $12.00 per night, even with the rustic dormitory
conditions? For those who objected to the lack of air-conditioning and basement communal
washing and toilet facilities, Mel Eisner willingly gave full refund [sic], and nearby hotel rooms
were available.
With only a few exceptions the no-smoking-on-the-floor restriction was complied
with.Although there was no air-conditioning, it was not bad on the floor [sic]. But as Ron
Shirley sick-joke said as he saw the spectators fanning themselves, Who says there arent
table tennis fans?It was great and unusual to have awards for semifinalists. In the Over
50s, won by Marcy Monasterial ($80) over Bob Fritsch ($40), even I took home $25.00 and a
fine wall plaque for getting to the semis, thanks mainly to Wizard-Panda racket flipping.
Tommey Burke, the Arizona Womens Champion, in an adjacent article to Carrs,
writes:
I feel tournament officials should go with the old adage, The customer is always
right instead of treating players like they are a vicious, vindictive group of animals. Too many
times (and I personally can attest to this) the people behind the control desk make people feel
stupid and bothersome. I know that it is very hard, trying work behind the desk, but, considering many people spent a lot of money entering as well as getting to this tournament, they
deserved to be treated as respected athletes, albeit everyone cant get the condescending
treatment offered the elite players.
Who decided that it would be more bothersome to turn on the blowers, which might
affect the balls, than wilt through the almost unbearable heat that greatly affected the players
themselves? I realize its a damned if you do, damned if you dont situation, but perhaps the
players could have been consulted (were they?).
92

I wont even honor the dorm rooms

with an in-depth discussionthey speak for
themselves. Why didnt we all realize a hotel
room would have been as cheap if shared?
But after some of the players saw the
spartan (which carries the connotation of
simple yet noble) rooms, and were told that
there was no air-conditioning and realized
that sometimes a bathroom was three or four
flights of stairs down or (horrors!) not even
in the same building, why, when they asked
for it, couldnt they have received a refund?
[Jack Carr said they received a full refund].
How do you think it reflects upon the United
States when we provide visiting foreign
players with these accommodations?
To add insult to injury, we all had to
Princeton Universitysimple, yet noble rooms?
trek what was close to a mile to get to the
tournament from the aforementioned dorms.
Certainly some arrangement should have been made to have a shuttle service (even if only
three or four times a day). Its called common courtesy.
What, no program for the tournament? No list
of participants? Nothing to ponder over in the future?
At least I didnt see any such thing. [There definitely
was such a programindeed, even a second, Souvenir,
onelisting the participants, the sponsors and the
workers that made the tournament possible, as well as
some photos of the Chinese stars. Carr said the programs didnt arrive on timeI dont know when or if
they were made available to the public, but I have both
programs.] Where in the world did the $20 registration fee go? For the amount of money it cost to enter,
the players packets should have had more in them.
I know there is always a very bad situation with
finding umpires, but it was extremely bad at this
tournament. (I never had an umpire for any of my
matches.) Okay, so considering this, why cant the
players themselves collect the money, since theoretically they are their own umpires. I know it sounds very
petty, but where does that money go? If it goes for a
fund of some kind, great, but tell us about it.
Why didnt someone tell us that the beautiful
Jadwin gymnasium had a floor that was half wooden, half treated-rubber (that got descriptions of magnetized, its glue, moans of I cant move, What is this crap? etc., etc.). I hate
the feeling Im going to tournaments with bated breath, not knowing what kind of conditions
will be thrown our way.
93

The Chinese team was exciting, devastating, impressiveBut I think many would have
liked to see more fine European players.The finals were rather lackluster, exhibition-like
since they were so dominated by the Chinese.
Well, it seems like I have ragged on about every little bothersome detail at the 1981
U.S. Open. It had its good moments, but I was still very disappointed.
I start my own coverage with Hot! Hot! Hot!thats what everyone was saying at
Princeton of this years Open. No, it wasnt quite 113 degrees like last year in Fort Worth
but then the Jadwin Gym wasnt the air-conditioned Tarant County Convention Center either.
Bad to have the Open in the summer, but otherwise the foreign stars cant or dont want to
give us a week or two of their already crowded playing season. However, if we dont watch
out, we may lose them anyway. For such players, their countrys table tennis royalty, are used
to decent hospitality, free entries, and the little amenitieslike being met at the airport, provided with private transportation to and from the playing site, given pocket money, taken on a
sightseeing tripthat over the years theyve come to expect from a Class tournament.
To say blandly that most of the international players here were forced to fend for
themselves and to let it go at that, just get on with the tournament, is to suggest that nobody
cares.
Well, I careI met players, friends, at the airport, had them as house guests, chauffeured them aroundand many other people care, including those who worked to make the
Open a reality. The problem was that neither Mel Eisner, the beleaguered organizer of this
years tournament, or the USTTA, had the financial resources to further the desired international image wed all like to see.
Eisner worked very hardhe and Paul Lee bore the entire financial brunt of the eightperson Chinese delegation, and they deserve credit too for helping C.F. Liu and Sol Schiff
make important contacts with the Chinese. But, as one fellow put it, Mel should never have
gotten into the hassle of the hotel accommodation business.
Dorm space (at Princeton University, for $12 a night) is adequate but spartan, with
linen pick-up on arrival, and bathrooms usually off the floor.
Clearly the entry blank had pretty much warned the players what to expect. O.K., the
rooms werent air-conditioned, some didnt have doors, some doors couldnt be locked, some
if not all the bathrooms were co-edbut, hey, man or woman, if you wanted cheap accommodations, you had to be prepared to rough it a little.
But to seriously try to put the international players (guests) in such a place was, as
one foreign official stiffly put it, to sacrifice the principles and conventions of the ITTF for
money.
The Chinese were expected to stay at these dorms? No way said a liaison man. The
equally private South Koreans who only last year feted the U.S. and how many other teams at
the Seoul Open? They all got off their chartered bus, took one look at the place, and left. The
volatile Italians? The not so sphinx-like Egyptians? That first warm night some of them scornfully took up their mattresses and camped under the stars.
Whose responsibility was it to provide not just for the Chinese but for the other teams?
Eisners? His helpful liaison man Paul Lees? The USTTAs? But of course without money
what could you do? Imagine bed and board at the Holiday Inn not just for the spectatordrawing Chinese but for the other teamsor even, by way of reciprocating, just for the Koreans alone. The five-day bill would be, if not staggering, appreciable.
94

No, the sponsorship for one reason or another just wasnt adequately thereand while
a number of foreign teams (the Swedes, for instance, who last year had stuck it out under
worse conditions at the Blackstone Hotel in Fort Worth) were publicly uncomplaining of the
$12 a night dorm hospitality or the 50% reduction (but, ah, not a 100% reduction) in entry
fees allotted each player, others (the most extreme of which were the defaulting Italians) were
openly critical. U.S. Mens Team Captain Houshang Bozorgzadeh urged that in the future all
International Teams (including ours) be given free entries and hospitalitytreatment equal to
what they receive in other Table Tennis lands. Yes, of course. Except whos gonna pay for it?
I myself didnt like it, didnt think it
Mel Eisners just showing
right, nor did Houshang, that in the Internathis trophy to Alice
tional Team event there was no prize money
Greenor shes won it?
(especially when in the Club Team event for
Photo by Harry Frazer
lesser-ranked players there was). True, there
were beautiful, expensive trophies, remembrances of the occasion, for the winning
Chinese, but for the second year in a row no
prize money for the U.S. professionals who,
playing all out, gave the sponsor and the
spectators their moneys worth.
Yeah, I know (how often had I
heard it) if the sponsor for all his efforts
doesnt make any money, how can you
expect the players to? But, conversely, without better prize money tournaments to help our
best players make a living at the sport, how can anyone ever take table tennis seriously, how
can it prosper?
And yet this tournament did seem to show the potential table tennis has in the U.S. There
were maybe 700 participants. The program sneakily made it seem to ones casual glance at the
player numbers mounting progressively up (from 1 to 1162) there were hundreds moreonly, if
you looked closely, you could see repeated gaps in the number sequence. But there were definitely
more spectators, fans waving warmly, at this Open than there had been at any Open for the last
decade. Also, there were articles of varying interest in local New Jersey newspapers (Harvey
Yavener of the Trenton Times did a five-column article just on the Boggans), the New York Times,
Long Islands Newsday, and Sports Illustratedall
this prompted in large part by the presence of the
World Champion Chinese.
Why then wasnt there the hoped for TV?
Well, you cant fault the organizers for that. They
tried. But Triple T and the USTTA couldnt
resolve the issue. [Later, in TTT, Apr., 1982, 4),
theres an announcement that, Thanks to the
efforts of Houstons Terry Canup, the 81 U.S.
Open Mens, Womens, and Team finals will be
shown on ESTN-TV [not ESPN-TV?]. The first
of these segments, which have already been seen
with great success in Canada, may be seen on
Terry Canup
May 29. I dont know of any follow up to this.]
Photo by Fred Grobee
95

So really, all in all, I think most people would say that Eisner and his Tournament
Committee did about as much as they conscientiously could. Certainly the matches themselves
were very well run offand Neal Fox, the Pedicinis, Colin Mallows, and any number of others
were often very considerate of the many players with special problems.
Perhaps it was for participants like me, who want a lot from the sport and the people in
it, that Mel or his very helpful associate Paul Lee could write in the opening page of the
Program the following reminder of sorts?
Producing the U.S. Open at Princeton and the [Chinese] World Champions Friendship Tour was an undertaking of monumental proportions. It involved much detail work, long
hours, and cram courses in domestic and international diplomacy.
Womens Team Championship
Well start our Open Tour here with the Womens Team Championship. Representing
the Peoples Republic of China was 19-year-old Tong Ling, the 1981 World Womens Singles
Champion, and 28-year-old Zhang Deying whod represented China in four World Championships and for the last two had been the World Womens Doubles co-holder.
Expected to give China their only semblance of competition was the #2 world-ranked
South Korean team. However, two of their top stars were absent from this OpenSoo Ja Lee,
1981 World Womens Singles semifinalist, and her sometime doubles partner Kyung Ja Kim.
But taking their place were two other good playersHwang Nam Sook, who a year and a half
ago took the Junior Womens event at the Toronto CNE and who this year, much improved,
won a big match at the Worlds for her country in that intensely-fought tie with North Korea
(she beat two-time World Champion Pak Yung Sun), and Hwangs partner, An Hae Sook, 81
Worlds Womens Doubles semifinalist.
Japanwhere were they? Some said they didnt come this year because no one would give
them hospitality; others said it was because after losing to South Korea in the World Team Championship it wasnt worth their while to come here and not be able to get to the final.
Consequently, given (1) the two teams in the final already a foregone conclusion, (2)
the complete absence from the draw of any Scandinavian women who might have been in the
hall, (3) the fact that the Canadians (Mariann Domonkos/Gloria Hsu) were to beat our U.S.
players (Faan Yeen Liu/Cheryl Dadian), 3-0, and (4) the weakness of the Puerto Rican team,
the only preliminary round robin tie of any interest at all was U.S. #1 vs. Venezuela.
Venezuela had not been sending teams to the Worldsso their strength was suspect.
This was confirmed in the first match when the U.S.s Carol Davidson easily defeated Tamilo
Gramad 11 and 6. However, 18-year-old Elizabeth Popper was another matter. She was last
summers triple-crown Caribbean Champion. And just as shed defeated Sheila ODougherty
two straight in last years U.S. Open singles, so she defeated her again three straight here. U.S.
1Venezuela 1.
The doubles was keyand Alice Green/Davidson made it look 17, 11 easy.
In the fourth match, though Carol lost the first to Popper, she held on to win the
second at 19. But then, weak on the forehand as she is, she got killed in the third. No disgrace
though in losing, for Elizabeth came into this tournament rated 135 points higher than Carol.
In the fifth there was not the remotest possibility that Sheila could loseand so the
U.S. moved into the semis.
Here, of course, the U.S. against Korea (65 points in six straight games) was as bad a
mismatch as Canada against China (72 points in six straight games).
96

In the final, Chinas straightgame singles results were typified by

a reaction of Tong Ling in her first
game: after leading Hwang Nam
Sook 20-14, Tong, on losing four
points in a row and seeing Korean
flag-waving supporters stirring with
hope and excitement, couldnt resist a
little smile, then got an edge ball as if
to say, Could anyone really seriously
think Im not destined to win this
game and the match? After Zhang
won her singles, the Koreans did take
the doubles (at an impossible-toChinas winning womens team champions, L-R: Coach Zeng
Chuangiang, Zhang Deying, and Tong Ling.
believe -19, 7, 8 score). But then
Photo by Harry Frazer
Tong Ling beat An Hae Sook, seeded
#7 at the 81 Worlds, 11 and 7. Ridiculous, huh?
Mens Team Championship
Naturally the Chinesewith World Mens Doubles Champions Li Zhenshi and Cai
Zhenhua, and World Mixed Doubles Champion Xie Saikewere going to win the Mens
Teams too. But it was far from certain whod be playing them in the final.
In Group A, in the first round, #1 seed China had a bye, and #3 seed Canada (Zoran
Zoki Kosanovic/Errol Caetano) drew #5 seed Columbiabut Columbia didnt show. The #2
seed Italy (Massimo Costantini/Giovanni Bisi) was drawn against the U.S. II team (Ricky
Seemiller, Scott Boggan). But when Scotts rented car went dead on him and he had to abandon it on the side of a parkway and try as he might couldnt get to Princeton in time for this
match, a substitute had to be found. But who? High-rated Rey Domingo? Perhapsthough
he was playing in the popular 42-team International Club Team event and so couldnt legally
play in the International Team event too. Could he get away with playing a match or two for
U.S. II? Would he take a chance for his countryor rather
the U.S.? He wouldwith Captain Houshangs blessing.
But to no avail. Though Ricky was in there for a
while with Costantini, Italy soon zipped us.
No upsets so far.
In the second round, China routinely blanked Italy.
But Canada vs. the U.S. II team, played off in a corner,
turned out to be one of the two most exciting ties of the
tournament.
Ricky opened by losing a 19-in-the-3rd match to
Caetano, who the month before, in Nova Scotia, had won his
seventh Canadian Closed Mens Singles Championship. Then
Kosanovic, whod played for Yugoslavia at this springs Novi
Sad Worlds but who from now on would be representing
Canada in whatever international competition he could, easily
beat Scott. But then enter the helpful Domingo again, who,
Canadas Errol Caetano
97

Ricky Seemillerupset Canadas Kosanovic

Photo by Robert Compton

paired with Ricky, won two big doubles games,

Scott Bogganrallied for a U.S. win over Canada
the second at 19, over a perhaps too complacent Kosanovic/Caetanoand the U.S. was
still alive.
And now, surprise, Ricky beat Zoki two straight (though perhaps the Yugoslav, who
just the day before had arrived in New York after a long flight from Hong Kong where hed
been playing in the select-field Norwich Union Masters, was still feeling some fatigue from his
trip).
And Scott was at 22-all in that first game with Errol whenno, he couldnt win it.
Worse, in a few minutes, he was 20-15 quadruple-match-point down to the Canadian. Only,
how does it happen? Scott, whos always been something of a streaky player and often a
fearless one, 1-2-3-4-5 deuced it, then won it, 24-22. Then won the third to give the U.S. a
tingling upset victory. That this come-from-behind win brought Scott back into Captain
Bozorgzadehs good graces could not be denied. I was extremely happy with our players
during this tournament, said Houshang later. They were so dedicated and displayed such fine
attitudes. Individual problems, which, with their accompanying stresses, can arise so easily
during a highly competitive tournament, were in no way evident. There was team pride, as
each of our players showed a strong desire to represent the United States well.
Now, with the U.S. IIs upset win, what, according to Foxs format, was to happen?
Were there no upset, the #3 seeded team (Canada) would play the #2 seeded team (Italy). But
since the #4 seeded team (U.S. II) had upset Canada, the U.S. would switch positions with
Canadaand so play Italy again, while Canada would sit out again against the phantom
Columbians? Regardless of the stated format could that be the right thing to do?
No.
But as Neal would say later, hed been last-minute harried, and, harried, he hadnt
clearly thought out the system, and, since he wasnt actually on hand running the event, he
couldnt rectify the mistake. Hadnt Neal conferred with other team captains or representatives
regarding this new format? Or had they not thought it out either?

Disgusted as Italy already was over the accommodations offered them and the fact that
after flying all the way here they were expected to pay half their entry fees they understandably
98

found more absurdity in going out to play a second back-to-back tie against the same U.S. II
team. (Needless to say, if a U.S. Teams in Venice in mid-October for the Italian Open, be
forewarned not to expect the usual hospitality or maybe even a fair-minded place in the draw.)
This second time around, Scott almost beat Costantini (whod gotten to the last 32 at
the Novi Sad Worlds)but, with victory near, listened to some well-intentioned advice that
he play cautiously at the end, and this, he said later, was his undoing. Again Italy zipped us.
Canada, whod played only one match, never did play another. Maybe, since there
wasnt any prize money, they just didnt care? Nor did Italy, whod made it to the criss-cross,
play anymore. They just disappeared from the Princeton scenenever to return again. Last I
heard they were partying in New York. (And to think that at one time this spring there was
talk in Eisners ear of a welcoming parade for the Italians down New York Citys Mulberry
Street.)
Happily, over in Group B, the round robin matches were going to proceed in normal
fashion. There were some eyebrows raised before play started though when the U.S. I team
(Danny Seemiller/Eric Boggan) were seeded first in the Group over both #9 world-ranked
South Korea (Kim Wan/Kim Ki Taek), and the Swedish team of 1980 U.S. Open Champion
Mikael Appelgren/Jens Fellke).
There was also a little stir when Venezuela had to default all its matches because its
players had gone sightseeing in New York, had gotten lost, and (though very apologetic)
couldnt get back in time. And more than a little stir when, before the matches, Pakistan and
Peru pulled out of the International Team event in favor of trying to win money in the $600
International Club event. (After all, the Pakistanis had spent $100 in cab fare just trying to get
to Princeton).
Pakistan did reach the final of the $600 International
Club Team event. It shared a 5-0 record with New York
Chinatown, and the winner of their final would get top money,
while the loser would split the remaining $350 prize money
among three teams that had finished 4-1. These were Quang Bui/
Perry Schwartzberg (over Jim Lazarus/Randy Seemiller); George
Brathwaite/Brian Masters (over Brandon Olson/Scott Butler);
and Dean Wong/Gustav Ulloa (over Egypts Sonbol/Shola).
Before the Club Team final, the originator of the event,
Neal Fox, said (TTT, Aug., 1981, 6) that Pakistan had noticed
that Rey Domingo of the Chinatown team had played as a
Ecuadors Gustav Ulloa
substitute for the U.S. II team, and, no, he was not going to get
From Feb. 26-28, 1982s II Copa
away with that. They lodged a protest because they themselves
Latino Americana de Tenis
right at the beginning had requested to play in both events. Alas
de Mesa
for Rey and Chinatownthe Referee had no choice but to rule
that Rey could not play in the finalwhich started a whole other set of complaints from teams
Chinatown, with Reys help, had already defeated.
So without Rey but with the support of a large number of Chinatown partisans bussed in
from New York, Alex Tam and Richard Ling had to carry on against Pakistan. Alex defeated Sohail
Hayat, 17, 11, in the first match. But Arif Khan (whom U.S. Team member Mike Bush had beaten
in a 1981 Worlds Consolation match) downed Richard 18, 14. Then, although Chinatown was able
to win the first game of the critical doubles at 15, they -18, -9, couldnt win another. Alex rose to
the occasion in the fourth match, beating Khan, 17, 18. But, though the pro-Chinatown crowd
99

cheered him on and on and on, as again and again and again that first game with Hayat went to
deuce, Richard finally had to succumb, 29-27, and then lost the second game at 17.
Continuing now with Group B in the International Teams, I can report that, despite a
certain amount of confusion and casualness (there was no traditional Opening Ceremony),
Danny and Eric finally got out to the table against the formidable Koreans. (Fortunately, a
first-round bye had allowed Eric, whod had to abandon that car with Scott, time to rush to
Princeton by bus, so that hed gotten here just minutes before the tie was to begin.)
When Danny won the first game at 13 from pips-out hitter Kim Ki Taek it looked good
for the U.S. But Kim, who at Novi Sad had won that big 9th match to give his team a frontpage soul-victory over North Korea, pulled out the next two.
Again, when Eric took the first from Kim Wan at 15 (in last years Open Eric had lost
to him in both the Teams and Singles), it looked very encouraging. But again it was not to be,
for after Eric lost the crucial second game at 19 and got off to a bad start in the third, he was
no longer in the match. South Korea (2)U.S. I (0).
At this point, Yoo Si Heung, who at last years U.S. Open had beaten Danny in the
Singles, came in to partner Kim Wanand just as Danny and Eric had beaten them in last
years U.S. Open Team event, so they beat them this year. But what a 19, -11, 28 barroom
brawl it was (with one Korean repeatedly grinding his spit into the floor with a very squeaky
sneaker). Seven match points Danny and Eric were downbut out of mutual respect for their
fighting selves, for the hang-tough way theyd played together in the Teams and the Mens
Doubles a few days before in Canada, they proudly prevailed. So now it was as if all the
Americans watching knew what was going to happen.
And, sure enough, Danny (24, 19) twice outlasted Kim Wan (no mean feat, for Kims
staying powers had allowed him to beat Jacques Secretin, the durable French Champion, in the
Teams at the Worlds. And Eric downed Kim Ki Taek in straight games. What another marvelous finish. At almost the same time that afternoon, two U.S. Teams, down 2-0, had found
the strength to successfully fight back.
Only Sweden then, who would eventually lose 3rd Place to South Korea, 3-2, could
keep this U.S. Team from getting to the final against China. So when Danny completely
dominated a listless Defending Mens Singles Champion Appelgren in the first match, the U.S.
was off to a spirited beginning. But though
Fellke (he was to be one of the coaches for
Yvonne Kronlages post-Open Junior Olympic Camp) hadnt been playing in many
tournaments recently, he was still dangerous
for Eric, who in the 78 and 79 U.S. Opens
had split five-game matches with him. Here,
when Eric couldnt win the first game at
deuce, he, irritated, couldnt win the second
either, and the U.S. was in trouble.
Again the doubles was all-important.
Swedens Jens Fellke
And again, after losing the first at 18, Danny
Photo by Barry Margolius
and Eric held strong. Though Eric wasnt at
his best, Dannys all-out effort seemed always to bring his still-young partner away from any
indulgence in self-reproachmuch as if Danny were actually saying, Cmon, Eric, theres no
time for that. Weve got a job to do here. It wont be perfect, but weve got to get it done.
100

And after the U.S. had won the doubles,

finish it Danny did with an easy win over Fellke.
I was so happy, said Captain Houshang, to
witness both of our Mens Teams face adversity,
come from behind, and achieve successes beyond expectations. Facing China in the final was
a major accomplishment for the U.S. Team. In
his exuberance, Houshang thanked Chief Umpire
Manny Moskowitz and Referee Rufford
Harrison. And, as was his want, he also thanked
President Sol Schiff: He was always present
when needed and his long experience and knowledge of tournament matters were instrumental in
attaining high tournament standards and keeping
the event well organized.
So in the International Teams that left
Danny and Eric, U.S. Open Mens Team Finalists only the final. Hey, said one guy, rushing out
of the hall to greet his just-arrived friend in the
lobby, You wont believe it. Commies are in there playing!
Red Commies! says his friend.
Yeah! says the other.
Well, they wouldnt be playing longnot in this tie anyway. Still, with their SecondPlace trophy held high for photographers, it was as if, for the second year in a row, the Americans had won.
Womens Singles
In the Womens Singles, no repeat Championship was possible for Kayoko
Kawahigashi, for Japan wasnt here to renew her traditional U.S. Open rivalry with South
Korea. Of course it was clear from the beginning that one of the Chinese was going to win
most likely Tong Ling since Zhang Deying had beaten her three straight only a few days before
in the Canadian Open.
Of the dozen or so matches played by U.S. players in the round of 32, perhaps the best
was between Takako Trenholme, whod been on the
U.S. Womens Team in Canada, and Carol Davidson,
whod represented the U.S. at the Novi Sad Worlds.
Carol, who likes to move further and further over on
her forehand side to feint with her backhand, needed
all her quick agility and unusual reach to (29, 21, 21, 19) just get by Takakos steady penhold attack.
Exciting, too, was Faan Yeen Lius (-19, 16,
16, 20) victory over four-time U.S. World Team
member Judy Bochenski Hoarfrost, who was playing, yes, but also vacationing a little with husband
Dan. What had Faan Yeen learned from her training
experience in China? To contact the ball on the same
exact spot of the racket over and over again; to
Dan and Judy Hoarfrost
101

disguise the spinnot just with the stroke motion but with a flip of her two-sided racket and
(on a serve or push) an accompanying cant-tell-the-side-from-the-sound footstamp; to push
fast when she needed to; to set up a pickThe Chinese want you to be as tricky as possible,
shed said on her return from Peking.
Shazzi Felstein, whos represented the U.S. in the Maccabean
Games, and whos still as enthusiastic as ever about the sport,
downed Quebec junior Guylaine Belanger in five to become the
only other American to reach the round of 16.
Linda Chong,
former National Champion
of Malaysia and a member
of the Malaysian Team at
the 79 Pyongyang
Worlds, for two years now
has been based in Miami.
She put up the only tenacious fight among the early
losers when she went five
Shazzi Felstein
with 22-year-old five-time
Photo by Mal Anderson
Canadian Champ Mariann
Domonkos. This fall,
Mariann will live in Germany and play for Saarbrucken
in the Bundesliga (the same club that Surbek and Hilton
are with). She fell, 23, -6, -12, -18, to the top European
Canadas Mariann Domonkos
in the tournament, Finlands Sonja Grefberg. A round
earlier, Sonja had had little
trouble with Barbara Kaminsky, the $60 Womens U-1800 winner over
her sister Donna Newell ($30).
U.S. Team member Sheila ODougherty, copy of Bertrand
Russells History of Western Philosophy in hand, had been traveling
about after the 81 WorldsPortugalSwitzerlandIrelanduntil
finally she arrived hereto lose in straight games to Venezuelas Elizabeth Popper. Elizabeth, who, hello (did Poppa Popper have a hand in
this?), played Mixed Doubles with Danny Seemiller, was then just
outclassed by South Koreas (2352-rated) Hwang Nam Sook.
Losing three straight to Koreans too, all of whom were rated
anywhere from 2200 to 2350, were four-time U.S. World Team member
Alice Green; Novi Sad U.S. Team member 17-year-old Cheryl Dadian
(who needs to practice more footwork); and, in the eighths, Faan Yeen,
Barbara Kaminsky and also Carol, who at least took a game from In-ja Lim.
Losing in straight games to Korean Tae-ran Kim was Canadian
Closed runner-up Gloria Hsu, who in earlier rounds had beaten Judy Tun, former Thailand
National Champion and Coach of the Thai Womens team at the Pyongyang Worlds, and
Ardith Ann Lonnon, $40 Womens U-1500 winner over Karen Rugar ($20). No offense
intended, but I personally feel its absurd that Miss Lonnon, Barbara Kaminsky, Donna Newell,
and Karen Rugar were given the opportunity to win prize money here while our best women
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players rated hundreds of points ahead of them were not. There was no money for Joannie Fu,
Womens U-1200 winner over Sherri Ackerman, or, surprisingly, Yvonne Kronlage, Womens
Senior Champion over Pat Hodgins.
The Womens U-21won by 17-year-old Finlands Sonja
Grefberg over Swedens Lena Walleroffered $170 in prize money,
but our young women didnt get any of it. Grefberg was deserving
shed recently had wins over Swedens Ann-Christin Hellman, former
European Champion, and Czechoslovakias Marie Hrachova, the
current European Junior Champion. Sonja also won the Girls U-17 from
Ai-ju Wu, though of course Girl (or Boy) winners werent going to get
any cash. Waller, who paired with Grefberg to win the Girls U-17
Doubles from Canadas Becky McKnight and partner, had a nice 22, -15,
14 win over South Americas Popper in the 21s, and Ai-ju an equally
nice 19-in-the-4th victory over Dadian in the U-17s. This summer
Grefberg will attend three consecutive training camps in or near Helsinki
Finlands Sonja Grefberg
to prepare for the European Junior Championships in Prague. And Ai-ju
From the German
and her sister Ai-Wen will be training and vacationing in Taiwan.
Tischtennis Nov. 86
Ai-ju also stayed forehand-serve-and-follow aggressive
enough to (16, 20, -20, 19) capture the U-15s over Swedens Ulrika Hansson. Ulrika
partnered Jasmine Wang to take the U-15 Girls Doubles over Canadas Michelle Qurrey and
partner. Girls U-13 went to Wang over Renata Crhak, -20, 19, 13, then over Swedens Marie
Waller. Girls U-11 winner, when #1 seed Vicky Wong couldnt produce her birth certificate
and suffered disqualification, was Michele Mantel over Tahnya Percy.
Womens Late Rounds
In the quarters, Tong Ling, who in the
eighths had held Swedens 2100-rated Waller to
just 29 points, had no difficulty with In-ja Lim,
nor Zhang Deying with Felstein ($40) and Kyung
Sook Shin, victor over Domonkos in last years
Seoul Open. When An Hae Sook easily disposed
of fellow Korean Tae-ran Kim, that left the
Grefberg-Hwang Nam Sook match the focus of
attention. Sonjas high-toss serve, which had
worked so well against Domonkos, was not
effective against penholder Hwang, last years
Seoul Open winner. Nevertheless, if Sonja could
keep the ball short, particularly on her serves,
and get Hwang to push the ball, she could vary
Chinas Tong Ling
her loop around the table and score. But though
From Nittaku News, June, 83
Grefberg also often showed a good backhand
counter, she just wasnt aggressive enough,
needed a better kill shot. Still, she was holding firm in the fifth until, up 15-14, Hwang ran it
out.
In the semis, Hwang was very much five-game in there with the heavily-favored
Zhang. Urged on by Korean spectators who were yelling encouragement point after point,
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Hwangs teammates chimed in, chanted sing-song squeals of support (Thats so cute when
they do that, said a woman sitting near me.)
Up 9-8 in the fifth, Zhang served up a high-toss, then just watched, as if paralyzed, as
Hwang passed her on the return. But then the next minute it was 10-all when Zhang mixed up
Hwang with a chop serve that the Korean failed to return. Up 14-11, Zhang heard the Chinese
cheerswas soon down 17-16. But then Hwang tried to topspin in Zhangs last serve and
didnt come close. At this point the match might have looked a toss-up, but the Chinese caught
Hwang with her high-up serve and follow, and then, though the Korean had the serve at the
end, she got very tight and couldnt hit in any forehands.
In the other semis, Tong Ling (Shes got such flawless defensive strokes, said one
China watcher. Shes so safe, so sure, said another) gave up a polite 19 game to righty
shakehander An Hae Sook, but had no problem finishing out the match in expedite. That
Tong Ling, what a classic forehand shes got, said a third admirer.
The all-Chinese final was of course what youd expect it to be. At the 81 Worlds,
Tong had beaten Zhang 15, 14, 12; at the just completed Norwich Open Zhang had beaten
Tong, 13, 17, 19. Now it was Tongs turn again (for $250)though Zhangs a marvelous
exhibition player, confided a voice-in- the-know to me. She can do things better than guys.
The Mixed Doubles, as with a coin flip, saw Cai/Zhang ($175) defeat Xie/Tong ($90) in the
final.
As for China vs. Korea in the Womens Doubles? Well, said the New York Times,
the Chinese were tired from their travels, dehydrated by the heat and lack of air-conditioning
in the gymnasium, and upset by American food. So, though the Chinese seemed to like the
noodles the Holiday Inn had steamed for them that morning I happened to watch them at
breakfast, the implication was that on the last day of the five-day tournament the Koreans
were fitter or more Westernized than the Chinese and thus Hwang and An could 16, 16 win
the Doubles from them. But of course the Chinese had been beaten in Canada, -19, 19, 19, 15,
by a lesser Korean doubles team, after Tong and Zhang had held these same two players to 46
points in four games in the singles. No, the Chinese, so fond of illusion, knew very well that,
sick or strong, they needed no excuses among themselves to do what was expected of them.
And long after Hwang and An (and their male counterparts) were victorious in the
doubles, long after the Korean flags had stopped waving and the Korean WE ARE NO. 1
banner hanging over the balcony of the gym had been taken down, it wasnt only in some
strange faraway Pyongyang community that little groups could gather and think WE ARE
NO. 1, it was like that right here at Princeton.
Mens Singles
Chinas men of course would be in the Singles finaland though Im sure everyone
got a chance to see them, sometimes one had to look quickly to catch them at the table. Cai
Zhenhua, the #1 seed, whod just been a winner in the Mens Team, Mens Singles, Mens and
Mixed Doubles in the Canadian Open and who before that was rated 2756, went through to
the semis like this: 11, 9, 4; 12, 12, 12; 7, 9, 8; 4, 18, 12. Xie Saike, the #2 seed, who was
pushing a 2800 rating, went through to the semis like this: 3, 5, 6; 5, 7, 8; 14, 13, 10; 10, 15,
14. Which left time for even the most ardent China-watcher to wander about, take in at least
some of the more challenging matches around him.
Rating events from the U-2400s down through the U-1500s offered prize money.
Here are the winners: U-2400: Scott Boggan ($250) over Rey Domingo ($100), 20, 14.
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Semis: Boggan over Randy Seemiller ($50), 19, -21, 18;

Domingo over Canadas Alain Bourbonnais ($50).
Quarters: Boggan over Alex Tam ($25), 20, 13; Seemiller
over Egypts Hosni Sonbol ($25); Domingo over Pakistans
Sohail Hyatt ($25); Bourbonnais over Dean Wong ($25). U2200: Matt Stamp, who only had money enough to enter
one event ($125), over Egypts Shola ($75). Semis: Stamp
over George Cameron ($40); Shola over Jerry Fleischhacker
($40). U-2000: Dickie Fleisher ($80) over Canadas Gloria
Hsu ($50). Semis: Fleisher over Eliezer Shadmi ($25); Hsu
over Fu-Lap Lee ($25), 19, -19, 19. U-1900: Lee ($60)
over Robert Nochenson ($30). U-1800: Jim Butler ($60)
over Randy Levy ($30). U-3800 Doubles: Steve Yeh/
BillYeh ($60) over John Fisher/John Andrade ($30). U1700: Steve Delp ($50) over Sam Huang ($25). U-1600:
Dickie The Anti-Christ Fleisher Huang ($40) over Todd Attalia ($20). U-3200 Doubles:
Cornelius team ($40) over Lonnon team ($20). U-1500:
Ross Gillan ($40) over David Keep ($20).
The following events did not offer money prizes: U-1400:
Kevin Murphy over James Cline. U-1300: Dave McCloud over
Karen Rugar. U-2600 Doubles: Liu team over McCloud/David
Basson. U-1200: Horst Zodrow over Jeff Greenberg. U-1000: Mark
Wood over Ov Nazarbechian. Over 70s: Laszlo Laci Bellak over
Ulpiano Santo. Last year, Laci didnt play in the 70s. Attention
then centered on the winner, Dutch McCallister, and especially on the
runner-up, open-heart surgery survivor John McLennan. McLennans
difficult but successful life, much of it spent in Canada where he was
born, was described in a long Senior of the Month article in Topics
(Oct., 1981, 25) by Eugene Wilson. Over 60s: George Hendry over
George Rocker.
Seniors Over
1850: Lew Kerekes
over Bob Fritsch.
Senior Doubles:
George Hendry
Brathwaite/
Photo by Mal Anderson
Bozorgzadeh over
DerekWall/Tim Boggan.
Seniors winner D-J Lee ($150)hed
beaten both runner-up George Brathwaite
($80), 23-21 in the 3rd, and Houshang
Bozorgzadeh ($40) 22-20 in the 3rdalso
struggled, as did others, in the first round of the
Mens Singles. He had to go five to get by the
young Peruvian Champion Carlos Brignardello
(who last summer in Ecuador had beaten 2300
players Dean Wong and Quang Bui).
D-J Lee
105

Others struggling in the first round of the Singles were: Scott Boggan over Quebecs
Pierre Normandin; Canadian Errol Caetano over Ecuadors #1 Gustavo Ulloa; and two of the
South Koreans, Song Jae Ho over Ben Nisbet, and Kim Ki Taek over Ming Yuan, originally
from Canton, China. (If Ming cared more, said one international, he could be the best
player in Canada.)
In the second round, D-J knocked out Swedens Jens Fellke. Kim Ki Taek had serious
problems with Ricky Seemiller, but solved them (perhaps with the help of some back-into-theracket serves?). Given the slow conditions, said Ricky, its bad enough that you cant zoom
the ball in. But playing Kim made it worse. He wouldnt let me loop at all. The only ball I ever
got to hit was off topspinand unless youre a right-off-the-bounce hitter thats hard to
handle. With games tied at 1-1, the third game was a confidence builderbut Ricky, up 1815, couldnt win it. And couldnt win the fourth either. The Koreans force you into a halfvolley, he said, then they crack one.
In the third round, Kim, up 2-0 over Caetano,
looked finally to have an easier time of it. But Errol,
undaunted, kept spinning, hitting, countering his forehand, and rallied to win. Kims teammate, Yoo Si Heung,
whod beaten Japanese defender Norio Takashima at Novi
Sad, also lost a lead and with it the match in five to Lim
Ming Chui. Ming had picked up $200 for wining the Hard
Rubber event in five over Scott Boggan ($100), and
perhaps he was playing so well because his wife and kids
were in Hong Kong and he could concentrate better? He
even had a 20-20 moment in the eighths against Defending Champion Appelgren.
Former Philippine Champ Rey Domingo, whose
international recordat Hong KongBangkok
PekingNagoyaDjakartaMelbourneSingapore
Manilagoes back to 1968, played a marvelous though
Lim Ming Chui
Photo by Mal Anderson
losing five-gamer with Kim Wan, who playing Rey for the
first time found his
strange game, as one fellow put it, highly disconcerting. Kim has a great backhand kill, but, just as he lost
to Kosanovic in the U.S. Open last year, so did he lose
to him here in the eighths.
Out of the eighths, too, to drop a strongly
contested three straight to Eric Boggan came Joe
Ngvictor over Larry Hodges whom Id never seen
play better. Larry downed both Zvi Rathaus, whod
played for Israel in the 71 Worlds, and Canadas Alain
Bourbonnais, whod gotten to the semis of the 2400s.
Before moving on to the Mens quarters, Ill
fill you in on the U-21s and the many Junior and Boys
events. Mikael Appelgren was not only the Defending
Mens Singles Champion, but also the Defending U-21
Champion. But even back in the Teams, in what
Swedens Mikael Appelgren
106

appeared to be a near meaningless tie, U.S. II vs. Sweden, it looked for a while like Mikael
couldnt make up his mind whether he wanted to win a 2/3 against Ricky Seemiller or not.
Perhaps hed already resigned himself to losing his Mens title to a Chinese, and perhaps, $150
or no, he didnt really much care about winning the U-21s.
About Ricky though there was no doubt. As he said later, he was really enjoying the
matchwas often challenging the Swede at his own loop to loop game. With the Seemiller
backhand, said Ricky, you can put a counter hook on the ball, can re-hook itlike Jonyer.
Down 19-18 in the third, The Applecertainly he was not enjoying the matchfound himself
in a precarious position, for, as Ricky said later, It was almost like I had ESP. I knew what he
was gonna dothat he was gonna serve fast. And so Ricky said to himself, Why should I
always let him start the attack? What would happen if I hit his serve with my forehand over to
his backhand corner? And at that moment the Swede served and Ricky swung. The return aced
Appelgren and now he was down double match point.
But though Ricky could confide, My best wins come against lefties, he did not catch
in the last four points remaining in the match this lefty Appelgren off guard again. At the end,
it was Ricky who missing a shot was open-mouthed. At 20-18 I should have used the sponge,
he said. If Id have dug in, maybe I could have gotten a skidder.
In the semis of the 21s, Appelgren was again close to losing. Hed had Scott Boggan
down 20-18 in the deciding third, but then Scott had deuced it. With the momentum all
Boggans (Scott had been rushing some, yes, but he was often scoring with a heavy topspin
backhand and a flat forehand pick that wasnt so much hard hit as deceptive), Appelgren gave
Scott a serve that he wasnt expecting, that prevented him from attacking, and in the ensuing
play the Swede steadied for the point. Then, again match-point down, Scott served and followed as plannedbut later said he didnt hit the shot hard enough and the ball didnt go on.
After such close calls, it wasnt surprising that in one of the last matches of the tournament
Appelgren was beaten in the U-21 final by Eric Boggan who, as the match progressed, played very
well. Down 2-1 and 19-13 in the fourth, the young Swede overruled the umpire and insisted that
the ball had hit his racket hand and that the point (and soon the match) be taken from him.

Candas Joe Ng
Eric Boggan

Photo by Horst Zodrow

Earlier, Eric had been in the final of the U-17. But he hadnt won it. Joe Ng, whom
hed had 21, 20, 16 trouble with in the Mens, had upset him in four. Eric had been irritated
that Joe, whom he used to beat very easily, had extended him, and having vowed to do better
107

but not really caring too much about the event, barely won the first at 19, then blew a 17-10
lead in the second, and after that threw points away with abandon.
What Eric apparently didnt want to realize is that Ng who got to the final of the Mens
Doubles with Kosanovic before losing to Kim Wan/Yoo Si Heung ($250), is steadily improving, and though hes the same nice, pleasant fellow hes always been, is now tougher at the
table and no longer intimidated by players a little or even a lot better than him.. In getting to
the final of the U-17s, Joe eliminated the #2 U.S. Junior, Brian Masters, whod just outlasted
him, 19 in the third, in the U-21s. The U-17 Doubles went to Masters/Brandon Olson over
the Wicker team.
The U-15 Champion was Olson, whod lost to
Perry Schwartzberg (23-21 in the third) in the U-21s
and to Ng in the semis of the U-17s. In the 15 final,
Brandon stopped U-13 winner Sean ONeill, 18 in the
fifth. In the semis, both Brandon and Sean were threegame pressed by visiting Swedes Peter Gripler and Lars
Mattsson. Howd you beat Scott Butler in the
quarters, Lars? someone asked. I won the last
point, he said with a grin. Gripler paired with ONeill
to take the 15 Doubles from Olson/Scott Butler.

Sean ONeill

Brandon Olson

Said one young coach, Scott

Butler has trouble with a high-toss
serve, has trouble countering a ball
thats spinning away from him.
Perhaps. At any event, in the U-13s
this year, as opposed to last, it was
Sean and his spectacular shots that won out over Scotts well-known steadiness. One spectator watching said, Wow, those kids have such poise at 13. And Seandoes he hit that ball!
Ill saybut of course by this time he must have played in as many different matches as he has
beer cans in his collection (by last count 709?).
But Scotts brother, Jimmy, kept up the family honor. Not only did Jimmy win the
U-11s, which of course so long as the earth continues to spin it was understood he
would; and the U-13 Doubles with Kit Jeerapaet over Vaibhav Kamble/Ben Chiu, but he
also came first in the U-1800s and for that earned almost as much as the losing Mens
Singles quarterfinalists.
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Mens Late Rounds

Theres not much to say about Caetanos quarters match with Xie Saike. Someone
had said that Xie is relatively slow to get into the pointbut once there is very, very good
indeed. Yeah. Against Errol, Xie, who takes the ball on the bounce so well, looped and killed
and in his off-moments gave up an average of 13 points a game.
Nor was it any better for Kosanovic
against Cai Zhenhua. Said one fellow
interested in Cais racket, I looked at it up
close both sides: you cant tell the differenceI didnt know which side had the
anti. Maybe that was Zokis problem too?
Down 9-0 in the first, he was muttering to
himself, looking ceilingward, but found no
help there. Down 17-2 he yelled something
at his corner. Whatd he say? I asked.
He says the balls floatingthats why
hes missing them all.
In the second game, up 6-1, Zoki had
gotten a reading? Maybe. But he couldnt
win it despite that five-point start. Couldnt
win the third either. Coach in Training
that was his official position in the Ontario
TTA. You might just as well say he was a
If you were down 17-2, you might feel like Zoki.
Player in Trainingagainst the Chinese
anyway.
Against career military man Li Zhenshi, Danny could fare no better than the Canadians.
Although one circuit spectator could say, I havent seen Danny work this hard in 2-3 years
he makes points just through sheer fight. Lis humming-bird hands, his no-spin game, really
didnt allow Danny much opportunity to take control, especially since the Chinese had no
trouble at all picking up Dannys short serve.
Once, on serving into the net, Danny had screamed to himself, Ahh, you play so bad!
Which comment prompted a straight man to say to me, Dont be fooledhe did that deliberately. Hes dumping to the Chinese.
Said one longtime observer, Li played every ball to Dannys moving backhand. Said
Danny on playing poorly at the end of what for a while was a challenging second game, Its
all over. I cant win.
By the end of the third and final game, Dannys racket from the high humidity in the
hall was, as he said, soakedbut he himself wasnt sitting around crying over his defeat. It
was this match, as much as Xie partnering Eric in the Mens Doubles that could prompt
someone to say, I dont think China and the U.S. have ever been more friendly.
The match between Appelgren and Eric was, as expected, the only contested quarters.
In the first game, Eric, after being down 4-0, played some incredibly fast-hands points and was
up 14-8. But then he lost four in a row on his serve (it seemed much better for him when
Appelgren came into him) and the match tightened to 15-all. With Appelgren up 17-16, play
was suddenly stopped (wouldnt it have been more courteous, more reasonable, to have
waited a couple of minutes until the game was over?) so that the eager spectators whod
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earlier spilled out onto the momentarily unused adjacent court could get up, pick up their
chairs, and come back behind the barriers. Fortunately, the interruption didnt seem to affect
either player undulythey played to 18-all, whereupon Appelgren ran it out.
In the second game, Eric again got off to a bad start, was 10-5 downbut then immediately he tied it up at 10-all. Up 16-14, Appelgren agreed to give Eric a questionable edge
ballthen won the game at 17.
In the third, the same streaky pattern prevailed. Eric was down 11-4 but soft, soft, soft
with the anti, followed by an explosive forehand, quickly evened it at 11-allthen he went on
to win at 16.
In the fourth, Appelgren, still so disarmingly casual, slow-looping, lobbing, like a mini
Secretin, just won out at 19played only as well as he had to, for Eric had not been at his
best this game.
Before the start of his semis match with Xie, Appelgren had to go back to his room
for some stomach medicine. If he could win this match he would play Li Zhenshi? Since Cai
had won everything possible in Canada, wasnt it his turn to do his duty here? And of course,
as everybody remembered, it was Li Mikael had beaten at the Novi Sad Worlds.
With games tied at 1-1 and the score 14-all in the third, The Apple refused to take a
point from Xie, said the ball had been wet. Though from the score the match at this point
seemed a stand-off, people were wondering how Appelgren, who was often back lobbing and
who seemed so soft but topspin steady, could be playing even with Xie. But then from 10-all,
Appelgren won that game at 17. Was then hopelessly down 11-1 in the fourth. Now it seemed
that against Xies devastating attack hed retreated too readily and that once back from the
table hed be forced to give up the point.
There were great matches here among the local players, said one fellow, but the
Chinese are so good I wish we could have a top European here so we could see how astonishing the Chinese really are.
So much for Appelgren? Little did they know. But, never mind, the young Swede had
his own style and though he didnt successfully defend his Championship, he pretty well knew
what he was doing. Soon his retreat would be complete and hed be vacationing in the Greek
isles.
Cai Zhenhua vs. Li Zhenshi
that was the other semi. And what can
I say about that? One was supposed
to play the ball wide to penholder
Lifor with anything in the middle or
inside he was hand-gun deadly. As
for shakehander Cai, if you could stop
his wicked serve and unreturnable
follow, well, he was not so good once
you were into the point. Uh-huh. But
though Cai plays his World championship matches left-handed he writes
right-handed. Ah, yes, ambidextrous
are the hands of the versatile Chinese
table tennis bodythis time Li beat
Chinas Li Zhenshi
Cai.
Photo by Mal Anderson
110

And in the final, Xie ($600) beat Li ($300).

Said one fellow, The final was much better than
Id expected. The Chinese werent using their best serves
against each other, but each of them were hitting the ball
hardI mean, really banging it back and forth. The last
point was the best point. (To how many in the audience
would that have been a surprise?)
North American Qualifier for World Cup
At Princeton on June 21st, in conjunction with
the U.S. Open, there were round robin matches between Danny Seemiller, Eric Boggan, Zoki
Kosanovic, and Errol Caetano to decide the North
American qualifier for the $36,500 World Cup tournament being held July 30-Aug. 2 at Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia. At last years tournament, Eric Boggan,
finishing 7th, had won $1,700, so these matches were
highly importantimportant enough to be argued over
Chinas Xie Saike
even before play started.
Why Caetano, who did not go to the Novi Sad Worlds, instead of Ricky Seemiller?
Ricky Seemiller wanted to know. Actually, the USTTA very reluctantly was allowing its
players to play in these matchesand only under the strongest protestand cables to that
effect were immediately sent both to the organizer of the World Cup and the ITTF. The
USTTA objected to Kosanovic suddenly representing North America when hed lived in
Yugoslavia for the first five months of this year, had represented Yugoslavia at the Worlds,
and had not been eligible to play in the Canadian Closed.
Our International Chair Gus Kennedy was given this answer: The ITTF said that there
was too short a time to call for a Council opinion and thus the President made a decision that
Kosanovic was a Canadian. In regard to our point that he could not represent Yugoslavia at
the Worlds and now Canada in the World Cup, the ITTF said the prohibition (representatives
cannot play for two different teams in successive championships) had to do with team matches
only and does not apply to singles. Further, the World Championships and the World Cup are
different (and so not successive) Championships. That decision about Kosanovic being a Canadian
seemed quite a stretch to me.
The round robin matches were
played with the following results: 1.
Kosanovic, 2-1 (5-2): d. Caetano, 21,
19; d. Seemiller, 9, 18; lost to Boggan, 18, 12, -19. 2. Boggan, 2-1 (4-4): d.
Kosanovic, 18, -12, 19; d. Caetano, -13,
21, 20; lost to Seemiller, -13, -16.
Seemiller, 1-2 (3-4): lost to Kosanovic, 9, -18; lost to Caetano, 16, -17, -9; d.
Boggan, 13, 16. 4. Caetano, 1-2 (3-5):
Zoki reaches out to the ITTF to
lost to Kosanovic, -9, -18; d. Seemiller, play in the World Cup.
16, 17, 9; lost to Boggan, 13, -21, -20.
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San Francisco Hosts Chinese Team On Their Way Home

Tim Lee (TTT, July-Aug., 1981, 10) covers the Chinese Teams June 26th play at San
Franciscos Chinatown Rec Center. Accompanying the players at the U.S. Open and at this
Friendship Tour stop were Team Leader Zhang Junhan; China Sports Service Companys Lin
Shiquang, whom Gus Kennedy says will be based in Chicago for perhaps six months where
hell be affiliated with the University of Chicago; and Coach Zeng Chuangiang.
The evening started with a China vs. U.S. Team Match in which locals Chalk Wu,
Henry Low, and Richard Liang played only one game against their opponent. This courtesy
match was of course won 3-0 by the Chinese. There followed though a treat for the spectators: two exhibitions: Tong Ling vs. Zhang Deying, and Li Zhenshi vs. Xie Saike.
Tong vs. Zhang is a typical defender vs. attacker duel with Tong playing the defensive role by beautifully mixing up her chops with her combination racket, so effective with
Friendship long-pips rubber. Zhang effortlessly hit ball after ball, and Tong got to most of
them. Down 20-17, Tong smacked in a backhand pick-shot to get to 18. But after being forced
back from the table by Tongs smashes (defender or not, of course Tong can attack too),
Zhang suddenly counter-smashed to win the first at 18.
In the second, with the score 2-2, Tong chops a ball which Zhang swings at and misses
or rather, whoops, makes a drop shot on her (same shot) second swing, but the drop is too high,
only Tong blows it by hitting off. But then comes a series of runaway points and Zhang, down 9-3,
is forced to lob again to the now aggressive Tong. Zhangs lobs are really fantastic as she can
combine sidespin top or sidespin chop on the ball, then delights in countering.
Another incredible point occurs when both women are pushing near the table and Tong
places the ball to Zhangs wide forehand, which she returns, only to have Tong push it deep to
Zhangs backhand side. Since Zhang cant make it back in time, she shifts her racket into her
left hand and swats back a winner. After being down 20-17, Tong rallies to 20-all. Then attacks, forcing Zhang to lob, after which Tong, first making a feint swing, plays a drop shot to
Zhangs wide forehand. Zhang returns the ball, but cant stop and runs all the way to Tongs
side of the table, waves her racket in Tongs face and interferes with her play. Tong finally wins
it, 27-25. I guess they felt it would be fair to split games.
The mens fast-paced match pits Li Zhenshi against Xie Saike. Up 11-9 in the first,
Xie chop-lobs a beauty which hits Lis side of the table and unexpectedly starts spinning back
to Xies own side, but Li steps around and drops the ball for the point. Down 14-9, Li, whod
been blocking, suddenly steps around his backhand and like lightning smashes Xies smash.
Caught him unprepared, did he? Nope. Xie smashes in that smash. Up 18-12, Xies got Li
lobbing again. Only this time Lis lobbing from behind the umpires table. Ill bet the umpire
was afraid of being caught in the crossfire.
Xie wins it, 21-18. The second game is more of the spectacular sameonly, as predicted, Li wins this one. Another tie.
I can honestly say I have seen the best of the worlds best, though they were obviously not
playing their hardest. I wish next time they would try all out, so we who arent fortunate enough to
be able to see the World Championships can enjoy first-rate table tennis at home.
I would like to thank the Chinese Recreation Center for allowing me to cover the
team matches and exhibitions without a ticket. I tried to get one, but they were sold out.

112

Chapter Ten
1981: Ai Liguo: Coaching. 1981: USTTA Miscellany.
Translator C.F. Liu provides us (TTT, Nov., 1981, 9) with some background on
Chinas Ai Liguo, followed by an outline of a Coaching Clinic talk Mr. Ai gave at the
Princeton U.S. Open. Ai, says Liu, was on the Chinese National Team in 1961 when China
won the Team Championship for the first time at the World Championships in Peking. [How
many Chinese players in 1961 were considered National Team members I dont know. But
Ai Liguo did not play in the Team matches at the Peking Worlds.] He then served as Coach
of the Chinese Army Team. Since 1971 he has been the table tennis editor of SPORTS NEWS,
the most popular sports newspaper in China.
C.F. goes on to say that Ai came to the U.S. under the sponsorship of Sunlone, Inc., a
company owned by me and my family. Sunlone, Inc. was responsible for his round-trip airfare
and all his expenses in this country. Mr. Ai has traveled extensively in the U.S. since his arrival
in May, visiting many sports organizations and giving numerous table tennis coaching clinics.
When he traveled to conduct clinics, the visiting clubs were responsible for his travel and
expenses. In addition, the clubs usually paid a stipend. Such stipends were always totally
turned over to Mr. Ai. None came to Sunlone, Inc.
Coach Ai says the material for his talk is taken from the text used in the 1979 and
1980 all China amateur sports schools table tennis coaches training classes [a text coauthored by Ai Liguo and his wife, the well-known coach, Li Henan Ai]. However, it represents only the personal views of the authors.
In his talk Liguo stresses Fundamental Principles. These are: (A) Judgment First,
then Movement.If the judgment is too slow, or if it is erroneous, a point loss is
inevitable.(B) Move Feet First.If you extend your arm first, your body is obligated to
slant in the direction of the ball. Then it becomes very difficult to move your feet and have
stability in striking the ball. (C) Return to the Neutral Position Before Hitting the Ball.
Never stop in the finishing position of your shot as though waiting for the photographer to
snap the picture.(D) Move the Forearm First, Then the Rest.In executing the back swing,
turn the waist first before
moving the arm. On the
hitting stroke, move the arm
first, then turn the waist.
Of course student
after student has specific
problemsand before returning to China Coach Ai will
have a chance to work individually with a number of
those interested in improving
their play.
Indeed, following an
Aug. 20-Sept. 3 Junior Clinic
at the Olympic Training
Center in Colorado Springs,
Coach Ai Liguo instructs Jimmy Butler
113

hell return to the Butler home for a week to coach Scott and Jim. And while there answer
some of Dicks many questions about table tennis. One of these Dick builds an article on (TTT,
Nov., 1981, 7)namely, If you were to begin teaching a nine or ten-year-old who had never
played table tennis before, how would you go about it?
Coach Ai stresses six points. First, the Grip. In China, he says, strong or physically
large players are encouraged to play shakehands, while small and quick players are advised to
play penholder. The larger player can develop a strong attack off both wings and compensate
for possible slower footwork. The smaller, quicker player can step around most balls and hit a
strong penhold forehand. If one chooses to play defense he should play shakehands.
Second, the Touch. To develop a feel for the ball, bounce it gently off the racket,
bounce it off the wall to the racket. Shakehand players alternate bounce the ball on the forehand and backhand sides of the racket.
Third, Stroke Development. Teach backhand and forehand push strokes. Introduce
the forehand drive via shadow strokes. Proceed with forehand drive against block and forehand counter-drive. Practice the forehand at least one month before moving on to the other
strokes.
Four, Footwork. Always move the feet after each shot even when the ball is hitting
the same spot on the table during a practice drill.
Five, Summer Training Schedule. This schedule assumes the player is ten to twelve
years old and has developed technique under a good coach. Practice two hours in the morning,
and two hours in the afternoon. Do five to ten minutes of calisthenics after the morning session, and some distance running and sprinting after the afternoon session.. New techniques should
be introduced one at a time; meanwhile, continue to practice the learned fundamentals. Do one half
hour of free practice in the morning; one half hour of match practice in the afternoon.
Six, Spirit. Make practice interesting. Every drill should be match oriented, as if every
stroke might mean winning or losing a match.
Dick ends by praising Ai as a kind, intelligent, and generous man. He stresses
Liguos coaching knowledge, says it encompasses all international contemporary world- class
table tennis techniques. Curious, Dick asked Ai about the secrets of the Chinese serves.
Liguo said, in some cases the rubber surface used by some Chinese players may produce
added spin, but good serves are a product of good wrist technique, touch, and practice. Dick
thinks if there is any Chinese secret, it has to do only with how well you do correct fundamental techniques. That means you have the Spirit for successthe dedication, skill, and patience
seldom even thought of in U.S. table tennis.
USTTA Miscellany
Immediately after the U.S. Open, Yvonne Kronlage (TTT, Sept., 1981, 6) was responsible for a USTTA Olympic Camp held at the Forest School in Garrison, MD with the cooperation of R. Gregory Cukor, Director of Development there. Thanks go also to the Amaco
Station at Ellicott City for providing special rates on the trucks to move our tables, to the
obliging Millford Mills Swim Club, and, for the help they gave me, to Dennis Masters and
Henry and Jo Splistiser (who did a splendid job as chaperone).
Coaches at this camp were: Ai Liguo, Jens Fellke from Sweden, and Ricky Seemiller.
Coaching sessions were from 8:45 until 12:15 every day, and on alternate days from 1:45 to
5:00 and from 7:00 to 9:00. Every other day, Yvonne said, the players went to a beautiful
swimming facility and also to an entertainment center. Three meals a daygood food (all you
114

could eat)was catered by the school in their cafeteria.

Dorm arrangements were two to a roomno air-conditioning but it was breezy enough. Two gyms were used.
(At one point in the second week there were 26 campers.)
Yvonne said, Discipline was quite strictno one
could leave the school campus, except in groups when
one night some went bowling, others to play miniature
golf. Everyone worked hardnobody goofed off. As
there were a number of drills to learn, including quite a
bit of footwork practice, the campers had to show a lot
of patience. They were all taught how to keep physically
USTTA Olympic Camp Coaches:
fit and mentally alert with strategy exercises at the table.
Ai Liguo, Ricky, Yvonne, Jens Fellke
During free time crazy games were playedlike
the raw egg toss, or the watermelon seed-spitting contest. Special awards were given outfor
example, for the tidiest room (won the first week by Larry Hodges who also shared the two
weeks Most Congenial award with Anh-Tai Nguyen). There were also awards given by the
coaches for Most Improved, Best Footwork, and Hardest Worker.
The school has already been booked for next years camp.
Obviously, our Colorado Springs Headquarters is in lockstep now with the USOC.
The Director of the upcoming National Sports Festival (actually NSF III but a glorious first
for Table Tennis) is Baaron Pittenger, for many years Sports Director at Harvard University
and now the USOCs Assistant Executive Director. He and Bill Haid will work well together
and become good friends.
The USTTA held its annual summer E.C. Meeting in connection with the Princeton
U.S. Open, and Secretary Rufford Harrison lists some of the highlights in a (Sept., 1981, 26)
Topics article. As Ive said before, USTTA officialdom prefers that members see only select
information regarding what happened at such a Meeting. Anyone needing [sichow about
liking?] further detail, says Harrison, may obtain it by contacting his club [think so?], or a
local member of the E.C. [Local? Three officials are from the New York area, two from along
the Atlantic Coast, one each from Ohio, Illinois,
and Minnesota, and one, along with Executive
Director Haid, from Colorado Springs].
The USTTA Executive Director was
asked to work out a procedure whereby tournament sponsors would send all paper-work to the
national office. This would simplify the
sponsors work, and bring funds to Headquarters more promptly. USTTA Membership Chair
Sarah Haid followed up on this request (TTT,
Nov., 1981, 16):
Many of the USTTA affiliated clubs are
still mailing requests, checks, money, letters and
memberships to Marv Shaffer. This procedure
115

Sarah Haid

was changed Jan. 1, 1981. When Marv receives these, he waits till he gets a batch and then
mails everything to me. Valuable time is lost. Sometimes in order to meet the deadline, I have
to process immediately and mail via Air Special or One Day Service.
Some tournament directors have requested labels of specific zip codes within a state.
We are programmed for this; however, it is very time consuming. There will be a minimum
$5.00 service charge for us to do your zip coding. I would suggest you either order the total
state or mail in the specific zip codes for which you want labels.
As an incentive to have USTTA memberships sold at tournaments, the sponsors club
can keep 15% ($2.25) of each $15.00 membership sold. Meanwhile, too many members are
not receiving their Topics. Why not? Sarah explains:
Individuals who move and dont notify Headquarters.
Membership applications filled out at a tournament in a hurry with printing or writing
that is nearly impossible to decipher.
Memberships signed up at a tournament in which the director delays sending in information to the Membership Chair for two or three months.
Memberships that have expired 45 days past the expiration date are dropped from the
active list and do not receive any more mail. [Maybe a reminder or two (already done I presume) might still be called for?]
Memberships received with incorrect information in which new membership cards are
returned to the post office as undeliverable.
Members may receive Topics via First Class by adding $7 to their regular membership fee.
All major tournaments after 1982, and some before then, will be conducted by the
USTTA, rather than by clubs or other sponsors.
Displeasure was expressed [Im sure by Harrison particularly] at the participation of
some USTTA players in a Barbados tournament under a name other than that of the United
States. [But such players, if theyre invited and want to play, are in a Catch 22 situation, for
complications are almost certain to occurfor example, regarding the composition of the
teamthat may prevent them from playing if they want to officially call themselves a U.S.
Team.] It was pointed out [by Harrison surely] that similar participation in the future could
jeopardize a players selection to any U.S. team and in particular to any of the increasing
number of Olympic events. [Why? This punitive approach is just unnecessary bullying
threatening horrors to the few players who get the rare chance of attending, probably in the
Caribbean, a fun tournament.]
It will no longer be permitted to cancel any event in a three-star tournament, even if
only two entrants are available.
The point-penalty system will be tried again during the coming season, with the
addition of smaller events. However, USTTA Rules Chair Mal Anderson says that when the
ITTF adopted this system, they included a warning for the first offensea great improvement.
The USTTAs contract with Triple T was terminated.
The contracts of Bill Haid, Executive Director, and Tim Boggan, Editor of Table
116

Tennis Topics, were renewed.

Jack Carr points out elsewhere that the E.C. rescinded its rule that contracts entered
into by the Association must be shown in Topics. [Perhaps these contracts will sooner or later
be summarized for readers?] As for the USTTAs Treasurers Report and the USTTA Budget,
these were to have appeared in Topics, but they dont appear. Also, says Jack, The E.C.
compensated Tom Wintrich for his recent efforts, but the minutes dont say what those efforts
were. [Is it fair to say that from Executive Director Haids point of view, the less transparency the better? (More regarding this question in my Vol. XII.)]
The national election will be conducted through the pages of Table Tennis Topics
once again. It was felt that, since this is now a monthly, the problem of timing should not
occur.
The USTTA will write to those overseas Associations who voted at the World Championships against the U.S. proposal on racket
color, in an attempt to find a proposal that a
majority could accept.
It was announced that, in addition to
the Official Rules Manual and the Table Tennis
For Everyone booklet, a newly printed Handbook, the Referees and Umpires Manual, and a
Starting and Operating a Table Tennis Club
publication were now available from Headquarters. Referee/Umpire Chair Manny Moskowitz
calls our attention to a line in the Umpires
Manual that has to be invalidated: If the delay
is longer than fifteen minutes, all interrupted
matches will be completely replayed. This rule
should not be enforced (as on at least one
occasion it has been), for it does not appear in
the ITTF rules. Mal Anderson, however, overrules the Referee/Umpirepoints out that this
replay provision is a USTTA Bylaw, so its a rule
for all USTTA tournaments.
Manny also writes that El Pasos Ed
Tracy was to be the Chief Umpire at the upcoming U.S. Closed. But we now have to wish him
a speedy recovery from recent heart surgery
(triple bypass).
Yvonne Kronlage announces chaperones
are available for the U.S. Closed. The fee is
$25 for the tournament proper, Dec. 17-20, or $35 through the Team Trials, Dec. 17-13.
Contact Yvonne.
Sol Schiff tells us, This U.S. Closed at the Tropicana in Las Vegas marks the first time
that the USTTA has ever sponsored not just a National Closed tournament but any tournament
of any kind. I want to publicly express my thanks to the Tropicana for offering us their excellent facilities, plus the prize money, to get us started. The Tropicana is also offering us their
117

facilities for the Closed in 1982 and 1983 and for the U.S. Open in 83.*
The Tropicana is hosting, in their Monte Carlo Room on Dec. 20, the
annual U.S. Table Tennis Hall of Fame. Those inducted this year are:
Bernie Bukiet, Tibor Hazi, Marty Reisman, Erwin Klein, Reba Monness,
Otto Ek, Carl Zeisberg, the Harvard Table Tennis Co., and P. Becker and
Co. [All of these inductees have of course been given appropriate attention in my earlier volumes, but they and their contributions can be resurrected if readers will go to the USATT home page and bring up my Profiles on them.] This
year, as last, the fond memories of the old-time greats will be recorded in their own voices.
The historical events, the proud moments, the heartfelt emotions and the joy of all will again
be MCd by Jimmy McClure with comments by Mary McIlwain. [This blurb was not written
by me, but all the inductee write-ups in the 1981 Hall of Fame Program were.]
Because money must be raised for our annual Hall of Fame Banquet, President Jimmy
McClure is looking to form a HOF Booster Club with three types of membership: Gold ($50 a
year); Silver ($25), and Bronze ($10). He hopes in this way to pay for the awards and the
price of the Banquet, the tickets to which he wants to hold to $10 a person.
Gus Kennedy, as Chair of the International Committee, says the Committee is looking
to purchase old table tennis books and equipment. The items are to be donated to the
USTTA. All sports collect such historical treasures to show interested players, spectators, and
sports historians the bases for their sport. I want everyone who has old TOPICS before 1950
to consider donating them to the USTTA. I want those of you who have books of the 1940s
and earlier, as well as equipment, to donate them to the USTTA. Your donations are tax
deductible. We have a committee set up to give you a letter of receipt. If you need to be paid
for these items, we have a few individuals who will help pay for them.
Bob Tretheway begins, then continues a series of six articles (TTT, Sept. and Oct.,
1981; Apr., May, July, and Oct., 1982) on How To Start A Club. First of all, why start one?
Bob says, There are only four feet behind each end of the table, the ceiling is brushing the top
of your head, the lighting reminds you of a dungeon, and youve been playing the same guy for
a year and a half. Thats why its time to start a table tennis club.
118

Of course to have fun, youve got to find interested players. How do that? Bob suggests, (a) Look at
the names on the check-out cards in table tennis books at
the public or school library; (b) put up posters at a
YMCA, college union, high school, community center, or
sporting goods store; and (c) check with the sports editor
of your local newspaperthere may have been a club
and/or a tournament in your town some time ago, and he
may be able to help you find names of past participants.
So, youve found some other people whore
interested? Then among yourselves you have to organizefind a place to play; establish meeting dates and
times; and diligently promote the club so as to get more
members. Then you elect officers with defined roles in
the clubestablish what a President, a Vice-President, a
Secretary/Treasurer does.
Bob Tretheway
Along with club officers, youll need, especially if
the clubs membership is increasing, committeeslike a Tournament Committee, a Publicity
Committee. The nature of a committee calls for informality and flexibility. Forget about
parliamentary procedure. Keep the atmosphere relaxed and supportive. Each committee must
have a clearly defined area of responsibilitybut its important to keep in mind an individuals
personal interests and talents. Equally important is the combining of people who can work
together.
A club officer with access to the Membership File should call new members to remind
them of a Club Meeting, maybe even offer them transportation to it. When they arrive, make
sure theyre introduced to other members, and let them know theyre valuable assets to the
Club. When theyve settled in, put them to work and get their names into a club newsletter.
Make sure everyone observes a standardClub Regulations.
A Budget must be established of Non-recurring expenses and Recurring expenses.
Bob says, Estimate the expenses rather accurately and youll get a good idea how much
income needs to be generated by your fund-raising activities, dues, and sponsorship. Membership dues are probably an economic necessity. To facilitate bookkeeping, the membership fee
should be due once a year, with new members being pro-rated. This means that the fee should
be easily divisible by twelve.
Fund-raising is a major task. Each project must have a dollar goal thats attainable.
Determine how many members will help with the project, and organize an idea clinic with
them. Check with local, state, and federal officials. Any problems if you want to hold lotteries
or raffles? Are contributions tax-deductible? When youre asking for money, be upfront, be
direct. Better be sure you know exactly how the money youre asking for is going to be used.
Be persistent. When the projects done, be explicit and generous in your thanks to each and
everyone whos helped you.
A good publicity program is essential to your club for expansion of membership,
securing and maintaining sponsorship, fund-raising, and community goodwill. That means you
must convince the community that your club provides a needed service. For example: It fills a
recreation voidthe whole family can participate together in a FUN vigorous and inexpensive
way.
119

Your Public Relations Director needs to have

specific copy at the ready when meeting with, making
personal eye-to-eye contact with, the media person who
can help him/her. Bob presents in detail the protocol and
stylistic niceties its necessary for you to follow in presenting your copy, preferably hand-delivered to your media
contact. If that person helps you, you must show your
appreciation in some appropriate way, for of course youll
want him to help you again.
Lyle Thiem says (TTT, Sept., 1981, 14), A successful league is a key factor in maintaining interest in a Club
and in keeping the Club surviving financially. His own
Dayton Table Tennis Center would not be able to continue
operating without a successful league. The income derived
from a league that runs for six months will help pay the bills
during the summer when open play drops off but expenses
continue. This league income can also help add prize money
Lyle Thiem
to your tournaments or offset any tournament losses the
Club may incur.
Lyle gives us the steps we need to follow if we want to organize a successful league:
Begin with an organizational meetingand insist that anyone interested be there. If
someone says he wants to join the league but isnt there, thats a tip-off you cant depend on
him to show on other nights. If you want to get what you need to do done, forego starting
play that night, you wont have enough time for it unless you run way too late, a bad way to
start. Instead, spend the allotted two hours or more concentrating on forming the teams,
going over the rules, answering questions. Best to start the league as early as Labor Day and
in no case later than the middle of October. Best to end it by the middle of May.
Advance planning is of course necessary, and so a phone list is essential. Keep after
players who are non-committalif they wont be regulars, maybe theyll be substitutes. As
new players come to the Club, try to get them interested in the league and take their phone
numberperhaps theyre potential players.
Maybe youll want to advertise in a local paper for league players. Try: Wanted: table
tennis players. No experience necessary.
Be sure that each player who joins the league understands that hes committing
himself to one evening each week and that he is responsible for his league fees even if he is
absent. Best to get a deposit from him, and use that money to buy a playing shirt for him with
appropriate lettering on the back.
Be sure that prospective players realize that the league offers prize money and that all
players get back some prize money at the end of the season. A round robin league composed
of ten teams, four players per team, playing a schedule of three rounds will produce $540 prize
money if each player pays $.50 into the prize money fund each week. If you want more prize
money at the end, have each player contribute $1.00 each week.
USTTA Ratings/Ranking Chair Neal Fox urges that Tournament Directors like Lyle
rebate entry fees to players ranked in the top 10 men or women after they play and to the top
two ranked players from the state the tournament is held in. Jack Carr, for one, wonders what
120

sponsors think of that

suggestion. Meanwhile,
heres a list of the leading
80-81-season money
winners.
More important to
Foxmore important
even than his ratings, I
thinkwas his July 18th
marriage to longtime good
friend and one-time t.t.
player Katrin Katy
Parker-Simon. Rufford
Harrison, attending Neal
and Katys Presbyterian
wedding in Dobbs Ferry,
NY with wife Marty and
USTTA President Sol
Schiff, described (TTT,
Nov., 1981, 17) the
attendees (mostly many
Foxes) and the accoutrements
(E.E. Cummings on Love; Purcells
Trumpet in C Sharp), then gave us
the sad news. Neal had made no
arrangements to have tournament
results forwarded to him in St.
Maarten, and, worse for him,
Katy had vetoedno, no, he
couldnt take ithis racket.
E.C. member Thiem had
told Lincoln Park, MIs Stef
Florescu that at the Dec., 1980
E.C. Meeting the USTTA had set
up a Handicap Committee with
Mike Lo Rosse [sic: for LaRusso]
as Chair. Florescu, as readers of
my past volumes know, had competed abroad on several U.S.
Wheelchair Olympic teams and in
Newlyweds Neal and Katy Fox, flanked by
(left) Rufford and Marty Harrison, and Sol Schiff.
1975 was inducted into the National Wheelchair Sports Hall of
Fame. On June 17-21, competing in his 21st consecutive National Wheelchair Games in Seattle, he was a silver medalist. Heres a letter Stef sent to Thiem after Lyles show of interest in
a Florescu proposal (TTT, Sept., 1981, 14):
121

Mike Lo Russo

Dear Lyle Thiem:

We will send copies of our publication Wheelchair Competitor to any interested quadriplegic table tennis playerboth novice
Stef Florescu
and experiencedas well as to all officials and committee members.
Basically, my proposal to the United States Table Tennis Association calls for establishing and/or promoting a tournament for IA quadriplegic division players (and then for adding
other wheelchair disability divisions (classificationsbut only after the more severe level of
disability has been well established). The section in the USTTA Tournament Handbook for
wheelchair championships would then read: three classes of wheelchair play: 1) combined
classes 1A and 1B; 2) combined classes 1C and II; 3) combined classes III, IV, and V.
We would cooperate with the National Wheelchair Athletic Association in the medical
classification and registration of 1A quadriplegics (and others later). The NWAA already
sanctions regional and national championships. (See enclosed results of the 1980 USA Nationals).
And one final note: A good wheelchair table tennis player with normal upper extremities will beat an average-to-good able-bodied table tennis player. So at this time we will encourage mainstreamingi.e, will encourage NWAA classes IC, II, III, IV, and V to play
against able-bodied players in leagues, tournaments, etc.
1980 National Wheelchair ChampionshipsMen
1A: Skip Wilkins, VA; Rod Vlieger, MN; Sebastian DeFrancesco, MA. 1B: Bart
McNichol, NY; Douglas Validejuli, FL; Stef Florescu, MI. 1C: Ken Brooks, NJ; John Ebert,
FL; Bob Ocvirk, OH. II: Don Davidson, VA; James Stephan,
FL; John Beaufait, FL. III: Tyler Kaus, NY; Skip Alunan, [?];
Angelo Monglovi, NJ. IV-V: Mike Dempsey, CA; Gary Kerr,
CA, Mitchell Stephens, TN.

Terese Terranova
Photo by John Oros

1980 National Wheelchair ChampionshipsWomen

IA: Janice Elix, CO; Janette Leedle, WI; Birdie
Minor, VA. IB: Ruth Rosenbaum, NY; Zena Cole, OH;
Linda Eckrote, NY. 1C: Sandy Sroka, FL. II: Diane
Richardson, FL; Diane Koblicka, NY; Colleen Dooley, WI.
III: Jackie DiLorenzo, NY; Patricia Flynn; FL; Kathy
Stotts, WA. IV: Terese Terranova, FL; Karen Anderson,
CO; Patricia King, CA.
122

U.S. Results in 1980 Olympics for the DisabledMen

II: Gary Kerr, third. IV-V:
Mike Dempsey, first.
There is a Wheelchair
event (though only one)
scheduled at our new 81
U.S. Closed Las Vegas
venuethe Tropicana Hotel.
At least 25 of the roughly 60
events offer prize money
totaling $13,500. The Mens
Singles winner gets $1,000,
Mike Dempsey, Disabled Olympics Champion
and if you make it to the
Photo by Don Gunn
eighths only to lose there
youre still assured of $200. First prize for the Women is $400. Heres some of the hype put
out for Topics by USTTA Headquarters:
From a players standpoint, this Dec.
16-22 U.S. Closed/U.S. Team Trials is going to
be great. We will have 50 tables, much more
room than we had at Caesars, a better floor,
excellent lighting; and the Sports Complex site
is adjoining the hotel so that you dont have to
go outside.
You realize the Tropicana is something
special when you see the new white and gold
22-story tower rise against the Las Vegas
skyline. And the experience continues when you
pass through the magnificent new entry into the
European elegance of the interior, including the
most luxurious casino in Las Vegas. That casino
is domed with a spectacular 4,250 square feet
of stained glass
Everything within the Tropicana
sparkles with glass, marble, and polished brass.
There are 1100 guest rooms and suites. There is
an Atrium Shopping Plaza which also is the
home of the Entertainers Hall of Fame.
Most famous in the Atrium area, however, is the Tiffany Theatre, U.S. Home of the
spectacular Follies Bergere, a superlative performance featuring some of the most beautiful
women in the world.
National Tournament Director Wendell Dillon has a few up-to-date comments to make
(TTT, Sept., 1981, 28):
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The USTTA Tournament Guide ($2.50 a copy) includes the latest tournament policies
as approved at the 1981 Summer E.C. meeting.
Tournament forms may be ordered by sponsors directly from USTTA Headquarters.
Sponsors, schedule your tournaments as far in advance as you can. It is always disappointing when two cities close together each schedule their annual tournament at or near the
same time.
Records show that tournaments that require USTTA membership have a much better
return rate for players than those that dont make a serious attempt to check memberships.
Players are more willing to join the USTTA if there is a regular schedule of tournaments in the
area.
All referees at sanctioned tournaments must be more than club umpiresmust be at
least regional umpires.
Manny Moskowitz in an Umpires Chair column (TTT, Oct., 1981, 10), says that
an analysis of the total number of Club Umpires shows that more than 2/3 have remained in
the same status for more than three years without advancing their level, while more than
have remained in the same status for more than five years.Now with the impact of the
Olympic Sports Program we have unlimited possibilities for the need of better and more
qualified umpires. Hence, the USTTA will start a Renewal Program for umpires. Those
whove remained static for three years will have to apply for the Regional Umpire Exam, or a
Club Renewal Exam; otherwise the individual will be dropped from the roster of qualified Club
Umpires.
Michigans Dr. Cody Jones wants clarification from Rules Chair Mal Anderson on what
constitutes a wet ball. He says (TTT, Oct., 1981, 10):
In my opinion, if during a point a player loops the ball and it slides straight off his
paddle, leaving a prominent water-mark, this should be a let ball. The player missed his shot
due to circumstances beyond his control.
On the other hand, if a player serves but the ball slides off his paddle, leaving a prominent water-mark, he should lose the point. He should have
checked the ball and the paddle prior to serving.
Is this a correct interpretation?
[Mal says, Yes. But, given the rare instance of a
wet ball, I personally would find checking ball and paddle
every time I served damn distracting, and I wouldnt be
surprised if an umpire objected and said, Play!]
New Film Committee Chair Don Story reports
(TTT, Sept., 1981, 13) that the USTTAs film collection is
considerably depleted from the collection of several years
ago, and not kept up-to-date. Don appointed Dave Strang
in charge of video tapes. [Two decades later, in my role as
Association Historian, I went to Ohio with Dave, brought
back these old reels of tape hed safeguarded, and eventually turned them over to USATT film archivist Scott Gordon.]
124

Scott Gordon
Courtesy of Larry Hodges

Story praises Sportcraft for contributing a film of a 1972 Bengtsson/Johansson exhibition at Madison Square Garden. He goes on to list the available World Championship films, a
few other tournament and exhibition films, and a 37-minute showing of the Chinese T.T.
Delegation that came to the U.S. in 1972. He also indicates the lost filmsthree World
Championship ones are missing, a Canadian Nationals, and a couple of instructional films.
Apparently these were never pursued with a vengeance, and Storys plea, Please return
them, will very likely get zero response.
Don also outlines the rental procedure for these films, including the (I hope considerable) deposit required.
Story also heads the Instructional Materials Committee. Table tennis information
(books, periodicals, coaching notes, clinic notes, training programs, etc.) must be collected
from the major table tennis powers in the world. What cannot be obtained for free must be
purchasedif judged
worthwhile. As you
can see, Dons very
ambitious. If he does
get cooperation from
abroad (which I think
wont happen), hell
need volunteer
translators working
with cassettes. To
show I wish him
luck, Ill contribute
an etc.one of
collector Chuck
Hoeys historic
postcards that have
been shown repeatedly in Topics.
Larry Thoman, as equally enthusiastic as Story, continues his
Coaching Corner articles. In Game Pointers (TTT, Sept., 1981,
12), he emphasizes 16 points the aspiring player must focus on. (1)
Analyze your opponent before a match. Learn from watching him
play. If possible, ask others about his strengths and weaknesses.
(2) Remember, never ever give up. Victory is often given to those
who endure. (3) Be ready for net balls. (4) Always be balanced,
prepared to return any ballwinners dont always turn out to be
winners. (5) Keep your opponent guessingavoid too predictable
play. (6) If the game is close, dont risk using a special trick shot or
an unfamiliar pattern of play. The idea is to reduce the risk, not
increase it. (7) End games as quickly as possible. (8) Be especially alert when receiving serve.
(9) Realize that the shot you choose is always dependent on
your opponents return and is an instantaneous decision, not a
preplanned one. (10) Forget about your self-image. Dont try to
125

Larry Thoman

show off or impress others with fancy or powerful shots. (11) Place the
ball where you want it to go. Dont be passive and let your opponent move you. Put on an air of absolute confidence and
self-control. Dont be ruffled by your mistakes or
your opponents strong shots. (12) If luck
is running your way, run up as many
points as possible; if luck isnt
running your way, slow down to
give yourself time to think. (13)
Play one point at a time. (14)
Select the right shot at the right
time. (15) Repeat mentally to
yourself, Stay calm and be ready.
Larrys advice: Dont be passive
and let your opponent move you.
(16) Be patient and dont rush.
Put
on an air of absolute confidence
Another of Larrys
and self-control.
Coaching Corner articles (TTT,
Drawing by Budimir Vojinovic
July-Aug, 1981, 12) deals with
Nutrition. He begins with the
dictum to table tennis players that It is no longer possible to be in poor physical shape and
play well throughout a tournament. Nutrition is therefore
very important. So, if you want to play winning table tennis,
youd better eat balanced meals of the kind Larry suggests,
or, since a balanced diet is not always what we want to eat or
not always conveniently available, better take nutritional supplements so that we get the necessary amounts of essential vitamins
and minerals we need. Larry recommends Shaklee supplements,
says it is virtually impossible to suffer ill effects from
megadoses of that. Indeed, says Larry, Since I began using
Shaklee supplements, Ive noticed a definite increase in energy
levels and generally I just feel better.
Larrys comment that It is
virtually impossible to suffer ill
effects from megadoses of Shaklee supplements draws a warning rebuttal from Carl Danner (TTT, Sept., 1981, 12). Large
overdoses of vitamins A and D, from whatever source, are toxic
and cause serious illness. These vitamins are fat soluble, which
means that excess amounts are stored in the bodys fatty tissues
and only slowly are disseminated. Too much build-up of these
chemicals can land the user in a hospital, or worse.
Readers should also be warned that a chronic overdose of
any vitamin can cause side effects that range from annoying to
the serious.
Carls comments prompt Larry in another Coaching
Carl Danner
Corner article called NutritionPart II (TTT, Apr., 1982, 4)
to spend considerable time researching the subject of supplements. Heres something of what
hes learned:
126

Carl Danner was correct in writing that megadoses of Vitamins A and D, no matter
what the brand name, can produce toxic reactions. I was not entirely wrong, however, in
stating that it is virtually impossible to suffer ill effects from megadoses of Shaklee vitamins.
Shakelee limits the amount of A and D in their supplements to the levels of the RDA. A person
would have to take 40 tablets a day of Shakelees multi-vitamin/mineral for several weeks to
produce toxic symptoms. While not impossible, this is highly unlikely.
Carl Danner also mentions that vitamins are chemical compounds that are exactly the
same whether naturally or artificially derived. At surface level, this is quite trueand yet
research shows synthetic vitamins are missing something that appears in natural vitamins
derived from whole foods. For example, the following experiment shows somethingan
unknown factorat work: A London aquarium carefully mixed together the ingredients
known to be in seawater. They then introduced fish into this artificial seawater. The fish died.
This was repeated several more times with the same result. Finally, a small amount of real
seawater was added and the fish lived.
Larry elaborates in some detail on what hes learned about supplements, and finally
concludes with this recommendation: I recommend taking daily a multi-vitamin/mineral
supplement with 100% RDA levels for all essential vitamins and minerals. By taking such a
supplement as this, you will assure yourself, regardless of what you eat, the minimum amount
of nutrients you need to function optimally.
We all would like to function optimallybut after a time we dont function at all.
Topics (Sept., 1981, 16) reports the deaths of two prominent players. First, heres an article by
Al Gill in memory of New York Citys George Stenbar:
STENBAR WINS AGAIN! We used to laugh whenever we recalled those large headlines
on the back of the Harlem Y newsletter. George was popular in the community and a local hero at
the Y. His many Senior victories in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States often made the
community newspapers. This year we had high hopes of his repeating those past glories. The Over
70s at the 81 U.S. Open seemed tailor-made for him. But four days before the start of this
Veterans event, George was called to join Bergmann, Glancz, and so many other past champions in
what would be a new and spacious Celestial Table Tennis Center.
Georges style of play was a perplexing deviation from the norm. If the textbook reply to an
opponents shot called for a spinny chop, he
would, more often than not, deliver a series of
backhand flicks designed to catch his opponent
off guard. His basic strategy was to break his
opponents rhythm. He was like a chess player
who intentionally strays from the book opening to befuddle his adversary. Armed with this
aggressive and confounding style and a willingness to try the latest racket innovations,
George was able to defeat many a player who
would have been considered the favorite in
their match.
Using Reismans Broadway Club as
The Capezio team:
his home base, George played in tournaStenbar (second from right); Gill (fourth from right).
127

ments from New York to Montreal, and achieved a #3 ranking among New York State Seniors. A member of the Capezio team in the Greater New York Table Tennis League, his
aggressive play helped Capezio capture several divisional titles. George was more than a
player for Capezio. He was our storyteller, our pleasant link with the past. He brought us
glimpses of the Golden Era of American Table Tennis, when Herwald Lawrences Broadway
Courts was the Mecca, and the field of honor was the money match.
Georges aggressive style of play was in direct contrast to his life away from table tennis.
His attributes read like those of a boy scout. He was trustworthy, friendly, courteous, kind, helpful,
and witty. His spirit will continue to live in the community and memories of those who knew him.
George had been a healthy, youthful individual. His death was totally unexpected. It
left us with a feeling of bewilderment and loss. His racket will be missed, but his friendship will
be missed even more.
The second death is a particular shocker because it was so unexpected and happened,
as Houshang Bozorgzadeh and Todd Petersen tell us, to one so young, Iowas John Stillions:
Houshang opens his article with, as he says, a heavy heart. On Tuesday, July 28, I
drove down to Cedar Rapids from my home in Independence, Iowa to carry on some business,
then tried several times to make contact with my friend Johnny Stillions, perhaps we could
practice some, but to no avail. The line was always busy, so I finally opted to return home.
Later that evening, around 6:30, a friend called and asked Johnnys age. My reply of
course was 17. I have bad news for you, said my friend, and went on to relate that Johnny
had died in a motor-vehicle accident earlier in the day. I couldnt believe it and was not able to
bring myself to call his home. Later on, a mutual friend, Orv Newell, confirmed the tragedy.
Johns friend Todd Petersen explained that John was fatally injured when the television repair van he was driving collided with a flatbed truck on Cedar Rapids southwest side.
John had apparently blacked out three or four blocks before the accident and had slumped
over on the seat, causing the van to serve all over the road.
Houshang said that Johnny was an exceptional boy and one of the finest persons Ive ever
known. Wed gone around to tournaments together for nine years and he was, at all times, courteous, honest, and concerned about people. He was always ready to go the charity route, as we
would entertain at Lions clubs, mental hospitals, veterans
hospitals, schools and reformatories, and at various Iowa
college and university basketball games. He was selfless.
Johnnys roots, said Houshang, were in Cedar
Rapids, and it was there, when he reached age eight, that
his dad, John, Sr., himself a trampoline/space-ball National Champion, gave his son his first table tennis racket.
His father, in fact, built up the Cedar Rapids Table Tennis
Club and tried to promote the sport in Iowa. Johnnys
first real coach was Reza Tehrani, erstwhile Iranian
National Champion, who lived in Cedar Rapids for several
months and tutored Johnny almost every evening. Following
the death of John, Sr. in 1973, his mother Connie encouraged him and helped his interest in table tennis to grow. She
Reza Tehrani
sent him to Sweden for further training.
Photo by Mal Anderson
128

Todd emphasized that John had beaten Eric Boggan to win the 1975 U.S. Open U-11
and had played for the U.S. Junior Team at both the 1978 Toronto CNE and the U.S. Open.
Both Houshang and Todd wrote of Johns recent success at tennis. Hed seen the sport as a
better opportunity for a college scholarship and the means to an education. He became the
number one player on his Jefferson High School team, and just last weekend had gotten to
the semis of the Iowa 18 and Under Championship. In these last few years, Todd said, John
was never too much for practicing table tennis, but he would still come to tournaments and
play well. At last Septembers Nissen Open, he beat both Scott Butler and me. He also reached
the semis of the Wisner Open in March by defeating Brandon Olson.
The main reason John was so successful, said
Todd, was that he was such a competitor and wanted to
win so badly. I can remember when John and I used to play
each other when we were younger (we probably played
about 100 times) and every time the loser would either end
up throwing his racket or crying his eyes out. . Sometimes
they had to stop the other tournament matches because we
yelled so much that the other players couldnt concentrate.
Ill miss the fun I had with John at tournaments and the joy
he brought me. He had a way of helping me forget a bad
loss by either cracking a joke or maybe pulling out a deck of
cards and playing a game of guts with me.
Houshang said, We all said goodbye to Johnny on July
31. I was one of the table tennis players at his funeral. Johnny
left us much too early, but we have many memories, fond ones,
which will not be forgotten, and he will always be in our hearts.
We are all better off for having known him. Todd echoed
John Stillions
these sentiments. I will miss him dearly at tournaments and
will never forget him. I know the next tournament I go to he wont be there physically, but I have a
feeling hell be there spiritually watching us, and hopefully we will feel his presence.
SELECTED NOTES
*In a May 20, 1981 letter to Dick Evans, Neil Smyth, formerly Executive Vice-President of Caesars Palace when we had the 1976-1980 U.S. Closeds there, now President of the
Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, praised Dick for his Director of Operations work at the Caesars
tournaments and remarked how he valued his friendship.
He also had this to say:
Caesars was interested in continuing the tournament and had made an offer on a room rate
which apparently was not completely acceptable to Sol and though the people at Caesars were
expecting a return visit for further discussion, it never materialized. I was also interested in seeing
the tournament at the Sands, and using the facilities at the Cambridge Racquet Club, which I had
arranged for. You will remember the Team Trials were held there last year. I made an appointment
to discuss this with Bowie and Sol and by the time I got to meet them, they had already signed up
with the Tropicana without giving me a chance. I have to admit that the Tropicana was by far the
best deal and I would have willingly stepped aside in favor of the Tropicana. Nevertheless, the way
they handled it after my interest and devotion to the sport in Las Vegas was really pretty sad.
129

Chapter Eleven
1981 National Sport Festival (Syracuse, N.Y., July 23-29).
You know, said the cabbie bringing me into Syracuse, where
the week-long National Sports Festival III was being held for 2600 of the nations top amateurs in 33 different sports, I play pretty good ping-pong myself. Got a table in my basement,
and to tell you the truthof course I know youre here with the bestI havent found anybody yet who can beat me.
Twenty-three years Id been going into and coming out of airports, traveling the
circuit, and long ago Id learned to expect that the stories would always be pretty much the
same.
This is it now, perhaps the best player in Syracuse was saying, the Onandaga War
Memorial coming up.
I looked at the impressive building on my right, one of the scattered sites in Syracuse
proper and its environs for the NSF action that would be starting tomorrow. Four sports, I
knew, were to be played there. As we hurried by, I quickly glanced at the three lines on the
large marquee: FIGURE SKATINGICE HOCKEYSPEED SKATING.
I sighed. Wasnt it always the same.
The Hotel Syracuse, where Id be staying for a couple of nights, was not new to me.
Back in the early 70s Bill McGimpsey used to run his yearly prize-money tournament at the
dimly-lit local Y and of course Id come with my kids and there was always a nice intimate
Saturday night party at this hotel (the hotel where Eric and young David Dickson III had
thrown firecrackers out the window and some passerby had yelled for a cop, or had pretended
to, and sent them flying, though not with angels wings, down a corridor or two to safety).
Now there were no more tournaments in Syracuse, or even a USTTA affiliated club.
First thing I did after checking in was take the elevator up to the 10th floor Headquarters where (yes, Coordinator Bill Haid, whom Yvonne Kronlage would praise for keeping
everything running so smoothly, had done a good job for me) I quickly got my NSF credentials. That, along with a welcome danish and coffee, gave me a lift.
Then off I went, taking a short cut, a directly-across-from-the-hotel two-block walkway to the War Memorial building. Wheresurprise, I hadnt seen it beforethere was a
smaller marquee that privately acknowledged TABLE TENNIS ENTRANCE. Under the ice and
the 6,000 seats I dropped, having to face the fact that table tennis was in the basement again.
And yet, as I soon saw, it wasnt an unpleasant subterranean world. There were eight
spacious symmetrically barriered-off courts, adequate-to-good lighting (thanks to longtime
local player Phil Schuls) and beautiful new Joola tables (that would be used in future Olympic
training camps in Colorado Springs). There was also, considering the fact that our sport was
not one of the dozen or so of the 33 offered that was a ticket-selling attraction, plenty of room
for spectators.
Indeed, the more you looked at the facility, the more you realized how on the ball
USTTA-USOC liaison man Paul Therrio had been in insisting very early in the game that
wooden floor be damnedtable tennis was not going to be relegated to some high school on
the outskirts of town. So, though we had a Cobo Hall concrete floor, things were still lookin
up, for the only sold-out venue of the Festival was the one we hadwith the ice above. And
surely in this warm weather some onlookers would begin trickling down below.
130

Bussed into this hall throughout the tournament, and for three days of practice before I
got there, were the U.S.s top 16 men and 16 women players it was thought met the Pan Am
and Olympic Games eligibility standardsalmost all of them familiar faces to me. This time,
though, they looked dressed for something specialas of course they were. Levi Strauss &
Co. had four-color outfitted them (East Team royal blue; South, kelly green; Midwest, gold;
West, scarlet) in playing clothes, warm-up suits, caps, and traveling bags.

U.S. players and support group at 1981 National Sports Festival

Our 32 players, who along with a nine-member

USTTA support groupincluding USTTA President Sol
Schiff, Tournament Director Fred Danner, Referee Erich
Haring (at a loss for competent umpires), Dick Butler
handling the Match microphone, Howie Grossman, and
Team Supervisor Yvonne Kronlagehad been flown into
Syracuse courtesy of the USOC, and seemed quite content being bussed back and forth to their dorm accommodations and dorm meals. After all, how could they complain? For what table tennis tournament in their lives had
they had it so good, been given such recognition?
Now they were readying themselves for the
evenings Opening Ceremony that would light up the
famous $27 million, 50,000-seat Syracuse Carrier Dome.
Its 220-ton fiberglass roof had slowly air-inflated until it
now arched over an incredible gathering of 3,000 players
and officials.
Students of the Game, whether they majored in
amateur or professional play, had felt, as I often had over
the years, that there never seemed to be enough noticeable change in our sport. But tonight it was if wed all
suddenly come together to a gigantic graduation cer131

emony. Given this huge pep rally, as Faan Yeen Liu called it, could not everyone whose life
was in the Game believe it would have a better future.
O.K., the Ceremony was on! The opening entertainmentjazz, gospel music, Scottish
bagpipes, a local high school bandgave way to the pageanted entry of the athletes. Master of
Ceremonies Chris Schenkel of ABC Sports proclaimed the Festival the greatest amateur
sports event in the country. He introduced Robert Kane, the immediate past president of the
USOC whod conceived the NSF, and read de rigueur greetings from President Ronald
Reagan.
The first of the evenings brief speakers was three-term Mayor of Syracuse Lee
Alexander: This flame we light tonight, he said, is symbolic of the inner flame that burns in
the hearts of the competitors,of mankind.
As Mayor Alexander and the several speakers that followed warmed to the occasion,
passed the torch from one to the other as it were, I of course dutifully kept an ear open,
though at the same time I couldnt resist listening to what a couple of experienced big city
reporters and the head of a well known sports club who were sitting next to me were saying.
Theres more prize money under the table now than over the table.
Yeah, well, so what? responded the other reporter. Does that hurt anybody?
Ill tell you whats awful, said the sports club presidentthose steroids. I knew this
runner once, a beautiful young woman, nice soprano voicebut when I saw her again last
year in Spain she had hair growing all over her face, and a very husky voice. What her coaches
did to her. What she did to herself.
Anabolic steroids [for readers who are as innocent as I was 30 years ago] are synthetically produced male hormones used, often quite illegally, for muscle building by weight-lifters,
swimmers, track and field and other athletes. These steroids allow athletes to train harder,
recover faster and become fitter, but they can have damaging side effects, particularly in
internal parts of the body. Four-time Olympic discus-thrower Al Oerter was quoted in one of
the Syracuse papers as saying, There are guys who have no idea what damage steroids do, or
how much to use without causing damage, and some of them are hovering on the brink of
destruction.
The steroid subject was very much in the news because just a few days earlier World
discuss record breaker Ben Plucknett had been the first American track and field man ever to
have been found guilty of using steroids and had been slapped with a lifetime ban by the
International Amateur Athletic Federation, the governing body of track and field. A number of
Plucknetts fellow competitors were quite upset about the ban, thought it was very unfair to
single him out, and pointed out that at the Moscow Olympics supposedly 60-70% of the
athletes had used steroids and nobody did anything about it.
A standing ovation?...For who? The officials! The 2600 players were cheering the
officials! Id never seen anything like it.
USA! USA! was the chant the next speaker John F.X. Mannion, Chairman of the
Syracuse Organizing Committee (SOC) for the Festival, had exhorted from at least some in the
crowd. Then he went on to speak of our USA hockey teams great triumph, of how one
moment of Olympic glory had brought our nation together as never before.
The rhetoric was beginning to get to the reporter next to me. Yeah, the Olympic spirit
and under the table money, he said. For him, reading in the Syracuse papers about Festival
players who felt they should be allowed to win prize money if given the opportunity was small
balm. He didnt know how much more he could take.
132

For these unforgettable days, set aside your cares. The speaker was William
Simon, President of the USOC and former Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Nixon
and Ford.
Dedication, Sacrifice, Fair Playthe Oath of the Athletes was being given. Looking
out at the psyched-up 3,000 players and officials massed there together in their matching
varicolored uniforms, I thought that everybody would have to acknowledge the dedication of
Simon and all those others, mostly volunteers, who got these outfitted participants comfortably situated at their Syracuse University Olympic Village, and readied their venue for the
competition. (The Festival sponsors were paying the University $19 a day per person for room
and board.)
Surely such work for so many was no easy task. The SOC and the USOC, Id read,
were each responsible for half the budget ($1 million each). The SOC raised their funding
through ticket sales and private donations (Chrysler, for instance, provided a fleet of 106 Kcars, and the Carrier Corp. underwrote the $35,000 cost of the medals). The USOC got its
funding through three major sponsors (United Airlines, Atlanta Richfield Corp., and Levi
Strauss & Co., and also from ABC). It may interest readers to know, on being given the rights
to the major Festival events that would appeal most to the home audience, ABC forced out
ESPN who had planned to do a very broad coverage, one that very likely would have included
some table tennis. As it was, not surprisingly (given our differences with them at the
Pyongyang Worlds), we got no coverage at all from ABC.
The last speaker was Academy Award winner Cliff Robertson. He and another wellknown actor, Peter Falk (of Colombo fame), were graduates of Syracuse University.
Robertson compared each of the self-perfecting, creative athletes in the Dome to a Zen master
in pursuit of excellence. He said that we were all here tonight to celebrate the wondrous
excellence in man and woman. Said that in a world of quantity, here, before him, was
quality.and harmony, peace, grace.
Both Tommey Burke (a congenial atmosphere and good rapport between players
here, she said) and Yvonne Kronlage (the players and officials worked hard and were as
considerate and efficient as one could possibly hope for) would later give thanks in Topics for
being part of this great experience.
After prominent gymnasts had performed, and the runners had brought the Olympic
torch in, music from Star Wars filled the arena, and suddenly, spectacularly lighting up the sky
(or rather the roof of the Dome) was the much awaited laser show, followed by the finale, the
song of the National Sports Festival, America, America, God shed His grace on thee.
Womens Singles
Why schedule the climactic singles matches first? you may well ask. And on a Friday
yetwith only the doubles events to be played over the weekend when we might expect the
largest influx of spectators? And why schedule the spirited team matches for Monday when
most people, or at least people like me, had to be back at work? Actually, due to a misunderstanding with the Festival organizers, the Team Championships were almost not held this
yearand, as it was, there was no NSF flowery pedestal-presentation, no medals for these
particular Championships. The USTTA had to buy their own awards for the top men and
women finishers.
For the Womens Singles event, the women (like the men) were divided into four round
robin groupswith the top two finishers coming out to pre-determined spots in the quarters draw.
133

In Group I, Cheryl Dadian rallied

to beat #2 finisher Judy Hoarfrost.
Up 13-7 in the third, Judy had
said Nice shot to Cheryl whod
just zinged in a winnerand
thereafter had (14-all16-21)
hopelessly lost all concentration.
California State University student Cindy Miller dropped all
three of her matchesto Hoarfrost, Dadian, and Burkebut
played deuce games with Judy
Cheryl Dadian
and Carol (who down 8-0 was
Photo by Mal Anderson
having
momentary trouble with grim-faced
Cindys high-toss serves). Tommeys
win (she, too, lost to Judy and Carol),
coupled with the fact that she was
almost seven months pregnant with her
second daughter Marah, was news
enough to get her coverage in the
Syracuse morning paper. In reply to a
reporters question as to why, when the
time comes, she was having a mid-wife
and not a doctor help her with her
delivery, she said, When the mid-wifes
had 3,000 babies, why should I get some
jerk of a man, a doctor, to help me?
Judy Hoarfrost
Tommey Burke
Tommey, a theatre major at Arizona
Photo by Mal Anderson
State, knows how to milk a line.
Nowhere was it said in print, though, that some players
were complaining about the white NSF shirts members of the
USTTA support group had been given and were wearing to
umpire (white ball) matches in. Thats a switch, huh? The umpires
violating the spirit of the dress code. Oh, said one conscripted
umpire who had no intention of changing, some people just look
for an excuse when theyre losing.
In Group II, 81 Intercollegiate Champ Jacque (formerly Jackie) Heyman couldnt pull off an upsetbut she was
talking a little about her two-year degree in Communication
which might allow her to work in a sound studio or for a modeling agency. Sheila ODougherty, wearing off-court an Im Proud
To Be Irish t-shirt shed picked up recently in London, was
responsible for one of Heymans three losses, but she couldnt
beat either of the two advancers to the quarters, Olga Soltesz
Sheila ODougherty
and Jamie Medvene. I havent played well for six months,
Photo by Mal Anderson
134

Sheila said. Its so depressing. Jamies parents and her excitable brother Ray rooted her on and
shared in her success against Sheila. But she lost the #1 finishing spot to Olga. After rallying to 19all in the third, Jamie tried two consecutive serve-and-follows and missed them both.
In Group III, Alice Green didnt lose a game. But #2
seed Takako Trenholme, in addition to losing to Alice, was beatand-bloodied in two disastrous matches. The first one she lost to
Lisa Gee, 19 in the third. By my count, the players and the
umpire lost the score at least five times and didnt change ends
in the third until 12-9. Up 20-18 double-match-point, Lisa
decided it was the right time to tie her shoelaces, and, as if that
werent enough for Takako, a photographer suddenly came up
and distractingly was waiting at the barriers for play to begin so
he could get a good action shot.
Takako, I
might add, has
formed her own
optical company,
Alice Green
the better to
Photo by Mal Anderson
finance her table
tennis peregrinations. Also, in case you didnt know, she keeps a
little black notebook on all her opponents. Only
problem this time was that shed had so little time
to warm up and was thinking so much about her
upcoming match with Alice, that, gee, she said with
Takako Trenholme
a rueful little smile, she forgot to look at her notes
on Lisa. Father Gee, in case you didnt know, goes round not with just a notebook but a big black
loose-leaf binder which I think its safe to say he did not forget to look at.
The other
tough 7, -20, 13 match that
Takako lost was
to pretty, petite
16-year-old
Hanna Butler.
Down 20-18
double-matchpoint, Hanna
twice fearlessly
served and
followed, and
Hanna Butler
Lisa Gee
went on to win.
Photo by Mal Anderson
In a match with Lisa that would decide who
made the quarters, Hanna, up 18-12 in the first, was clearly so distracted by the incompetent
umpires mistakes, and spectators shouts of corrections, she just couldnt play at allended
by serving into the net at 19-all, by serving off at 19-20!
135

Hanna didnt collapse in the second game, thougheven found a crouching sidespin serve
that looked as if it might be Lisas downfall (Yim, youve noted that?). But Lisa, playing as well as
Hanna in the clutch (both girls were really slugging it out), just held on to win, 24-22.
You had a bad umpire, I said sympathetically to Hanna after the match. Thats over
with, she said smiling. I was just pleased that since I was the last one to be picked I could do
so well against those whose ratings are higher than mine.
I personally was quite impressed with Hannas potential. Shes pleasant off court,
which is nice of coursebut she has the on-table toughness of a champion. Perhaps this
discipline comes from her stricter than most Baptist upbringing (and a concentration gained
from playing trumpet, piano, organ, guitar?).
In Group IV, Faan Yeen Liu allowed her three opponents a total of only 50 points,
while Diana Gee also had easy wins over both 81 Intercollegiate finalist Genny Hayes whos
been working on a switchboard this summer before going back in the fall for her last year at
the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), and many-time Tennessee Champ Leslie Harris whos
pursuing a major in early childhood education.
None of the quarters matchesDadian over Diana Gee in three; Lisa Gee over
Soltesz in four; Green over Medvene in three, and Liu over Hoarfrost in threewere really
contested. Still one could hardly say it was fortunate that no spectators were watching.
Diana, who in the spring of 78 was rated 900, in the winter of 80 1713, and who
continues her rapid climb, lost a 24-22 game to Cheryl that might have kept her in the match.
But Lisa, hitting her forehand well, downed 27-year-old Olga who was slow to start. When
youre a nice little junior, said Olga, as if looking at Lisa, everybody tries to help you. But
when you grow up, nobody cares about you anymore. Forget about trying to get sponsorship.
Hey, they say, youre working now, you pay your own way. Youre on your own.
Jamie, who four or five years ago, tore a
cartilage, dislocated her knee-cap, and was wearing a cast for eight weeks, and who fearful that if
her knee-cap were to go out again shed have to
have surgery, was wearing her usual brace. Back
home she practices with Yee Huan Choy, a good
chopper from Canton, but though she learns some
things from him, she feels she needs an offensive
as well as a defensive coach. To improve, she may
take a year off from UCLA where shes an English
major, go to the Tees Sport School in England
(and take in Wordsworth and the Lake Country as
well?).
As for Judy Hoarfrost, now 25, an
elementary school teacher, and a soccer player,
maybe she should go to China again, for she
Jamie Medvene
Photo by Mal Anderson
certainly couldnt do much with Beijing-trained
Faan Yeen Lius deceptive game.
Nor in the semis could Alice Green, down 2-0 and 12-4 in the third (her father/coach
Hal, where was he?), solve Faan Yeens mix-em-up style.
Lisa, in her semis, despite stubbornly prolonging the match with a 24-22 third game,
fell in four to Cheryl. Someone said Lisa too often after hitting in a good shot failed to reposi136

Sports Festivals Womens

Champion Faan Yeen Liu
Photo by Harry Frazer

tion herself for its return. Maybe so. But Lisas applied to go
to China for training in the summer of 82. If that happens,
shell sure be ready.
Alice not only straight-game took Third Place from Lisa
but found pleasure in socializing. It was really an inspiration
to me, she said, for me to be here, seeing all these other top
athletes perform. This is the first time Ive had the chance to
talk to other athleteslearn what ice skating or water polo or
softball players are thinking and feeling, and how they mentally prepare for their matches.
As Faan Yeen is warming up for her final against Cheryl,
some guy wandering in off the street wants to hit a few with
her. Uh, not now. Nows not a good time.
After Dadiandare I say it?chokes away the first
game at 19 (oh, it must have been hard to lift her forehand),
she loses the second at 18, then is down 16-4 in the third.
Still, a silver medal is a silver medal.
You know, said Faan Yeen, having just come off the
podium where shed stood posing happily amid the flowers
for photographer Harry Frazer, I havent always thought of
myself as an athlete. But here [she didnt lose a game in these
Singles matches] Im getting recognition as one. Here people
congratulate me and I feel Ive won something. These people,
the opening pep-rally, have given me the Olympic spirit.

Mens Singles
In Group I, Jay Crystal played at least one good game
against all three of his opponentsBrandon Olson, Sean
ONeill, Perry Schwartzbergbut couldnt win a match. Not
that Jay has been overworking himself this summer. Hed quit
teaching high school in April, and when he wasnt practicing
drills with Dean Doyle in somebodys Dont let the cats up!
basement (really, the places they had to play), he and his
friends were spending a lot of time at a place called Crystals
Sport Campa house Jay rents from his mother on Lake
Oswego. Jay says hes been playing spotty recently. In the
quarters of the June Rose Festival Open, he was down 18-9
in the third, then took 12 straight points to win the game and
the match. Total Zen. However, going on to play against
Dean Doyle, hes up 9-2 in the fifth and loses 21-12.
Though he says he loves competition, he admits that my
Jay Crystal:
practice and training techniques have always been questionfootwork technique questionable?
able and so has my on and off mental attitude.
One of the things to be learned from Jays Confessions (TTT, Oct., 1981, 7), a long
account of his adventures at this Syracuse Sports Festival, is that before the tournament
actually began, during the practice days, he and his friend Doyle had serious knee problems.
137

On Wednesday, though Jay had felt a very strange pronounced sensation in my left
knee every time I took a step, he nevertheless practiced for a couple of hours on that cement
floor at the venue. Then he decided hed better take a bus to the NSF training center. There a
swarthy, sharp-eyed man in white shorts and NSF t-shirt asked me if I needed some help. He
was an orthopedic surgeon and soon had me on a table where he proceeded to bend and yank
and squash my swollen knee.The prognosis? Probably torn cartilage. Ice it before and after
competition, wrap it when you can, see your doctor when you get home. After that, a trainer
came over and slapped on a gauze pad and over that about 10 yards of ace bandage. I
hobbled back to the dorm looking like Id just finished surgery.
Then it was Deans turnhis right knee had been bothering him for several months,
and was acting up now. Thursday morning we both went to the training centerme to try to
get a small elastic brace like Dean wears; he to see what was wrong with his knee. Not only
does Dean have torn cartilage, but the doctors stop all activity in the room so all the other
doctors and trainers can see Deans classic torn cystic lateral meniscus.
Jay thinks highly of Dean:
He has a friendly, straightforward
Dean Doyle
manner with peopleso is a great
Photo by Don Gunn
public relations man for our sport.
Thinks highly of Deans game too.
Hes a tournament tough competitor, a battler, smart and cageythe
U.S. Amateur Champion and twotime National Hard Bat Champion.
Table tennis is a full-time thing for
him. Id call it a job, so would he,
but we dont want to ruin his amateur status. As well see, considering his injury, Dean will do alright this tournament. But now
back to Crystals Group I (sans Crystal).
.Brandon Olson lost in straight games to Sean ONeill who seemed as much preoccupied with working his Rubik cube as he was with thinking about his matches. Sean would lose
to Schwartzberg but would advance to the quarters. Against Perry, Brandon was 16-13 up in
the third before Perry got in a turning-point counter that enabled him to go on and win the
match.
In Group II, Erwin Hom played three three-game matches, but lost all three. Majoring
in Oriental Languages at the University of California, he would be a big help to Coach Ai
Liguo when he conducted his clinic in Colorado Springs later this summer.
As it happened, Ai Liguo had just spent a week in Iowa instructing Scott and Jimmy
Butler. Good thing Dick and Sue had built an oak-floored extension to their house and had put
in a 30 x 42 court. It was either that or get out of table tennis, said Dick. In his round robin
matches, Scott, a slow starter, lost to both Dave Philip and Craig Manoogian and so didnt
qualify. Hes just not mean enough today, said his father.
When asked what bracket he was in, Philip said, Im in my own bracketand
laughed. But Manoogian beat him. Craig of course looked as fit as ever (Jay Crystal and
others at the Festival amused themselves by asking spectators what sport they thought bodybuilder Manoogian competed in. Meanwhile, Craig took one glance at me and began talking
shop. His major was Health Science and hed been working this summer as a nutritionist and
138

exercise specialist. Seeing I had pen and paper

in hand, he said, Draw me a picture of yourself as youd like to look. Was he kidding? I
cant draw. Then listen to me, exercise and
diet, and if youre serious youll see results in
a week. If youve been eating and drinking
crap, Ill put you on a special diet and start
you off with a mild laxative, a black cherry
con
In Group III, three-time Michigan Champ
Mike Veillette, all married and respectablelooking, was having his troubles, couldnt beat
anybody. I cant finish, he complained.
John Merkel, 1980 Arizona Champion,
Craig Manoogian...looks fit, huh?
Photo by Mal Anderson
on losing to Mike Lardon and Jerry Thrasher,
said he still had one more year of high school
and lamented he lacked hometown practice partners.
Lardon, who, after an excellent academic
year at Rice, had been accepted at Stanford and
was intent on receiving a pre-med degree, and
beating Jerry Thrasher. Up 20-17 in the first against
Jerry, he didnt win that game, or the next. He said
that, though he was the best player here, he lacked
tournament energy. Later, I saw him turn a
cartwheel into a handstand. Next thing you know,
hell be telling someone he was an Olympic gymMike Lardon
nast.
In Group IV, Ronnie Rigo, up 17-121812no, 17-12 in the third against Dean Doyle, got
a little excited, got everybody a little excited, when
umpire Takako Trenholme decided to call a let
rather than award Rigo what he knew to be an
earned point. Deans sportsmanship, so praised by
Dr. Michael Scott in an article citing the example of Deans early mentor Lou Bochenski, was
not in question here. Unknown to Ronnie, Takako and Dean had agreed that if that awful
sawing noise were to begin again there would be an automatic let. When play resumed, Ronnie
comported himself admirablyand finished fourth.
Brian Masters, looking with his summer haircut as shorn as Veillette, didnt fare any
better than Mikelosses to Doyle and Randy Seemiller kept him from qualifying
Though Doyle qualified for the quarters, you could see his recent 20-day exhibition trip
through Saudi Arabia had taken a little edge off his game.
Aramco (Arabian and American Oil Company) had these well-paid workers in construction camps that needed entertaining, and so Dean and Mike Bochenski, after lying in the
poolside sun all day, would be chauffeured to rec halls and theaters, where for a couple of
hours, like the billiard players, the jugglers, the circus acts, they would play to a packed house
of 1,000 or so spectators, then eat (if not drinkit was a dry country: $100 a half-gallon for
139

bootleg whiskey) in Korean, Filipino, Indian, Pakistan restaurants, then sleep in their mobilehome-like quarters. The people there were really friendly, said Dean, and there was almost
no crime. Oh, why was that? Because, he said, those enforcing the law cut all offenders to
the quick. Quickly made them headless, or at least handlessthough foreigners caught stealing could choose to have their hand(s) surgically removed.
Randy Seemiller, wholl be at school this fall, majoring in Computer Science, what had
he been doing this summer that had prepared him to win his qualifying matches? Randy, 5, 5,
has been a security guard. And since he never carried a gun, he was always trying to block
back trouble before it led to anything real bad. To some shaky characters hed say, Hey, man,
dont steal while Im here. Wait till Im gone. One the size of, say, Manoogian he could
handle, but if there were more.
In the quarters, Randy (11, 18, 12) had no problem
downing his winning doubles partner Sean who was still turning
that Rubik cube.
Jerry Thrasher, however, had plenty of squint-eyed
trouble with Philip. Nobody would dare give a long ball to Dave
or a loose one to Jerry. No surprise then that with games one
apiece and the score 17-all, 18-all, 19-all, it was Dave who was
carefully balancing the ball on his racket before serving, but
Jerry who won the final points with abandon that gave him the
lift to come through the fourth a winner.
Jerry, whos a lab technician for photographer/table
tennis enthusiast Joe Newgarden of Miami, said he was playing
so well because hed been into multi-ball practice with Judy Tun
and was no longer so slow in getting to his shots. Half an hour
of hitting balls non-stop is like an hour and a half of regular
practice, he said.
Sean ONeill/Randy Seemiller
Jerrys vision has always seemed suspect to me. But I
NSF Doubles Champions
was really given an eye-opener when I read that, according to
the American Optometric Association, at least 60% of our top
American athletes needed to improve their eye-hand reaction time. Quite a few were found to
be moving their heads when they should have been moving only their eyes, the optometrists
said. In actual play this would have caused them to take their eyes off the ball.
The eye doctors did a double take, though, when they began to test the table tennis
players, for they had the best reaction time of all the athletes. Craig Manoogian, in particular,
had the eyes, not to say the wing-span hands, of an eagle. Everyone looked at a clock-face
target impaneled with little lights. How many could you quickly touch out in 30 seconds? In
the second test the lights didnt stay on until you knocked them out; they began going off of
their own accord and you were supposed to beat 50% of them to the punch. Then there was a
test where you held a patch over one eye, another where you put a string with three spacedout balls on it up to your nose and experimented with your depth perception. Erich Haring
spoke of a test: 50 three digit numbers were flashed on a screen, one at a time, for 1/50 of a
second. The average person got 10 right. The average for all the athletes was 15. The lowest
t.t. players score was 21, and the highestManoogianswas 41. They thought their machine was faultyno one had ever scored 40 before. So they adjusted their machine and
brought Craig back. This time he scored 39.
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Manoogian, on court, obviously sound in mind and body, though constantly picking at
his too tight playing shorts, maneuvered his delicate little table tennis touchespush, block,
backhand jab, half-block/half roll forehand counterand grunting with every shot as if he
were exhausted, kept at it, kept at it, until he won out over Lardon and his safe inverted
topspin. (Before, when Mike had pips, if a ball came long he had to crack it, now, looking for
control, he didnt, or so he said.)
Later, I saw Lardon at the dining hall. As Mike with his newly developing canker sores
might well have been brooding about those serves hed missed against Manoogian, a guy came
over and asked him if he was racing today. (What the hell does he tell them anyway?)
In the last quarters, lest I forget, Schwartzberg who, according to Lardon,was supposed to be handicapped playing with a strange no-spin Tempest racket that was about 100
years old, beat Doyle three straight.
Which moves all of us and four of the players into the semis, eh?
Craig, who was complaining that he could
only flat hit with hard rubber, succumbed to
Schwartzberg. As did Randy to Jerrythough
Thrasher, who at 29 was the oldest of the men, came
off that 25-23 final game playfully holding on to his
throat. Hed been up 2-0 and 18-11, then 19-11 when
Randy had served into the net. After which, as the
score began to get close, Jerry sort of panicked
though finally at match point when Randy gave him a
chop serve much too high, he did all-out loop it in for
the match. That Thrasher needs a little experience,
says the spectator standing next to me.
Though Seemiller over Manoogian for the
bronze medal was a five-game thriller, particularly in
the second game where
Perry
up 1-0 and at 19-all
Schwartzbergs
Manoogian missed a
Jerry Thrasher
high toss
hanger that turned the
Photo by Mal Anderson
match around, the final
between Schwartzberg and Thrasher was the best Singles match of
the tournament.
As it happened, Perrys blade may or may not have been
old, but he himself had just started playing pips out on the backhand. Why? Because, he said, I can hit quick with it and can
change the pace. I can stop the ball. And if you can keep the ball
low and stop it, your opponent has to make a weak shot. No, he
doesnt flip the racketat least not in mid-point. Twirls it only on
the serve.
Up 20-18 in the first, Schwartzberg threw the ball high
and when it came down and was a good servesurprise
Thrasher fearlessly smacked it in. Perry wouldnt try that again,
right? Wrong. And this time Jerry tamely pushed the ball into the
net.
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Play his middle was a friends advice to Perry. And

if he followed it, it was obviously good advice, for in the
second game Perry was up 12-4. Then down 17-16. Then
had won it, 21-17. But Jerry just kept on swinging, has this
year been far more consistent than Ive ever seen him, and
took the third at 14.
In the fourth though, Schwartzberg was up 10-2. It was
all over, wasnt it? No, the streaky play went the other way
12-all. Down 18-16, Perry blocked back a miraculous winner.
Then he had Thrasher back on defense for eight balls in a row.
At 18-all, Perry tried to hit in a serve, missed. Then almost
immediately he tried to hit in a low balldid. But then up 20-19
match point he pushed Thrashers serve off. Down 21-20
match-point, Jerry picked out a low ball to his backhand and
gave it his full treatmentit rocketed in. But Perry wasnt
intimidated, stayed aggressive, and finally won it, 24-22.
So, the gold for Perry. And a silver for Jerryexcept
the Syracuse papers had Schwartzberg beating Doyle in the
final.
I like it when Im seeded #1 and win, Perry told a
reporter. This medal means more to me than any money Ive
ever won. Means more to me than $500.
I looked at him.
Sports Festivals Mens Champion
Now that Im not a table tennis playerjust a
Perry Schwartzberg
student, he saidI dont have to worry. Before, I literally
had to worry about winning to eat. Now, as long as Im going to school, my parents support
me. Now I can go after it without a tight throat. Now the pressures gone.
Womens Doubles
The playing format for all the Doubles was to pair the #1 with the #4, the #2 with the
number #3 on each team. This, it was thought, would better balance the pairs and give more of
them a chance for a medal. The one exception was in Womens Doubles when the Gee sisters
asked not to play together. Why the twins didnt want to be paired with one another not even
their father Yim professed to know. But the request was granted. After all, theyd played
together so muchwere, in fact, the 1980 National Girls U-17 Champions. So Judy, #1,
paired with Lisa, #3; and Diana, #2, partnered Hanna, #4.
In preliminary round robin play, the Judy/Lisa team, though losing badly (21-8, 21-7)
to Takako Trenholme/Jamie Medvene, advanced as did Trenholme/Medvene to the final. Here,
Yim Gee tells us, Judy was not intimidated by the first defeat and displayed a tremendous
confidence and determination rarely seen in her these days. We will play them differently this
time and we will win, she said. And indeed they did win19, 10, 19. Third Place went to
Cheryl Dadian/Cindy Miller over Sheila ODougherty/Tommey Burke.
Mens Doubles
Come on, Dad, theyve started all over again, said one kid whod wanted to leave
the Mens Doubles final right from the beginning, and who, after the first (deuce) game and
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the start of the second, was the surprised but not the delighted, enthusiastic younger spectator
wed hoped to attract. This was the more unfortunate because Sean ONeill, only 13, was in
the process of pairing Randy Seemiller to an exciting five-game victory over a little too passive
Brandon Olson/Brian Masters. Crystal says he and Doyle shared a bag of snow, icing our
knees. Snow? Yeah, thats the ice residue from the Zamboni machine that cleans the ice rink
upstairs. An occasional drip of water somehow finds its way between floors and pelts a table
tennis court. Jay and Dean come third, get a bronze medal.
Mixed Doubles
Mike Lardon and Cheryl Dadian were the deserving
winners of the Mixedover Randy Seemiller and Olga
Soltesz. Randy, like his brothers, plays good doubles, and for
10 years Olga has regularly been a part of a Tuesday Doubles
Only night with her father and friends at their local club.
Moreover, with her hard pick-hit shes won many doubles
events over the years. 3rd Place finishers were 1979 Intercollegiate Mixed Doubles Champions Jay Crystal/Judy Hoarfrost
over Scott Butler/Alice Green. Mike and Cheryl, thanks to the
efforts of Coordinator Bill Haid, were pleased to receive their
awards from no less a personage than Frank Kelly, President
of the SOC.
Party Time
The plastic card Jay Crystal had received on registerOlga Soltesz
ing guaranteed his entrance to all events, meals, and the
student center. This center was a rickety old house just off campus. They had live music and
beer every night, all free for us athletes if we flashed our card. It became known to the table
tennis players as the F.B.P. or Free Beer Place. A continuous, giant frat party full of jocks
every night. My rigorous training schedule brought me there more than once.
Also in Jays players packet thered been an invitation to the Sunday night Banquet.
When the time came, seeing the sign in the cafeteria that read NO DINNER SERVED SUNDAY NIGHT), Crystal and everyone else got the idea they ought to go to this Banquet. Since
the invitation looked fancy, Jay said, I thought it would be a good idea to wear my good
clothes. Nope, not a good idea. He and Dean got on the bus and it was standing room only
amid weight-lifters, shot-putters, and discus-throwers still in their playing garb. It was eighty
degrees, humid, and drizzling rain. We got off the bus and found ankle-deep sawdust muck,
paper plates, chicken, olives, and beer. It was supposed to be an indoor-outdoor affair, but the
drizzle was fouling things up. It was a huge soggy party:
Dean and I looked at the mayhem, looked at each other, then rolled up our slacks and
sleeves and got into it. There was a band playing inside. I walked by the girls gymnastics team,
all the size of Peter Pan, all sipping 24 oz. paper cups full of beer. We also met a pot-bellied,
long-haired fellow named Jaime who claimed he was a reporter for a rock and roll radio
station in New York. We hopped into his daddys white Cadillac and smoked three joints of
Hawaiian gold bud.
Wow, look at all the drunk jocks, man
143

I was one of them. Mass craziness; Ultimate Frisbee muck-sliding contests; beerchugging; greasy chicken up to the elbows; beautiful synchronized swimmers; USOC officials;
parents; policeall slipping, yelling and screaming, rocking and rolling, digging it, all in ankledeep cosmic, sawdust slime.
Womens Teams
The Monday Womens Team matches (more so than the Mens) were put together as
much with an eye to balancing the rating points as observing any strict geographic locale
(Minnesotas Trenholme and ODougherty were playing for the South; Californias Cindy
Miller for the Midwest; Michigans Genny Hayes for the East; and Marylands Jacque Heyman
for the Midwest).
Director Fred Danner explains why the ending matches were so medal-awarding
important. If the West team wins the evening match against the South, they (the West) will
win the tournament, and the East will come second. But if they lose, they come fourth, and the
South will come second. Dont ask me to tell you why. Anyway, says Fred, since the
South beat the West, the East won. That would be Green, Harris, Hayes, and Soltesz. And
the South runner-ups were Burke, Medvene, ODougherty, and Trenholme.
Mens Teams
The Mens Team matches (like the Womens, best five out of nine) also were close. The
East vs. the Midwest decider went down to a 17-all-in-the-third ninth match between the
Midwests Brandon Olson and the Easts Scott Butler (whos of course from Iowa). Earlier,
Scott had lost two matches in this tie, but against Brandon, whod contributed a 26-24-in-thethird win over Butlers teammate Thrasher, Scott at the end ran it out. It was the second time
hed been the hero, for against the South hed downed a burnt-out Schwartzberg in the third
game of the ninth match. The East winners then were: Butler, ONeill, Seemiller, and Thrasher.
And the Midwest runner-ups were: Lardon, Masters, Olson, and Veillette.
Both Schwartzberg (my competitive spirit has been elevated and strengthened) and
Veillette (a new will to strive shall benefit all goals in my life) wrote into Topics thanking the
USOC and the USTTA.
Time to Leave
Tournaments over, so Crystal comes to the end of his Confessions article:
The next morning, it was now Tuesday, the table tennis players filtered out of the
dorm. It was time to leave. I gave two of my bags to Dean to take home with him. I kept my
racket and sneakers just in case. I was staying another day and hitch-hiking to Boston the next
morning. Judy and Dean looked at me forlornly, puzzled by my strange, vague plans for after
the tournament.
That night my dorm floor was empty. All of the rooms were left open, empty and
unlocked. An occasional gust of wind would make one of the doors slam eerily (BOOM!). I
ate alone, walked down to the Dome and watched the finals of boxing. Then I paid one last
visit to the F.B.P. I walked back to the dorm, and went to bed. Somewhere between the
spaghetti I ate for dinner and the last beer I drank I picked up food poisoning, or a flu bug, or
something. I woke up around two-thirty a.m. with a swollen burning stomach and spent the
rest of the night emptying it, the hard way.
144

The dawn was gray and the rain looked like that familiar Oregon drizzle. But I was
three thousand miles from that drizzle I was used to and sick as a dog. I shouldered my backpack and walked down to the front desk. In exchange for three towels I was given a commemorative plaque. I walked down to the bus stop and began asking bus drivers how to get to
the New York Throughway.
Its tough to be an athlete.
Changing Amateur/Professional Rules
Sometimes during my stay when I wasnt covering any
matches, I went to the Libraryfor it was by far the best bar in the
Hotel Syracuse. And who should show up opposite me one night but
Bill McGimpsey. Long ago, it seemed, I was urging him to have more
and more prize money at his tournament. Now a player who accepts
personally [sic] any prize money in excess of 1250 Swiss Francs for
any event is a professional.Or is he?
Another time I went to the Library, and there across from me
was Brian Oldfieldthe controversial 36-year-old shot putter who
wants to be recognized as an amateur. So whats his problem? He
didnt seem to have any as he ogled the barmaids, joked behind their
backs and to their faces, licked his lips over a coke, and laughed along
with his friends and admirers. It so happens, however, hed made
some moneynot muchon a professional track circuit in the 70s,
a circuit that after three years folded. Now he was trying to get The
Athletics Congress (TAC) to reinstate him for Olympic competition. But
although he competed here in the Festival and won (as a professional he
once recorded a put of 75 feet, considerably more than the official world
Bill McGimpsey
record), his victory certainly didnt please some people, for the USOC
said he wasnt eligible for the Pan Am or Olympic Games and so theyd frowned on him participating in this NSF showplace. Apparently, though, until the athletes appealing were given due process,
they couldnt be kept out of the Festivalas witness the following athletes situations.
Greg Meyer, easy winner of the Mens 10,000 meters here at the Festival, was awaiting
a TAC hearing for accepting $10,000 in a race earlier this summer.
Peter Pilzinger, a walk-on entrant unaffiliated with any of the four Regional teams
competing, won the Festival marathonbut faced a TAC disciplinary hearing for accepting
$800 for a Seventh Place finish in a recent race in Portland, OR.
Benji Durden, whod collected Third Place money of $1,000 in that same Portland
race, lashed out in the local papers at what he called the hypocrisy of the TAC group. I took
the prize money, he acknowledged, but Im no different from anyone else who can run. Ive
been getting money for years and I dont see why I should continue to lie about it. I dont see
how accepting a college scholarship is any different from taking money to run a race. The
thing that galls me is that TAC is trying to tell us that what were doing is not in the best
interests of the sport. But I just cant see how what were doing hurts the sport. Being honest,
to me, is much better than lying, and were being encouraged to lie.
This National Sports Festival is being held in late July. On September 24, the Long
Island paper Newsday has two articles (reprinted in TTT, Oct., 1981, 14) that link to the TAC
stories above. The first is Professionals in Olympic Games?
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In Baden-Baden, West Germany, at the 11th Olympic Congress, the International

Olympic Committee was studying a proposal for possible open Olympic Games, professionals
competing against amateurs. The proposal, prepared by the IOCs Eligibility Commission,
keeps the door closed to money prizes in the Games.
The second article is TAC Rescinds Contamination Rule.
The Athletics Congress, governing body of amateur track and field in the United
States, has rescinded its contamination rule that blocked competition between amateurs and
professionals in track and field and road racing.
Peter Cava, director of information for TAC, said in Indianapolis yesterday that the
organization received permission to drop the contamination rule at a meet of the International Amateur Athletic Foundation in Rome last month. As a result, TAC will sanction the
next prize money race on the Association of Road Racing Athletes (ARRA) circuit Oct. 4 in
Boston.
TAC had refused to sanction any ARRA races and had threatened to remove the
amateur status of anyone who ran in them. The contamination rule remains in effect for meets
and races in the United States that include athletes from other countries.
Cava said that TAC has also given to athletes who face disciplinary action for taking
money in the first ARRA race, in Portland, OR, the option of placing the money in a TACadministered escrow fund and retaining their amateur status until the IAFF decides whether to
allow the money to be used for training purposes.
[Surely more changes are coming.]

146

ley
Ron Shir derson

Mal An
Photo by

Chapter Twelve
1981: 1st Annual
Bill Haid and Junior Olympic participants
AAU-USA Jr. Olympic
Nationals. 1981: Jr. Olympic Champion Scott Butler in Japan. 1981: World Cup Results.
1981: European Youth Championships. 1981: Caribbean Championships. 1981: August
Tournaments.
Covering the 1st Annual AAU-USA Junior Olympics, held at Mark Meers The Courts
in Oklahoma City, Aug. 1-2, were (TTT, Sept., 1981, 4-5) Olympic Chairman Dick Butler
(Boys events) and Yim Gee (Girls events). Nearly 100 participants, ranging in age from 7-18,
and representing 23 states, played on 15 tables set up on two tennis courts.
In a short accompanying article, Ron Shirley, Junior Olympic National Tournament
Director, says, Ive never been happier with any table tennis activity that Ive ever been
associated with. (And, yes, that includes the two U.S. Opens here in Oklahoma.) The kids
were supertalented, well-behaved and sportsmanlike; the competition was outstanding; and
the entire Junior Olympic program proved to be first-class from top-to-bottom. Ron thanks
USTTA Executive Director Bill Haid and Junior Olympic Chair Dick Butler, and says how
proud he is that Yasaka and Oklahoma Youth Table Tennis could be an historic part of it all.
Yim thanks Table Tennis Americas Ron Shirley and his committee for their tremendous effort in providing transportation and housing for many out-of-state athletes. Living in a
home not only cuts down on expenses but offers these young athletes the opportunity to share
and learn from one another. Diana and Lisa Gee, Brian Masters, James Therriault and his aunt,
and I were all staying in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Frank LeForce and their three boys. It was
a full house, but it was fun. Some boys and girls came alone and were taken care of by other local
families. Several who participated in the National Sports Festival were able to be here without
having to pay transportation expenses thanks to Bill Haid and the Olympic Committee.
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Yim says, Lack of good coaching appeared to be a major concern among developing
athletes and their parents in this tournament. In addition they have no place to practice and no
one around to practice with in their home towns. [And no tournaments to repeatedly compete
in. Thus, isnt it absurd to call them developing athletes? How are they developing?] Juniors
between the ages of 7 and 12 need lots of coaching. The USTTA must channel its resources to
have a second junior development program in this age group.
Boys Open Event
Dick Butler noted that every boy in the tournament participated in the Open event. After a beginning
series of round robin matches, there were two semifinal
round robins of three players each. In the one, Sean
ONeill advanced to the final, beating both Khoa
Nguyen, 15 and 23; and John Merkel, 20 and 18
(Johns backhand loops gave Sean trouble). In the
other semifinal, Brian Masters steady anti-blocks and
forehand loops were too (14, 15) much for NYs Philip
Lee, who also fell to Scott Butler, 18 in the third. In
Brian Masters
five previous matches, Butler had lost to Masters due to
his inability to mentally cope with Brians combination
racket and left-handed loops. In their first game, though Masters got off to a 6-0 lead, Butler
won it at 19. After losing the second game at 13, a determined Butler went out to play the
third with his fathers advice ringing in his ears, You must get three of the first five points if
you expect to win. Scott got only two. But then Butler started catching Masters wide on
the forehand by spinning or driving those anti-balls. And when Brian did get a chance to loop,
Scott successfully blocked or countered, and so advanced with an easy 21-13 win.
In the final,
Butler and ONeill
squared off for the
15th time in National
competition. Scotts
consistency had
prevailed 12 of these
times, and this (-19,
13, 10) win was his
13th.
Boys Age Group
Events
In the first U-17
Scott Butler (right) defeating Sean ONeill in the final of the Boys Open event.
Double Elimination
final, Brian Masters won the winners bracket over Roland Rittmaster, 12, 12. But then AZs
John Merkel came out of the losers bracket and, seemingly unaffected by Masters anti play,
scored from both wings to win 18, 15. In the second final, Merkel, playing the best Ive ever
played, upset #1 seed Masters to win (as he leaves the junior ranks) his first national title.
Howd he do it? Well, from the first, Brian was in troubleblocking his shots into the net or
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missing his loops. Nothing seemed to work for Masters, and Merkel, near
perfect with continuing drives and smashes, prevailed at 16. Next game,
thoughthe crowd-pleaser of the tournamentwas won out of desperation by Masters, 28-26. Merkel, however, was unfazedwent on, while
Brian ineffectually changed his racket, to take the third, 21-13.
U-17 Boys Doubles: Lee Ross/Phillip Lee over Freddie
Marchena/Alex Fields.
The U-15 Double Elimination event
was won by CAs Khoa Nguyen whose
quick countering game was too much
Under 17 Champion
for both Phillip Lee, 15, 18, and LAs
John Merkel
Tarek Zhody, 12, -18, 15. Khoas
growth spurt and resulting ability to
now cover both wings, plus his composure at the table and
quick, hard-driving game, were most impressive.
In the U-13 Double Elimination, Scott and Sean played
twice. The first match found both players nervous, but
Scott controlled the match, 15, -18, 10. In the second
Under 15 Champion
match, Scotts flawless technique and consistent offensive
Khoa Nguyen
pressure combined to completely shut down Seans offense,
13, 8.
U-13 Boys Doubles: Scott/Jim Butler over LAs Alex Poon/James Schiro.
The U-11 Double Elimination went to Jim Butlerover MAs Peter Pezarius, 18, 14,
and 16, 9.
In the U-9 round robin final, ILs Dat Truong
narrowly defeated MAs Chi-ming Chui, -23, 24, 23. Some
match that must have been. Yim Gee says Truong has
good concentration and a tremendous forehand drive. As
for young Chui, hes very aggressive with his penhold
pips-out attack And not exactly shy off-court either.
When Yim asked him, Who brought you here? Chi-ming
said, I brought myself here and I dont need my dad to
help me!
Chi-ming Chui

Girls Events
U-17s (only three entries): Yim says, Marilyn Johnstons tournament experience and
ability to win big points were just a bit too much for her [unnamed] opponents. Marilyn was
selected to go to the National Sports Festival but was unable to participate due to too late
notice from the USTTA. She would have gone had she been notified earlier. I certainly hope
the Selection Committee will take this time-factor into consideration in the future. In these
days of double-digit inflation and high cost of transportation, dont expect an athlete to show
up unless he or she is notified well in advance.
U-17 Doubles: Phyllis Trivett/Denise Heermann over Marilyn/Barbara Johnston, 17, 24, 19.
U-15s (only three entries): 1. Phyllis Trivett. 2. Farida Patel. 3. Barbara Johnston.
[Has Barbara been playing?]
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U-13 Girls Double Elimination: Lisa Gee, whod won the Womens Doubles with Judy
Hoarfrost at the National Sports Festival, was over-confident this tournament. In the first
semis of this Double Elimination event, she thought she could overcome Jasmine Wang by
smashing everything. And she won the first game easily by doing just that. But in the second
game, Jasmine began to get used to Lisas shots, countered effectively, and, helped by wellexecuted serve-and-one attacks, won that game and the next. To prove her win wasnt a fluke,
Jasmine fought courageously and in the first final stopped Diana Gee. Up 1-0, but down 18-11
in the second, Diana tenaciously tied it up at 18-all. But Jasmine was not shaken and hung on
to win that game and the third. Jasmine is a tough fightera sign of a great champion.
The twins took their defeat in stride and worked their way through the losers bracket
to meet in a play-off. The sisters played their hearts outwith Diana edging out Lisa in a close
two-game match.
Three tournaments in a month, plus
traveling, finally took their tollDiana showed
signs of homesickness, fatigue, even exhaustion. She moved with rubbery legs and her hits
were off target. Yet she didnt win a medal at
the Sports Festival and wanted very much to
bring a gold medal home to her Mommy. She
soon realized that she couldnt counter with
Jasmine. But what else was there for Diana to
do if she didnt attack? Defend? She hadnt
practiced chop in the last two years. Defense
could only be her last resort. But when Dianas
attack wasnt effective, she tried chopping
and it worked! Jasmine was puzzled by the no
spin and backspin balls and the unexpected pick
hits. Diana won this do-or-die match, 12, -22,
Dad Yim is telling Diana, If you cant win by
16.
attacking, you gotta win by defending, right?
Now both girls had one loss apiece. For
Photo by Mal Anderson
this event-deciding final, Diana had gained
confidence in her defense and easily won the match, 15 and 12. The fact that Diana had
chopped her way to a win drew a laugh from Lisa. But Diana was happy to bring home a gold
medal to Mommy.
Under 11s: 1. Linda Gates. 2. Stephanie Fox. 3. Michelle Mantel. 4. Laura
Biondolino.
Under 9s: 1. Martha Gates. 2. Julie Johndrow. 3. Toni Jones. 4. Nicole Mantel.
All the Gates sisters (Kathy came fourth in the strong U-13s) are hard rubber players
with good ball control and a good pick hit. Mr. Gates indicated that he tried to get the girls to
use modern rubber bats, but the girls didnt like them. Perhaps proper coaching would help
them to make such a transition.
Lisa and Diana Gee used hard rubber bats for about eight months before switching
without any difficulty. Young athletes who gradually work their way up from hard rubber to
slow and fast sandwich bats usually develop a better feeling for ball control, and a better
understanding of speed and spin. Also, they can cope with the different rubber and style of
players much better in competition.
150

Scott and Dick Butler in Japan

Immediately following the National Sports Festival,
Scott Butler was off to an Ogimura Training Camp in the
mountains north of Tokyo. Accompanying Scott was his
dad, Richard, who went to observe Japanese training and
coaching techniques. This trip, we knew, said Richard
(TTT, Nov., 1981, 8), was in no part a vacation, for wed
heard of the intensity and seriousness of purpose with
which Mr. Ogimura approached his training. [Thirty years
later, Id write a review of Ogi, an Ogimura biography,
which made it clear that often trainees were so exhausted
they could not physically endure his camps. ] For 10
days, says Richard, we were totally immersed in serious
table tennis. The day usually began between 7:00/7:30 a.m.
Ichiro Ogimura and Scott Butler
and ended between 11:00/11:30 p.m.
Im sure Ogis vaunted rigorous fanaticism regarding training was not applicable to young Scott, or perhaps any of the other players on this
particular visit, for here was the schedule Scott and Dick followed: Every night there was a
camp meeting before bedtime which included a snack, video tapes, information exchanges
between Japanese and foreign players, and entertainment. The hotel, the meals, the gym
adjacent to the hotel were everything a visitor would want. The daily training schedule was
carefully planned with time devoted to calisthenics, running, practice drills, free play, match
play, meals, showers after physical training, and special events that included a mountain hike
and an afternoon at the beach on the Pacific Ocean.
Assisting Ogimura was Noriko Yamanaka, the 1967 World Mixed Doubles Champion
with 1967 Mens Singles Champion Nobuhiko Hasegawa. Thanks to her, and to Mr. Oribe
and Mr. Inoue for their special help and friendship. A special thanks of course to Mr. Ogimura
for inviting Scott to participate in the camp, and our sincere appreciation for the countless
favors during our stay, and for allowing me to observe all the training sessions. All the Japanese made Scott and me feel completely at home from the first day of our visit and we will
always remember their kindness and warm hospitality.
Scott and Richard also spent two days in
Tokyo where they visited their sponsor, the
Yasaka Company. They were met by Mr.
Rokuro Kitabayashi, President of Yasaka;
Mr. Hiroshi, Vice-President of the JTTA;
and Mr. Masabumi Murakami, Trading
Manager of Yasaka.who was responsible
for packing all the complimentary equipment for Scott and Jim. Scott and Richard
thanked these gentlemen for their help.
They also thanked Ron Shirley and Table
Yasaka President Rokuro Kitabayashi,
Tennis America, for without their support
flanked by Dick and Scott Butler
our trip to Japan would not have been
possible. We feel very privileged to be associated with Yasaka and Table Tennis America.
151

World Cup Results (Kuala Lumpur, July 30-Aug. 2)

Final: Tibor Klampar (1) d. Xie Saike (2), -10, -13, 22, 17, 18. Semis: Klampar d. Shi
Zhihao (4), 17, 17, -17, 15; Xie Saike d. Guo Yuehua (3), -18, 11, 18, -21, 10. Quarters:
Klampar d. Milan Orlowski (5), 18, 15; Shi Zhihao d. Seiji Ono (7), 18, -20, 17; Xie Saike d.
Istvan Jonyer (8), 12, 18; Guo Yuehua d. Andrezj Grubba (6), 16, -16, 14. Positional Matches:
Guo Yuehua d. Shi Zhihao, -18, 18, 18; Orlowski d. Grubba, 19, 19; Grubba d. Jonyer, 19, 16;
Ono d. Jonyer, 17, -15, 12; Orlowski d. Ono, 18, -20, 17. Other finishers: World #13 Park Lee
Hee (9) d. Appelgren (11) and Kosanovic (10); Kosanovic d. Brazils Franca (12); Nigerias
Eboh (13) d. Japans Yoshitaka (14) and Australias Pinkewich (15);Yoshitaka and Pinkewich
d. Malaysias Tay Tong Kee (16). Pre-lim matches of note: Grubba d. Guo Yuehua, -20, 11, 18
and Appelgren, 14, -17, 18; and Yoshitaka d. Jonyer, -7, 19, 13.
24th European Youth Championships (Topolcany, Czechoslovakia, July
31-Aug. 9)
Junior Boys Singles: Waldner (Swe.) d. Broda (Cze.), 18, 19.
Junior Girls Singles: Final: Bulatova (USSR) d. Hrachova (Cze), -10,
17, 18. Cadet Boys Singles: Final: Mazunov (USSR) d. Gleave (Eng.),
19, 17. Cadet Girls Singles: Final: Nemes (Rum) d. Malmberg (Fin.),
12, 13.
Junior Boys Doubles: Final: Waldner/Akesson (Swe.) d. Broda/
Broda (Cze.), 19, 19. Junior Girls Doubles: Daniliavichute-Vecherak
((USSR) d. Hrachova/Kocova (Cze.), -14, 16, 16. Junior Mixed Doubles: Final: Rebel/Wenzel
(FRG) d. Broda/Hrachova (Cze.), 17, 19.
Junior Boys Team: 1. Sweden. 2. Czechoslovakia. 3. USSR. 4. Rumania. Junior Girls
Team: 1. USSR. 2. Czechoslovakia. 3. Federal Germany. 4. Rumania. Cadet Boys Team: 1.
Hungary. 2. USSR. 3. Yugoslavia. 4. England.
Caribbean Championships (San Cristobal, Venezuela, Aug. 3-13)
Mens Team: 1. Dominican Republic. 2. Trinidad & Tobago. 3. Jamaica. 4. Venezuela.
Womens Team: 1. Venezuela. 2. Trinidad & Tobago. 3. Dominican Republic. 4. Colombia.
Mens Singles: 1. Alvarez (DOM). 2. Marchalleck (JAM). Womens Singles: 1. Popper
(VEN). 2. Daniel (TRI). Mens Doubles: Vila/Fermin (DOM). 2. Rios/Suaza (COL). Womens
Doubles: Popper/Arevalo (VEN). 2. Perez/Alejo (DOM). Mixed Doubles: 1. Lopez/Popper
(VEN). 2. Vila/Perez (DOM).
August Tournaments
Mary McIlwain (TTT, Nov., 1981, 21) said she left house guests and hubby on
our 28th to head for Santa Monica and the Western States Open, played Aug. 28-29 at
Santa Monica. At the tournament she taped an interview with Jack Howard (now more
into racquetball than table tennis) for the USTTA Hall of Fame Banquet still months away.
Of course she watched some matchessaw an exciting semis between 12-year-old
prodigy Lan Vuong and Angie Rosal. [Angies no longer Sistrunk? I dont know if its
true or not, but I heard that, given the divorce, there was a custody hearing regarding
Tom and Angies daughter Suco the same time as the Worlds, and thats why Angie didnt
go and Cheryl Dadian went in her stead] After eking out a close fourth game, Lan fought
valiantly in the fifth against Angies hard, cross-court, well-angled drives. Even with the
152

score 20-15
Rosals
favor, Vuong
brought it to
20-18 before
failing to
return a final
winning
smash by
Angie
While
at the tournament, Mary
Angelita Rosal Sistrunk
Lan Vuong
saw Neil
Photo by Robert Compton
Smyth, now
President of the Sands Hotel in Vegas, who, thanks to Ruth Guillen
and her sons, would be honored here for his contributions to table
tennis, particularly his initiation of the U.S. Closed at Caesars Palace
in 1976 and the four successive tournaments held there thereafter.
Neil had just come from competing (sans feet fins) in the 5th Annual
WORLD Body Surfing Championship at the Oceanside Pier near San
Diego. Mary thanks the California Parks and Recreation Departments
for sponsoring not only the Marathon and Body Surfing events but
also this Western States Open.
Harold Kopper, in an adjacent article to
Marys,
said that the tournament drew over
Neil Smyth
170 players participating in 27 events. Harold
praised Tournament Chair Peter Antkowiak and Tournament Coordinator Ray Guillen for keeping the events moving well. Assisting them
were Bob Ashley, Harold Kopper, and Hollywood Club owner Ruth
Guillen.
Results: Mens Singles: 1.
Jim Lane (beat Malek and
Harold Kopper
Guillen, 3-0, and Manoogian, 31). 2. Attila Malek. 3. Craig Manoogian. 4. Ray
Guillen. Womens Singles: Rosal over Jin Na, 9, 11,
16. Mens Doubles: Guillen/Marty Doss over Carlos
Brignardello/Tony Koyama whod advanced over
Lane/Scott Preiss, -13, 19, 20, 14. Mixed Doubles:
C.S. Wu/C.Y. Wu over Guillen/Pat Hodgins in five.
Esquires: Leon Ruderman over Mike Blaustein.
Seniors: Bernie Bukiet over Ron Von Schimmelman.
U-17: Dan Wiig over Hanna Butler, 18, 26, then over
Steve Rodriguez. U-15: Lan Vuong over 11-year-old
Chi Ngo who beat Rodriguez, 16, 19. U-13: Lan over
Western States Open Champion Jim Lane
Chi.
Photo by Robert Compton
153

U-2300: Jeff Stewart over Rick Guillen (from

Ron Von Schimmelman
down 2-0). U-2200: Mas Hashimoto over Sung Eui
Choi. U-2100: Choi over Von Schimmelman, -22, 25, 2, 13, 15. U-4100 Doubles: Lane/Steve Shapiro
over Ashley/Von Schimmelman. U-2000: Jin Na over
Joe Poon, 19 in the fifth. U-1900: Colorados Bob
Zarren over Marco Chao. U-3700 Doubles: Charles
Childers/Steve Krell d. Livingston/Dale Francis.
Poor Dale. On his way home from Santa Monica,
he was breezing along the freeway on his motorcycle
when his equipment bag fell off his cycle. Dale went
back and recovered his wallet from the bag but his
paddle was crushed. U-1800: Jimmy Li over Tom Sistrunk, U-1700: A. Satir over P.
Antkowiak. U-1600: H. Butler over Karl Dreger. U-1500: K. Lin over C. Ngo, 24-22 in the
3rd. U-2900 Doubles: Davis/Trosh over Rudy Kovin/Shapiro, 19 in the 4th. U-1400: Ngo over
Al Espinoza. U-1300: J. Peters over W. Amy. U-2500 Doubles: Jeff Pond/Rothman over
Ferdinand Trinidad/Weiss. U-1200: P. Tran over Rothman, 16, -12, 23, -19, 17. Unrated:
Ralph Guillory over K. Christof. Amateur Singles: Poon over Childers.
Mary McIlwain (TTT, Nov., 1981, 21) introduces us to the Leisure
World of Laguna Hills. One of the most desirable retirement communities
in the world, it has a Leisure World Table Tennis Club with a membership
of 167 enthusiastic players. [This Club will gradually blossom through the
decades into sponsoring the Meiklejohn North American Seniors, a tournament for players 40 through 90 that in 2009 offered $23,000 in cash
prizes.] Club members play under the tutelage of Pat Crowley Hodgins who
teaches Table Tennis out of Saddleback Community College as an accredited class. Pattys oldest student is a dapper 89-year-old, Jack Eastman,
who sang with Enrico Caruso in The Golden West many years ago.
Mary thanks Dr. Walter Peters and his
wife Roseann who arranged a group photo
Mary McIlwain
of many of the Club members, and Peter
Antkowiak for driving her down to Laguna
Hills. The current Club officers are: President Harry Bloom,
a former top salesman for Sears, originally from Passaic,
N.J.; Vice-President Ann Raskin; and Treasurer Nellie
Norland.
Winners at the Milwaukee Summer Open: Open
Singles: Jim Lazarus over Brandon Olson. As: Hugh Shorey
over Mark Kraut,-19, 19, 20. A Doubles: Joel DeRider/Sheila
ODougherty over Tony Poulos/Joe Bujalski. Bs: Lionel
Lusardi over Gene Lonnon. Cs: Ardith Lonnon over Frank
Slama, -17, 24, 17, then over Ramin Samari. Ds: Muthian
Nachiappan over John Seymore. Es: Mike Crowder over Jeff
Harry Bloom
Boese. Handicap: Bob Dragozetic over Dan Wiig, 52-50, then
Photo by Mal Anderson
over Slama. Seniors: Shorey over Primo Madrigal. U-17: G.
Lonnon over Wiig. U-15: Spencer Wang over G. Lonnon.
154

Results of the Aug. 22 Columbus Summer Open: Mens Singles: 1. Jim Doney.* 2. Ben
Nisbet. 3. Dave Lally. 4. Charlie Gayler. Open Doubles: 1. Gary Martin/Dave Strang, 2-1 (52). 2. Bob Cordell/Jim Repasy, 2-1 (4-3). As: Martin over Repasy, 19 in the 3rd, then over
Strang. Bs: Martin over Gayler. Cs: Kooroush Khalaj over Lloyd Hammond, 19 in the 3rd,
then over Chris Williams in five. Ds: Khalaj over Williams whod advanced over Teymour
Sepahbodi, 19 in the 3rd. D Doubles: Robinson/Robinson over Alex Weichey/Uhry. Es: AnhTuan Nguyen over Brian Baldwin. Novice: 1. Baldwin. 2. Bobby Knicely. U-17: Nguyen over
Kevin Amore. U-15: Anh-Tai Nguyen over Knicely.
Dave Strang, who features prominently in these Aug. Ohio
tournaments, pays homage (TTT, Jan, 1982, 17) to his friend and
coach, Walt Bubley, the driving force behind the old Cleveland Club
on 152nd St , who suffered for months battling a fatal illness. Dave
says, Walt was the best coach I ever had. And I say this with all due
respect to some of the other fine coaches Ive learned from over the
years, including D-J Lee, Ai Liguo, Dell Sweeris, and the
Seemillers.In any other country, perhaps his talents as a coach
could have been utilized more fully by the Association.
When Walt first started coaching me, says Dave, I was a
rather cautious player who relied mostly on pushing and blocking to
win points. He taught me new strokes and shots, but, more importantly, he gave me the confidence to persevere and try new things,
even when my mind said, It wont work, you cant do it.
It was hard to stay depressed or unhappy or discouraged
around Walt. His loving, positive attitude shone through, and he
Walt Bubley
brought out the best in everyone he met.
Photo by Dave Strang
Eric Boggan, in McLean, VA visiting his grandmother, aunt, and
cousins, as well as playing in old friend Dave Sakais second tournament of the season, won
the Aug. 29-30 Beltway Open Singles. Anticipated competition from absent-for-one-goodreason-or-another expatriates Arun Kumar and Nguc Do, winner and runner-up in Daves
earlier Cavalier Open, and from transplanted Californian Paul Raphel, failed to materialize.
Though Paul, whos looking good and getting some new roots while staying with the
Heymans, did come friendly-like for a while to the tournament with Jacque who lost the
Womens final in straight games to Tournament Co-Director Donna Newell.
Dave has a comfortable, snug playing site that shares quarters with a fencing club.
Indeed, next to the last table is a swords-up shot of Robin and Sir Guy of Gisborne (Flynn and
Rathbone) that took me back to the Little Playhouse days of my youth when my Imagination
hadnt the slightest awareness of USTTA tournaments.
Now, though, I wasnt the only senior player who was stroke for stroke,
thrust and parry, enjoying himself over the weekendVerta, Horton, Klein,
Sussman, Stephens, and Tebbe were here. And Bob Kaminsky, a.k.a. General
Kutuzov, Prince of Smolensk, would have been here too had he not been in
Europe, reliving Borodino, or again pursuing the Grand Armee into Germany,
while wife Barbara no doubt had some commanding dreams of her own.
Bill Steinle, after working almost round the clock, drove here early
Saturday morning from Long Island, then played as many matches as he
could in the afternoon, then as many as he could on Sunday before (No, Tim,
Bill Steinle
155

I really dont need any help, Im wide awake) driving back again. Boy, do tournament organizers
need his enthusiasmand his just-tell-me-how-many-events-I-can-play-in entry fees.
Akrons equally fired-up Dave Strang drove an even longer way, and, after winning the
U-2000s from Paul Rubas, almost got to the final round robin of the Open before losing in
five in the quarters to the irrepressible Hodge. Larry, in turn, lost an (18, -21, -18, -18)
tough one to me in the final of the U-2150s.
Some upsets I noticed out of the corner of my coming-in-from-the-bar eye were:
Leong Dong over Soderberg in the Open (Johns teaching English in the Washington area
now), Alan Evanson (and his backhand loop ) over Ron Lilly in the U-2150s, and U-1800
winner Morris Jackson over a number of players, including Evanson, in the U-2000s.
As everyone knows, Dave and Donna (often given a helpful assist from Kathy ONeill)
always try their best in every event from the Open down to the Novice to give everyone as much
fair play as possible. And judging from that and the friendly atmosphere, Bill, Eric, and I enjoyed
over the weekend, if any new club in the country deserves to be successful, this one does.
Results: Open Singles: 1. Boggan. 2. Sakai. 3. ONeill. 4. Hodges who in the quarters
outlasted Strang, 17, -12, 23, -18, 16. Womens: Newell over Heymann, 3-0. U-2150s: T.
Boggan over Hodges, -18, 21, 18, 18. U-2000s: Strang over Paul Rubas, 19, 20. U-1900s:
Lenny Klein over Mike Heisler. U-1800s: Morris Jackson over Newell, 19 in the 3rd, then over
Mi Farooqi. U-1700s: C. Miller over Robert Wincapaw. U-1600: John Olsen over J. Gonda,
23, 29. U-1500s: S. Doctolero over Garrett. U-1400s: Ed Lasinski over Sushil Titus. U1300: Titus over C. Stults. U-1200s: David Blair over Bob Stephens, U-1100s: C Nguyen
over Brad Goldbloom. Novice: Joe Nguyen over Mike Kaminsky. Handicap: L. Johnson over
Nate Sussman. Seniors: Boggan over Sussman. Boys U-17s: Rich DeWitt over Kaminsky.
Girls U-17s: Chau Van Nguyen over Michele Newell. Boys U-15s: Nguyen over Goldbloom.
Girls U-15s: Nguyen over Newell.
SELECTED NOTES.
*Jim Doney wrote me on Mar. 16th telling me hed been in Hallstahammar, Sweden,
training at Stig Eklofs club for seven weeks, and that Stig wanted to be remembered to me.
When, in May, 1978 Id Captained a U.S. Junior Team
to the Swedish Open Junior Championships, wed
played a warm-up tournament in Hallstahammar, and
Stig couldnt have been nicer, took very good care of
us. Some time later, Sue Butler will have a report for
us on this Club.
In Sweden, Jim stayed with the Hansson family
in an exchange program, and this June/July the
Hanssons 14-year-old daughter, Ulrika, was to stay
with the Doney family. Jim thought Ulrika would win
the Girls U-15 at the U.S. Open, but, after defeating
Ardith Lonnon in the semis, she lost a tough match to
Ai-Ju Wu in the final, -16. -20, 20, -19. Jim, who has
ambitions toward being another Danny Seemiller, said
hed played erratically in Sweden. That may bebut he
certainly had it together in the Open round robin semis
Jim Doney
here in Columbus where he didnt lose a game.
Photo by Mal Anderson
156

Chapter Thirteen
1981: Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) Open.
In covering the Sept. 3-6 CNE Open at Toronto, Ill begin with the
International Team TiesJunior Mens, Womens, Mensas described by
their respective U.S. Team Captains (TTT, Oct., 1981, cover +), then move
to the individual competition.
Junior Men
Our Junior Mens Team, Captained by Paul Dadian (Cheryls father), consisted of
Steven Mo, Fu-lap Lee, and Lee Rossall playing out of New York Citys Chinatown Club.
Paul says, They were all initially awedby their grand entry in USA uniform, the large
number of spectators, and the fact that they were playing in international competition.
Against Canadas Boys U-15 Champion Pierre Parulekar, a strong sidespin looper,
Fu-lap lost the first, but won the next two with a combination of strong serves and third-ball
attacks. Ross, next up, fell to Chi-Chong Wong after being up 16-14 in the third and, ohh,
twice mis-serving. One eachtie tied.
Montreals Jean Edmond was a control
(slow) spinner. Perhaps U.S. penholder Mo had had
little experience with this style, but he seemed, after
dropping the first, to have adjusted, for he took the
second by pushing the ball to Jeans backhand then
loop-killing everywhere. But the last game, Steve
missed a couple of key attack shots and confidence
in his offense waned. Trying to play safe, he suddenly
found himself playing a no-win defensive game and
lost the match at 15. But Fu-lap, after losing the
first against Wong, also a penholder, rallied for a win
and tied the tie. Two each.
Steven Mo
The fifth match went to Mo who downed
Photo by
Mal Anderson
Parulekar with quick counter-attacks and third-ball
winners. In the sixth, Ross was at deuce in the first
with Edmond, but didnt win it, and didnt win the
second either. Three each.
Nor did Mo get the better of Wongwhich left Canada only one match away from the
team win. The seventh match pitted the two undefeated players, Fu-lap and Jean. Match, 2-0,
to Canadas Edmond with the help of a second-game confidence buildera shot by Fu-lap
first hit the net, then the back edge of Jeans side. It looked like the point would surely go to
Fu-lap, but Jean made a diving attempt and returned the ball for a winner.
Canada 5USA 3. Paul congratulated both teams for a well-played tie.
Women
U.S. Womens Team Captain Rufford Harrison spoke of the obvious weaknesses of
our women players. In her match against Gloria Hsu, the eventual Womens Singles winner
here, Sheila ODougherty was not the Sheila who twice dominated the Vegas U.S. Team
157

Trails. Her loss to Hsu turned out to be a Team decider. A loss in a team trial is not catastrophic, you need several to keep you off the team. So you can play a more relaxed game.
[Relaxed? I dont think so. Invariably, theres a fraction of a difference between someone
making the U.S. Team and someone not making the Team. Every match among your peers
counts. Moreover, theres a lot more pressure trying to make the U.S. Team to the Worlds
than winning a team match at the CNE. Rufford says a loss in a team match can mean the end
of the road. Same of course with a Team Trial match, and, worse, there you have no teammates to possibly pick up your loss.] Aside from the Team Trials, Rufford says, hes not seen
Sheila play up to her capabilities. Yet in her opening match with Hsu, a mainstay of the Canadian World Team, she lost the first game at deuce. Then, says Rufford, she was tense, she
followed through often too little and occasionally too much, and she tended to assume
wrongly that a killed ball would not come back. She was never in the second game.
Cheryl Dadian had little trouble against Julia Johnson, a less developed player than
Hsu. Julia did discover Cheryls weak spot, but was not good enough to exploit it, and lost
two straight.
In the doubles, Canada replaced
Johnson with Becky McKnight who later would
be the runner-up in Womens Singles. Down 2014 in the first, our women, with excellent
position play, won six in a row to deuce it, but
then lost, and lost the second as well. Part of
the problem was Cheryls weakness: she has a
very good forehand, but is far too often not in
position for it. Both Canadian women exploited
this, often finding Cheryl several feet from the
ball covering her backhand.
Nor did ODougherty move well in
her next singles match. With Johnson repeatedly passing her on both sides, she lost the
first at deuce. But after Sheila had won the
U.S. Womens Team:
second at 18, Johnsons game collapsed as
Cheryl Dadian and Sheila ODougherty
Photo by Mal Anderson
Sheila gained confidence. Tie tied at 2-2.
In the final match, Cheryl was not in
the least intimidated by Gloria, and we saw [though Cheryl was often not in forehand position?] a good attacking duel all the wayuntil we lost the first at 19. Still, it seemed to me
that Cheryl was playing the perfect game to beat Hsu, and my instruction after the first was to
continue in exactly the same way. She did, and took the second very easily. [Hey, what happened to Cheryls weakness that Gloria, Julia, and Becky had previously exploited?] Then
came my big mistake. The Canadian Captain must have reminded her charges that Dadian
wasnt super-woman. [Huh? The Canadian Captains suspected words were Harrisons mistake? In this article it seems to me that Ruffords big mistake is repeatedly just trying to find
something to say, whether it makes sense or not. In the next breath, Cheryl leads 20-17 triple
match point. Only now, says Rufford, on a high ball, Hsu finds that gaping forehand hole, and
Cheryl loses five in a row, the game and the match, and the U.S. loses the tie.]
So we gave it a good try, says Rufford, and I apologize to our women for their
losing the wrist-watches that went to the winning team. [This loss was Ruffords fault?] But
158

no sooner does he apologize than he reiterates Cheryl and Sheilas weaknesses. Cheryl needs
two practice routines, one to teach her to hit on the run while moving to the forehand, and
one to eliminate the need for it by returning to the neutral position more often. Sheila should
concentrate more on playing every ball, including the one that isnt supposed to have come
back. But she has a more difficult problem, that of playing her own game without being intimidated by the opposition. [Intimidated? Have we seen her being intimidated? She and Cheryl
won six straight from 20-14 down.] Probably someone like Ai Liguo will have ideas along
those lines. Not me. My game was like Sheilas.
Men
Both U.S. Team Captain Houshang Bozorgzadeh and Canadian spokesman [Captain?
Coach?] Chandra Madosingh have things to say about the Mens tie. Houshang again makes
the same complaints that he and I have often made over the yearsthe barnyard venue, the
lack of hospitality. But are things likely to change?
He speaks of a young, strong and talented Mens Team that hes proud to be the
Captain/Coach of. When they were introduced, he was pleased that they received a standing
ovation, which of course is a credit to their country. Houshang feels that this team is the
strongest in the modern era and cites Eric Boggans and Danny Seemillers identical 17, 11
wins over Zoran Kosanovic [actually, Eric lost a game, the first at 11, to Kosanovic; Danny
didnt], as well as Ricky Seemillers 24-26-in-the- third near win over Zoran.
Danny, in top form, will lead us to the Worlds in Tokyo in 1983. In addition to
beating Kosanovic, he also scored an easy win [22-20, 21-18 was easy?] over Errol Caetano
who, eliminating mistakes, is playing his best table tennis ever.Eric, a young phenomenon, is
improving quickly and is hungry to learn all aspects of the game. In the semis of the Singles,
he was down 2-1 but leading Kosanovic 18-14 in the fourth, only to slip.U.S. #3 Ricky lost
a five-game match to brother Danny in the other Singles semi.Though we didnt use Lim
Ming Chui, our fourth player, in the Teams, I note that he got to the quarters of the Singles
before losing to Kosanovic. He was helpful on the bench and supported the kids. [Kids?]
Rufford Harrison, our Team Manager, gave me so much confidence and did so much
for us. [Like what?] He was all over the place when we needed him and we are appreciative.
We learned, too, that Zoran Kosanovic can no longer sail through our youngsters [youngsters?] as he did a couple of years ago. We have reached a sort of equality and this may be
something of a barometer as far as our growth is concerned and bodes well.
Madosingh, naturally, felt that the Mens Team matches were a
great disappointment. With the humidity at 100%, the rubber on the bats
remained consistently damp and this appeared to affect our open-styled
players [sic: open-styled means what?] in a very detrimental way. It
was a sinking feeling to see Zoran struggling to beat Rick Seemiller
deuce in the third and losing to Danny Seemiller and Eric Boggan.
The Team matches started with Joe Ng confronting Eric and it
looked like it might be a close match. In the first game, Joe was unable to
adjust to Erics combination bat, and made 12 unforced errors, 8 of them
being on the forehand side. However, he was able to win 6 forehand
drives, 1 backhand topspin, 1 edge ball, 1 net ball, and 1 ace. The score
Chandra Madosingh
was 21-17, Eric. The second game Joe won at 19.with 9 good forehand
shots and 2 aces, while Eric made 8 good shots and 10 unforced errors. At this time Susan
159

Tomkins warned Zoran that if he continued to coach

during the game he would be removed from the
playing area. In the third game, which Joe lost at 13,
Eric used several well-executed cross-court shots and
won 6 forehands, 2 backhands, 2 edges, 2 nets, and
one serve. He made only 6 unforced errors, 2 from the
forehand side and 3 from the backhand side, and failed
to return 1 serve.
Against Joe, who had a great second game,
Danny won 13, -8, 17.
Of the three
players representing
Canada, Errol
Caetano showed the
most class. Although
Zoran can be the most
penetrative player in
the Western HemiCanadas Joe Ng
sphere, it was Errol
who gave Danny the biggest scare of the night. Danny won the
first game at 20 but he saw Errol pass him 14 times compared
to his 5 good shots. Telling, though, was Errols 17 errors
compared to Dannys 5. In the second game, which he lost at
18, Errol made 11 good shots and 10 unforced errors, while
Danny had 11 good shots and 7 errors. Errol did, however,
Errol Caetano
defeat Ricky, 19, 15.
Kosanovic was down 22-21 match point in the third
to Ricky, but pulled it out. Ricky missed a turning-point high set-up. Chandra closes by
giving us more arithmetical summariesthis time of Zorens losing matches with Eric and
Danny. He graciously admits the U.S. players have shown improvement and acknowledges
they wanted to win just as much as we did and perhaps even more.
Junior Singles
As expected, Canadians Chi-Chong Wong and Becky McKnight won the Under 17
Junior Mens and Womens Championship here in Toronto as the last of the summers CNE
crowds were enjoying a rainy holiday, some dropping in off the midway to watch the table
tennis flow or the other kinds of animal action nearby.
Chi-Chong, who lost a match in the U.S.-Canada Junior Teams to 16-year-old Fu-Lap
Lee, went wheeling through the field without the loss of a gameavenging himself with a
victory over Lee in the semis, then downing sixteen-year-old Steve Mo in the final. Wong,
also 16, is quick on his feet, a total spinner, as someone said, but preferring slow rather than
fast spin from either wing. Hes recently improved his game by practicing with Joe Ng, Wongs
predecessor as Canadas best Junior.
Ma, who won the Under 2000 Doubles with Andy Diaz over Aaron Smith/Mark
Hrivnak, had a tough semis match with his 17-year-old teammate Lee Ross, losing the first at
19, then coming from 19-16 down in the second to win at deuce and thus turn the match
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around. But Ross, having just returned

from Ai Liguos coaching clinic in
Colorado Springs, was able to beat
Michigans Brian Bartes, 22-20 in the
fourth, in the quarters of the Juniors.
In another quarters match, Mo,
perhaps because he was quite relaxed,
had no difficulty at all in downing Jean
Edmond, #1 on Canadas B squad,
in straight games. But Edmond, who
upset Ben Nisbet in the Youth event,
and who, as one of his opponents said,
has a devastating loop kill, beat Mo
(as well as Lee and Ross) in the Junior
Teams. Steve seldom plays in tournaLee Ross
Photo by Mal Anderson
mentsWhy pay money for a trophy
thats really not needed? Whats the
point?so hes not used to pressure? Witness his first-round match in the U-17s where
Sanjay Issar forced him into the fifth.
In the best quarters match in the
Juniors, Fu-lap was an 18-in-the-fifth winner
over Quebec spinner Michel Bourbonnais,
another member of Canadas B squad. Fulap also played well in partnering Ross to a
win the Junior Mens Doubles over Johnson/
Kamble.
Other exciting U-17 matches saw Bartes
defeat both Rochesters Joe Billups and
Ottawas Michael Ng; while Boubonnais just
got by V. Kamble in five. That V for
Vaibhav in Kambles name might better stand
Peter Ng
Ned McLennan
Photo by Horst Zodrow
for Victory. This spring he was the Canadian Boys U-13 titleholder, and here at the CNE he won the Boys
U-15 (over Pierre Parulekar) and both the U-1600s (again over Parulekar) and the U-1700s
(over Ned McLennan). First in the U-13 Boys as anticipated was Billy Lipton over Ben Chiu,
19 in the fourth. Thats Chiu not Chuithough Lim Mings boys were very much in
evidence this tournament, Chi-Ming getting to the U-11 final before losing to Peter Ng.
Vaibhavs sister, Sangita, meanwhile, although eventually losing, like Canadian Girls U13 holder Daiva Koperski, to McKnight, did, in the U-17s beat Jennifer Rothfleisch, Girls U15 winner here. Jenny, who any casual weekend from Quebec to New Jersey, is supported by
other playing members of her familydad Eric and brother Mitchhad to go 18 in the fifth to
get past U-15 runner-up Michelle Querry. Michelle, however, took the U-13s from Alina Tse;
and paired with Kamble to come runner-up in the Junior Mixed Doubles to Wong/McKnight.
The McKnight/Kamble team of course was too strong in Junior Miss Doubles for Smith/
Koperski. Winning the U-11 Girls from Nicole Mantel was Monica Thimian who I dont think
played in any other event.
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Women
Gloria Hsu, originally
from South Africa, now the
#2 player in Canada, dominated Womens play at the
CNE this early September
weekend by first winning all
her matches (two singles,
one doubles) in the Canada
(3)-U.S. (2) Team event,
then showing us the $400
successful hat trick of
capturing not only the
Gloria Hsu (umpire: Susan Tomkins)
Photo by Mal Anderson
Womens Singles but (with
Becky McKnight and Joe
Ng) the Womens and Mixed Doublesthe Womens over ODougherty/Dadian; the Mixed
over Danny Seemiller/ODougherty..
Teammate McKnight (Canada # 7 but soon to be in the Top Five) was the Singles
runner-up and the winner in both the Womens U-21 and U-17.
Where was Canadian Champion Mariann
Domonkos? Playing for the Saarbruken team in the
West German professional Bundesliga and trying to
hold on to her amateur status. Mariann definitely
wont turn pro, CTTA Technical Director Adham
Sharara had long ago told a reporter. And to that end
her German Club had obliged by allowing Mariann to
play in its league as an amateur, covering only her
travel expenses to and from matches. That sounds
good for the Saarbruken Club, you say, but not so
good for Mariann. Not so good, that is, until you
realize that, by maintaining her amateur status and so
her acceptance into the Olympic community, she
qualifies for the Canadian Governments Athlete
Assistant Program. Which means that she and Gloria
Hsu are carded athletes. Not
super-good A cardholders,
but the next best B holders.
Mariann Domonkos
While Becky McKnight, Julia
Johnson, and Micheline Aucoin have been given C cards.
So? So now theyve got a card in their wallets. Big deal. Dont
all of our top players have USTTA cards in theirs?
Ah, but the difference is that by the time you read this, Gloria,
Becky, Julia, Micheline, and now Birute (nee Plucas) Guhl will all have
moved to Ottawa where after setting up their individual living quarters,
they will be attending the National Training Center under the tutelage of
Canadas now National Coach, the Yugoslav Zlatko Cordas. Zlatko,
Zlatko Cordas
162

readers will remember, as a temporary emigrant to Toronto in the 70s and who until recently
was himself making a very good living playing professionally in the German Bundesliga.
Six days a week, three hours a day table practice and whatever trainings recommendedthats their schedule. But how can they afford to uproot themselves so (especially
the now married Birute)? What will they live on?
Well, nobodys preventing them from getting a part-time job. Gloria, for instance, who
majored in film animation at a Toronto college, will be doing some cartoon work. And, oh yes,
theres the little matter of the government giving them each $350 a month for 12 months
(renewable) and providing funds for them to go to at least some international tournaments.
No wonder not just Mariann but especially the others want to keep their amateur
standing. Who else would pay them to play table tennis so well or so well to play table tennis?
Perhaps one reason U.S. #1 Faan Yeen Liu did not defend her Championship this year
was the time and expense involved? Particularly if her schooling is as important to her as her
future in table tennis.
In fact, Ive never seen so few U.S. women in a major tournament. And, scandalously,
for the first time since 1972 we didnt even field a Junior Miss team. Apparently the Selection
Committee felt the eligible players here would embarrass usas if (boy, were I the father of
one of those girls would I have been angry) it wouldnt embarrass us more not to field a team.
Sheila ODougherty and Cheryl Dadian tried hard in the U.S.-Canada Team Matches
but my own opinion is that both of them, despite their international experience, need to get a
lot tougher. I told Sheila that she ought to start saying Damn! instead of Darn!, or, worse,
Dang! But some coach Id be, huh? What Id have her saying in six months. Nevertheless, of
the five deuce or 19 games she and Cheryl played in the Teams how many do you think they
won? Thats rightnone.
The format of the Womens Singles draw was quite different this year. There were four
round robins of three players each, out of which a winner advanced to the semis, while the
second-place finisher (the losing quarterfinalist) received $50.
As you know, Gloria Hsu (rated 1952) won her round robin groupbut what you
probably dont know is that U-21 finalist Colleen Johnson (Canadas #10 at 1766) defeated
her in that group. Yep, gave Gloria her only loss of the tournament. What, then, happened to
Colleen? She was upset by LoLo Wong, a former college champ from Hong Kong, who went
on to win the Womens U-1600 from Daiva Koperski.this despite the fact that she wasnt
assigned an August CTTA rating among the Top 100 in Canada. (Just in passing, do we have
100 women in the U.S. who regularly play in tournaments?) So Gloria was lucky to advance in
a tie-breaker.
This wasnt Canada #4 Julia Johnsons
Julia Johnson
weekend. Although shed recently beaten
Domonkos in a tournament, here she lost to both
Sheila and Cheryl in the Teams, and to Becky
McKnight in the U-21s. Moreover, in her Singles
round robin, she not only lost to Birute but was
fortunate to escape U.S. Intercollegiate finalist
Genevieve Hayes, 19 in the third.
McKnight, in her round robin, downed
20-year-old Gloria Nesukaitis (fallen now to
Canada #16 and coming to the end of her career),
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and then, in what was one of the best matches of the tournament, snuck by Dadian, 15, -22,
21, after Cheryl was up 20-16 quadruple match point in the third. Becky, not Cheryl, said she
had a choking stroke for much of the match, said she was intimidated by Cheryls good spin
serves and quick, point-winning follows. Finally, though, she said, she was able to return
Cheryls serves low, close to the net, and even at an angle so as to keep her from flicking that
third-ball attack.
Dadian also lost to a more hot than cold Colleen Johnson in the U-21s. Too much softball
maybe? (Cheryls Firefighters team, coached by her dad, Paul, won the Milwaukee City Championship.) Anyway, Cheryl was telling me, even before her losses, that she was going to put off
college for at least a semester and go into trainingfor table tennis of course, not softball.
Cheryls U.S. teammate Sheila had an easier draw in her round robin and so became
the fourth semifinalist with a straight-game win over Suzanna Kavallierou who took the
Womens U-1800s from Colleen. Getting to the semis both in the 1800s and U-1600s was
steady Gloria Amoury. And another GloriaGloria Liptoncame runner-up to Marie Kerr in
the Senior Womens.
Like Dadian, ODougherty, too, this summer had an interest outside table tennis
biking. Supporting her Peanuts Pub and Chili team, Sheila pedaled from Minneapolis to
Dulutha mere 150 miles. But while this may be a good warm-up for cycling, was it for table
tennis? My knees o.k. now when I get loose, Sheila told me in Toronto. (She and her friend
Sheri Soderberg didnt pedal there, did they?)
ODoughertys semis opponent, McKnight, spent some of her summer in Ottawaat
a National Camp coached by Kosanovic. There she trained, ran 2 and miles every day, and
took lots of
notesworked
harder at her
game than she
had any previous
summer. My
regular club
practice doesnt
do much for me
any more, she
said. I just dont
think there.
Dont do any
intense training
Sheila ODougherty
or playing. If you
Photo by Robert Compton
want to be good
at this sport,
youve got to make sacrifices, take it seriously.
Becky McKnight
For the first two games of their match Sheilas
Photo by Mal Anderson
knee must have been bothering her, for, despite her
back-from-the-table style (too far back Becky was
pleased to see), she certainly wasnt loose. Also, Beckys serves were far more effective than
Sheilas so that almost every time Sheila was receiving shed lose three or four of the five
points.
164

Being down 2-0 put the lie to what ODougherty had been told when shed gone out
amid the crowds in the fairgrounds and at that one irresistible (Who am I?) booth had asked
for an electrological handwriting analysis, intended to tell, zig-zag-like, your personality
{See, Sheila had said, showing me the result given her, courageous, resourceful).
But then suddenly Sheila started catching onto those fast forehand loops to her backhand and started blocking them back. On then through the third and fourth games and into the
fifth the match continued (with Sheila feeling better about coming out of her slump)until the
very 20-19, McKnight, end when the ball hung on the net, hung there, then droppedoh, the
wrong way for ODougherty.
In the final, Hsu was just too versatile for McKnight. Tried and true returns of service
from someone who knew her opponents game well often nullified Beckys attack plan, while
Glorias own short serves, slow loops, and point-opening backhands inevitably produced too
many winners, even for Canadas fastest-rising young star.
Mens
Zoran Zoki Kosanovic, whos now (permanently?) emigrated from Yugoslavia to
Canada, won the $600 CNE Mens Singles Championship over the Labor Day weekend,
downing arch-rivals Eric Boggan and Danny Seemiller, both of whom had beaten him earlier in
the friendly U.S. vs. Canada Team Matches.
There was more prize money for the players this year in lieu of the annual now never
very satisfactory tournament party. Which of course was good news, particularly for the top
four seedsDanny Seemiller (its CNE policy to seed the Defending Champion first, regardless of his rating), Kosanovic, Eric Boggan (who, because of his international wins last season
is challenging Dannys dominance after all these years as our #1-rated player), and Ricky
Seemiller. These four had only to show to receive, along with the 12 winners of the preliminary round robins (bringing the draw down to the last 16), at least $100.
Because of the recent postal strike in Canada, participants didnt receive their timeschedules in the mail as usual, so that, though the tournament organizers more or less assumed
that all those entered, especially in the Mens, would call in to find out when they had to play,
a couple of the better playersJoe Ng and Frank Watsondidnt, and on arriving late found
theyd been hit with rather expensive defaults.
No, Joe, I said to him. I appreciate the fact that youre willing to give me the $100
to let you back in. But, look, it wasnt as if we were trying to get you defaultedwe waited
an hour and a half for youand now, having qualified, Ive got nothing to gain by playing
you. If by some miracle I could beat you, then playing that well I could win my next match and
still more money. Nor was there any point in George Cameron allowing Frank back in, even if
the Tournament Committee agreed to it.
A third local Toronto player, David Mahabir, also easily made the 8ths when Derek
Wall defaulted. Ben Nisbet advanced with little trouble over Mike Baber once Mikes blinding,
translucent-blue visor at Bens request had been turned catchers-cap backwards. Jim Doney,
after beating Nisbet at a Columbus, Ohio tournament two weeks earlier, also advanced by
stopping Alain Bourbonnais (Canada #9at least before his 19-in-the-third loss to Illinois
George Lowi).
Lim Ming Chui, Eddie Lo, George (The Chief) Brathwaite, Randy Seemiller, Ming
Yuan, and Errol Caetano also reached the round of 16. As did the doughty U.S. Mens Team
Captain Houshang Bozorgzadeh who, cheered on by his Toronto friend Bijan Magen, 19-in165

the-3rd barely got by expatriate player/coach Englishman Steve Lyons (Canada #15), himself a
blocker with a good forehand kill.
Houshang was even more good-spirited than
usual this tournamentperhaps because of his success in the
Seniors. First, in the semis, down 2-1, he came back to beat
me, 18 in the fifth (after I was so pleased with myself on
winning a late-in-the-game switch-hands point). Then, in the
final, down 2-0, and down 20-17 in the fifth, he came back to
beat Brathwaite too. I had no doubt I would win, George
had thought, even after increasingly steady play and a succession of not hard-hit but well-placed forehands had brought
Houshang into a dangerous end-gameto the point finally
where a 20-19 edge ball had allowed him to survive and win
his second $100. That Houshang sure doesnt give you much
to work with, said The Chief, shaking his head and braving a
resigned little smile. Those short half-blocks, half-chops of
his, theyre up so close to the net, they just keep forcing you
into errors.
Houshang Bozorgzadeh
Before continuing with the round of 16, Ill give
Photo by Tom Miller
you the rating-event winners I otherwise dont mention in this
Mens article: U-2000: Ed Suen over Maurice Moore. U1900: Paul Normandin over Ron Schull. U-1800: Mariusz Czajor over Lionel Cloutier (that
same Cloutier, I believe, whod won the Canadian Mens Closed here way back in 1952 and
1953). U-1400: Tom Moriarty over Dominic Lau. U-1200: Peter Hang over Peter Johnson.
In the 8ths of the Singles, The Chief, moving well, losing only a deuce third game convincingly stopped Randy Seemiller. Said one long-time observer, Randyand Caetano toohas a lot
of trouble with Brathwaites game. In fact, anyone who varies his spin well just doesnt make the
adjustment quickly enough.I couldnt get a heavy loop in against him, said Randy who quit
whatever job security he had this summer to go back to computer school (At least this way I can
study on my own time and can play table tennis).
Oh! Watch that Caetanohe was still finding the sport
irresistible. He wheeled Nicoles perambulator up to the table,
made sure she had a racket firmly in her 11-month-old hand,
then played a few highly imaginative pointswhich apparently
he won, for he then walked around the table and instead of a
handshake gave his sister a good-game kiss. Huh? Sense? Oh,
that Caetano. Jason Caetano. Hell soon be five and out there on
one court or another just long enough to flick the dead flies
down-and-away with the best of them.
Father Errol wasnt out there very long against
Houshang. At times the most dazzling looking player in the field,
Errol, seven-time Canadian Champion, was described by one
experienced onlooker as an incredibly quick but lazy player
who doesnt seem ever to want to bend his body.
Other 8ths matches, too, were won easily. Kosanovic
smoothly did away with Mahabirmuch as if he were hoping to Nicole Caetanokids grow fast
166

still get nine holes in at Don Valley. Never mind how badly hed played in the Friday night
Team Matches, he had his moments. With brother-in-law Mike Jovanov keeping score, hed
got it down to 106 from the back tees.
Eric Boggan, up 2-0 but down 20-17 in the third, seemed to try to give a game to
Nisbet, but was unsuccessful, perhaps because Ben was thinking about something elsethose
freshman classes he should be studying for this, his first, school weekend at the University of
Pittsburgh. (He is going there to study, isnt he?) Eric, by the way, has this tendency, noticed
particularly in his Youth matches by Wall and others, to get a little irritated even that he has to
play a relatively weak player and so often doesnt perform up to his capabilities.
Ricky Seemiller against Doney, another young player whos now in Pittsburghhowd
that come out? Well, Rickys recently been into non-stop multi-ball practice. The idea is to get
better racket speedreally smack the h out of the alexwith the added benefit of not
having to chase the ball. Zen-like in Toronto, the idea was to put that little white sphere
through the closest CNE wall or animal. Said brother Danny, Trying out a concept like this
really gives you a much better idea how hard you can actually hit the ball. A lot of players
never think about that. They play slow motion forever. Doney, dutifully observant to all this,
lost three straight.
And Danny himself against a willing-to-smack the ball George Cameron? Camera on,
camera offabout what youd expect when there was a 400-point difference in the ratings.
Danny did say, though, that his natural summer rhythms, nurtured by long hours at
hoops, softball, and some occasional golf (though he much prefers to play in the spring when
the course is in color and not burnt out) were somewhat strangely syncopated by the unusual
playing schedule here. In the early rounds of the Mens (the 8ths and quarters) he had only
one 20-minute match a dayhardly enough to work up a sweat.
Against both Danny and Eric in the Teams, Joe Ng, who would soon be going abroad
to play in the Italian and Belgian Opens, looked, in taking a game, to be one of the few still
improving good players in North America. Its true, said one fellow, that Joes constantly
improving. But had Kosanovic not come to Canada, and had they not practiced together
almost daily, Ng wouldnt have been nearly this good. As it is, his games much like Zokis
hes got good footwork, and, somewhat weak on the backhand, is pretty much an all-forehand
top-spinner.
Had Ng (Canada #4 at 2347) not been defaulted he would have met pips-out penholder Ming Yuan (Canada #6 at 2324)and since Joe would later lose to Ming in two close
games in the semis of the Youths, it might in this more important Mens event have been a
very exciting match. As it was, Canada-trained Ming and his beautiful Chinese cover of a
forehand met Tim Boggan, U-2100 winner over Richard Chin and Esquire winner over Norm
Schless. Yeah, metaking in another $200 with my worn-out racket. However, against Ming I
was a gonerzip, zip, zip, all quickly predictable.
Against Eddie Lo, Lim Ming Chui was up 19-18 in the first and thought he was doing
o.k. until he had a premonition that he was going to lose a racket point. And, sure enough, the
very next point he couldnt get his bat out of the way, turned a winner into a loser. Then,
though he was up 20-19, another glimmer of gloom came into Mings mind-vision and, damn,
if he wasnt hit with another racket point. But though he lost that game, Destiny determined
hed win the next three.
Of course all quarters matches were played simultaneously. But dont worry, Ill write
them out for you here, one at a time.
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Chui against Kosanovicwhat can you

expect there? Particularly since Ming had been
preparing himself by practicing at the Boston Club
not only with John Allen and Eli Koulis (I give
them points) but also with his two boys, 10-yearold Chi-Ming and eight-year-old Chi-Sun. Obviously, with planning like that, what might Ming
think of against the poor, unsuspecting Yugoor
rather Canadian?
Up 18-17 in the first, Chui has the serve
and thinks, Give him a deep ballhell slow loop
and Ill kill! He serves deep and Kosanovic
loopsbullet loops in for the point. 18-all. Again
Chui thinkskill! Again he serves deepand
again Kosanovic bullet loops in for the point.
Againkill! Again from Kosanovic another bullet.
Down 20-18, Chui, desperate, abandons reason
and wildly smacks two in to deuce it up. But then
Zoki loops in still another and then Ming misses.
After that, said Chui, I lost momentum.
Lim Ming Chui
Brathwaite had his chances too against Eric
Photo by Mal Anderson
Bogganhad the ad in the second, but couldnt
win it. But, o.k., though beaten in Singles, The Chief wasnt ready yet to pack for home. In the
Senior Doubles final, George and Houshang survived a 2-1 down and deuce-in-the-fourth
scare from Tim Boggan/Ontario TTA Executive Director Ken Kerr, whod advanced over
Moore/Bob Jewell, 18 in the fifththanks to Ken who in both matches played with more heart
and skill than anyone had seen him play in years.
George now went on to a
considerably larger triumph. He
and his Mens Doubles partner
Eric Boggan knocked off U.S.
Open finalists Kosanovic/Ng in
the semis three straight, then
became the first U.S. team to
down Danny and Ricky
Seemiller in a thrilling comefrom-behind win. George
spoke of how he and Eric
finally found a better pattern of
circular movement that really
helped them. But others spoke
of other things. Said one
Mens Doubles Winners George Brathwaite and Eric Boggan
observer, Danny wanted to
punish Ricky more than he
wanted to win. Said another, Hey, did you see how George was moving and spinning the
ball? Did you see those incredible back-from-the-table blocks Eric was making? Said half a
168

dozen people to me, Hey, have I got a line for Topics. I just heard someone asking who won
the Mens Doubles, and you know what the reply was? The tall fellow with the black kid.
So, though Brathwaite didnt win the Mens or even the Seniors this time, his success,
especially for a player whos long been considered better at singles than doubles, must have
been sweet. Even with those livestock loudspeakers in the background, Georges concentration could never be cheaply auctioned off. Said Eric, the tall fellow not the kid, You know,
The Chief really listened to me out there.
In talking about matches at the last Worlds, Bill Steinle (TTT, Oct., 1981, 28) had
criticized Danny for getting mad at brother Rickys errors, said this only made Ricky play
worse. But surely after all these years Ricky knew exactly what to expect from big brother
Dannys honest reactions and had built up at least something of an immunity to them. I myself
playing with the ultra-critical Derek Wall know the need for the necessary mind set (Dereks
being Derek). Without Dannys errors they would have been right in the game, said Bill. But
they were in the gamewon their first two doubles matches (though in five games) before
losing (-12, -9, -9) to Surbek/Stipancic against whom they had no chance.
Its true that if pick-up (rather than regular) partners play, one can be very affected by
a partners words and actionsBills right about trying to preserve the niceties in that situation. He cites Erics play with assigned (pick-up) partner Sheila ODougherty in the Mixed
at the Worlds. I dont believe he complained to her, but he gave the appearance of disgust
when she missed a shot. They lost, -15, 20, -13but probably could have won, Bill said,
if Eric had more faith in Sheilas abilities. Maybe. But players are different. They are what
they are. Some want to show what they feel, dont want to feign what they dont feel. Especially when theyre trying as hard as they canwhen theyre necessarily more emotional than
rational. Anyway, when the Seemillers lost the Mens Doubles here, and Danny and Sheila lost
in the Mixed, they lost to good teams.
Of course the Seemillers were still very much alive in their quarters of the Singles. Out
to the table with Danny came the never seeming serious enough Yuancarrying, as someone
said, his cheap Chinese rubber on a 50-cent blade, his Li Fu-jung racket they all play in the
park with when theyre kids and continue to hold on to because they feel it gives them better
control. (Theyre all so alikethese racketsyou cant tell them apart, huh?)
And though it was soon apparent to Seemiller that Ming was vulnerable to serves into
his backhand, and so wasnt going to be in the match, Danny did agree that he was a very
talented kid with super-quick reflexes who could really crack the ball. Said Danny, Ming also
has some good serves but too often he serves long. If he could play against some good players
hed soon learn to serve short.
The Ricky-Caetano quarters was one everyone was looking forward to, for though
Ricky was the favorite, Errol had beaten him two straight in the Teams on a night when Ricky
had extended Kosanovic to 26-24 in the third.
At the outset, Ricky was apprehensive about the slow ball they were using here skidding and sliding. These tables arent clean, he saidtheyre greasy. Old guys have been
playing on them, wiping the sweat from their hands on them. You never see a good player
doing that. And the balls so dead here. If I aim for a spot on the table I want that spot to be
true. Nor was Ricky exaggeratingfor part of his recent training in Japan had literally demanded that he hit little coins or markers carefully spotted on the table.
The first game was key to the match. Ricky, down 18-14, served offno, an edge.
Then he managed to get hold of himself and, since Caetanos something of a gambler (He has
169

to be, said someone, if he wants to stay in

there with Kosanovic and the ever-improving Ng), he avoided giving Errol the kind
of slow ball he likes to chance snapping
into the stands. In order to make Caetano
spin, Ricky said at this point he really began
digging in, chopping heavy with his sponge
side, making the ball jump at Errol. He
hoped, since he was looping harder than
ever now, to counter Errols spin or quick
jam the ball into his backhand and score.
When Errol began serving in the
end game, Ricky said he told himself,
Look, youre a good player. Read the
serves right. If the ball comes long, you
slow loop to Errols wide forehand, then if
Errol re-loops you jam him. The idea in
this game, as well as the others, was to play
ball after ball to Errols backhand in order
to keep him from looping down the forehand line. At any event, Ricky won this first
Ricky Seemiller
Photo by Mal Anderson
game and eventually the match
The Word coming out of Pittsburgh
was that Ricky, whod trimmed down and had a no-nonsense hungry look, was finally going to
beat Danny. And perhaps Papa and Mama Seemiller would be there non-committally at ringside to see it happen. I dont want to shake you up, said Danny to Ricky before the match,
but you know Ive only lost to one guy here in nine years. Which was just a reminder that
Ricky, though improving, was not yet Secretin.
As it turned out, Danny did win again, but just barely. But what chances Ricky had.
Down 11-9 in the fifth, Ricky served into the net. Down 14-12, he ran it to 15-14 his favor,
then missed a game-hinging hanger. Later Ricky was to say that as he started his stroke he saw
out of the corner of his eye Danny going right and knew that he had only to make a placement
anywhere left for a winner, but that in seeing Danny move he must have taken his eye off the
ball and so just plain fudged the winner. A costly error for Ricky, for Danny now moved ahead
to stay. Down 18-16, Ricky missed a kill that might have kept him in the match. Said a relieved Danny after it was all over, Rickys serves, especially with this light ball, were very
good. He had an excellent chance to win.
Also not making the most of his opportunities against Kosanovic in the other semis
was Boggan. Eric, whom someone said would seem to have a decided advantage over both
Zoki and Danny because he can position himself to play both sides so well, and has such a big
middle, just held on to win the first, but then in the second and third games seemed plagued by
bad footwork and a loss of concentration.
Down 2-1 at the break, he was getting so much, well, noise from so many self-appointed coaches that, as one fellow said, I dont see how he can play at all with everyone
giving him such conflicting advice. (Said Eric privately to me later, Of course at a time like
that I never listened to anyone.)
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At the beginning of the fourth, Boggan looked like he was coming alive, was much
more aggressive, as he certainly had to be. He got off to a lead and, keeping the ball more or
less to Kosanovics backhand, was 18-14 comfortably ahead coming into the end game. But
Zoki drew to 14-16 and then Eric, taking over the serve, served off, and the next thing you
knew the momentum was again Kosanovics. Eric, back picking up a loose ball, mumbled to
his corner, I was thinking about the
fifth. And in a few moments hed lost the
fourth and the match, 21-19. Then, after
shaking hands, while still out there at the
table he broke his racket. It was an old
one, he said later, almost apologetically.

Zoran Zoki Kosanovic

CNE Mens Singles Champion
Eric Boggan (Top), CNEs Mens Semifinalist.
Danny Seemiller (bottom), CNEs Mens Finalist.
Photo of Seemiller by Mark Ratner

Earlier, Derek Wall, one of Zokis

regular practice partners, had picked
Kosanovic to win the tournament despite
the fact that hed been seeing a chiropractor for back problems and that hed made such a
horrendous showing in the Team Matches when he seemed on occasion to be almost pawing at
the ball. In his first game of the final with Danny, leading 17-8, he carelessly forgot Dannys
reputation as a fighter, stupidly played an exhibition point, and shortly found himself at deuce.
Oh, how many in the crowd groaned when after that comeback Danny lost the next two
points.
The second game between Danny and Zoki continued where the first one had left off.
It was close all the way. Danny hitting to Zokis wide forehand and blocking sharp and short to
the backhand, was often preventing the Yugo-Canadian from getting any heavy spin on the
ball. But Zoki was finding out that Danny was having a lot of trouble handling his slow loop.
Again Zoki pulled ahead19-16. Again Danny tenaciously refused to quit19-all. Then 2019 Zoki (If Danny loses another close one, said the guy in front of me, its all over.). Then
21-19Danny losing it on a net.
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In the third game, Kosanovic, more and more confident now, was picking up Dannys
short ball very, very well. As Caetano had been telling me, Zoki has this long loop followthrough where he can go all the way around on his stroke or can deceptively angle it off
sometime before. This means that if youre not used to playing him he doesnt even have to hit
the ball hard to win the point; youre faked out. Moreover, even if you do just get your racket
on the ball, its got so much spin you cant handle it. So Seemiller was about three-straight
finished, was he?
But thencrazyDanny, down 12-8, and seemingly almost out of it, suddenly silverstreaked out 11 in a row to break open the game and keep himself in the match. Amazing.
Immediately then in Dannys corner, in the five minutes allotted them, U.S. Team
Captain Bozorgzadeh was frantically trying to persuade Danny to play ball after ball to Zokis
backhand. The unrelenting threat of such continued placement, Houshang argued, would place
a heavy psychological burden on Kosanovic. But Danny rejected this advice, said that to
persist mechanically in doing any one thing would mess up his own head. Better for me to
keep flexible, he said.
It was agreed though that Danny couldnt serve into Kosanovics middle and would
have to press the attack. If Danny could disguise his serves well and anticipate from Zokis
position his response, maybe he could catch him with unexpected short serves that would
make the return come long, or with deep serves that as Kosanovic mistakenly came in would
make any stroke he tried an awkward one.
Up 5-4, Danny missed a big one, heard brother Ricky shout encouragingly, Thats the
shot! (meaning of course that at least Dannys shot selection was right). That stinks! yelled
Danny combatively. Shouldnt have missed it, Ricky snapped back.
Down 10-9, Danny, caught away from the table, chopped a long return and when Zoki
missed looping it in yelled, Yeah! But then Kosanovic pulled ahead 17-1219-15. Only to
again see Seemiller, all heart, fight his way back to 19-all.
But, no, in the end Danny just made too many mistakes, had too little luck, to win his
ninth CNE final. Will he, too, professional that he is, be back next year for more or less of the
same?

172

Chapter Fourteen
1981: Eric Boggan Begins League Play in Sweden. 1981: September Tournaments.
In his article Watching Eric Grow
(TTT, Sept., 1982, 15), our current U.S. Open
U-15 and U-17 Champion Sean ONeill pays
homage to Eric Boggan, the man-child from
Merrick whos finally left the junior ranks and
takes with him all the countless national junior
titles. Heres Seans remembrance:
I remember the first time I saw him. It
was the 76 Open in Philly. He ranted and
raved. He fell off a tower of stacked-up
spectator chairs. He seemed to know everyone
and everyone knew him. He teased all of us
little punk kids while Tim sold his Winning
Table Tennis book. He beat every 15 and
Sean ONeill pays homage to Eric Boggan
under player in the house. He was 12 then.
as he leaves the junior ranks for
We first shook hands as opponents in
Professional Club play in Sweden
the 77 Pittsburgh Easterns. I had been
foolish enough to think that just maybe my fancy nine-year-old serves would serve me well and
I could topple the kid. My hopes were blitzed as I watched him stage a gutsy fight and hang
on to beat Ricky deuce in the fifth. He was 13 then.
From that point on, the question for the rest of us was first: Is he playing Juniors?
And then, if so, would we be lucky enough to be on the other half of the draw! Even though
we all improved with the best training available, the gap between him and those younger never
narrowed. All we could hope for was that he would be in a playful mood when we played and
just maybe let us take a game.
In Oklahoma I saw him conquer the old king D.J. He had developed that special knack
of hanging tough and pulling out tight matches. He was 14 then.
Then there was the BIG WIN of all the marbles in Vegas in 78, when he became our
youngest national mens champion. He made believers of all skeptics. He was 15 then.
He entered the majors in the 79 Worlds and obviously found inspiration. He left his
mark in the World Cup in 80. He was 16 then.
I saw him go undefeated at the end of May in Sweden as he won the Scandinavian
Open Junior Championships. He methodically knocked off all contenders in both the singles
and team play in this three-day meet of the best juniors in the world. He was 17 then.
So, big fella, the rest of us remaining juniors wish you a happy 18th birthday. You have
set some incredible records that the rest of us will be shooting at, but while we are aiming, I
know that you will continue to add to your list of accomplishments. [Sean too.]
On September 15, almost a month to the day after his 18th birthday, Eric Boggan left
New York Citys Kennedy Airport for Stockholm to play for Nisse Sandbergs Angby Club in
league matches and various tournaments in Sweden.
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Like his
brother Scott,
who is again
playing in league
matches in Germany, Eric is one
of the few U.S.
players who seems
to be trying to do
something to gain
international
experience and
stature. Hell
share a flat with
the #2 player on
Old Stockholm
his team thats
conveniently only
one subway stop from the Angby Club in Stockholms suburban Vallingby. Sure beats three
hours traveling time from Long Island into Chinatown and back whenever he wanted some
serious practice.
For the first time in memory, then, neither Scott nor Eric will be playing in the
USOTCs (that weekend Erics team plays Erik Lindhs team)but Eric will commute to the
States to play in Bill Hornyaks professionally-oriented $7,500 Duneland Open the Nov.1
weekend. And after the Scandinavian Open, hell return of course to play in the Dec. 17-23
U.S. Closed.and Team Trials at the Tropicana Hotel in Vegas.
Here, then, (TTT, Oct.,
1981, 14), for Erics firstseason league play abroad are
the eight Swedish Clubs and
their leading players.
Eric, writing home,
reports (TTT, Nov., 1981, 6) on
one of his earliest experiences in
Sweden:
I just finished three
days at the Swedish National
Training Camp, and it just about
finished me. I really hurt my
legs from running. You
wouldnt believe what Anders
Johansson, the Swedish National Coach, put us through. If
there is such a thing as moving
unendingly fast through hell, I
know what it feels like.
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We would wake up at 7:30, then at 8:00 eat a breakfast of cereal, toast, and orange
juice. By 9:30 we were to be in the hall. After 20 minutes of stretching we were at the table
from 10:00 to 12:00. We drilled for about 40 minutes, then took a five-minute break. In these
morning sessions my partners were Stellan Bengtsson, Jan-Ove Waldner, and Lars Franklin.
Afterwards, we stretched, showered, and ate lunch. The food was excellent. For
lunches and dinners we had different soups, pork rice, fish, schnitzels, other kinds of meat,
pancakes, and cheese.
After lunch we did only shadow footworkabout 25 times side to side. That ripped
open my feet, gave me mouses as I call them, for my feet look all white and eaten away.
Play started in the afternoon at 3:30. We would go on until 6:00either playing games
or doing drills. In the late afternoon we had to hop over thingsup and down, side to side.
Finally, Wednesday was the hell. We had to run 15 seconds as fast as we couldand,
believe me, you had to run fast to keep up with that wild pack. Then we rested 15 seconds.
Then ran 15, rested 15. We did this 16 times and rested 16 times. Then once more we ran 16
times and rested 16 times. Between each run we had a minute and a half break. In other
words, we sprinted 48 times.
Everybody jokes and has fun after dinner. Im lucky if I
can move. That day and the next I felt half paralyzed. Ulf
Carlsson said to me, Did you hurt your leg? You walk like
John Wayne. And he demonstrated. Stellan Bengtsson said,
Are you stiff? Either that or you took a shit in your pants.
Ha, ha. Very funny.
Fortunately I hobbled back to Vallingby a couple of days
before my league match against Rekord. Nisse, my coach, had
warned me not to overdo it. The first day back my left leg felt
like it had been blown away by shrapnel and I had a wooden
one there instead.
I went out to the Marabon Factory where they make
chocolate. It was incrediblebarrels and barrels of gushingout chocolate. We got free taste teststhey were delicious.
So far, as this chocolate company keeps progressively rewarding us, both Jens Felkke and I have each won 32 chocolate cakes. So far1-2-4-8-16-32you might think weve
Stellan Bengtsson
been able to eat them allbut if we continue to progress in
the same winning way, were not going to be eating them,
were going to be selling them.
Afterwards, we got the video machine I won at the Kimura Grand Prix, cranked it up,
and I paid 70 crowns ($14) for two movie tapes. Animal House for me, and a kung-fu movie
for my roommate Flodder.
The day of the match with Rekord I woke up with more strength in my legs and
though I knew I wasnt gonna be at my best, I knew I was at least gonna playbefore I had
my doubts. Nisse rubbed my still ailing left leg so hard I felt bone. The pain was intense. But
he really knew what he was doing, for after a few minutes with ointment and everything, he
said, Its coming. At first it was very stiff, but now its coming.
I went on to struggle through a winner in these televised matches and our Angby Club
won out 6-4so, still undefeated, we continue to hold on to first place.
175

Erics Angby Club teammates, L-R: Jens Fellke; Lars Mattsson; Eric Boggan; Lars Stener; Kenneth Frank;
Per Johansson; Michael Frank; Anders Thulin; and Manager Steffan Bengtsson.

Heres an up-to-date record (TTT, Nov., 1981, 6) thatthanks in part to their #1 Eric
Boggans first month of undefeated playshows Nisse Sandbergs 25-year-old Angby Club
leading the eight-team Swedish league:
Angby (6)BTK Frej (4): Eric d. Ulf Gustafsson, 10, 14; Eric d. Dan Ottoson.
Angby (6) Boo KFUM (4): Eric d. Per Sandstrom, 6, -14, 16; Eric d. Jonas Berner, 11,
14; Eric/Jens Fellke d. Sandstrom/Anders Johansson.
Angby (6)BTK Rekord (4): Eric d. Jonny Akesson, 20; Eric defeated Stefan Wallin, 2-1; Eric/Jens d. Akesson/
Wallin, 2-1.
The last team match against Rekord, filmed and including an interview with Eric for Swedish TV, was Boggans
toughest, for he was just getting over a nasty five-day bout
with the flu and was still recuperating from a trip into the
mountains and a rigorous three days at a Swedish National
Team training camp. Fortunately not only was teammate
Jens Fellke playing well (he too was undefeated in league
play) but in dedicated Angby Team Captain Nisse Sandberg
Eric had the regenerative services of psychologist, masseur,
and spiritual advisor that helped him keep body and soul
together when he most needed to. In return, a well-pleased
Nisse says, Eric, like Jens, has been a very good team
player for me.
Nisse Sandberg in one of his
many incarnations

Heres Erics first considerable success in his early days in

Sweden (TTT, Nov., 1981, 6):
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After going undefeated in

Swedish league matches and in an
occasional small tournament, Eric
Boggan, taking a small plane out
of Stockholm north to Lapland, continued his month-long dominance of this countrys table
tennis scene. In the absence of the top half-dozen Swedes, all of whom are playing professionally in the West German Bundesliga, Eric downed Lars Franklin and (future European Champion) Ulf Bengtsson, two members of the Swedish National Team squad, to win the Kimura
Grand Prix tournament.
Ulf Bengtsson

Eric Boggan

For taking the Singles, Eric won a 6,000 crown ($1,200) video machine (hell be
showing if not home movies, movies at home now?), and for coming second in the Doubles
with Jens Fellke a nice wooden clock. But these werent the only merchandise prizes Eric had
his eyes on. In a tourney in Stockholm soon, he writes, first place is a wolfskin. Said his
friend and mentor Nisse Sandberg, wholl be at Erics side in the upcoming Scandinavian
Open, Its a complete wolf with a head and everything. The head is cleaned out of course, but
its still there. Perhaps because Eric is more aware than most that there are only 14 live
wolves left in Sweden, he says, I WANT THAT WOLFSKIN.
Whether he gets it or not, well see in a later chapter.
September Tournaments
Results of the Sept. 13 San Francisco Fall Open: Open Singles: No
results. [Why not? See Tim Lees complaint and my comments that follow
below.] AAs: Quang Do over Tran Nghia. As: Masaaki Tajima over Grant
Connell. Bs: Hiep Nguyen over David Lee. A/B Doubles: Lee/Kingston
Gee over Nguyen/Nguyen. Cs: Barry Tesar over Benny Wong. Ds: Peter
Lam over Alex Lim. C/D Doubles: Wong/Lim over Lui/Honda. Es: Lim
over Chris Holton. Fs: Woodie Mousely over John Lam, 17 in the 5th.
Seniors: Tran Nghia over Shonie Aki. U-21: Quang Do over Kenny Lee.
What event(s), fairly, do you allow the unrated entry to play in? Especially if theres no
Unrated event? Tim Lee, while participating in the Sept. San Francisco Fall Open, complained
(TTT, Nov., 1981, 20) that hed been treated unfairly in the Class E (U-1400) draw.
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Originally, says Tim, the Tournament Committee had arranged to play the higherrating events first so no good unrated players could play in events below their level, but
apparently they were not following through with their plan, for unrated Alex Lim was put up
against #4 seed Tim in the first round and, after no-sweat beating him, went on to defeat the
#1 seed in the Class D 1550s! So what the hell was he doing in Tims U-1400s?
Finally, says Tim, after my protests, and the protests of those players (all under
1600) who supported me (Thanks, guys), it was decided that Lim should be defaulted from the
U-1400s and his money refunded. But, as Fate would have it, Lim was not defaulted after all,
because there was another good unrated player in the U-1400s, Peter Lam, and it would not
be fair to default one and not the other.
But Lam, it turned out, had already beaten the U-1400s #1 seed in the first round of
the U-1550s and, moving on to the semis, had beaten a 1523-rated player. So what the hell
was he doing in the U-1400s? The Tournament Committee was either blind to these sandbaggers or didnt have the courage of their convictions. Lim, in winning the 1400s, beat Lam
in the semis, but lost to him in the final of the 1550s. They were evenly matched, but what
about the rest of us? Watch when Lim and Lams ratings come outIll bet you theyre both
over 1600. To make matters worse, in nine events at this tournament, among players of limited
rating, 10 first or second places out of 18 were won by unrated players.
Moreover, the unrated Quang Do, from Vietnam, who won the Open event by beating
Henry Low (2239) three straight in the semis and Kenny Lee three straight in the final, should
not have been allowed into the AAs (2150), which of course he won. Watch Dos ratingitll
probably be over 2200.
[Watch the ratings, Tim Lee says. So I did. The tournament in question was played
Sept. 15. There was no Peter Lam, Alex Lim, or Quang Do listed in the Oct. Topics ratings.
Or in the Nov. Topicsthough Neal Fox wrote, The September San Francisco tournament
was received too late [as if maybe thered been some debate as to whether itd be sent in to
Fox at all?] to make this [Nov.] issue and will appear in the next. But there was no Peter
Lam, Alex Lim, or Quang Do listed in the Dec. Topics. Or in the January, 82 Topics. And, as I
noted above, the first line of the Results for this tournament read, Open Singles: No results.
So what happened? Unknown to Tim Lee, the Tournament Committee quietly decided not to
accept Peter Lams, Alex Lims, or Quang Dos matches for ratings? Certainly it was as if all
three players had just disappeared from view.]
Houshang Bozorgzadeh (TTT, Nov., 1981, cover) reports on the 130-entry $2,700
Nissen Open, played on 20 new Nissen tables Sept. 26-27 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Dj vu! Persons watching the 6th Annual Nissen Open this fall might well have had
that feeling, for Danny Seemiller won this tournament for the fifth time. No easy win though,
because in the final Quang Bui forced him into five games.
There were several other stars in attendancethe most unheralded one being Soh Eng
Yip, a student at the University of Dubuque, Iowa. Though he has plenty of credentials
he participated in the 1977 and 1979 World Championships for Malaysia, as well as the Asian
Championships and the South East Asian Gameshes apparently not here in the U.S. to
play serious table tennis but to study. Open semifinalists: Danny over Brandon Olson (whod
advanced over Lim Ming Chui); Quang over Rey Domingo in an abbreviated match. In the
fifth, Bui led 14-6, but Domingo drew to 14-10at which time there was a dispute over a
called edge ball. The game ended abruptly at this point when Domingo withdrew and conceded the win to Bui much to everyones surprise.
178

Other results: Womens: Cheryl

Hugh Shorey
Dadian over Takako Trenholme, then
Photo by
Mal Anderson
over Sheila ODougherty in five. Mens
Doubles: Domingo/Bui over Olson/Ben
Nisbet whod downed Danny/Randy
Seemiller, 19 in the 3rd. Womens
Doubles: ODougherty/Trenholme over
Dadian/Grace Wasielewski. Mixed
Doubles: Domingo/ODougherty over
Olson/Trenholme whod knocked out
Danny Seemiller/Wasielewski. Seniors:
Final: George Hendry over Hugh
Shorey, 18 in the 3rd, then over Harry
Kasten, 21, -9, 20. Senior Doubles:
Hendry/Conlee over Art Fiebig/Kasten.
U-21: Bui over Nisbet whod eliminated
Scott Butler, 18 in the 3rd. U-17: Butler
over Jamie Salama. U-15 winner: Jim Butler. U-13 winner: Spencer Wang over J. Butler.
As: S. Butler over Nisbet. Bs: Hendry over Tom Breunig. Cs: Michael Raetz over
Gunther Schroeder. Ds: Final: Ahmad Lorak over Jay Gill. Semis: Lorak over Phil Moy, 18, 21, 18; Gill over Steve Bunker, -19, 24, 17. Mens Novice: SupratoVovon over Gill, 22, 18, 22, 18. Womens Novice: Linda Gates over Linda Shock
whod eliminated Lossie Gates, 18, 20. Handicap:
Domingo over Jim Schnorf. Hard Bat: Olson over Chui,
19, -18, 22.
Houshang tells us that this tournament was
dedicated to the memory of Johnny Stillions, of Cedar
Rapids, who had lost his life in a vehicular accident in the
summer. George Nissen had a special trophy sculpted and
gave it for the Open Championship as a perpetual award.
USTTA President Sol Schiff, Gus Kennedy, John Read, and
Mal Anderson were all present for the presentation.
A showcase is planned for the Johnny Stillions
Perpetual Memorial Award and for the trophies he had won.
This showcase will be placed in the
Jefferson High School in Cedar
Rapids where Johnny attended.
Donations for this showcase were
raised at the Nissen Open where
Art Olson, Brandons dad, was one
of the first to contribute.
Winners at Chicagos
Sept. 12 Illinois Closed: Mens:
Nisson Open Winner Danny Seemiller Mike Kim over Paul Pashuku, 17
with Johnny Stillions Perpetual
in the 5th. Womens: 1. Linda
Memorial Award
Art Olson
Gates. 2. Kathy Gates. Mens
Photo by Mal Anderson
Photo by Mal Anderson
179

Doubles: Pashuku/Jim Davey over T. Chung/ D.

Ming Lam
Vu. As: Ming Lam over Mike Menzer, deuce in
Photo by
the 3rd, then over George Lowi. Bs: Lam over
Mal Anderson
Spencer Wang, 19 in the 3rd. Cs: M. Vu over
George Szeto. Ds: M. Vu over H. Trung. Hard
Rubber: Davey over K. Gates. Seniors: Steve
Isaacson over Koh, 18 in the 3rd, then over Primo
Madrigal. U-17: Wang over Chung, 21, 23.
Results of the Sept. 19 Detroit Fall Open:
Open Singles: 1. Ricky Seemiller. 2. Ming Yuan. 3.
Mike Veillette. 4. Randy Seemiller. Womens: 1.
Elaine Walquist. 2. Genevieve Hayes. 3. Daiva Koperski. 4. Manju Satal. As: Paul Burns over
Zeppelin Law, 24-22 in the 4th. U-17: Chi-Chong Wong over Dave Claflin.
Mike Bortner (TTT, Nov., 1981, 24) covers the Sept. 26 Memphis Championships.
The Bluff-City Club could not hold their Fall Open as originally scheduled because the Club
members were forced to vacate the building and are currently looking for a new location.
These Championships, played at the Raleigh Springs Mall, consisted of a complete round robin
between eight of the finest players in Memphis (the key matches of which Ill detail in a
moment). Everything went smoothlyplayers helped with the tournament by bringing in and
setting up the tables, and by making the barriers. Brochures including information on basic
strokes, styles of play, tactics, and a player profile were made available to the malls patrons.
The top four finishers were awarded very nice trophies.
Results: 1. Allen Barth (7-0). 2. Robert Chamoun (5-2). 3. Denis Fritchie
(4-3). 4. Clay Dunn (4-3). 5. Jerry Harris (3-4). 6. Mike Bortner (3-4). 7.
Hugh Lax (2-5). 8. Leslie Harris (0-7). Rodney Dickman, a recent newcomer
to competitive play, was the runner-up to Kenny Gordon in Class A played
earlier. Doubles: J. Harris/Dunn, the Defending Champions, looped and
smashed their way through the runner-up team of Chamoun/Barth.
Match Highlights:
Leslie Harris, the only woman in the field, had Robert Chamoun offbalance with her well-disguised serves and aggressive offense. But to
Roberts credit he did not give up. Toward the end of their three-game
match, Lady Luck faHugh Lax
vored Robert as a net ball
and Leslies mis-timing of an easy put-away
enabled him to claim the win.
Down 18-14 in the third, Clay Dunn
found himself a victim of Jerry Harriss backhand loops and powerful forehand smashes.
But with an unyielding defense and some
effective looping of his own, Clay was able to
steal victory from Jerrys grasp.
Fritchie lost to Barth two straight, but
he repeatedly had Allen backed-up to the
Thats Allen Barth, far right, but were not
barriers. Fortunately for Allen he could rely on
going to identify any of the others.
his lobbing to get him through.
Photo by Houshang Bozorgzadeh
180

As for me, Mike, there were memorable matches. Against Barth, I.surprised myself by
getting off to a 10-2 lead. Unfortunately, Allen broke out of his trance-like state and completely
dominated the play from then on. Then Chamoun, with his Seemiller grip, had me running from
side to side. His sharply-angled shots from corner to corner forced me to put up weak returns, and,
alas, I couldnt win that way. Then, playing Lax, I was kept guessing on every shot. Although he
was playing with Mark V on both sides, the ball bobbed and weaved through the air as if itd been
hit by Phantom rubber. No wonder Hugh goes by the nickname Junk Man.
However, said Mike, I did manage to pull the upset of the day by beating Dunn
whos ranked 300 points above me. My usually vulnerable backhand was consistent, and I was
able to put pace on the ball from both wings. Also, I forced Clay out of position so he wasnt
able to set up his loops.
With such a triumph, I remain optimistic that our Bluff-City Club will soon relocate
and put on another Mid-South Open.
The Malls The Thing, or so thought
Pete Mayand, after some successful beginning tournaments, and with the help of Jim
McQueen, an $8,000 six-stop Grand Prix
Circuit has just been completed in a little pocket
of the SouthAtlanta, Aiken, S.C., Greenville,
S.C., Raleigh, and (twice at) Augusta. Next
year, Jim estimates, theyll have a six-mall prize
money sponsorship of $15,000.
Heres how it works:
To become eligible for the tour, a
player pays an initiation fee$80 if youre
rated 2000 or over, $50 if youre 1800-1900,
$25 if youre under 1800. This provides a
$1,200 jackpot to be divided among the
Pete May
leading Grand Prix point winners at the end
Photo by Mal Anderson
of the season. Players win points of course
according to their performance at each circuit stop.
The entry fee for each sponsored tournament (like at say the Regency Mall in Augusta
where the prize money might run as high as $2,000) is on a sliding-scale$80 if youre rated 2000
or over, $75 if youre in the 1900s, $65 if youre in the 1800s, $55 if youre under 1800. For an
unsponsored tournament, the entry fee drops along with the prize money. At the last stop on the
circuit there is also a small, get-to-know-the-players Parade of Champions one-game event.
Play at any Butterfly-barriered mall is for real and not an oh-is-it-my-turn, standingaround exhibition. Natually this makes for exciting play and pleases everybodymall officials,
store owners, spectators, and of course the players whose opening round robin matches
qualify them for a final single elimination event.
Even though the entry fees are high, many relatively weaker players are often almost
begging to get into the action because they are assured of playing a number of matches, always
have the chance of knocking off a better player, and enjoy performing before a crowd.
Final Grand Prix Winners: 1. Larry Thoman$225. 2. Scott Leamon$200. 3.
Thomas Nunes$140. 4. Pete May$125. 5. George Cooper$120. 6. Mitch Stephens
$110.* 7. Jim McQueen$90. 8. Wing Man Tam$80. 9. Homer Brown$70.
181

Winners in the Bay State Open,

played Sept. 19-20 at Florence, MA:
Open Singles: 1. Lim Ming Chui (d.
Araki, 13, 9, 19; d. Allen, -11, 19, -13,
10, 13; d. James, -15, 12, 16, -19, 17).
2. Suguru Araki (d. James, 12, -14, 16, 20, -16). 3.-4. John Allen. 3.-4.
Sparky James. Womens Singles:
Gloria Lipton over Melissa Yu.
Seniors: Warren Rasmussen over
Robert Oakes. U-21: Dave Hager over
Bill Lipton. U-17: Rick Bowling over
B. Lipton. U-15: Jeff Oakes over
Peter Pezaris. U-13: Chi-ming Chui
over Chi-sun Chui, 19, 7, -20, 16.
Mens As (U-2000): Araki over
Rasmussen. Womens As: Yu over
Tahnya Percy. U-1900: Emmanuel
Akosa over G. Oakes. U-1800: Akosa
over D. Labelle, 18 in the 5th. U-1700:
Final: Labelle over Hager. Semis:
Labelle over B. Lipton, 19 in the 3rd;
Hager over R. Oakes, -19, 18, 17. U-

Sugura Araki
Photo by Mal Anderson

1600: Gene Oakes over Dennis Walker, 20, -8, 19, -15,
16. U-1500: B. Lipton over Peter Johnson. U-1400:
Jerry Gingras over Ed Richardson. U-2800 Doubles:
Gingras/Ray Baillargeon over Johnson/J. Oakes. U1300: Baillargeon over Gingras. U-2600 Doubles:
Gingras/Baillargeon over B. Perry/J. Oakes.U-1200:
Bob McPartin over Mike Landry. U-1100: Chi-sun
Chui over Chi-ming Chui, -13, 19, 19, 17. U-1000:
Peter Pezaris over Chi-sun Chui. U-900: Eric Borges
over T. Percy.
SELECTED NOTES.
At the 2010 U.S. Open, Donny Flowers (now a
tennis pro, but see his 1975 teenage belly-button photo
in my Vol. VIII, p. 156) gave me background on the
disabled player Mitch Stephens. Turns out when he was
13, his peers urged him to jump for a trainwhich he
did, and in a few seconds drastically changed his life.
Chi-sun Chui
Photo by Mal Anderson
He fell under the trainhad two legs and an arm
amputated. But as you can see at this 1981 point in
time he didnt give up on sports, played pretty damn good table tennis. Not only that, but in
the years to come hed marry and have two kids. A gutsy fella.

182

Chapter Fifteen
1981: October Tournaments. 1981: Eric Boggan, Takako Trenholme win $7,500 AllAmerican Duneland Closed.
Jay Crystal, in reporting on the Oregon State
Championships (TTT, Dec., 1981, 21), tells us that
the Championship Trophy has a plaque with
champions and runner-ups names etched on it. The
names go all the way back to 1933. The trophy
itself stands about three feet high, is mostly wood
with tarnished brass ladies screwed on at strategic
spots. I was always in awe of it. Its set up on the
scorers table during the semifinals and finals of
every State Championship. Imagine all the matches
that trophys presided over. And even though I
found out that Lou Bochenski bought the damn
thing from a used bowling trophy store and had the
plaque made about seven years ago, the State
Championships and the trophy still have a certain
Jay Crystal
Photo by Mal Anderson
prestige surrounding them.
Jay points out that the tournament site was
Gerlinger Annex, a P.E. building next to a cemetery on the University of Oregon campus in
Eugene, Oregon. A cemeteryand it was Halloween.:Spooked Selim Hassan, the new
Tournament Director, must have been when he showed up Saturday morning to find
Gerlinger Annex locked up tight and no one around to open it for him. Selim should be commended for curbing his frustration and showing a lot of patience in running his first tournament.
Bryan Wright and I were two of the first
people to arrive at the gym. We had both come down
Bryan Wright
the night before. I had spent a relatively quiet evening
with an old dormmate, slept in a good bed, had a great
breakfast, a shower, and I felt wonderful. Bryan, on the
other hand, had hitchhiked down and had tried to get
hold of the guy he was supposed to stay with. I must
have called him 20 times, he said. He closed down
Taylors, a campus pub, and spent the rest of the night
touring Eugene by bicycle.
Where did you get that nasty scrape on your
knee? I asked him. I dont know, he responded. But
its okay, I play better when somethings wrong with
me.
In the Open Singles, the top eight seeds came
out of the round robin prelims in their exact order of
seeding. Dean Doyle finessed away Jim Scott. Tung Phan blitzed Charlie McLarty. I played
an always inspired but streaky Bob Mandel, the tournaments only out-of-stater. He was
183

beaten in the semis of the U-2100s by Jim Scott and was doing the old, I drive 300 miles and
lose in the semis rant and rave. He took a game off Tung in his round robin group, and after
he took the second game of our match had me doing some ranting and raving of my own, at
least until I beat him in the third.
The remaining quarter-final match pitted the Defending
Champ for the last two years Ron Carver against the 1976
Oregon State Champ Bryan Wright. While Bryan was
riding around Eugene, Ron was driving from the Northeast
corner of Oregon with his wife and two daughters. Its a
long drive from that fish hatchery in Astoria where Ron
works just to the nearest ping-pong table. He had played
only once since defending his title last year. In a corner of
the gym, with loose balls rolling between their legs, these
two had a great battle. Ron came back from two down to
tie the match, but Bryan showed a lot of poise and selfcontrol to win in the fifth.
In the last match of the day, the Open Doubles final,
Ron Carver
Dean and I kept the Northwests longest winning streak
alive by beating Ron and Tung in a crowd-pleasing, scrambling, gut-wrenching five-game match. It was the sixth year in a row that Id won this event,
Deans fifth.
We had to spend Halloween night in the crazy college town of Eugene. Im glad that
it comes only once a year. Its real unnerving to see superheroes, monsters, and coneheads all
over the place.
Dean and I played the first semi-final. Theres not a lot we can do to fool each other.
Dean just moves me around and I try to burn my forehand by him. I deuce it then miss two
forehand kills to lose. OKAY, SO I THREW MY RACQUET. IT DIDNT GO VERY FAR,
OR HIT ANYONE, OR BREAK, SO DONT BUG ME. In the other semi, Wrights laser
loops were too inconsistent to break
the steady, super-quick Tung.
The final was right out of the
opening of Wide World of Sports. Dean
couldnt get going and found himself
down 2-1 and 18-9 in the fourth, then
won 22-20 to tie the match. I had done
the same thing to Tung in the Rose
Festival Open. Down 18-9 in the third,
I came back to win and hung on to take
the match in five. But here Dean was
down 19-9 in the fifth. Again he fought
backso much so that it looked like a
classic Doyle comeback. Down 19-16,
he whiffed a loop, but ran it to 19Tung Phan and Dean Doyle
20before Tung served and killed for
the win. Congratulations to our new
State Champ Tung Phan! And commiserations to Doyle.
184

Harold Kopper (TTT, Dec., 1981, 21) covers the Oct. 30-Nov. 1 150-entry $1,550
Southern California Harvard Open. Peter Antkowiak of the Corona TTC again did a fine job
in running a first-rate tournament that included 22 players rated over 2000. The trophies were
well-received, particularly a beautiful engraved clock that was won by Ricky Guillen in Amateur Singles. Peter was assisted by his sons, Steve, David, and Filemon Rodriguez, and Chris
Salgado. Peters wife Chana, with the help of her sisters, again provided a thriving concession
stand. Harold Kopper ran the control desk and was ably assisted by Rich Livingston and
Dieter Huber who kept the tournament on time on Saturday. Chris Marble, Masaru
Hashimoto, and Steve Krell also assisted at the desk. Kent and Bill Lewis helped by checking
players and paying umpires. Gayle Wickerd gave us a boost in transporting tables. And Pat
Hodgins and Rudy Kovin did a great job in umpiring many matches. For the second straight
year Harvard Sports helped out by providing tables, balls, and barriers. Most of the out-ofstate players made favorable comments about the tournament.
Harold emphasized the successes
Bernie Bukiet
of players representing the Korean TTA
Photo by Mal Anderson
of Los Angeles. These included their
President Kuang J. Kim, and Kevin
Choes, S.E. Choi, Phil Moon, Young
Kim, Jin Na, S.K. Oh, and Changhang
Hoon.
Results: Mens Singles: Jim Lane
over S.E. Choi who was fighting leg
cramps, 18, -19, -14, 10, 14, then over
Ricky Guillen, 18, -15, 19, -17, 16.
(Kevin Choes upset Craig Manoogian in
four before losing to Ricky in the fourth.)
Womens: Angie Sistrunk over former Korean National Jin Na, 13, 18, 20. Open Doubles:
Choes/Choi over Hashimoto/Mike Baltaxe. Amateur Singles: Guillen over Phoenixs John
Merkel. Esquires: Ken Hoover, also from Phoenix, over Harry Holley. Seniors: Marty Doss
over Bukiet. U-21: Choes over Merkel. U-17: Steve
Rodriguez in 5 over 11-year-old Chi Ngo whod just
gotten by Hanna Butler, deuce in the 3rd.
U-2200: Hashimoto over Doss. U-2100: Choi over P.
Dang. U-2000: Moon over Salt Lake Citys Al Martz. U1900: Byron Davis, also from Salt Lake City over Tucsons
Scott Preiss. U-3800 Doubles: Guillen/Kim Gilbert over
Wu/Wu. U-1800: Guyle Wilson over Phoenixs Mark Jaffe.
U-1700: Jerry Dillard, also from Phoenix (must have a
strong club there) over Krell. U-1600: D. Branshaw over
D. Eames. U-3200 Doubles: Krell/Nelson over Branshaw/
Steve Shapiro. U-1500: Taw over Schall. U-1400: L.
Alcocer over Salgado. U-1300: E. Joesoef over S. Tasbibchi.
U-1200: J. Tranh over J. Freygang. Draw Doubles: Choes/
Hodgins over Jerry Fleischhacker/Salgado. Unrated: Joesoef
Mas Hashimoto
over T. Berman. 2001 Space Event [what was that?]: Lane
Photo by
over Hashimoto. Hard Rubber: Guillen over Lane.
Don Gunn
185

Bard Brenner in reporting (TTT,

Dec., 1981, 23) on Miamis Oct. 3-4
Florida Fall Open, notes the return of
manager Marty Prager, back from a sabbatical to help his wife Chiffon in the
restaurant business. Bards proud to point
out the usual excellent ore-tournament
newspaper publicity obtained by Bob
Gordon, including a quarter-page picture
of Jerry Thrasher in the Miami News
announcing this weeks best bet in their
sports magazine. (Post-tournament coverJudy Tun, Marty Prager, and John Shaun Hoyes
age included a half-page article and a
picture of the Harris brothers in the Miami Herald, the Souths biggest newspaper.)
As an aside, Bard tells us that on Saturday night, after the tournament matches had
ended, the party matches began as North Miamis Mystery Club took over Newgys with their
16 swinging married-couple affaira mixed doubles tournament. [Bard says, Table tennis
parlors across the country should be invaded by these kinds of people very night. Wow!
Might be a bit too strenuous, dont you think?]
Results: Championship Singles: John Shaun Hoyes over Judy Tun in 5. 3rd Place: Joe
Sokoloff over Olga Soltesz, deuce in the 3rd. Best matches: Tun over Brenner (from down 2-0); and
Soltesz over both Lance Rosemore and Dickie Fleisher. Womens: 1. Tun (d. Soltesz in 5; was
upset by Yuen in 5). 2. Linda Chong (lost to Tun). 3. Soltesz. 4. Nadine Yuen. Championship
Doubles: Brenner/Hoyes over Thrasher/Brian Miezjewski, 24-22 in the 4th, then over George
Bluhm/Steve Federico whod rallied from down 2-0 to eliminate Sokoloff/Rosemore, 18 in the 5th.
As: Russ Wyatt over Soltesz whod advanced over Saul Gonzalez, 19 in the 3rd.
(Rosemore upset Federico, still recovering from a fishing accident.) Bs: Cameron Phipps over
Yuen. Cs: Morinville Desdunes over Ray Look, 28-26 in the 3rd. Ds: Scott Waltmann over Andrew Graham whod gotten by Sean Hanley, 18, -21, 18. Open Singles: Sylvia Rosenthal over
young Brett Harris. Consolation Winners: Championship. Wyatt. As: Look. Bs: Look. Cs: Steve
McLaren. Ds: Ed Cone. Seniors: 1. Laszlo Bellak. 2. Joe Newgarden. College Men: Miezjewski
over David Waite. College Women: Yuen over Rosenthal. College Consolation: Graham. High
School Boys: Waite over Ray Yuen. Grade School Boys: Hanley over J.D. Harris.
Larry Hodges is now playing out of Tacoma Park, MD. Therefore in a teary moment
he bids North Carolina adieu (TTT, Nov., 1981, 25):
Dear North Carolina,
Thank you for a wonderful two years. Im going to miss the you alls and reckons,
as well as Saturday nights at K + W. Above all, Im going to miss the strange, irreversibly
insane people, of which I was one. (Note to outsiders: insanity is the greatest quality in N.C.)
North Carolina helped and changed me a lot. In N.C. I went from dishwasher to
college student; from an 1800 player to a 2100 one; from non-stop talker towell, two out of
three anyway.
So, thanks again, and remember I will always be
Your friend,
LARRY HODGES
186

The winner of McLeans Northern Virginia Clubs Top Twelve Invitational round robin
for players over 2000 was Indian student Arun Kumar, primarily a smooth defensive player
(Yasaka Black Power on the forehand, Feint on the backhand) who defeated U.S. #3 Ricky
Seemiller in four in the final. Only two weeks earlier, in the Howard County Open in Maryland, Kumar had downed Ricky in fiveso now, having gone undefeated in the only three
tournaments hes played in in this country (hed won initially back in late July at the McLean
Cavalier Open), hes ready for Eric and Danny, is he?
Maybe. But, first, who is this tall, bearded
23-year-old? Whered he come from?
Originally from Bangalore, son of a famous
tennis player, Arun Kumar (actually, his first,
or last, name is a full Arunkumar) arrived in
the U.S. last January very much an invisible
manthough his table tennis credentials were
quite good. In 1974 he was a Junior finalist in
the Asian Championships in Japan. In 1975 he
was captaining an Indian Boys Team to the
West Indies. Then that same year he was
representing India at the Calcutta Worlds
where he played well enough to come
through the qualifying rounds. After that,
though he continued to play sporadically, just
Arun Kumar; inset: as a junior
enough to keep a respectable
Photo of older Kumar by Mal Anderson
ranking5th7th in India, there finally came
a time when he had to say to himself, Better study seriously. Ill be nowhere in life if I continue just
playing table tennis.
So seriously has Arun been pursuing his post-graduate work at Norfolks Old Dominion CollegeMechanical Engineerings his major; Fluid Dynamics
his special interestthat , out of practice as he is, he feels like a
beginner when he goes out to the table.
Yeah.
Are you really this good? I asked Kumar before hed
beaten Ricky for a second time.
I guess I am, he said disconcertingly. Otherwise people
wouldnt think I am, would they?
Of course Ricky, too, perhaps because in the last year hes
been to Japan three times, has been taking some table tennis time off
of late. And perhaps it showed in his gamefor as one longtime
observer said, Ricky keeps playing Kumar so stupidly. Tries to
power through him. And into his backhand yet, the very side he
disguises his spin, flips his racket.
The Steelers are favored by 3, I heard Ricky, whod taken out
his notebook and was concentrating, say. Philadelphia by 3 and .
He wasnt talking to me then. But he did later. So you
dont understand my one-legged, cross-footed hop, he said,
Ricky Seemiller
alluding to what Id written at the CNE about a footwork move
Photo by Houshang
187

hed advocated. Listen to me. Its simple. On our way back from the Pyongyang Worlds to
Peking, the Chinese told me about two types of footwork. (1) If the opponents ball is coming
straight out at you thats when you move laterally, if youre a righty, you move left and spin
your forehand. But (2) if the balls come into your backhand corner and youve already moved
left to get it with your forehand, now, as you spin your return, your right leg comes up (youre
balanced on your left leg like a bowler, right?), then comes down and your left leg crosses over
almost in front of your right, after which the right foot goes out again and youre ready to zing
in your shot. Simple, huh?
Did brother Randy move like that too? Would that or something so equally analyzable
(Keep the ball out of the middle third of the table) explain how Randy beat Sean ONeill yet
lost to Larry Hodges? Anyway, forget about Larrys loss to John Soderberg, will you? After
his win over Randy hes gonna have some more pictures taken of himself by Rich Martin and
offer his services as local, regional, national, or international coachwherever hes wanted.
As for Sean, come the new year hes gonna continue his
schooling in SwedenMath, English (with honors in typing,
letter writing), labless Earth Science, French, Geography, and,
after talking to Manoogian at the NSF, Body Building and
Nutrition.
Results: TOP TWELVE: Final: Arun Kumar d. Ricky
Seemiller, -19, 18, 7, 14. Crossover: Kumar d. Sakai;
Seemiller d. ONeill. 3rd Place: Sakai d. ONeill. 5th Place:Brian
Masters d. Randy Seemiller. 7th Place: Igor Fraiman d. Ron
Lilly. 9th Place: John Soderberg d. Dave Strang. 11th Place:
Larry Hodges d. Tim Boggan, 18, 20.
I might add that concessionaire
John Vos went so far as to console me
with a free beerno, not for my table
tennis loss to Larry, but for the iron
patience I showed on losing by one roll
of the dice to Tournament Sakais
double sixes, double fives that quite
Sean ONeill getting a lift
ended our afternoon backgammon play.
from Craig Manoogian
Photo by Mike Lardon
With that kind of luck, ex-banker Dave
(who, in addition to running his Club,
John Vos
has just started a new job in nearby Riverdale, MD as a systems analyst
for Moores, largest maker of business forms in the world) should have won the tournament.
2000 R.R. GROUP I. Final: Pat ONeill d. Nate Sussman. Semis: ONeill d. Paul
Rubas; Sussman d. Jerry Soderberg. GROUP II: Final: Ron Snyder d. Dave Skipton. Semis:
Snyder d. Ross Gillan; Skipton d. Al Flocco, deuce in the 3rd. GROUP III: Final: Tran d. Jim
Verta. Semis: Tran d. Muhammed Farooqi; Verta d. Carl Kronlage, 19 in the 3rd. GROUP IV:
Final: John Olsen d. Miller, 19, 20. Semis: Olsen d. Arlie Proctor; Miller d. Martin.
1600 R.R. GROUP:1: Final: Olsen d. Ian Barnett. Semis: Olsen d. Chauncey Ford;
Barnett d. Proctor. GROUP II: Final: Claud Stults d. Vijay Gideon. Semis: Stults d. Tim
Poston; Gideon d. Martin. GROUP III: Final: Louie d. Johnson. Semis: Louie d. John Pellet;
Johnson d. John Tebbe. GROUP IV: Final: Charlie Garrett d. Phil Van Dusen. Semis: Garrett
d. Gonda; Van Dusen d. Kaminsky.
188

Duneland All-American Closed Womens/Girls Matches

Although there were only 16 entrants in
the Womens Singles at Bill Hornyaks $7,500
Duneland All-American Closed, played Oct. 30Nov. 1 at Michigan City, IN, seven of them were
among the top 15 rated players in the country.
National Team members, other experienced
players, and (Under 1000) Novices could and did
get plenty of play, for they were allowed to compete against the
men in the Open, in the various rating events, and in what turned
out to be the second most popular of all the draws, the 115-entry
Handicap.
Of the women
competitors coming up
against men, Faan
Yeen Liu did bestshe
was the only woman to
reach the sixteenths of
Bill Hornyak
the Mens, losing to
Photo by Mal Anderson
Rey Domingo at scores
(23, 20, 19) requiring a
double take. Also, she almost reached the final of
the Class As before losing 22-20 in the third in the
semis to Bob Powell, the eventual winner over Jim
Doney. And she ran out the last 15 points in a
Handicap match against me. In the Mixed Doubles
with her gentle partner Domingo, she lost in the
Faan Yeen Liu
semis to Danny Seemiller/Sheila ODougherty, the
Photo by Mal Anderson
winners over Ricky Seemiller/Cheryl Dadian whod
advanced over Quang Bui/Carol Davidson. How NSF Champion Faan Yeen did in the
Womens Singles Ill make clear shortly.
Dominating
the Girls events,
weaving like the
Fates their hardbat
way through shortlived match after
match, were the
Midwests three
Gates sisters.
Kathy Ann,
who won the U-15s
over New Yorks
Vicky Wong, has
come a long way
Kathy Ann and Linda Kay Gates
since she played in
Photo by Mal Anderson
189

her first tournament when she was just three years old. Three? Yep, thats right, said
Indianas one-of-a-kind Coach Schleff, then suddenly rattled off a series of player names to
me, Schleff, Schiff, Schless, Schnorf. Try and say them fast aloud, said Coach. Why? I
asked. Because its a tongue-twister. Get it? Coach said that when Kathy Ann was playing in
his National Interscholastic tournament some years ago she was actually standing up on top of
the table hitting the ballwhich was apparently alright with the umpirethough there
couldnt have been one, could there? Quite a Bill Veeck promoter the Coach was.
Linda Kay Gates just 19, 23 got by Vicky Wong (who doesnt always seem competitive enough to me). Then she defeated Michele Mantel, Novice Womens Champ over Hoyo,
to take the Girls U-13.
And Lossie Mae Gates no-nonsense downed Nicole Mantel to win the U-9s.
Only in the U-11s did there seem to be some mistake in
the Fates measurements. There 1085-rated Lossie Mae, whod
beaten 566-rated Janine Schroeder in the U-13s, fell victim to
her in the U-11s. The News Dispatch trophy Janine took home
was almost as big as she was.
In the Womens, Liu, the #1-rated U.S. player, got off to
the expected good start by giving up only 58 points to coast by
Barb Stuart and in the quarters Elaine Walquistthough Barb
had at least some consolation in having won an exciting 19-inthe-fifth preliminary match against Lorma Bauer. Nor, with the
possible exception of Ai-Wen Wus just a touch of second-round
trouble with Irena Shtofmahker, did any of the other seeded
players have any difficulty getting to the quarters.
Joining
Takako
Faan Yeen in the
Trenholme
semis was
Takako
Trenholme
Janine Schroeder
whod prevailed
Photo by Mal Anderson
over Cheryl
Dadian in 5. Know why I won? said a
smiling Takako. Two reasons. One, I got in
the habit from playing in the mens events of
attacking fast and carried it over to the
womens play. And, two, I read in Topics that
Cheryl had a forehand weakness and, sure
enough, as I played her I discovered what I
hadnt seen before [which was?]. But I had to
be careful. Since Cheryls got such good footwork I couldnt just hit to her forehand like I
can to some of the other girls.
And Cheryl, with her attractive new
Lady Di cut, what did she have to confide?
What am I going to tell our readers about your
190

Cheryl Dadian

loss? I asked her. Oh, she said playfully, dont say anything to anybody. And then, more
rather to herself than to me, she added, I might as well have lost in three, then I wouldnt
have had to go through the five games.
On the other side of the draw, former U.S. Intercollegiate Champ Carol Davidson was downing Ai-wen Wu three
straight. But Ai-wens (pronounced A-wens) sister Ai-ju (I-lu)
was unpredictably knocking off U.S. Team member Sheila
ODougherty in straight games. Sheila, whod been an accounting major in college and after the tournament would be having
an important job interview, hadnt gone so far as to take textbook in hand with her out to the table, but now as usual off
court was doing quite a bit of internal auditing. I just dont
care out there, she was saying to herself. I just dont care.
Actually, Sheila was using some new Friendship rubber
which she couldnt get used to, found too slow and spinny. I
want to use my backhand loop off it, want to counter with it,
but I have no confidence in it, no control.
Ai-ju, on the other hand, seemed to be playing well
perhaps because she and Ai-wen had spent another summer in
Sheila ODougherty
Taiwan practicing with the first and second National Teams. It
Photo by Mal Anderson
wasnt life-and-death practice those two months, said Ai-ju,
but it was often pretty serious. I improved my backhand, my footwork, both through actual
play and shadow practice. After 5-6 hours at the table wed close by doing physical exercisesyou know, sit-ups, push-ups. Once, when one of our coachesa very strict onesaw
that a student wasnt doing her push-ups seriously enough, was even laughing, she waited until
the right moment then unexpectedly kicked the girls hand out from under her and she fell right
on her face. That really hurt her. But the coach quickly yelled, Quit crying and get back to
work!
Of course, as I say, continued Ai-ju, we werent crazy serious about the table tennis.
We went places and did things.
Like what? I asked.
We went to a night club. And, well, I thought I understood the language pretty well
but I couldnt get the comedians jokes. They were in a kind of slang.
Still, practice in Taiwan, or not, Ai-ju, despite having mentally improved enough to
take a stubborn 23-21 third game from Davidson, could not get the hang of Carols flip shots.
And so it was in the other semis too? Faan Yeens bat-twirling too much for
Trenholme? Especially since, as Takako was telling me, she was getting lazy, had been running
only once or twice a week.
Of course Faan Yeen herself hadnt had the psychic energy to go to the CNE Labor
Day tournament in Toronto. I thought unconsciously, she said, that the National Sports
Festival title I won was worth more than it is. But then a couple of weeks went by and I came
down from my high, and now I just dont feel like playing. So I said to myself, Look, if you
dont feel like playing, you shouldnt play. So I didnt.
Here in Michigan City, however, it certainly looked like Faan Yeen wanted to play, and
that Takako, on losing that big first game at 19, the second at 15, and then being at a precarious 20-20 in the third, was just about finished. Butpush, push, roll, roll, in and out, side to
191

sidethis Challenger pips-out strategy, plus the fact that Faan Yeen, normally very consistent,
began making errors and even lost patience when Takako would get still another net, another
edge, just at the crucial time Faan Yeen was catching up, finally resulted in a surprise
Trenholme turn-around victory.
In the final, more push, push, roll, roll, in and out, side to side on Takakos part, and
Carol, who was wearing a chain around her neck that said, Live, Love, Laugh, said she was
so bored she couldnt think.
I like to play in the early morning, said Carol, as if come dinnertime and after, she often had plans.
But it really wasnt the somewhat
late hour they played the final
Carol, after all, was up 2-1 and 18-16
in the fifththat did her in; it was
Takakos careful, persistent no spin,
no speed play, with more accurate
placing than hard hitting, and the
psychological strength she showed
through all three of her five-game
matches, that allowed her to win.
I had the feeling Id do well
when I came here, she said as,
accepting the congratulations due
her, she thanked Director Hornyak
(as we all must) for making this
Carol Davidson
$7,500 tournament possible.
Duneland All-American Closed Mens/Boys Matches
The 3rd Annual Duneland All-American Closed was the
seasons biggest and best tournament to date. With many of the
293 entries, in 30 different events, dividing trophies, medals,
and 88 cash awards$1000 first prize in the Open Singles
alonethis Closed, a Nationals really, except for the absence
of the geographically-remote Western players, drew almost all
the top stars in the Game. No, no foreignersCanadians or
Yugoslavs, say, like Kosanoviccould play (hence All American). However, Zorans controversial presence was felt when
one young player could be seen wearing an I survived Zorans
Camp playing shirt.
Director Hornyak, his Coordinator George Averitt, and
Referee Yoshio Fushimi had more than a little help in running
the tournament from a good many friends and friendly players.
Yosh, readers of my first volume will remember, was Coleman
Clarks exhibition partner back in Chicago in the 1930s. The
huge entry, up an even hundred from last year, proved a bit
unwieldy, at least on Saturday. Some events scheduled to start
192

Yoshio Fushimi

early that afternoon never in fact got going until Sundayso that quite a few players seemed
more interested in finding out just how many of the 1200 matches involving them would be
played after 6:00 p.m. Saturday than did the tournament committee, or even the (ultimate
responsibility rests in its hands?) computer itselfwhich, as play was breaking up for the
evening, had finally programmed its last mid-afternoon event.
Though it was clear to everyone that all concerned were trying to do their best, I
myself was irritated to find out that the Ratings being used were six weeks old. Fox never
sent us new ones was the committees response. Nobody running the tournament asked me
for new ones, said Neal. I didnt know they werent going to make the draws until the day of
the tournament. Was Fox supposed to get an entry blank and look at it? If so, it would have
been apparent to him they were taking entries almost to the day of the tournament. Was
Hornyak supposed to think it made any difference whether up-to-date ratings would be used
or not? Did it make any difference?
Anyway, as far as play went in all the various events, a veritable beehive of conscientious management got things under control by Sunday afternoon, and as far as the 122-entry
Open event in particular went, thanks to Richard Hicks of Indianapolis for one, the feature
matches with the top players went on as planned while there were still plenty of spectators to
watch them. And judging from many a big tournament Ive been to, most people would agree
that play was finished at a reasonable hour.
So, as always after the matches, some few players would be staying on, while most
would be heading home. Tomorrow at least one side of the marquee on the Howard Johnson
Tournament Motel would change. Welcome Danny Seemiller and Eric Boggan, Table Tennis
Champsthat was what Eric and I first saw. And then on the other side, Specials: Roast
Turkey, Veal, and Spaghetti$3.25.
Maybe it was because Eric and I on arriving Friday afternoon with time on our hands
had gone for All the Marbles, had been disappointed by the utterly false, hyped-up, anything
but rules-of-the-game ending of this Peter Falk and his barnstorming lady-wrestlers-trying-tomake-it-big movie at a nearby mallbut I couldnt and still cant get that two-sided Howard
Johnson sign out of my head.
Celebrities Danny and Eric may have been, but beginning at 9:00 Saturday morning
they, like all the others entered in the Open, had to play round robin preliminary matches on
one of 26 tables that, two emerging qualifiers to a table, would reduce the field to the top 52
players, 12 of whom would receive automatic byes into the round of 32 worth at least $25,
while the remaining 40 players would play the first of the single elimination.matches that
would lead to the completion of the final 32 round.
Almost all the 52 players who were expected to get through the preliminaries did (Eric
warmed up by giving up 75 points in four matches, eight games), for, as with U.S. Team
Captain/Coach Houshang Bozorgzadeh who was upset by Danny Seemillers roommate, fastimproving Dave Lally (I just played Houshang down the middle), one loss didnt necessarily
mean you were out.
Upset, too, though still very much in the draw, was Lim Ming Chui, beaten by a
well-preserved Hugh Shorey, runner-up to Esquire Champ Tim Boggan, after Id gotten
by Joe Bujalski, Senior A winner over Harry Kasten. Down 5-0 in the first, flexible Ming
decided to go to his hard rubber batlost that game at 18. Then, with the score 15-all in
the third, damn if he didnt switch back to spongeand could manage only one more
point.
193

The only five-game

matches in the first round were
Lee Ross (with a deciding 28-26
third game) over George Lowi;
Jim Dixon (who was a big help
tracking matches at the control
desk) over Bob Cordell; and Jim
Lazarus over Bob Powell who
must have had the most distinctive (deerskin brown) jumpsuit
at the tournament.
Powell, believe it or not,
Bob Powell
was ranked 11th in Ohio for the
Photo by Mal Anderson
1980-81 season (though this
was because Ohio needed a new Rating Chairman, or because the player in question hadnt
been out of the Navy very long?). Bob won the $300 AAs (U-2250s) over Scott Butler, and
the $200 As (U-2100s) over Faan Yeen Liu, deuce in the third, then over Jim Doney. This he
did by practicing back in Columbus, Ohio with doubles partner Ron Schull or the forever
unretiring Alan Nissen?
Matches in the 16ths were all routinewith the exception
of Chuis 19-in-the-fourth win over Paul Pashuku. Chui says that
by practicing at his Boston Club with John Allen, directing him to
play to his weaknesses, Mings made a remarkable 80% improvement. Also, in addition to his disco performances, hes increased
his stamina via a recent opportunity his jobs given him. That is, in
a Raytheon 3.5-mile Roadrunner event he finished 10thout of 16.
For the first two miles, he says, he was keeping abreast of the
leaderstwo girls.
Here in the 8ths against Randy Seemiller, the eventual
Handicap winner (52-50) over John Yoon, it was as if Ming were
19, 11, -13, 19 starting to give out. Butforget that New Bedford
race, those girls setting the pace he couldnt matchhe just held
on to win. After what he called that sleepy third game, Ming,
down 11-6 in the fourth, had discovered that he couldnt serve
Lim Ming Chui
long and 3rd-ball attack because Randy was going to stop him by
keeping abreast of the girls.
looping in his serve. But, said Ming, he didnt want to serve short
either and then be put in a backhand defensive position. So, not wanting to serve long or short,
he devised a new strategy (applicabledid Ming realize that?only when he wasnt serving)hed push soft to Randys forehand and then, when Randy didnt loop strong, hed fastangle a block and smash in the return.
So, employing this new strategy, or thinking he did, Ming, down 12-8. made his move.
He served fast to Randys backhand, and Randy missed his loop. He gave Randy a heavy
sidespin top serve that Randy blocked high and Ming crunched. He fast-served to Randys
forehand a ball that Randy in returning forgot to loop and Ming whacked it in. Then he won an
exchange and the score was 12-12. At the end, Chui, down 19-17 but apparently still employing his new strategy, streaked across the wire a winner by socking in four beauties.
194

In the companion 8ths, Eric Boggan, whod flown in from his league play in Sweden
just for this weekend, had no trouble with Ben Nisbet. My games picked up at least 10% in
the last six weeks, said Eric. My anti picks better; Im looping serves well. But what
apparently he had still to learn in Stockholm or Michigan City was not just to stay away from
fast-energy junk foodthat he already knewbut the Halloween-poisoned-apple-of-a-healthfood-bar that someone initiated him to. Doubled over Saturday night from sharp pains in his
stomach, he went to bed with a winning witches antidote of his ownhot clam chowder and
cold orange juice.
As for Ben, who couldnt beat Paul Pashuku in the AAs, or Quang Bui in the U-21s,
he soon needed to return to his studies in Pittsburgh, to Macro-economics, saysome overview that would be of more than table tennis benefit in the future.
Ricky Seemiller, it appeared, didnt need to study to beat AA semifinalist Jim Davey.
Still, notebook in hand, he was ready before the match to give me, ready to give our readers,
the first of several little lessons on technique. When I went to Japan, he said, Sugi, a longtime Butterfly coach, would serve short to my forehand and then expect me to angle the return
off to the crosscourt side so as to force my opponent to take an extra step to get to the ball.
When Ricky first started this drill he said he could never come close to the desired crosscourt
coin spot, but by the time he left Japan he could do it five out of six times. The secret is, said
Ricky, that the racket angle must be 90 degrees or less, as in a fast loop drive.
George Brathwaite, Senior Champion over me, after Id advanced over Houshang, was
a straight-game winner over Lazarus. Rey Domingo won easily over Scott Butler. And Attila
Malek, the Wests leading money winner of the season, whod flown in from Vegas, where he
had a job as a casino dealer, figured to be such a winner over Bozorgzadeh that hed deigned
that first game not to take off his sweat pantsand was down 20-17. Then he deuced it. Then
later served into the net and lost it, 25-23. Thereafter, though, Malek, who says hed like to
deal himself a hand in the carpet business (hed been talking to Marty Doss?), appeared, with
his topspin attack game, to have nailed down Houshang and his half-block/half-chop floaters,
but the irrepressible, former Iranian international fought to 19 in the fourth before losing.
Houshang went on to win the Hard
Rubber event in a marathon -19, 19, 19, -19,
13 final over Brandon Olson. Brandon, whod
knocked out Scott Butler in an exciting -19,
20, 20 match in the U-21s, looked like he
was going to pull off quite a win in the Open
over Quang Bui. But, according to one
viewer, he tried to hit in too many low balls
should first have looped one, then killed.
Brandon, its generally recognized, has great
talent (as demonstrated by his marvelous
junior record over the years)but hes
handicapped somewhat by lack of practice
partners, too much weight, and an instinct
Brandon Olson
that doesnt always say, Finish off your
man!
I thought Brandon was going to beat me three straight, Quang said after their match,
but, up 2-0, he missed a high ball that would have deuced the third game and luckily I got
195

back into the match. In the fifth, I had him 20-17 and he got to 19, then he served and I
popped it up close to the net and again he missed. I was very lucky to win.
Doubtless, it was no accident that Quang, who someone told me had been recognized
by the Japanese as the #1 composite foreign player ever to train in Japan if you considered the
combine fields of training, attitude, and morality [why morality?] is now going to Brigham
Young University. Youre a Mormon? I asked him. Well, not exactly, he said, but, like
every other student at the University I read the Book of Mormon in my religious classits
required.
I also found out that though in Quangs case there was no hardship involved, nothing
he regretted having to give up, the students who go to Brigham Young do not smoke or
drinknot even coca-cola, coffee, or tea of any kind. Its a very strict school, said Quang.
I have to wear a shirt and tie to class. But though Quang likes it there, from now on he will
not have much time for table tennis, for even if he had available practice partners, which of
course he doesnt, his basic courses, his computer science program, will keep him very busy.
Bui, runner-up to Eric Boggan in the U-21s, was joined in his section of the draw by
Danny Seemiller who easily defeated Russian emigrant Simon Shtofmahker, famous for what
one wit called his croquet shotstroked underhand with a swirl of sidespin on it guaranteed
to give his opponent (John Sisti, say, who earlier had him match point) double vision.
Before I continue on in the Mens with the quarters, semis, and final, and who would
win the $2,300 that these seven matches alone were worth, I want to give you the results of
events I havent yet mentioned. Class B: Mitch Seidenfeld over Rich Doza, 19 in the 3rd, then
over Lee Ross. B Doubles: Forest Milbourn/Maxwell over Abbott/Popper. Cs: John Yoon and
Jack Pangborn didnt play their final. Ds: David Keep over Haddad, 19 in the 3rd, then over
Anthony Erokwu. Es: Hoyo over Chong. Novice Men: Dhiren Narotam (future U.S. World
Team member) over Poppe, 18, 20. Beginners: Felix Roberson over Schark Senior Esquires:
George Hendry over Bill Hornyak.
In the Boys events, everything went pretty much as expected. Steady Scott Butler ran
away from an U-17 field that was just trying to get into double figures with him. In the final,
he downed New Yorker Lee Ross. Serious-minded Gene Lonnon, often playing better than his
1729 rating would have you believe, stopped Spencer Wang two straight to win the U-15s.
And Joe Truong, who, though rated 1113 had scored a combined 40 points in a losing effort
those first two games in the U-13s against winner Jimmy Butler, defeated forehand-look-alike
Luong in both his U-11 and U-9 final.
Back now to the quarters, where all four matches were quickly over with three
straight. Though Bui had gone five games with Danny Seemiller at the recent Nissen Open, he
could never -13, -18, -16 get anything going hereperhaps because hed already moved to
Provo and had begun to concentrate on his studies, and/or because Danny had taken him more
seriously.
As for Domingo, Sunday was just not his day. I would never have thought that Malek
could do away with Rey so easily. Said one spectator, It was as if Domingo just didnt know
what to do as Attila forever pressed him. Said another, Reys been fooling around so many
matches its not so easy any more for him suddenly to get tough.
Chui often seemed just helpless against Boggans short serves, and on desperate
occasions took, as Eric described them, his infamous matador shots. In over the horns he
went, with always the same resultthe would-be kill, the point, always being transformed
into, Why wasnt there an U-2300?
196

Ricky and his maybe-Ill-look-through-itfor-this-match notebook (To drive a ball that

bounces high, hit it on the bottom part of the
racket) downed Brathwaite in straight games.
But if in that first game, The Chief, down
20-16, had deuced it instead of dying at 19,
the match might have been different.
Against Ricky in the semis, Eric was
generally in controlexcept for the second
game where, down 8-2, and railing against
Rickys nets and edges, he eventually lost it at
deuce. True, Ai Liguo had recently helped
Ricky with his forehandbut Eric, following
Danny Robbins advice to footstamp so as to
Ricky Seemiller
confuse Ricky the more, seemed too fast and
strong to give him the comforting time he needed to use it.

Danny Seemiller
Attila Malek

Photo by Neal Fox

Against Malek who of course had beaten him to win the 79 Nationals, Danny had fivegame trouble. Attila, thin as a playing card, had entered only this one event and so, while the others
played various singles and doubles matches, he seemed to be practicing indefatiguably. He was
using some new Friendship rubber that in the beginning at least Danny had difficulty handling. In
the fifth, though, Danny played three fine opening points, got an early net-edge, and, by not letting
Attila build up momentum with his loop, forced him into some blocking errors and pulled away to
win handily. Said one spectator, It was well worth waiting the weekend to watch this match.
197

There was a $100 play-off among the losing semifinalists for 3rd Place. Playing
good? Attila sociably had asked Ricky earlier. Every days different, Ricky had replied.
Malek, top-spinning well, but also showing a steady backhand, won this match in five. American players loop like a windmillthats bad, said Ricky. Youve got to take your arm back,
set yourself like in golf, then come through. Was Attila the Hungarian doing it right? No
matterboth players agreed that the basement net over the table was making play uncertain.
The final between Danny, the present U.S. Champion, and Eric, whod won that title
from him in 78 and who, after all these years, had just superseded him as the #1 rated U.S.
player, was of course the match everyone had been waiting for. Last year their final here had
been a fiasco, for Eric had never been in the match. But this year, Eric, after barnstorming
around Sweden, playing in tournaments, in league matches against tough opposition, practicing almost daily, had become stronger and more muscular from his training, had improved his
footwork, and had learned to adapt himself quickly to different playing conditions. Tactically,
too, he was betterin using the anti and in being prepared to loop fairly hard from maybe six
feet back. In addition, the ball on these tables here in Michigan City was going up, not out, so
that Eric would be better able to flat hit through Danny.
On paper, then, the advantage would seem to be with Eric.
But in the tight first game, down 20-19 and out of position, then at 20-all and out of
position, Danny yet managed to win the big points and go 1-0 up.
In the second, Eric saw a 12-6 lead dissipate, but then he got in a crosscourt loop to
steady him. Again, however, at games end Danny rallied, but this time Eric coolly held on to
win at 19. This was the turning point of the match.
Thereafter in both the third and fourth games, Eric got off to an early lead and until up
17-13 in the fourth was never threatened. But now Danny stiffened. And playing determinedly,
and helped by an irretrievable net, he showed himself the kind of champion hes always been
he won five in a row.
But then, strange, each
playing better off the others
servethe two of them acknowledged as the best fighters, the best
clutch players in the country
Eric, helped immediately by a netedge and playing aggressively, did
not let Danny get away. In a
moment it was 20-18 match point
for Eric, and Danny having taken
the longest break in their play, had
come back to the tableonly to
serve into the net.
Was Danny discouraged on
losing?
No, he said. This had to
Eric Boggan on his way to winning the Duneland All-American
be the best Closed table tennis
Closed over Danny Seemiller. Umpire is Manny Moskowitz.
anybodys seen in this country.
Whod ever kept up this pace before? Its good for me if Eric gets betterthen I can get better.
That kind of play, that kind of talk, makes for a hell of a good U.S. World Team.
198

Chapter Sixteen
1981: Something Here For Everyone?
As we saw in the last chapter, U.S. World Team stalwart Danny Seemiller said graciously and sincerely that he was pleased that his arch-rival Eric Boggan was playing well. Eric
was also pleased that he was playing well. A winner over Ulf Bengtsson in the first Swedish
Grand Prix tournament at Kimura in October, Eric lost the Stockholm Grand Prix final in
November to World #24 Erik Lindh, 19 in the thirdbut not before exciting fans with some
spirited come-from-behind play.
In the eighths of this tournament, which was attended by all of Swedens top players (with
the exception of those committed to professional play in the German Bundesliga), Eric had some
10-7-down-in-the-deciding-third trouble with Koji Oribe, a Japanese playing for the Falkenbergs
club, before going for it, as he said, and eventually winning rather comfortably at 17.
In the
quarters,
Eric finally
defeated
Anders
Bylund,
considered
by many to
be Swedens
best chopper.
Bylund had
beaten him
twice earlier,
once in
league play
and once in a
tournament
in Vasteras
only the day
Eric holding up wolfskin prize
American werewolf in Stockholm
Photo by Howard Miller,
before.
from
English
Table Tennis News, Feb. 82
Boggan had won the Pripps Sports Cup in
Stockholm in late October (and along with it the
wolf-skin first prize hed set his sights on), as well as the Norwegian Grand Prix in Oslo in midNovember. Now he was suddenly finding himself overextendedfor in the last week alone hed
played in four strong tournament or league events and, like his counterparts in the European
League and the Bundesliga, was feeling it absolutely impossible to care intensely match after match.
I read that big bear Bylunds spin very well, said Eric, but in Vasteras I just didnt
kill the high ball well enough when I got it, and so lost the match to him. That burned me, and
after banging my racket against the table and (yeah, I was out of line) apologizing for it, I got
into an upsetting scene with an official. Anyway, the next day in Stockholm, with some help,
especially on my anti play, from my coach Nisse Sandberg (Nisses a good tactician and makes
you fight hard), I won very easily, 8 and 14.
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You played Bylund like a genius, said Boggans

teammate Lars Stener, whose family Eric has been staying
with and whove been treating him wonderfully well. I
have to admit, said Eric, that it did please me to persevere
against someone Id been losing to because of style and
then win. I served, pushed the ball to be sure of the spin,
looped into his stomach or rolled slowly and then looped or
killed for the winner.
The win over Bylund put Boggan in the semis
against Swedish Team member Lars Franklin, whom hed
beaten in the Grand Prix semis at Kimura. Yesterday, at
Vasteras, Franklin lost to Lindh, who, like Bylund, was then
Swedens Lars Stener
beaten by the eventual winner Ulf Bengtsson. Today,
Bengtsson, whom Eric is up 2-0 on, and who at the recent Belgian Open beat both Jonyer and
Douglas, was knocked out, 18 in the third, by Jonas Berner, Sweden #18. So that will give
you some idea of the 2500-2600 depth of the players meeting one another here every tournament weekend and in mid-week league matches.
Eric in his semis match with Franklin was ad-up the first
game but (I didnt fight to the fullest) lost it. Then in the
second was match point down, 20-14
Thats right, you can guess what happened. Cool as a
cucumber, all low key, said Eric, I got six in a row, caught him
at 20-all and with the crowd going crazy I was twice more addown before I finally won it. But in the third I still hadnt
learned and, down 13-3, was again doing nothing while Franklin
had regained some confidence.But againat moments today
I really had magicI caught him, right away at 14 all, and held
on to win at 19.
In the final against Lindh (whod lost the Juniors earlier
to Jonny Akesson), Eric, leading 21-20, dropped the first, was
then 20-16 quadruple match point down.Only to again send
Swedens Lars Franklin
the crowd wild, getting to 19 before losing.
Well, said Eric, I didnt win, but those people who saw me play today wont easily
forget me.
After the first half of the 1981-82 season, Erics Angby Club was no longer undefeated
but remained in the top-half standings. Here are their most recent results:
Stockholm Spars, GIF (6)Angby (4): Eric lost to Jan-Ove Waldner, -21, 14, -12; Eric lost
to Anders Bylund, -19, -10; Eric/Jens Fellke d. Waldner/Bylund, -8, 18, 20. Angby (6)
Falkenbergs BTK (3): Eric d. Niklas Persson, 18, 7; Eric d. Hakan Jeppson, 8, -16, 16; Eric/
Fellke d. Persson/Jeppson, -16, 8, 21. Angby (5)Soderhamns (5): Eric d. Lars Franklin, 20; Eric d. Ulf Bengtsson, 2-1 (19 in the third); Eric/Fellke d. Bengtsson/Franklin, 2-1.
Molndals BTK (6)Angby (1): Erik Lindh d. Eric, 2-1; Ake Liljegren d. Eric, 2-1; Lindh/
Liljegren d. Eric/Fellke, 2-0.
Was Nisse Sandberg disappointed that his Angby Club didnt do better this first halfseason? Of course, he said, but there are 20-25 good players here in Sweden, players who
200

on a good day can beat any other player, and so even with Eric playing for us it is very difficult
to win tie after tie. Our 4-2-1 record allowed us to finish among the top four teams, which is
what we needed to do to maintain a winning position for the year. This coming second-half
season, in addition to Eric, perhaps we will have Kim Wan of South Korea playing for us
and then we will see some interesting matches indeed.
One budding star back home, Yasaka Distributor Ron Shirley, President of Table
Tennis America, tells us, is Scott Butler, our National Junior Olympic Champion. Hes featured
with a full-page article in the new issue of YasakaGraph, a magazine with world-wide circulation in four languages. This article presents a very positive look at our #1 young American
player [Scott is the current U.S. Closed U-15 and U-13 Champion whos now being hardpressed by U.S. Open U-13 Champion Sean ONeill]. It describes Scotts travels to Sweden
and Japan for training, and the successes hes had in winning championships both in the U.S.
and abroad.
Oh, oh! Too much
talk of the Boggan/
Butler brothers? The
writer of this (Dec.,
1981, 8) Letter to the
Editor thinks so:
Since many of the
T.T. Topics articles are
about either the
Boggans or the Butlers, I think it is only
fitting that Topics
National Junior Olympic Champion Scott Butler
should be renamed the
Photo by Harry Baumert, from Des Moines Register
Boggan-Butler Bulletin. I realize that Eric Boggan and Scott
Butler are top players in the U.S., but youre
forgetting about the national champion, who,
were it not for tournament results, would
never have his nameDanny Seemiller
printed in Topics, and this goes for many
other excellent players throughout the country. An Outline of the U.S. Open Coaching
Clinic, written by Ai Liguo, is the one article
I have ever enjoyed [mgod, only one, ever!];
I think there should be more like it.
MARTIN (Bored With Topics) CRAWLEY
Pittsburgh, PA
[So, Martin, since you and Danny are
both conveniently in Pittsburgh, why dont
YOU do an article on him?]

Danny Seemiller
201

Ai Liguo has returned to China

with a plaque presented to him by Gus
Kennedy in appreciation for his coaching in
the U.S. Jack Carr writes, It was interesting
to hear and read the coaching information
from Ai Liguo. Comments I have received
range from Outstanding to He didnt say
anything we didnt know already. Jack
says, It is hoped [Why not I hope?] that in
later articles Ai Liguo will give us more
details on serves, serve return, strategy and
tactics, stroke production and mental attitude.
Actually, in a later article (TTT, Feb.,
1982, 12) Yim Gee shares with us the
essence of Coach Ais coaching principles.
These he learned from speaking at length
with him when he was a guest at Yims
home, and by observing Ai when he coached
Yims daughters to more successes. Heres a
selected summary:

Coach Ai Liguo flanked by Twin Peaks

and twin Gees, Diana and Lisa.

The forehand drive is the most important stroke in table tennis. Take quick back
swing and forward swing at ball in one continuous, fast, crisp motion with forearm snap and
waist (not hip) follow through, and return to ready position for next stroke.
Some basic principles in serving: (1) Use forearm swing with wrist follow through for
spin. No wrist, no spin. Use similar hand motion for different spins (top, side, chop, etc.) and
placement. (2) The ball toss and backswing should be done simultaneously for crisp and
deceptive serves; the higher the toss, the bigger the backswing. (3) Regardless of how high the
toss, always contact ball just a little above the net in order to keep the ball low.
In receiving serves, (1) watch your opponents bat before and at the moment of ball
impact; (2) observe the trajectory of the oncoming balltopspin ball has a flat and fast trajectory while bottom-spin ball has a high and slow trajectory.
Regarding Footwork (1) Do ten minutes of skip-step (side to side) footwork drills each
day. This is more important than jogging. Jogging is primarily for stamina, while skip-step is
often used in a match. (2) Skip rope to strengthen legs, develop quickness and
stamina.[Coach Ai describes some specific footwork drills.]
[Its apparent that Yim Gee thinks the table tennis world of Coach Ai, and wants the
USTTA to hire him.] Like a King Fu master, Coach Ai observes the player with a hawks eye
and quickly identifies the players major strong and weak points. He speaks softly and confidently with a few well-chosen words that have profound meanings.
Coach Ai urges that when you play a combination-bat player, you need to listen, as he/
she serves, to the sound the rubber makes as it contacts the ball, for the different rubbers have
different sounds. But in this age of t.t. trickery, one good gamesmans ploy deserves another.
Heres Tim Boggan (in his first sally) objecting to those who want to stamp out the footstamp:
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I disagree with ITTF Rules Chair Colin Clemetts comments (English Table
Tennis News, Nov., 1981) on the nuisance of foot-stamping, and I also disagree
with the ITTF that existing rules on the subject are adequate.
ITTF Law 3.10.1.7 says nothing about a foot-stamp, but says a sudden
noise is a disturbance which may affect the outcome of a rally. Such a sudden
noise, it may be; is that of an opponents foot-stampwhich act Clemett
feels is one player disturbing another and so taking unfair advantage of him.
Clemett argues that if this sudden foot-stamp is not obtrusive (cannot
be heard because of the noise of the excited crowd) theres no need to call it.
So part of his argument depends on whether the noise is obtrusive.
Clemett also quotes ITTF Regulation 4.6.7.1 thats meant to discourColin Clemett
age players from mannerisms or behaviour that may unfairly affect an opponent, may offend spectators, or may bring the game into disrepute. So his argument also
depends on whether the foot-stamp noise is not just obtrusive but unfairly obtrusive.
Id like to suggest, however, that the foot-stamp serve, while initially obtrusive, is not
unfairly sono more or less so than a sudden high-toss serve may be an obtrusive non-noise.
In both cases, the opponent will very soon understand that, used repeatedly, it is a logical,
inherent part of the new two-sided racket technology of deception thats come into the Game.
Thus, hell scarcely be taken unawaresor taken unawares for longin this day of bat surprises to find one more artifice that he/she must contend with. As for what offends spectators
or brings the Game into disrepute, that is not always easy to decide on. But I scarcely think the
foot-stamp serve is felt to be offensive to many a player or spectator in many a table tennis
community.
Not offensive to many? As Manny Moskowitz says in a later Umpires column, Tim
must have his ears closed to the remarks of some of the spectators in the stands. Here, for
example, is Poughkeepsie, NYs Dennis Kaminsky wanting to know what rights are there for
players in other matches in progress, especially those playing on adjacent tables? Can I appeal
to the referee to have this noise stopped if I feel its affecting my match? My advice to my
friend Dennis is: Deal with it, Dennis. Youre not in a vacuum, its not the drip, drip, drip of
what used to be called the Chinese Water Torture. Be like a competitive golfer. Concentrating
on a putt he soon gets used to the repetitive noise, the interruptive cheers and groans of the
nearby crowds, and so tunes them out, focuses on his stroke of the moment. Similarly, if
youre again and again hearing bursts of ear-splitting roars in response to an adjacent or
nearby match youve got to adjust to it.
It seems to me that not only the ITTF but Clemett himself recognizes the moral ambiguity in the foot-stamp serve rule, for the official penalty he advocates for its use is Dont
do itDont do itDont do it. That is, he urges the umpire to consistently call a Let
against the offender, then follow with a Please dont do it, then follow that with a Mgod, I
asked you please not to do it while the umpire then passes the burden over to the referee.
This reaction is as absurd to USTTA Rules Chair Mal Anderson as it is to me. Clearly some
moral compromise is hoped forbrought about because of the unclear judgment call some
umpire or referee will have to make.
Perhaps the foot-stamp serve is a nuisance to Rules Chair Clemett and the ITTF
itself because theres no precise rule in these changing times that can ethically be found to
cover ithence Clemetts advice, The umpire has the right, if not the duty, to call Let.
Which advice, to my mind, is whimsical and therefore as a moral imperative ridiculous.
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Here in the U.S. there are players who believe that when the ITTF at their Biennial
General Meeting refused to incorporate a specific rule against foot-stampingas they could
have, knowing from the World Championships and other tournaments that very good player
after very good player in country after country uses itthey, in effect, allowed conscientious
umpires and referees to condone it. Certainly I havent been to one single tournament in the
U.S. this whole year where to my knowledge the foot-stamp serve has been disallowedand,
in my opinion, rightly so.
Indeed, were some well-meaning umpire (and what other kind are there?) to call this
rule on me, Id say, Id like to think imaginatively with Hamlet, By Heaven, Ill make a
ghost of him that lets me.
Coach Ai of course realizes the combination
racket is no flippant, fleeting development in our Sport.
New Hampshires Zoltan Gergely-Retey (TTT, Nov.,
1981, 12) wants disgruntled players lamenting the
immorality of those who use Junk rubber to change
their point of view. Junk rubber is not junk, he
saysit performs admirably. Back in Hungary where I
grew up, not only us duffers but World Class players
like Sido and Berczik were using what we were
ordinary rubber. We heard about sponge after the
Japanese burst on the world scene in 1952 and mentally
conjured up wholesale slaughter of aquatic life for bat
coverings.
My first introduction to this sponge came in
1961 while I was serving in the U.S. Air Force. It
moved the ball, alright. Spun it too. This rubber was
definitely for spin and speed. We called it pro-spin
rubber. We were getting beat on service alone. Then we
tried it. Junk! We threw up our arms in disgust. It was
difficult to play with; control was non-existentstill
Hungarian player/coach Zoltan Berczik isin the hands of an amateur. Just look at the game of
Photo by Mal Anderson
an average club player. Does he know why he missed
the return? When a ball is stroked well and misses the
table by a few inches, it might be called a miss, but when it hits a spectator sitting in the third
row watching the game on the next table, that is a classic display of lack of control.
Still, most of us eventually made the changethough unable to extract from the new
rubbers all the advantages they offered. However, in the hands of an expert, these pro-speed
rubbers are a formidable attack weapon. They do things ordinary hard rubber cant do, so
please dont call them junk. Call them an artificial booster of ones ability maybe, but not
junk. The anti-spin and anti-speed rubbers that evolved through technology to aid those who
wanted to defend against attack are not junk either. They do exceptionally well what they
were designed to do. Alas, though, only in the hands of an expert.
Some players question the morality of using junk rubber for deception. Why? Regardless of what we use, arent we trying to deceive every time we serve? How about a chess
master who goes to great lengths to cleverly disguise a sly and elaborate trap? No, I see
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nothing wrong in someone trying to impart more and more spin on the ball using artificial aid
while I am desperately trying to neutralize it also using artificial means.
In case youre wondering, besides pro-spin I also use anti-spin. I myself now play
with a combination racket, and dont feel in the least immoral.
Anyone For A Ph.D? (TTT, Nov., 1981, 14) writes Rufford
Harrison (who already has one). In talking with Tom Poston (Tom has
one too), Rufford was struck by Toms point that theres a lot about
table tennis we dont understand. Tom says, We all have our intuitive
ideas which we constantly debate with one another, but few of these [at
least in the U.S. in. 1981] are based on any kind of hard evidence or
controlled accumulation of data. Currently almost everything we do in
table tennis, including coaching and training, is a result of these unsubstantial perceptions (to which we tend to adhere with unreasoning
fidelity).
Poston recalls Ai Liguo talking to him about
Chinese studies into the physiology of table
tennis, and the evolution of new
techniques as a result of
such research. In England, Tom says, Donald
Parker, a National
Coach, received a
Professor
graduate degree after
Gus Kennedy
completing a dissertation on periodization (i.e., the phenomenon
of peaking according to a schedule). There
are hundreds of graduate students in phys. ed.
departments in the U.S. who are working on
questions like thisbut unfortunately not in
table tennis, in other sports.
Rufford says, Now more people are
becoming aware of table tennis through
English Coach Don Parker instructing a student
From English TT News, Feb., 82
Olympic channels. It should obviously be
easier to interest people in these phys. ed.
departments and in the companies who provide the funding for them. Rufford says in effect,
It only remains for us in the Sport to make the necessary contacts.
Tom offers further encouragement: Originality is a requisite quality for a thesis or
dissertation, and many traditional American sports are becoming overworked. Over-investigation in these sports is making the search for new topics increasingly difficult. Consequently, a
virgin territory, table tennis may have a special appeal at the present time.
Brainy guys? Brainy thoughts? A companion article to Ruffords emphasizes how the
workings of the brain are physicalas physical as your heart or liver, and so can be changed
by physical processes. You can give yourself enhanced circulation in your brain, can give it
extra oxygen and nutrition to run on. How do that? As if we didnt knowby playing table
tennis, of course
.
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If time permits, and if you have a good player to

practice against, table tennis has many benefits. It
demands very fast, complex reactions; you get instant
feedback on your responses, the game makes demands
on your entire brain and physical system; it forces on
you extraordinary self-discipline. Become sharp at table
tennis is one excellent way to turn on more of your
midbrain. T.T. sure helps you with half a brain to write
poetry, huh? Heres Dr. Junk, a turned-on Neil
Ackerman, winning 1st Prize in our Poetry Contest:
Hand/eye coordination, good eyesight, are we all
born with such essential table tennis requirements? Heres Jol Van in
an article, Painted Paddles Worth Watching (TTT, Nov., 1981, 14):
Small babies, even newborns, see rather well, better than
doctors once suspected, if they find something worth watching.
{Like a ping-pong ball?]
Doctors traditionally were taught that children didnt
achieve good vision until age 5 or so, but research shows thats an
error. They may achieve 20-20 vision by six months to one year,
said Dr. Creig Hoyt, director of pediatric opthamology at the University of California at San Francisco.
In their first minutes of life, Hoyt tested more than 200
infants by moving a table tennis paddle six to eight inches in front of
their faces. If the paddles were painted with eyes, a mouth, and a
nose to look like a human face, Hoyt said 94 percent of the babies
would follow the paddle movement with their eyes. [But if you think
they were already looking for the ball, forget it.] Blank paddles and
those with nonsense painting on them attracted the attention of only
six percent of the babies.
Babies seem to have a genetically pre-programmed preference for the human face, said Hoyt at the recent Chicago meeting of
the American Academy of Opthamology. They are more interested
in their mothers face than in any other human face.
Table tennis enthusiast Dr. Ray Chen (TTT, Dec., 1981, 13)
says, Organized table tennis was one of the first sports to recognize
the effects of aging and set up different categories for competitors
Over 40, Over 50, Over 60, Over 70, and, in time, Over 80 (wherein
90-year-olds will also play). Thanks to Swedish organizer Hans
Westling, its these various age divisions that players will enter at the
first World Veterans Championships to be played May19-22, 1982 in
Goteborg (Gothenburg), Sweden. This tournament in the decades to
come will be played biennially and on each occasion will draw
literally thousands of players, both men and women. Tim Boggan, in
the process of forming a group of U.S. players of all ages to attend
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this inaugural tournament, got the following reply from 82-year-old

former Long Island pharmacist and 1972 and 73 U.S. Over 70
Champion, Abe Doc Rudick, now at 82 retired and living in
Florida:
Dear Tim:
The trip itself and the Tournament in Goteborg, in which I would
play in the Over 70s (and maybe over 80s?), sounds very attractive.
However, my weakened physical condition due to my Angina Pectoris,
forbids my following such an arduous schedule. I am glad I am still able
to take part in the Over 70s (and, should they hold it, Over 80s) at the
Nationals. As it is, I have to play with the aid of a nitroglycerin tablet
under the tongue every five or ten minutes. To drive myself further, like
doing Goteborg, might be killing. Of course I hope you and the entire
U.S. contingent will have a happy and successful trip. [During his play at
the 1979 U.S. Open, Doc Rudick, then 79, had given the Long Island
paper Newsday (June 28, 1979) an interview in which he said he was
looking forward to a U.S. Open 80s event. He was clearly proud of the
Abe Rudick
fact that he kept himself in shapemuch more so than most people his
age. I play table tennis three times a week, he said, play nine holes of
golf twice a week. The other two days I do calisthenics. And you know what? Ive never had a
heart attack. But then.]
Dr. Chen notes, from the World Book Encyclopedia, the usual life span of the following earthly inhabitants: Elephant (60 years), Goat (10), Horse (20-30), Mouse (1-2), Rabbit
(10-12), Flounder (10), Halibut (40), Sturgeon (50), Rainbow Trout (4), Frog (15), Ostrich
(50), Pigeon (35), Blue Jay (4), Box Turtle (123), Alligator (56), Some flies (1 day), Some
carp (200).
Dr. Chen says that, according to Lendon Smith, the pediatrician-turned-author, most
mammals other than man live to an age which is 10 times the age at puberty. For man this would be
120 years, much longer than the present life expectancy of some 76 years. Perhaps civilization is
shortening life. [Or people arent getting enough exercise, say, by playing ping-pong?]
I might interject here, in regard to ageing, Yves Clastriers compilation of the ages of
players when they became World Champions (Frances Tennis de Table), as seen in Zdenko
Uzorinacs Od Londona 1926 do Sarajevo 1973, and then in an article by Rufford Harrison
(TTT, Dec., 1981, 13). The youngest man was Richard Bergmann, whose first of four wins
came when he was 17 in 1937. The oldest man was Zoltan Mechlovits who was 36 when he
won in 1928 (the World Championships didnt start until 1926, so the competition as yet
wasnt too strong). The youngest woman was either Ruth Aarons or Trude Pritzi, both 17. (I
dont know offhand Pritzis birth date, but Aarons had been 17 for only three months.) The
oldest woman was Chinas Lin Hui-ching in 1971 at 39. Average age for both men and
women: 23. Delete the few older Champions and the average age for both becomes 22. I
wonder in 2011, as I write, what age compilations you could make in the 40 years since
Clastrier made his.
The predominant theory of aging in the past, says Dr. Chen, has been the error
accumulation hypothesis. According to this idea, the bodys mechanisms for metabolism are
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not 100% perfect, and the mistakes accumulate until the machinery finally goes
kaput.Currently, most biologists believe that lifespan is programmed in the genes. Life is like
a tape of your favorite music; when you get to the end of the tape, there is no more music.
People whose parents live to be 100 have a much better chance of longevity than the average
person [whether they play table tennis or not?].
Dr. Chen says, There are basically two classes of theories of ageing. One type of
theory says that random, accidental changes in body chemistry occur until the organism is
done in. The changes occur passively, in the sense that the organism does nothing to bring
them on. [But playing table tennis can stave off such changesfor a while?] The other type of
theory states that there is an active mechanism in the genetic material which turns off vital
functions at a predetermined time. [Regardless of how one takes care of oneself?] This is
similar to the tree which secretes an acid (abscissic acid) in the fall which causes the leaves to
drop off. There are complicated bio-chemical arguments and data to support both views.
In considering Natures inscrutable plan for ageing, one should realize that extreme
individual longevity is usually not good for the survival of the species. Insects are perhaps the
most successful species on earth, and have the shortest individual lifespan.When full understanding of the chemistry of ageing is achieved, it may be possible to identify promoters and
retardants of ageing. Some people feel that caffeine can gum up the genetic machinery. They
believe that heavy coffee drinkers get gray earlier and get more cancer and heart disease than
non-drinkers, especially people like the Mormons and Seventh Day Adventists, who are
forbidden by religion from drinking caffeinated beverages and live longer than the rest of the
population.The much publicized recombinant DNA technology is highly relevant to this field
of biology, and we will be learning more and more answers to questions of our mortality.
[Meanwhile, in our 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, should we be playing table tennisa little or a
lot? Or does it make any difference, really?]
Someone whos certainly enjoyed playing table tennis over the yearser, make that
gas-furnace pong or root-cellar pongis the poet Donald Hall. We get, courtesy of Janine
Schroeder (Inside Sports, reprinted in TTT, Nov., 1981, 15), a history of his enthusiastic
playfrom his early to his later years. Table tennis was always fun, but tournament play he
learned was not for himthose players were out of his class. Which is not to say that, as we
see him in action through the years, he wasnt competitiveau contraire. Hall titles his article,
The Poetry of Ping-Pongand to show you what he means, what he feels, I cant do better
than quote his final paragraphs. Retired from teaching, he and his wife bought a New Hampshire farmhouse, extended the old dirt-floored root cellar into a ping-pong space, bought the
best damned table Sears and Roebuck sold, and, with his wife, went at it:
Aware of the foolhardiness of wins and losses in a marriage, we play a game without
points. We play root-cellar five-ball Pong, keeping five or six balls in playnot, alas, at the
same time, but in sequenceso we need seldom stop to pick up the errant ball. When we do
pause, we pick up the whole bunch. We are each others hysterical backboard, furiously
serving and returning, volleying a ball thats sure not to land, hitting a ball on the second
bounce or the slide if we must, keeping the air loose with a white ball flying.
And if a ball pops up to the ceiling, zaps between two-by-fours, and drops on the table,
we hit it again; if a crazy shot hits the cement-block wall and veers toward one of us, we
pretend to play squash and keep it in play. And when a ball is gone to the dirt floor one of us
immediately serves another, so that our play is one long rally. In the heat of the moment, when
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a ball drops to the floor, sometimes each of us serves a new ball at the same timeand we
work at double Pong for a few seconds at least. Continuousness is our game, which gives
premium to non-standard techniques with the familiar props of paddle and ball. We flop on the
table, we leap to volley. Slam, cut, leap, scream, curse, serve, slam, cut, leap, scream, curse.
In all the months we have banged the ball at each other for half-an-hour a day, we have
never had a fight.
Writer Ding Shue Do
and friends have also given us
something to read: The Chinese Book of Table Tennis
(Atheneum, $9.95). USTTA
Chair of the Instructional
Materials Committee, Don
Story, tells us (TTT, Dec.,
1981, 17), This book is one
of a series written for the
Young Peoples Physical
Education Program in China
(I would date it as prior to the
Cultural Revolution). There
are two main chapters in these 155-pages. One is Training for Beginners a very fine survey
of the fundamentals of technical table tennis [which is surely as far away from Halls PingPong Poetry as you can get](1) stroking, (2) footwork, and (3) the coordination of (1) and
(2).
Story said he was particularly interested in the push-block stroke that the Chinese
employ so effectively against both underspin and topspin. Another technique that is not so well
known in this country is a method of blocking a loop spin. The Chinese recommend sliding the
racket from right to left (for right handers) at contact. This has the effect of nullifying the spin
somewhat, but, most importantly, it tends to dissipate the power of the loop drive. I remember
watching both Cai Zhenhua and Stellan Bengtsson use this technique for controlling each
others loops in the semis of the 1981 Worlds.
The section on footwork outlines the Chinese technique of lateral movement. There
are three basic footwork movements: (1) the single-step foot movement; (2) the two-step
jump-over {what Ricky Seemiller had been trying to explain to me?], and (3) the quick jumpover.
By far, the most valuable chapter is the one on Strategic Training. In this chapter, we
read of advanced training techniques, and a very good list of strategies against various styles.
The final section of the book is an appendix giving two charts for recording techniques used during competitionmuch like charting football plays. One chart is for the attacking player, and the other is for the defensive player. Charting your opponent as well as your
own game is vital to understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your own game and
forming a strategy to use against your opponent.
Story recommends the bookbut, surprisingly, considering the seriousness with which
the authors proceed, he feels the illustrations were below standard.
In a Feb. 9, 1982 letter to Rufford Harrison, Sol Schiff wrote:
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I found this Chinese Book of Table Tennis at Brentanos in N.Y. and read through it.
To me it is excellent and the best I have ever seen on T.T. Tactics, technique, practice, and
strokes are excellent. Even though it is 90% applicable to penholders, I think it can also apply
to shakehand players. Please let me know what you think about ityou may want to give your
opinion in Topics if you think the book is worthwhile. If it gets your approval, Ill have Bill
Haid order them for sale to our membership. I think we can get 50% off the list price.
The book was never put on the USTTA Literature list because Rufford, after opening
his review with a modicum of praise, had some really bad things to say about it (TTT, JulyAug., 1982, 11):
The book is excellent, as Don says, on training styles against various types of opponent. It teaches the Chinese game and only the Chinese game. This is the only book that Ive
seen that does this, so anyone wishing to emulate Xie, Cai, and Guo would do well to read it.
The backbone of the Chinese game is what our authors call the push-block, a quite descriptive
term. [Dont we more properly call it the jab-block?] Not as passive or defensive as a normal
block, this is a stroke with more forward motion. It also has more spin, forward to back, much
like Houshang Bozorgzadehs blocks [but with much more force?] If you arent willing to
mold your game around it, dont buy the book. But if you do buy it, and you are willing to
work hard, with a willing and capable partner, you will find the training routines superb. [So,
mgod, whatevers coming, isnt what weve just read reason enough to buy the book?]
That said, Rufford launches an attack on the confused choice of wording, the contradictions, the illogical sequences, and the lack of explanations when needed. In the following
few words he might be said to summarize his reading: I encountered serious problems on
almost every page. Don noted that the diagrams left a bit to be desired, and I would add that
many of the stroke descriptions are execrableat best weak, at worst meaningless.

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Chapter Seventeen
1981: November/December Tournaments (including the USOTCs).
Before I give you the results of the November/December tournaments, Ive the sad
duty here (TTT, Dec., 1981, 20) of reproducing much of Mary McIlwains Obituary on Californian Dean Galardi:
Dean Galardi, 23 years old, a former U.S. Junior Singles and Doubles Champion,
died November 9th unexpectedly and accidentally. He had gone out alone to pay bills and eat
dinner. He was on his bicycle on his way home after dark when he got sick. He choked when
something lodged in his throat and he couldnt catch his breath. The autopsy showed that he
died of a lack of oxygen to the lungs. A stranger had discovered him, at first thinking he was
asleep on a step by his bike. Had there been anyone around earlier who could have given him
the Heimlick maneuver or even a hard pat on the back it might very well have saved his life.
Rob Lange, Deans best friend and former exhibition partner,
had told Mary of the tragedy. Robby and his wife Karen, who
together with their two beautiful children and a third on the way,
have always made their home open to all. Karen is one of the best, if
not the best Christian I know. She always makes time for the needs
of others. Dean lived with them for a short period.
Mary says she first met Dean when he was 12 or 13 years old,
soon after hed had surgery for a kidney ailment. Though pale he
looked immaculate, had excellent manners, and an infectious grin,
AND of course he played very well.
U.S. Womens Team Captain Heather Angelinetta reminded
Mary how at the 1977 Birmingham, England World Championships,
Galardi beat the great Belgian Champion Norbert VandeWallea
win that broke the tie and enabled the U.S. Team to go on and defeat
Italy and put the U.S. in the Championship Division. Heather said
Dean was very nervous and his hands were cold as he waited while
Norby performed skillful warm-ups. But then Dean played the match
of his young life! How happy and thrilled he was, AND how grateful
the U.S. Team should still be!
Table tennis of course played a big part in Galardis short life.
Dean Galardi
Yim Gee, in paying homage to Dean, says he showed a lot of
confidence out there at the table. He utilized his long reach to attack almost any ball anywhere on
the table. He watched his opponents serve with such intense concentration that he actually psyched
him out. He bravely attacked serves, and finished a point with a devastating power drive.
Dr. Michael Scott praised Dean for his good nature and tremendously friendly smile.
If the USTTA had an official player poster I am sure Dean would have been the unanimous
choice to be that representative player.
McIlwain points out that Dean had come a long and difficult way just to make that 77
U.S. World Team. He was a boy who had many setbacks that most of us didnt know about, a
boy who never knew his father, whose mother had been ill most of her life, who had two
sisters and grandparents whom he lived with and loved.
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Services were conducted by a Catholic priest on Friday, November 13th. Those who
traveled a long way on an early foggy morning to pay their respects and represent all of us in
the Table Tennis world were Robby and Karen Lange, Angie and Chris Rosal, Jim West, and
George Keleman. Deans headstone read: Dean Galardi: Table Tennis Champ.
Jeff and Mona Mason are proud to say (TTT, Jan., 1982, 20) that in the first year of
their Sacramento Club, We have grown from 55 regular members to over 300. Our Club is
open six days a week and offers many organized activities and events, including eight USTTA
Open 1-star tournaments. The Club also offers leagues (school, industrial, and Club), intercity team championships, table tennis classes, and weekly point-adjusted (Handicap) tournaments and round robins. The Masons also point to their new Sacramento Media Tournament.
This was organized by Jack Mason, one of the founding fathers of our Sacramento Club. Its
an innovative event for all the media personalities from TV, radio, and local newspapers.
Although the media players pay no entry fees, the publicity they give us is invaluable.
Tom Walsh (TTT, Feb., 1982, 15) reports on the Omaha-Area Closed, held at St.
Peters Church (I presume in Omaha) sometime before the U.S. Closed. Tom thanks the
church for the use of its site, offers further thanks to Rod Cowles, Jim Orr, Todd Petersen,
Mark Kennedy, and Mike and Gary Zdanall of whom helped make our tournament a success. For it was a success, except for an after-hours altercation at a local pizza parlor. But
thats another story [not told here].
Tom says,
According to
Regional Director
LeRoy Petersen,
winners of events in
this tournament are
the new State
Champions of
Nebraska. As
expected, the
Championship
Singles final was
Mark Kennedy
between Todd
Photo by Mal Anderson
Petersen and Mark
Kennedy. In their first two games, Marks serves and powerful
forehand loop and smash continued to prevail in the exchanges,
and he won those games, 13 and 18. But then Todd finally found
the range for his quick forehand counters and steady backhand
defense to take the third game. Then, driving Mark back from the
table, taking the attack time after time, he evened the match. The
Todd Petersen
final game was the best, so the spectators, wanting a climax, were
not disappointed. We try, by the way, to hold our Championship
Division matches early for the sake of the crowd. Todd finally won, 22-20, by finishing with two
unbelievable smashes that culminated long points.
It was a bitter defeat for Mark because he couldnt believe an out-of-practice Todd
would beat him. But Todd has a way of coming up with his best shots at the moments of
212

highest tension. At such time he is capable of playing with the best in the nationas his
[former] high national ranking will confirm. Todd was helped by a year of schooling from the
great Jerry Skublicki (who died tragically in an auto accident a few years ago). Mark, a selftaught player, improved his game via his year of giving exhibitions with the Globe Trotters and
Bob Ashley. Both Todd and Mark are fine young men, and immensely talented athletes. I
wont compare them to John Tatum, Bob Ferguson, or Steve Flansberg, good Nebraska
players from the past, but surelyeven though the game has changed so much since the
advent of spongeMark and Todd are among our best.
Tournaments are not designed just for the most talented players, however. Every
player feels his match is important, and he is right. I remember my feeling a few years ago at a
tournament in Wisner, Nebraska, when I was set to play the finals of Senior Mens, and David
Sakai asked me to leave the center table because he felt his match was more important: he and
his opponent were ranked higher [considerably higher] nationally. It is time that the best
players realize (and I see no indication that they do) that tournaments are played for everyoneespecially [sic] for beginners and novices. [Such nonsense. Of course almost every tournament in the country has weak players in itwho could think otherwise? But what kind of tournaments are run especially for beginners and novices? People want to see such matches? Theyll draw
crowds, will theylike the Todd/Mark match at your own tournament?]
We who run tournaments can tell you that there would be no competitive play without
the lower-rated players. [There are always players lower-rated than others, but does that mean
novices and beginners are special to every tournament? Youre the spokesman for all Tournament Directors, are you? Tom, have you ever run a single major tournament?] Ive been in this
game, running tournaments, for a good 20 years, and I can tell you that few top-rated players
really contribute to the continuance of table tennisexcept through their skills at the table in
front of crowds. [So? Thats not enough? Why then, down through the decades, are our Hall
of Famers honored?] Even then, many [sic] do not set much of an example of good sportsmanship. [Forget about great players, TomI dont think you know what great is. How many
good players, year after year, do you actually see play? How often do you attend tournaments
outside of Nebraska where you extol your local heroes?]
It is time for Editor Tim Boggan and others to realize where the real table tennis
exists in this country. It comes from grass roots support from the average player. [After 20
years in Nebraska, Tom, youve come to the conclusion that real table tennis comes from the
average player. Thats just absurd.] If we do not encourage him, show him we think he is
equally important [HE IS NOT EQUALLY IMPORTANT], appreciate his efforts [what about
the professionals more demanding efforts?], we are going to find table tennis even less than
the minor sport it is now.I vote, from now on, that we forget about spending all [all?] our
money to support great players [our players are great?] at foreign tournaments; I vote that
some distribution [meaning what?] be used for development of table tennis in Hometown,
U.S.A.
[At this period in our History, 30-40 years ago, the parochialism Ive relentlessly been
attacking since the late 1960smost recently, in my Volume X (Chapter Three, pp. 56-59) is
deeply lodged in pockets of USTTA play. Players who seldom if ever venture out into the real
world of table tennis simply dont understand and appreciate the difference between a professional player and an amateur. They have no perspective as to what makes a good, a very good,
or an excellent player. I dont think they even have a goal as theyd like to go about improving
play in their hometown. To what end this improvement?]
213

Dr. Michael Scott (TTT, Mar., 1982, 12) agrees with Walsh that the USTTA should do
more for the average player and clubs by sending top players or coaches to our states. Not
only would the clubs benefit but this exposure would be beneficial to the top players. [Why?]
The E.C. could be responsible for providing intercity travel expenses and the local club for incity room and board. The top players shouldnt object to such a plan, says Michael. [But why
wouldnt they? Whats in it for them?]
Ohios Rick Hardy (TTT, Apr., 1982, 10) has quite a difference of opinion with Tom
(and Michael):
Mr. Walsh wants the USTTA to take its supposed mountains of money and send
coaches around the country to give people like him free lessons. Mr. Walsh, if you want tennis
or golf lessons, you go to your local pro and YOU PAY. The U.S. Tennis Association and the
U.S. Golf Association do not, except for a few special programs, subsidize private lessons.
After I have paid Simon Shtofmakher $10 per hour for lessons, and paid the Seemillers $135
for a six-day clinic, I do not want to see my USTTA fees go for free lessons for Mr. Walsh and
his friends.
I mentioned the USTTA and USGA. These organizations rely heavily on volunteer,
unpaid help. Dedicated members take time off from their jobs and other pursuits to help with
pro tournaments, to HELP THE TOP PLAYERS (!) These people ask, What can I do for the
sport? not Mr. Walshs, What can the Association do for me?...
Other results of the Omaha-Area (Nebraska) Closed: Womens Singles: Ethelanne Risch
over Janet Benson. As: Tom Fassett over Champak Narotam, -19, 17, 19, then over Tom Walsh. A
Doubles: T. Petersen/ Denise Heerman over Pat
Chastain/Don Taylor, 20, 19, then over Kennedy/
Dhiren Narotam
Photo by Mal Anderson
Walsh, 24-22 in the third. Bs: Nikhil Shah over David
Thorsen, -16, 18, 19, then over Chastain. B Doubles:
Dirk Petersen/ Paul Lykke over T. Petersen/Rod
Schultz. Cs: Lykke over D. Petersen, 19 in the 3rd,
then over C. Narotam. Novice: Doug Pachunka over
Earl Scheussler. First Timers: Richard Rank over
Scheussler, 18, -19, 22. Seniors: Walsh over
Taylor. U-17: Steve Kirby (needs more coaching
and experience)
over Dhiren
Narotam (wholl
be Iowas top
junior in a short
time}. U-15: Kirby over Narotam. U-13: D. Narotam over
Mario Carbino. Junior Doubles: Kirby/Glenn Taylor over
Cornell Beck/El Lamons Hopkins.
Results of the Nov. 14 Illinois Open at Chicago: Open
Singles: 1. Mike Kim (d. Pashuku, 19, 20). 2. Wayne
Wasielewski. 3.-4. Paul Pashuku. 3.-4. Jim Davey. Best
quarters: Kim over Houshang Bozorgzadeh, 24-22 in the 3rd.
Womens: Kathy Ann Gates and Grace Wasielewski played the
Mike Kim
final (no score). U-1900: Primo Madrigal over George Lowi.
Photo by Mal Anderson
214

U-3600 Doubles: Bozorgzadeh/Paul Lewis over Kim/Song.

U-1700: G. Wasielewski over S. Harn. U-1500: Janet Szeto
over Brad Balmer whod advanced over Bill Lemieux, -15,
19, 19. U-1300: Chip Mattox over Juanito Baladad whod
escaped Cannon Gavin, 25-23 in the 3rd. U-1100: S. Liu
over Gavin, after Cannon had gotten by Jerome Chihara,
20, -14, 18. Hard Rubber: Bozorgzadeh over John Abbott.
Seniors: Madrigal over Ernie Bauer. Juniors: 1. J. Uddin.
2. Stephanie Fox. 3. Reggie Madrigal. 4. Randy Madrigal.

Randy Madrigal
Photo by
Mal Anderson

USOTCs
Bob Beatty, Tournament Director of the U.S. Open Team
Championships, played Nov. 27-29 at Detroits Cobo Hall, says that,
again, the participants (141 teams, including six from Mexico and 24
from Canada) made directing the USOTC an enjoyable experience.
My apologies to those who endured faux pas in table assignments.
Thanks to Andy Gad, who, sacrificing some table-practice to work at the desk, did a masterful
job as Referee. Thanks to the desk staff of Fred and Joanne Alt, Rose Ryel, Wayne Claflin, and
Sandy Durance. Thanks to the set-up workers, Stew Ansteth, Mark Hrivnak, Aaron Smith,
Frank Sexton, Ted Pastuch, Cheryl Kiska, Joel Plotkin, Tom Smart, and Hosea Dunnigan. And
thanks to Dan Hayes for escorting the news media to locations of interest.

USOTCs runner-up junior team: Ed Poon,

Tarek Zohdi, and Alex Poon

In the Juniors (first prize $400), Ron

Shirleys powerful Yasaka Blue Team (the
young but of course already very experienced
Jimmy Butler, the ever-improving Khoa
Nguyen, and the bat-flipping defensive star
Most Valuable Player, Gene Lonnon
Brian Thomas)a difficult team to play against USOTCs JuniorPhoto
by Mal Anderson
because of their different stylesdid away with
all U.S. and Canadian competition. Second ($200) was the Louisiana Junior team (NPC Power
Poon, Ed Poon, Alex Poon, and Tarek Zohdi). Third Place ($100) went to the Ontario Junior Boys
(NPC Mickey Peattie, Vaibhav Kamble, Pierre Purulekar, Michael Ng, and Ken Chin.
Although Shirleys Yasaka Red Team (Trent LeForce, Richie Crawford, and Gene
Lonnon) finished just out of the money, the boys received medalsand Gene was voted Most
Valuable Player.
215

The Womens matches

USOTCs Womens
were highlighted by the successMost Valuable Player,
ful return of Insook Bhushan.
Insook Bhushan
Not only did her Butterfly team
Photo by Mal Anderson
of Alice Green and Kasia
Dawidowicz Gaca (making an
auspicious comeback of her
own since the birth of her baby
boy) win the Championship
(first prize $800), but Insook
herself was voted Most Valuable
Player. She lost only one
matchto Carol Davidson of
the ($400) runner-up Coast-toCoast team (that, along with
Carol, included Angie Rosal and
Janie Medvene). Third place ($200) went to Nissen Universal (NPC Paul Dadian, Sheila
ODougherty, Faan Yeen Liu, and Cheryl Dadian). Placing a disappointing fourth ($100) was
the Ontario team (NPC John Brayford, Gloria Hsu, Becky McKnight, Birute Plucas-Guhl, and
Julia Johnson).
The Mens matches were missing the Defending Joola Team, as both the Boggan
brothers were now playing in League matches abroad. That left the Butterfly East team of the
three Seemillers (Danny, Ricky, and Randy) as the favorites to win. Butsurprisethey were
upset early, 5-4, by the Nissen Team of Captain Houshang Bozorgzadeh, Attila Malek, Lim
Ming Chui, Rey Domingo, and Malaysian import Soh Eng Yip. When Randy lost all three, and
Ricky couldnt pull out the third from either Domingo or Malek, Dannys three wins werent
able to save them.
Still, what
did it matter,
really? For there
they were in the
semis crossover
against their #1
rival, Ontario
(Zoran Zoki
Kosanovic, Errol
Caetano, Joe Ng,
and Ming Yuan)
a match they had
to win to win
The Seemiller Team wins the USOTCs, but this Nissen team upset them along the
anyway. True, up way. L-R: Attila Malek, Houshang Bozorgzadeh, Lim Ming Chui, and Rey Domingo
till this time
Kosanovic had been unbeaten, whereas Danny had one unexpected lossto the Quebec
Teams Alain Bourbonnais. I was cruising a little, Danny admitted afterwards. But, down
17-13 in the third, I still thought I could catch the guy. And did in fact, right away. Butit
happenshe ended by serving an edge and that was it. (No one clapped.) Against Zoki
216

though, Danny, who deservingly was to receive the Most Valuable Player award, played flawlessly, and when Randy, using his
anti well, downed Joe Ng, there was no way the Seemillers
could be kept out of the final.
Meanwhile, working their way out to oppose them, was
the parallel Butterfly West team of Dean Wong, Quang Bui, and
Brian Masters. They beat the Nissen team 5-3, largely because
of Chuis three losses. Howd that happen, Ming? I sympathetically asked him. Well, he said, I get a hotel room for a
single, and, before I know it, Houshang has a party, and two
people end up on my bed, two more on my floor,.and Im forced
to sleep hunched up in a little corner. Next day against Masters
Im up 19-18 in the third and serve off, then I lose at deuce
which is getting to be common for me. Enough said?
The final, as it turned out, especially when Randy beat
Quang, was anticlimactica no contest. So, five-zip and the
title again (and $1600) to the Seemillers. The Butterfly West
team placed second ($800). Ontario was third ($400). And
Nissen fourth ($200).
Ron Schull (TTT, Jan., 1982, 24) covers the Nov. 7
Columbus, OH Fall Open:

USOTCs Mens Most Valuable

Player, Danny Seemiller

Fresh from winning the AAs and As at the Duneland All-American the week before,
Bob Powellwith an escape act that would have made Houdini sobcame out on top in the
Open Singles played here at Columbus. But first lets go back to Michigan City, IN, because
thats where Bobby left his batright where hed picked up $500 for his efforts. By the time it
arrived in the mail, it was already Friday, so he
Bobby Powell
practiced that eveningand again at 7:00 Saturday
Photo by
morning.
Greg Brendon
After a 20, 16, 6, 22 win over Bob Cordell that
gets him into the round robin semis, then a threestraight victory over Ben Nisbet, then a brutal fivegame set over Randy Seemiller, Bobby faces the
formidable John Tannehill in the final. This test goes
down to the fifth game with Powell behind 17-20.
Powell serves and loop-kills the push return
through Tannehills forehand for a clean winner.
Next he serves and hits two sticky forehand loops
into Johns backhand, whereupon John braces
himself for another loop kill, then blocks the ball
into the net. Again Powell servesTannehill
pushesPowell returns with a push, and Tannehill
pushes into the net. Deuce! The next two points go
by with quick volleysthen Powell drops to one
knee and calls out, Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
217

Other results: Open Doubles: 1. Nisbet/Seemiller over Chris Williams/Steve Miller.

(Steve writes in to Topics, says he wants to be put on the Money Winners list, says he won
$7.20 in Columbus tourney.) As: Jim Repasy over Larry Hensley. Bs: Dave Lally over Don
Story. Cs: Victor Lorand over Greg Brendon. Ds: Ed Korker over Don Piper. U-3400
Doubles: Jim Spetsios/Ron DeMent over Roy Dietz/Bob Allen. Es: Osualdo Veitia over Scott
Madden. Unrated: Sreve Liu over Glenn Benza. Hard Rubber: Lorand over Hensley.
Esquires: DeMent over Allen. Seniors: Brendon over DeMent. U-21: Nisbet over Kooroush
Khalaj. U-17: Liu over Maddox, deuce in the 5th.
Duke Stogner (TTT, Jan., 1982, 22), in covering Tickeys D & R Dec. 5th Open
in Little Rock, thanks Jean Kauffman, who was working behind the control
desk for the first time and did a super job. And, as always, right there was my
lovely wife, Dottie, doing it all. Just wanted to let all of you and her know I really appreciate and love her for it. OoohPigSooie!
Duke employed, in addition to a regular Doubles event, a new tournament format he
called Single Elimination Pill Off. All played out of a common 32-entry Singles draw from
which would come four classes. To qualify for the Championship event you had to win your
first and second round match. Class A qualifiers had to win their first round and lose their
second. Class B qualifiers had to lose their first round but win their next round. And Class C
qualifiers had to lose both their first and second round matches.
Results: Championship Singles: John Vancura over Sammy
Peters, -19, 24, 18, -20, 13. Semis: Vancura over Julian Wright, 20, 17, 13, -17, 17; Peters over Stogner, 17 in the fourth. 3rd Place:
Wright over Stogner in five. As: Pat Kauffman over Paul Vancura.
Semis: Kauffman over Ricky Hughes; P. Vancura over Tony
Thomason. 3rd Place: Hughes over Thomason (from down 2-0). Bs:
Brian Burris over Frank McClure (from down 2-0). Semis: Burris
over Mike Finnigan; McClure over Nick Logan. 3rd Place: Logan over
Finnigan, def. Cs: Larry Preston over Ed Lawson, Jr. Semis: Preston
over Fred Duncan; Lawson over Charles Stiles. 3rd Place: Duncan
over Stiles. Doubles: Stogner and Bob Ashley, who with Bob Zarren
was winding up a five-week tour
here performing exhibitions for the
Tony Thomason
National Schools Assembly, over
Wright and Miller.
Bill Steinle (TTT, Mar., 1982, 16) covers Virginia
Beachs Nov. 14th first sanctioned tournament. Though there
was no prize money, and only about 30 people around for
the Open final, B.K. Arunkumar and Dave Sakai put on
great four-game finals in both that Open (won by Arun, -20,
14, 12, 22) and the earlier Closed (won by Arun, -21, 10,
17, 9). People were clapping and cheering on every point
as Dave put up a strong battle in the Open final to try to get
in the expedite rule but just couldnt do it. The last four
games took 9, 12, 11, and 14 minutes. Arunkumar is the
best defensive player that I have seen play in the USA, while
Dave has to be one of the steadiest.
B.K. Arunkumar
218

Sakai also played two matches against Joe Griffis. Joe (I return everything) is a
great chaser and Dave sent him over the barriers on more than one occasion to the applause of
the crowd.Thanks, Joe and Dave. Its games and conduct like yours that will bring people
out to watch table tennis.
Other Open results: Womens winner: Michelle Walters. As: Billy James, whod enjoyed slugging away at Arunkumar in the Open, won the As over Alan Evenson who defaulted in the middle of their first game due to leg cramps. Alan had played one of the most
exciting matches in the Closedwinning out -17, 21, 21 over Bobby Hines Bs: Shih-Yaw
Lai, 10, -24, 18, over Arlie Proctor, whos going to train in Sweden in March, then over Hal
Barnes.whod eliminated Rick Mundy, 20, -21, 15. Cs: Mundy over Fred Hautsch. Rick is
probably the most up and down player I have met in table tennis, but it seems hes always up
when he plays Fred. Ds: John Pellet over Norm Labrador who, after eliminating Vo, -10,
19, 15, had to default in the second game of his final with leg cramps. Thats what happens,
Norm, when you go on a three-week vacation and let yourself get out of shape. Es: Val Ibay
over Rennie Hitchcock. Seniors: Jack Carr over Steinle. Juniors: Armano Aquino over Mark
Widner.
Bill thanks the local recreation center for the fruit, candy, sandwiches, cookies,
crackers, and drinks provided at no cost to the participants. The centers service was also
appreciated for keeping the results of the matches up to date on the posted draw sheets so the
control desk could be kept clear.
Larry Hodges (TTT, Feb., 1982,
17) covers the Virginia Open, played
Dec. 12-13 in McLean. Results: Open
Singles: 1. Dave Sakai, 2-1/8-4. 2. Sean
ONeill, 2-1/8-5. 3. Brian Masters, 2-1/
6-5. John Soderberg, 0-3. Though
Soderberg lost all three of his semifinal
round robin matches, the one game that
he did takefrom Sakaialmost
changed the results of the whole event.
Why? Because when Brian beat Sean in
five, and Sean came from 2-0 down to
beat Dave, 19 in the fifth, the SakaiMasters match became all important.
For if undefeated Brian were to beat
Dave he would of course
Dave Sakai, winner of back-to-back Virginia Opens,
win the tournament, but
offers a hand to Sean ONeill.
if Dave were to win there
Photo by Neal Fox
would be a three-way tie
that would have to be broken by games won and lost. After some quick calculation everyone agreed that if Dave won 3-0 he would win the Open, that if he
won 3-1 Sean would win, and that if he won 3-2 Brian would win. Whew!
As it happened, Dave quickly ran through the first two games but was
down 14-11 in the third. Could Brian do it? Please, says Mrs. ONeill, just
Please, just
one game! But, no, Dave got five in a row and was able to win three straight.
one more
Sean came second; Brian third.
game!
219

Larry tells us that a special plaque was

given to guest Tibor Hazi, who was about to be
inducted into the Table Tennis Hall of Fame. Also
$500 was given to him as the result of donations
from local players and clubs. Hazi of course was
formerly a world-class player from Hungary who
went on to win the Maryland State Championships
a mere 25 times!
Other results: U-2150: Soderberg over Ron
Lilly, -22, 16, 16, -16, 15. U-2000: Paul Rubas
over Ron Snyder. U-1900: Morris Jackson over
Mike Heisler. U-1800: Tom Steen over Herculan
Guerreiro. U-3600 Doubles: Steen/Barnett over
Lilly/Nguyen. U-1700: Al Herr over Rich Martin
whos just snuck by Nguyen, 17, -21, 20. U-3200
Tibor Hazi and Sean ONeill
Doubles: Albert Lin/Liu over Nguyen/Nguyen. U1550: Steve Doctolero over Ed Lasinski, 15, -24,
20, then over Toker, -20, 16, 18. U-1400: Toker over John Tebbe. Womens U-1400: Gladys
Blaner over Ursula Morgenegg. U-1200: Phil Van Dusen* over Mike Dowd. U-1000:
KilsooYim over Ken Daniels. Handicap: Larry Johnson over Lilly, 52-50. Esquires: Robert
Fritsch over Nate Sussman. Seniors: Bob Kaminsky and Snyder didnt play, split the prize
money. U-17: Anh Tuan Nguyen over Eddie Liu. Boys U-15: Ahn Tai Nguyen over David
Ferraro. Girls U-15: Nguyen over Kelley. U-13: Anh Tai Nguyen over Dowd.
Yvonne Kronlage, in reporting on the Howard County Open, played in Columbia, MD
Dec. 5-6, says that everyone who entered got a free chance, for each event entered, at winning a TV, a radio, or $15 worth of equipment. Richard Chan, of Mercersburg Academy in PA,
won the TV; Shellie Gainsburg, of Gaithersburg, won the radio, and Ben Ebert, also of
Gaithersburg, won the equipment. In addition to these prizes, Yvonne awarded silver prizes
that certainly beat the usual trophies given out.
Results: Open Singles: 1. Brian Masters
($150), 3-0d. Brathwaite, -14, 17, -16, 23, 12.
2. Sean ONeill, 2-1d. Brathwaite, -20, -14, 19,
19, 19. 3.-4. George Brathwaite. 3.-4. Dave Sakai.
Womens: 1. Kronlage. 2. Gladys Blaner. Mixed
Doubles: Masters/Kronlage over Sakai/Donna
Newell, -18, 20, 14. Esquires: Warren Wetzler
over Richard
Brian Masters
Photo by
Blaner. Seniors:
Mal Anderson
Pat ONeill over
Mort Greenberg.
U-17: Eddie Liu
over David
Ferraro. U-15:
Ferraro over John Ralston. U-13: nine-year-old Mike Dowd
over Mike Bohan. U-11: Ben Ebert over Leslie Bieber. Junior
Doubles: Ferraro/Liu over Ralston/Pradhan.
Ben Ebert
220

U-2200: Pandit Dean over Barry Dattel. U-2100: Dattel over Mark Davis. U-4200
Doubles: Dean/Dattel over Masters/Barney Reed. U-2000: Pat ONeill over Todd Ingram, 19
in the 3rd. U-1900: Final: ? Semis: Marty Ness over Al Herr; Reed over Davis. U-1800: Ness
over John Wetzler, 13, -21, 18. U-3600 Doubles: Davis/Reed over Tom Steen/Ness. U-1650:
S. Thoren over S.F. Liu who squeaked by Ed Lasinski, 13, -19, 23. U-1500: Larry Johnson
over Dave Gonzalez, deuce in the 3rd, then over Ty Hoff, 20, 20. U-1400: Steve Tripp over
Gonzalez, 15, -21, 21. U-1300: Phil Van Dusen over Dave Kelly U-1200: John Ralston over
Craig Bailey. U-1000: S. Pradhan over Ben Ebert. Unrated: Richard Coard over I Falcone.
Jack Power, President of the Pittsfield, VT TTC, tells us (TTT, Mar.,
1982, 18) that in June, 1981 Donna Flynn and Craig Westling of the
Pittsfield Club represented the state of Vermont in the Sears-sponsored
Junior AAU tournament in Columbia, MD. This tournament [which Ive no
record of], arranged by Yvonne Kronlage, was the official Junior Championship tournament for many of the northeastern states that hold no sanctioned
tournaments within their own state. As Donna and Craig, both 13 years old,
were the only two representing the Green Mountain state, they automatically won their respective divisions [Vermont-only divisions?] without a battle. [Thus by just showing up they
qualified to play in the Aug. 1-2 Junior Olympic Championships in Oklahoma City? Ive no
record of them there. Did they go? Did representatives from (many? any?) other northeastern
states go to Columbia?]
President Power says his Club arranged a play-off between the two competitors in Dec., 1981 and happily awarded the
Gregg Carl Williams Memorial trophy to the
winnerCraig. This Memorial Trophy is a
gift from Pittsfields Robert Williams, father
of the late Greg Williams (who died at the age
of 17). The trophy will rotate, annually, for 17
years, among official VT Junior Table Tennis
Champions. Each year, the winners name will
be engraved on a brass plate, which will then
be mounted on the walnut base of the trophy. [Understandably, Robert Williams wants
his son, described as an enthusiastic t.t.
player, to be remembered, and the Pittsfield
Club obviously wants to accommodate him.
Pittsfield President Jack Power and
But the trophy plaque reads in several places
Youth Award Recipient Craig Westling
Pittsburgh not Pittsfield, and to my knowledge there is no Pittsburgh, VT Club because.according to my extensive atlas there is no
Pittsburgh, VT. This seems to be one of those odd articles that somehow find their way into
Topics.]
On Dec. 12-13, Westfield held its Winter Open, a last-chance warm-up for the following weeks U.S. Closed. Results: Open: Eric Boggan over Rey Domingo in five, after Rey had
outlasted Scott Boggan, 18 in the fifth. Womens: Faan Yeen Liu over Alice Green. Doubles:
George Brathwaite/Hisashi Saito over Boggan/Boggan, 2-1. As: Puerto Ricos Charlie
Rodriguez over Jamaicas Cornel France, 18, -20, 22, then over Manh Moc. A Doubles: Andy
221

Diaz/Fu-lap Lee over Marcy Monasterial/

Cornel France, 19 in the 3rd. Bs: Lee over
Doon Wong. Cs: Max McAllister over Neil
Ackerman. Ds: Final: ? Semis: Rocky Cheng
over Jerry Boyle; Judith Ackerman over A.
Forde, 19 in the 3rd. Es: F. Tang over Forde.
Fs: R. Gross over Michael Henry, -15, 19, 17,
then over Gilbert Marrero. Esquires:
Monasterial over Bob Barns. Seniors:
Brathwaite over Monasterial. U-17: Clifton
Jones over Jasmine Wang. U-15: Cheng over
Wang, 21, -14, 21. U-13: Vicky Wong over
Billy Lipton.
SELECTED NOTES.
*Twenty-five years
later, Phil Van Dusen
Doon and Vicky Wong
would set a record for
playing the most tournament matches in a year. In 2006, he entered 40 tournaments and played
638 matches, winning 318 of them.

Phil Van Dusen

222

Chapter Eighteen
1981: Insook Bhushan/Scott Boggan Win U.S. Closed (Guillens
19-in-the-Fifth Default Gets Much Attention).
In covering this years U.S. Closed, played for the first
time at the Las Vegas Tropicana Hotel, Dec. 17-20, Ill start
with the Girls and the Womens matches, then go on to the
Boys and the Mens.
Girls
Twelve-year-old Tieu Lan Vuong, a Vietnamese who
immigrated to this country three years ago and who now
lives in Los Angeles, played three finals against U.S. Under
15 Girls Junior Olympic Champion Diana Gee, and, though
Lan won two, the close results might suggest something of a
stand-off.
Last year
at Caesars,
Lan was
beaten in all
three semis of
the 13s, 15s,
and 17s by
Diana. This
year at the
Tropicana,
after having
participated in
the Taiwan
Diana Gee
Lan Vuong
Photo by Mal Anderson
Photo by Robert Compton
Summer
Sports Festith
val honoring that Other Chinas 70 year of independence, Lan showed perhaps even more
progress than the ever-improving Diana. How fast and furious the exchanges, the forehand
kills were between these two almost perfectly matched opponents.
Lan won the Under 17s three straight, just eked out the Under 13s in a fantastic -22,
-18, 23, 14, 10 thriller, then lost the Under 15s, played last, in straight games.
The pivotal third game in their Under 13 match was typical of their most exciting play. Lan,
a compactly-built penholder who moves marvelously into a relentless topspin attack, was up 18-17,
but then served off. Whereupon Diana, all incense-stick slender, smoked in a serve return, tried
unsuccessfully to do it again, then quickly caught Lan where shes weakest, wide to her
forehand.But up 21-20 match point, Gee got her serve return too high and Vuong with her
beautiful forehand cover fearlessly whacked it in. Down 22-21, Diana unflinchingly played a blistering exchangeand again it was deuce. But just as Lan had been careless with her serve before, so
now Diana served an unthinking easy topspin and Lan immediately moved to seize her opportunity,
quickly gained forehand control, and eventually won the gameand the turnaround match.
223

In all three semis, Lan played Dianas accomplished sister Lisa, apparently on the principle that the
Stephanie Fox
sisters had to be separated in the draw. Only in the Under
Photo by
13s did Lisa take a game.
Mal Anderson
According to the hard-to-believe sheets I have in
front of me, Stephanie Fox, the Under 11 winner over
Gayanne Homer, played in only one girls match the
whole tournament. Yeah, like in the Boys, only two
entries in that U-11. In the Under 13s, only five showed
upthree of them rated in the 1800s, the other two at
850 and 721. So do you think the latter two were allowed to play an encouraging preliminary? No. And of
course they got beat 6, 3 and 6, 8. Whats the pointdo you want entries, or dont you?
And what happened to the nine entries in the U-15s. Hey, look, this is the Nationals,
how accommodating do you want us to be?that no doubt was one response. Stephanie
Foxs was another. The top seeds drifted into the semis, 8, 10; 10, 18; 6, 9; 7, 11, where
Princeton U-13 U.S. Open winner Jasmine Wang extended Diana Gee to three games.
And the nine who played in the U-17s? Here at least there was a very good semis
match between Ai-ju Wu, last years U-15 winner whod had to go two deuce games with
Hanna Butler, and Diana who, down 2-0, followed the streaky pattern of play she was showing this tournament and rallied to win in five.
The Gee sisters almost made a clean sweep of the doubles. In the boy/girl U-13s, they
beat Jim Butler/Billy Lipton. In the Girls U-15s, they beat Wang/Toni Gresham. But in the U17s they lost to Easterners Wu and Wang. Vuong didnt play doublesperhaps because she
and her most likely partners, her seven brothers and sisters, were having a non-sanctioned
tournament of their own somewhere?
Womens
Insook Bhushan, U.S. Closed Champion at Caesars in 1977 and
78, had missed the Nationals in 79 and 80, during which time shed
given birth to her now 14-month-old son Austin. Now she was backto
win the (no longer Caesars but Tropicana) U.S. Womens Championship,
and win too (with Kasia Dawidowicz Gaca and Danny Seemiller) both
the Womens and Mixed Doubles. He-ja Lee, the Defending Womens
Champion for the last two years, was the five-game Singles runner-up.
Insook, whos now playing with Challenger pips on the forehand
and Fraulein inverted on the backhand, at first seemed slow getting to the
ball. But this was surely understandable, for, with the exception of the
recent USOTCs (where shed win the MVP award), she hadnt played
competitively since the 79 Worlds, and hadnt even started any regular
practice until this fall when she began playing three days a week with
Bohdan Dawidowicz. Moreover, shes now working full time as an
accounting clerk and plans soon to attend the University of Colorado,
where, not surprisingly, shell be an Accounting major.
All this sounds like Insooks got her hands fulland husband
Shekhar confirms theyre not planning any more children at the moment.
224

How long before

Shekhars not
watching a young
Bhushan?

He says he did more work this tournament just watching his young son than his wife did playing.
But, as Ill shortly make clear to you, he must have been talking only about her early rounds.
There were two second-round struggles in the 40-player Womens Singles that were
very exciting to the spectators. One was Kasia Gacas -18, -17, 14, 13, 19 survival-course win
over U.S. Under 17 and Under 13 Girls Champ Lan Vuong. Before the match started, Kasia
said she didnt feel much like playing, said she missed being back in Colorado with her baby
boywhich was a lapse in concentration that might account for her almost fatal delay in
moving the ball around against Lan?
The other, equally suspenseful match was Cheryl Dadians 20-15-down-in-the- fifth
comeback win against U-15 Girls Champion Diana Gee. Howd that happen? Well, Diana,
whos usually a very good clutch player, just failed to return, or return with enough force, all
five of Cheryls end-game serves that set up the win.
Cheryls eighths match in the Womens Singles against Defending Champion He-ja
Lee (tough draw for a good player, huh?) gave her no further chance for heroics; though she
won a game; she was just outclassed.
Nor were Cheryl and her partner Ricky Seemiller, the Defending Mixed Doubles
Champions, too happy about being drawn into the same half as Danny Seemiller and Insook,
the eventual winners over Scott Boggan and Kasia Gaca. But, as Neal Fox told me, if you
dont seed the doubles pairs by their combined rating, how do you seed them?
In another $100 Womens eighths match, Linda Chong, after taking out Jasmine Wang,
Womens U-1800 winner in a close match over Ardith Lonnon, and in the final over Cindy Miller,
surprised Carol Davidson three straight. Was it the night before that Carol had told some Chicago
guys what she liked to do to prepare for a tournament? If so, maybe she did it too much? Or not
enough? Womens U-1500 went to Liana Panesko over Toni Gresham, and the U-1200s to Carol
Trosa over Millie Drake who was also runner-up in the U-800s to Julie Van Kleek.
Chongs Miami friend Judy Tun came through a winnerover California star Jin Na in four
on the strength of two deuce games. In the early 70s, Jin, who now manages a family boutique
shop and who just had a baby girl, was on the same Korean Bank Team as Insook.
Some people had been complaining about how there were too many foreigners (both
men and women) trying to get into our Closed this year. But both Linda and Judy, for example, had
the requisite Immigration Department documentation, so they didnt present a problem.
Judy Hoarfrost got to 19 in the thirdbut couldnt take a game from chopper Yee
Choy. Yee was playing in her first big U.S. tournament since coming to San Francisco several
months ago via Hong Kong after playing on a Peoples
Republic of China province team.
Pat
Alice Green registered a 14, -18, 19, 17 win over
Hodgins
Olga Soltesz who sometimes seemed too eager to score
quick serve-and-follow or even serve-return points.
Faan Yeen Liu, as if mindful of Kasias spirited
recovery against Lan Vuong, held 19-in-the-third strong
to three-straight close out the young Denver mom who
paired with Insook to win the Womens Doubles in five
from He-ja Lee and Angie Sistrunk. Earlier, Faan Yeen
had downed Ai-ju Wu, U.S. Open Girls U-15 Champ,
whod taken out Pat Hodgins. Pat, after an off again, on
again debate which lasted more than 15 minutes, or 15
225

hours, over just what precisely was happening in and around her Seniors semis win over
Gloria Lipton, finally successfully defended her title by downing Lorma Bauer in the final.
Insook had no trouble at all with Sheila ODougherty. Had Sheila lost just one game
less in the upcoming U.S. Team Trials, she would have finished not fifth but third behind
Insook and Judy Tun.
And in the best match of the eighths, Angie Sistrunk, after
cruising through the first two games, got maybe a little too casual
against Takako Trenholme, whos been enjoying her best season, and
lost the third game at 19, and then the fourth, but not the 21-18 fifth.
In the quarters, once Faan Yeen survived Linda Chongs 19-inthe-third threat, the deciding fourth was easy. And He-ja, except for a
19-in-the-third loss of concentration, followed by a 21-7 win in the
third, predictably was too snap-forehand strong for Yee Choy.
The other half of the draw saw Angie down Alice three straight
after opening up a 10-0 lead in the first with absolutely perfect shot
selection. Naturally Alice did not think of giving up that game, but
though she was sometimes picking in even very low balls for winners,
she couldnt come back, and couldnt win the second game either.
Then, up 20-18 in the third, she took two awful forehands and the
match totally slipped away from her. Insook also won in straight
games from Judy Tun, but not without one deuce-game fight that
foreshadowed the internationally-experienced Thais success in the
Team Trials to come.
In the semis, though Angie lost, she played a marvelous match
against the former world-ranked Insook. As I caught up with her just
off court shortly after her
Angie Sistrunk
disappointing lossshe was up
Photo by Mal Anderson
10-6 in the fifthand almost
immediately down18-12she had this to say: Insook
cant trick me any more. Oh, she knows just how to give
me high loaded balls that look easy to hit, but I can read
them. Only thing is [and here for a moment Angies voice
faltered in frustration]the awful thing is I cant make
my fing hand stop, you know? I just want to hit
away.
In the other semis, Faan Yeen, losing in four
against He-ja, had her chances, but though she 21-19in-the-third clung tenaciously to the match, He-ja was
able to read the changing spin accurately enough to sock
through the needed winners.
Nor the day before had Faan Yeen been able to
put up the resistance required to win the Amateur event
from Carol Davidsonthough Carol herself had had no
easy time getting to the final. In the two-out-of-three
U.S. National Amateur Champion
quarters shed dropped the first game to Defending
Carol Davidson
Champ Cheryl Dadian and was just happy to get off
Photo by Mal Anderson
226

court with a win. Cheryls the best woman looper in the country, said Caroland a lefty
besides. On these springy tables it was difficult for me to keep my returns low, especially in
that first game where I was trying to get used to her ball.
In the two-out-of-three semis, Davison lost another gameto Yee Choy. After winning the first at deuce, Carol was down 20-11 in the second, came back all the way up to 19
before, as she said, I chopped when I shouldnt have. But though she reminded me how
shaky she is sometimes in those deciding games, this wasnt one of those times. Choys a nice
player, she said, but in the third, I backhand looped her down.

Insook Bhushan, U.S. Womens National Champion

He-ja Lee, U.S. Womens National Runner-up

Photo by Don Gunn

Photo by Don Gunn

The more prestigious andmuch to Carols dismayprofitable Womens Singles final

($400 to the Championnothing to the Amateur holder) was of course a replay between the
only winners the event has ever seen. This time, though, against He-ja, who was, as usual, very
well-coached, pen-in-hand, by husband D-J, Insook, down 2-1 in games, had to change her
strategy. Said a friend of mine, Insook shouldnt be disciplining He-ja, forcing her to wait,
helping her to pick the right shot by continuing to place her returns to He-jas backhand. And,
apparently realizing this herself, Insook decides that she should be sticking the ball to Lees
forehand. Not only will He-ja now have to hit Insooks forehand chop, but Insook herself,
especially if she digs in, will get better shots to hit because of He-jas opened-up backhand.
The fifth game is typical of their play. D-J exhorts He-ja to Get ready! Get ready!
For, like Insook, she is pushing, pushing, pushingbut of course has to be ever ready to pick
one. Although its more difficult for pen-holder He-ja to push as well on her forehand as on her
backhand, she certainly hasnt been having much difficulty cracking the ball. But Insook is
steadier now and can seem to sense victory. Up 8-6 she bends way down, returns the ball,
stretches her lead to 9-6, and is thereafter never threatened. Game, match, and Championship
to Insook. Again.
227

Boys
Here on the neon-lit Vegas Strip, where one adult after another makes it clear youre
not apt to see children at play, 14-year-old Sean ONeill defeated last years U.S. Closed
Under 13 and Under 15 Champ, Scott Butler, to win this years Under 15 and Under 17
Championships.
Taking up in 81 where his older brother left off in 80
was Jimmy Butler, U.S. Closed Under 11 and Under 13
winner in straight games over, respectively, Aaron Cherkas
and Billy Lipton. Considering
that a combined total of only
eight boys showed up to play in
these two USTTA National
events (two players only in the
U-11s, not even that in the
canceled U-9s), it must be very
obvious to all concerned whos
going to dominate U.S. Junior
table tennis in the years to come.
For no young player, regardless
of his coaching, can get good at
this Game just by suddenly
appearing on the scene. Even
with a little touch of genius,
hell still need years of parental
attention and rigorous tournaBilly Lipton
ment play, not only against
Jimmy Butler
children but against adults, and
Photo by Mal Anderson
not only in this country but abroad.
The newest
player to challenge ONeill and Butler in the Juniors
the next couple of years (though hes now 150-200
rating points behind them) is Dinh Khoa Nguyen, a 15year-old Vietnamese who immigrated to California in
77. He defeated USOTC Junior MVP winner Gene
Lonnon in a close match in the quarters of the 15s,
then lost to Butler in the semis, and to ONeill in the
semis of the 17s
Khoas quick, aggressive game had allowed
him to win the Under 15s in the Junior Olympics in
Oklahoma City in August, and now here in Vegas he
again showed his confidence and composure. He
paired with Sean to down the Butler brothers in the U15 Doubles, and partnered Scott to a 23-21 toetingling win in the fifth over Sean and former U-13 and
U-15 Closed Champ Brandon Olson in the U-17
Khoa Nguyen
Doubles.
Photo by Mal Anderson
228

Brandon, the #1 seed in the U-17s, who still

has one more year of eligibility left in the Juniors, was
surprised in the quarters by 16-year-old chopper
Brian Thomas, a member with Khoa and Jimmy Butler
of the winning Yasaka Blue Team at the recent
USOTCs.
Brian, whos a four-year product of Ron
Shirleys Oklahoma City Junior Program, and who on
coming to this Tropicana tournament had mysteriously
changed from Phantom to Yasaka Anti-Power, a
rubber hed never played with before, upset Brandon
Brian Thomas
Photo by Mal Anderson
largely on the strength of the poise he showed in
winning the big 26-24, 24-22 third and fifth games.
Though Brandon was suffering from an ear infection and had defied doctors orders in
flying to Vegas, Brians deceptive bat-flipping and superb pick-hitting might have tested his
patience, brought him to grief at his best. For in the semis of the U-17s, a healthy Scott
Butler had also found himself in late fifth-game trouble against this chopper. In fact, down 1817, Scott popped up the kind of ball that Brian had been skillfully setting up for himself then
snapping in the whole matchbut this time the young Oklahoman missed what seemed a sure
winner, and soon Scott had made it to his second final against Sean.
Their U15 final was
the kind of
back and
forth match
that the large
crowd had
expected
from the
boys sharedwin rivalry of
the last year.
Sean, by
playing a
Sean ONeill,
Scott Butler,
U.S. Under 17 and Under 15 Champion
smart spinU.S. Under 17 and Under 15 Runner-up
game and
cracking in winners, had built up a 2-1/19-17 lead in the fourth. But thenas if suddenly
commanding one of those ever-dangerous little mystery ships in that Asteroid game at the
Tropicana Sean loved to playScott rallied to 19-all. Then he lost a long exchange that sent
Sean for his towel. Thenoh, a hit!Scott fearlessly socked one in. Then followed by grabbing the ad and his towel. And in a moment the screen of Seans table tennis cosmos was
under impossible-to-protect bombardment. In the deciding fifth, though, Sean couldnt be
more alert and accuratejumped off to an 11-4 lead. And Scott, feeling forced to force, took
some bad shots and was thereafter rapidly out of the match.
In the U-17 final, played two days later, Scott elected to give up his fast Stiga Clipper
bladeironically the same one that was allowing ONeill to get more and more zip into his
229

spectacular game. Instead, Butler went back to his old Banda racket. But Scott wasnt in the
first game with Sean. And, when down 13-12 in the second he popped up or netted all five of
Seans serves, the Wheel of Fortune had begun its final spin-around. In the third, with practicepartner and coach Dave Sakais Go for it! ringing confidently in his ears, Sean ended Scotts
hopes for this year with an unrelenting mixture of chop-blocks, high spin-balls to the backhand, and finishing forehands fast as star-bright laser beams or Santas fiery reindeer rushing
hoped-for gifts through the Christmas heavens.
Congratulations then to Sean. But the Butler brothers didnt do too badlybetween
them, they were in 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 finals. Which allows me towhat?apologize for the
following Letter to the Topics Editor that accompanies this Nationals write-up:
To the Editor:
In the last issue of Topics, a subscriber noted that the most
recent issues carried too many articles about the Butlers and the
Boggans! Well, I whole-heartedly concur! Please refrain from any
mention of those two families, at least in the issue relating to the
Tropicana Nationals!
STEVE ISAACSON
Skokie, IL 60077
Oh! As Editor, how can I respond to that? Only hope that
the Boggans dont do well, so I wont have to mention them?
Steve Isaacson
No, no sense trying to hold back. The Boggans, too,
between them, will be in 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 finals. Thus another Letter to Topics (Mar., 1982, 8)
this one not tongue-in-cheek like Steves:
To the Editor:
It was really something reading about Scott and Eric playing in the Finals of the U.S.
Closed. I can only guess at your true feelings. Unless they repeat, I dont believe we will ever
see two brothers in the Mens Singles Finals again.
I do have a comment to make concerning who T.T.T. writes about. Personally, it is
enjoyable to read about the Major Leaguers of U.S. Table Tennis. Being only a Minor
League T.T. player, I can appreciate their talents and efforts.
NEIL HOLLOWAY
Crab Orchard, TN
Mens
As early Sunday afternoon Ive taken a moment for a cup of coffee in the carpeted
surroundings overlooking the Tropicanas 50-table playing courts, a late middle-aged acquaintance of mine on the tournament scene comes walking hurriedly by, stops, turns to me with an
affectionate hand and says animatedly, Hey, maybe you know. Whos playing in the Mens
final?
I look at her. Scott and Eric, I say.
Oh, thanks, she says, and pleased at having gotten that fact, and absolutely nothing
else, hurries away back the way shed come.
230

Im a little more involved than that passer-by, but in my write-up here Ill try to be as
objective as possible. I think it fair to say right at the beginning that the shift in venue from
Caesars to the Tropicana was a successful one, and that the USTTA E.C., in sponsoring this
tournament under the accommodating-to-many-a-player direction of Neal Fox, Tom McEvoy,
and Dick Evans, can be proud of the results. (The greatest run tournament Ive ever been to,
said LeRoy Petersen.)
The Tropicanas spacious sports complex provided the 500 entries in at least 55 events
with more table room (on an indoor court surface) than theyve ever had in the past. Also
available were all the off-court conveniences of one of The Strips leading resort hotels. The
smooth transition from Caesars to the Tropicana might best be suggested by former Caesars
executive now Sands President Neil Smyths continued support of the tournament both as a player
(this years finalist with D-J Lee in the Senior Doubles) andlike John Gallaway, his encouraging
counterpart at the Tropicanaas a guest speaker at the USTTA Hall of Fame Banquet.
Of course, this first time at the Tropicana everything wasnt
absolutely perfect.
Dick Evans, Director of Operations at this U.S. Closed, in a May
15, 1982 Report to the USTTA Executive Committee, emphasized that
late entries continued to be a problem. Do NOT accept them, he
advises. Do not have rules or deadlines which you dont intend to
enforce. Over 50% of the entries for the 1981 Tropicana Closed were
received and accepted after the Nov. 18th entry deadline stated on the
Entry Form. Special Late Entry Processing fees only encourage a worsening of this situation by reinforcing the perception by players that rules are
made to be broken.Processing the entries through the Colorado
Springs officewith verification of membership, correct fees paid, and
confirmation of acceptanceworked very well. Sarah Haid eliminated a
Dick Evans
big bottleneck at Registration by her advance work.
Months earlier, the hotel had negotiated special group rates for the rooms with the
USTTA, but then in December found itself caught in an [unforeseen?] off-season price war
with other Strip hotels and so began offering rooms to outsiders at a much lower rate than it
had to USTTA members. Naturally, this prompted some players to check out, then check back
in at a lower rate, or at least try towith some (go elsewhere) hard feelings all around.
Also, there was no TV coverage. As Bill Haid put it, As originally scheduled and
announced, Sportcast Productions, due to a time element, was unable to solidify sponsorship
contracts and graciously gave up their television rights [sic: graciously?...to who?]. Was it
Dale Francis, that repeat U-3500 Doubles winner (with Rich Livingston) here at the Closed
that said, Unless we get month-after-month one-minute commercials on TV our sports never
going to go anywhere?) And almost unbelievably, there was no newspaper coverage at all
not even local Vegas coverage! Clearly steps have to be taken to see this doesnt happen again.
As for the officiating (and can I be the only one who remembers the brouhaha the now
hopefully dead and buried Boggan Point Penalty Rule brought about last year?), Ill speak of
that in due course. Enough to say at the moment that one umpire, invisible yet under the
spotlight, sure didnt take Andy Gads Umpire Clinic here. In general, Ill again risk some
peoples wrath by saying that Chief Umpire Erich Haring and Referee Gad, at least after the
(cmon, was it really necessary?) disqualification of former U.S. Team member Ray Guillen,
tried very hard, through hundreds and hundreds of matches, to be decent and reasonable.
231

There were
roughly 150 entries in
the Mens Singles, but
up to the round of 64
only four matches
could be considered
upsets. Wisconsins
Tom Breunig, who
from time to time was
watched with varying
degrees of interest by
his vacationing wife,
did a little needlework
of his own on CaliforTony Poulos
Bob Russell
nian Tony Koyama,
soon to lose another,
far more important 24-22-in-the-third semis match in the U-2200s to Bob Russell. Tony
Poulos, Breunigs U-4000 Doubles partner, who last I heard was going to be defaulted for
insisting on wearing his warm-up pants during a match, got by U.S. U-15 Junior Olympic
Champion Khoa Nguyen. Homer Brown, showing his own special looniness, eclipsed Phil
Moon. And Dana Jeffries, with his Super Anti/Tackiness Chop, cut down Ron Von
Schimmelman, then in the Mens Amateur gave Rick Guillen an unlooked-for fatal surprise by
rallying from 20-15 match-point down.
Interesting matches in the round of 64: Dave Sakai outlasting in five a more than
momentarily inspired Mike Baber. Sean ONeill defeating, 23-21 in the fourth, a very troublesome Mike Baltaxe, later in the Team Trials to have a good win over Houstons Roberto
Byles. (Roberto, however, would get to the semis of the Mens Amateur with wins over Allen
Kaichi, the U-2200 winner over Bob Russell, Quang Bui, and Sakai.) Craig Manoogian recovering to win in five from 1980 Unrated finalist Tan Vien. And in one of those matches where
the loser in a pyrrhic victory gets more points than the winner, Brandon Olson prevailing, 19,
22, -7, 15, over Paul Groenig.
There were only two third-round upsets. In the one, Oregons Jay Crystal squeaked by
Houshang Bozorgzadeh in a -11, 18, -22, 19, 19 thriller. Houshang might have thought himself
unlucky, but had he been able to look at a different crystal ball he might have seen himself back
home in Iowa, the soon-to-be victim of an accident that would total his car yet luckily scarcely
give him a scratch.
Guillens 19-in-the Fifth Default
In the other third-round upset, new USTTA Coaching Chairman Howie Grossman was
given a 19-all-in-the-fifth default-win over Ray Guillen in a decision which did not sit well with
either player, especially since neither Howie nor the umpire of the match ever objected to
Rays conduct. The real question here is whether Andy Gad, the Referee, had the duty not only
to complain about the too-light color of Rays playing shirt (which Ray promptly turned into
an undershirt still partially visible over a new open-throated, legally colored one) but to intrude
himself into the court, unasked, to protest Rays kicking of the underside of the table, and
warn him that he, the Referee, wouldnt tolerate any more outbursts.
232

Yeah, said Ray, as if maybe he

wasnt sure, or didnt want to be sure,
who this Andy Gad talking to him was.
Then you might as well default me now,
he said, cause Im a very emotional
player.
But obviously Gad was not ready to
default Guillennot just for the offense
of such rhetoric. And yet what to do, for
Ray, on the one hand, was able to control
himself in an exemplary manner, as when
he represented the U.S. in the 77 BirAndy Gad
Photo by Mal Anderson
mingham Worlds, but, on the other, was
notorious for his attention-getting screams
and court-smart comments to self, to his opponent, and to any
interested spectator. Moreover, bothersome though Rays ego
demands and psychological adjustments would be to many an
opponent (or to many a player playing on an adjacent table) who
wanted to concentrate his way, not Rays way, Grossman himself,
playing well, defending beautifully and pick-hitting in winners, was
not the least perturbed by Ray because of course Ray never tried
Ray Guillen
to take advantage of him by cursing or yelling during a point.
a very emotional player
Obviously, Gad was not ready to confront Guillen, for
Photo by Mal Anderson
confrontation necessarily meant disqualification (a mistake on
Gads part to originally come on so strong?). And so, o.k., Ray, on losing another game,
tossed his racket across the net, and Gad let it go, and Ray continued his emotional play, let off
some more than occasional screams, and Gad let it go. That Guillen, said LeRoy Petersen
(TTT, Feb., 1982, 10), we could set up a separate room for guys like him and soundproof it
and call it our entertainment centerwe really dont need that sort of spectacle in with the
other serious matches. Its so disrupting for other people out there trying to play and sets a
poor example for our younger players.
Lyle Thiem (TTT, Mar., 1982, 10) said, Perhaps one of the reasons a large crowd had
gathered near the match was because spectators were curious as to what was causing all the
noise. Really, should players on 49 other tables have to put up with this? Playing with emotion
is one thing, but continually disturbing other players with such behavior is quite another and
shouldnt have to be tolerated. I was told that players on some nearby tables even suspended
starting their matches until the Guillen-Grossman match was over. Uh, could they have been
interested in the outcome? Caught up in the drama? I certainly would have stopped my match
if I had been playing on an adjacent table, and those players, drawing such spectator attention,
were moving into the end-game fifth. It would have been the sporting thing to do for all
concerned. Such play, such excitement, is what Sport is all about, what people want to see
Meanwhile, all the while the five-game tension built, and there at what was now center
court the spectators buzzed and applauded. Even Jay Crystal (TTT, Feb., 1982, 10), involved
in a deuce-in-the-5th do-or-die struggle with Bozorgzadeh and, hearing echoes of his own
shouts of joy and encouragement (YEAH! and CMON!), said, I didnt see much of the
Guillen match but enough to be interested.
233

Up 19-18 in the fifth, Ray came rushing in and missed hitting in what he hoped would
be a winner, then picked up his end of the table and, saying something comradely and competitively to Howie, eased the legs back down. At which pointGAD!now the Referee acted,
abruptly called out that Ray was defaulted.
Crystal said, After my match with Houshang was over, I walked to the then empty
table and found Howie, eyes wide-stretched, looking as if he had wined and dined, charmed
and cajoled the most beautiful woman in town up to her penthouse apartment only to have her
slam the door in his face. How could they do it? A default at 19-all in the fifth! Ray was
disgusted. Howie was in shock and didnt play nearly as well the rest of the tournament. And
when I asked Philosopher/Editor Tim Boggan about it, he said, I wish theyd have kept the
out of it.
Mike Bush (TTT, Jan., 1982, 14) said that Ray, a highly
emotional player in a highly emotional situation, wasnt the only one
who got screwed when Referee Gad defaulted him. Consider the
effect of the default on Howie Grossman whos always a gentleman at
the table. Hes clearly not as good a player as Ray and nobody
wouldve thought it possible for him to beat Ray. But in that match it
had been possible.
Howard had played great, a class above his normal level. Ray
had played nervous and tight. Howard had gotten a 2-1 game lead by
out-enduring Ray in most points played. Howard had run down Rays
Howie Grossman
all-out topspins and floated them back, changing the spin continually,
until Ray would make a mistake or push one too high, at which point
Howard had used well-placed backhand pick shots to take the points. The spectators had been
into the match intensely. There was a large crowd gathered around the barriers watching a
classic confrontationdefense versus attack, class versus crass.
Then, suddenly, just as the match had built to its climax, 19-all in the final game, a third
character placed himself on the playing floor and defaulted Ray, ending the match. Howard
received the win by default. He couldnt believe it. Later he had this to say: How could they
do something like that? It was 19-all in the fifth! I couldve beaten him. I was playing great. It
was the U.S. Nationals and I wanted to win that match and I couldve. Why couldnt we
finish it? How can they end a match like that?
How could something like that happen? Howard received the win. But is that what
Sport is all about?
One person thought the Referee had come on too strong right from the start about
Guillens playing shirt, especially since, as she said, My god, did you see the guy on the table
next to them? He was wearing yellow too and had a blue flower print all the way around his
shirt. It was as if they were out to get Ray right away, to prove they were in control. Thiem,
however, on later reading this comment, said, I believe that the player on the next table
wearing the illegal shirt was merely practicing and not involved in a match. I never observed
him playing any matches in that shirt. But practicing or playing, what the hells the difference
if were talking a dress code to impress the audience. Could he have been out there practicing in an undershirt? If youre gonna be strict, why wouldnt the dress code apply to him? Of
course the dress code itself is not immutable: the 81 solid color shirts insisted on by
officialdom will fade away with the years to color-splashed shirts. The Game needs not blandness but color.
234

Another player, as well as Thiem, said that Ray should have been defaulted much
earlier. But, really, wouldnt that have been a bit much? MaybeI hate to say itthe Point
Penalty Rule should have been resurrected with a first-offense warning? Gad was supposed to
have proposed a revised Point-Penalty System, but as it had not yet been duplicated and sent
to those concerned (!) it wasnt being used here. Such inconsistency, this player complained.
I dont blame Ray or Howie for being surprised and upset by the call. Imagineat 19-all in
the fifth! Players dont know what to expect. Did you see this match? The umpire never
issued any warning, never objected to the long breaks between games. The Referee never took
the umpire aside to ask him if he thought he was doing his duty. Said Danny Seemiller, Ill
bet Rays the first player in History to be defaulted at 19-all in the fifth.
Boggan thought that, as Thiem said, Gad (I almost
wrote God) gave Guillen every opportunity to comply, and
so really didnt want to default him. But, after being joined
by Chief Umpire Erich Haring and punitive-minded E.C.
member Rufford Harrison in watching the last part of the
match, he was sort of trapped into action, lest he himself lose
more damaging face as Referee. Had they not joined him, he
may not have intervened, and later, in his heart of hearts, he
may have regretted having done so. However, his official
Rufford Harrison and Erich Haring
Dec. 19th explanation to the E.C. of what had happened
ended, I dont know if it is proper or not but after hearing
of some of Mr. Guillens antics at other tournaments I wonder if suspension of playing privileges might not be appropriate.
The E.C. unanimously upheld Referee Gads ruling. As Manny Moskowitz pointed out
(TTT, Mar., 1982, 11), Andy had the authority to do what, after equivocating with self, to do
what he did: If a players conduct in the playing area is not of an acceptable standard, the
Referee may, at his discretion, take disciplinary action against a player for persistent or offensive behavior, whether reported by the umpire or not; such action may include disqualification
from the event or from a whole competition.
My own view is that this chaotic call echoes what Ben Nisbet said about the Point
Penalty fiasco at last years Closed: USTTA officials arent organized enough or neutral
enough in their feelings towards players to penalize them fairly.
Ray said he was going to quit the Game. (Maybe hes sort of wanted to do that for
years?) To which Howie, not unsympathetically said, I taught Ray how to playand, though
I hope not, maybe I retired him. [Ray did not play in the Team Trials that followed. Or perhaps didnt play in tournaments ever again? A quarter of a century later, however, at a Banquet
at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas hed be inducted into the U.S. Table Tennis Hall of Fame.]
In the round of 32, for the money (each winner would get at least $200), there were
half a dozen good matches.
Dean Wong, who, loose and going all-out for his shots, was later to win the Youth
over Eric then Scott Boggan, got by high-toss server, National Sports Festival Champion
Perry Schwartzberg in a 19, -20, 16, 20 relentlessly close match. Perry, whos a pre-med
student at the University of Texas, says he finds it very easy to do his schoolwork, Organic
Chemistry, Calculus, whatever, but just as easy not toand so might be found shooting
baskets, jumping rope, or watching TV. He might have won this match against Dean, but he
also might have lost it three straight, for Dean, up 1-0 and 19-14 in the second, twice missed
235

his own serve and lost concentration. In the fourth, it soon became apparent that since both
players had a big serve and follow, whoever spun first was going to win. Dean didnt like
Perrys backhand dead-ball pips, so wanted even more than Perry not to play extended points.
Finally, after being game-point down yet able to spin back one of Perrys throw-up serves
(Deans got a good wrist, said Perry), Dean prevailed. Perhaps this was because, in
recently changing to a harder sponge hed increased the speed of his ball, and in changing
his serve technique (now only one of his five serves went long), he could third-ball attack
better.
Perry did go on to have a very good tournament, though. He was five-game runner-up
to Charles Butler in the $300 1st Prize U-2400s. And he won the U.S. Amateur here (Perry
has a history of winning events where there isnt any prize money, said a friend)just sneaking by Sean ONeill, 25-23 in the third in the semis, then stopping Lim Ming Chui in four in
the final. That was a tough loss for young Olympic hopeful Sean, for he was up 20-16 match
point, then ad after ad down and fighting back before finally losing.
Someone told Perry he looked so calm during that last, tense part of the match, but he
said he didnt feel calm. Sean, he said, was controlling the match with his quickness, whereas
he, Perry, was so slow. Anyway, insisted Schwartzberg with molecular logic, he was an amateur, not a pro. Which meant that he was thinking ahead to Seoul in 1988? Not exactly. When
table tennis is in the Olympics, said Perry, I should be a doctor.
In a very good come-from-behind match, Miamis Jerry Thrasher just in time, -14, -8,
21, 15, 10, figured out how to fly his two-winged loops past the wily bat-flapping sonar snares
of Bohdan Dawidowicz. Bohdan had been a default winner over Horace Roberts who for days
and daze was playing in a different tournamentthe marquis-lit Tropicana Poker Tournament.
Jerry was happy to win the $200 of coursebut knowing what he knew now about the
nationwide non-existence of many a supposed Regional Trial, he wished he hadnt gone at
such unnecessary expense to Atlanta to qualify when it would have been enough just to have
come to Vegas.
After losing to Mike Bush, 18 in the fifth, Craig Manoogian didnt stay for the Trials (I
dont know why). Bush had not been in such good shape in Germany this fall. Hed had
intestinal flu for a month and could only call for tea and crackers in a not so comfortable
sitting room. Then hed caught bronchitis.
Brian Masters, after leading 20-17 match point, managed 27-25 to salvage an earlyround win in the Youth event over John Merkel, and in the U-2400s a -18, 20, 16 stumblealmost-become-a-fatal fall over Dawidowicz. But he could not pull out the deciding $200
game against D-J Lee. Someone said that when he first saw D-J at this years Closed he had
not just the one leg brace on like last year, but one on the other leg too. And Masters thinks his
bat-flipping game is tricky? Brian, I have to add, came up just short not only in the U-2400s,
losing 18, -20, 19 to his sometime Doubles partner Dave Sakai, but also in the Mens Amateur,
losing to Sean ONeill, -16, 19, 17.
Another big swing matchthe biggestwas Scott Boggans turnaround -16, -22, 14,
17, 17 victory over Lim Ming Chui. After losing the first two games, the second after having
the ad, Scott steadied, and when in the fourth he closed out the game with a racket point
(momentarily protested by Chui), things seemed to be going his way. But in the fifth, up 14-10
and with Ming getting a little frantic, Scott cant get his bat out of the way fast enough and
Mings wild smash catches it at Scotts head. (Look at that! said former U.S. Champion Bill
Holzrichter. Isnt that a ridiculous rule!) A minute or two later, instead of being up 15-10,
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Boggans down 16-15. Now, with these two streaky players, anything can happen? At 16-all,
Chui, driven back from the table, penhold-lofts a high, desperate return that, you guessed it,
hits the edge. Destinys on Mings side? It might appear sobut from there on Ming is totally
passive, as if waiting for more benign Intervention, while Scott talking and fist-up gesturing
encouragement to self, aggressively runs out the match.
Commuting, like Scott, from the German
leagues, and, like Scott, much improved for
having a table tennis base abroad, was Charles
Butler. In playing #1 for Southeim in the Second
Division, he compiled a 10-5 record for the firsthalf season. Charles is one of the very best examples in U.S. table tennis of strength and courage, of a man who years ago had a dream, knew
what he wanted to do in this sport, and, never
giving up, began trying hard to do it.
Falling to Charles in the third round of the
Mens had been Allen Kaichi, a self-taught HaCharles Butler
waiian (Nobody in Hawaii plays at my level. We
Photo by
have only one tournament a year), who used a
Mal Anderson
carbon racket that was literally coming apart. On
into the 16ths Charles advanced, but, though he
couldnt win that all-important 24-22 second
game from Rey Domingo and so posed no threat
to the former Philippine Champion, he did show a big double-wing looping game in the U2400s.
Although taking medication for an attack of broncho-pneumonia, Charles, with his new
Donic rubber, was becoming more and more effective as the tournament progressed, and four
times in the 2400s brought home a winner in a succession of what were some of the most
beautifully played and exciting matches of the tournament. Dean Wongs footwork and forehand he stopped, 18 in the third. Mike Bushs scramble game (Mikes not playing as well this
year as he did last) he beat 19 in the third. Dave Sakais steady blocking that had him down 10 and 15-10 in the second he eventually topspinned away. And finally Perry Schwartzbergs
serve-and-follow attack he countered and just plain outlasted, 19 in the fifth. I got tired, said
Perry, and stopped moving. And Charles, changing the rhythm of our play, began attacking
more.
Said Charles, Every single match I started slow, dropped the first game to Wong,
Bush, and Sakai, and in the final dropped the first two to Schwartzberg. Perrys serves were
good but not short, so after a while I saw I could step back and handle them. Mike, Dave, and
Perry all let me come to themmaybe if theyd have had the energy to be more aggressive
against me, like Domingo, they could have won.
Maybe. Meanwhile, though a loss to Brian Masters kept him out of the final day of
play in the Team Trials, Charles did have a 19-in-the-third win over former U.S. Champion
Malek in that event on Tuesday.
The one other good match in the 16ths saw George The Chief Brathwaite defeat
Scott Butler, -14, 20, 14, 20 (and in the U-2400s defeat him 11, 20) by swinging the close
games his way. George said that Scotts game reminded him of John Tannehills. Scott has a
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good style to play me, he said. He angles the ball to either sideoften moves me off the
table. He does think, though, that Scott has some weaknesses. Because hes so confident of
his ground strokes, his serves come out a little too long. And though hes very good when you
go cross-court, when you go to the middle he has trouble moving you off the table, especially
since he doesnt do enough forehand topspin.
Since Scott lost a number of close games, it was a disappointing tournament for him.
In the Amateur event he had Bush 18-11, then 20-16 match point with his own serve. But
whether or not it was because, as someone said, a steady player is apt to stick with his game
rather than force himself to rise to the occasion, Scott allowed Mike to play for an aggressive
end-game winand this despite the fact that at 19-all in the second Mike had served two off!
My arm was so tight, he said, I had to serve with my body.
The Chief lost to Schwartzberg in the U-2400s, but
he did win the title he most valuedthe U.S. Seniorsby
outlasting Bohdan Dawidowicz in a strenuous four-game
final. The tenacious Pole, whod upset Defending Senior
Champ D-J Lee in the quarters, had evened-up his match

Bohdan Dawidowicz
Photo by Mal Anderson

What The Chief would have liked to have done after playing Bohdan.
Photo by Mal Anderson

with Brathwaite at 1-1 by winning the second from 20-16 down. George finally became aware,
though, that he ought not to spin to Bohdans backhand where he could be confused by his
bat-flipping; so, instead, he kept rolling to Dawidowiczs Phantom forehand and then killed
down the middle.
Not playing against Brathwaite or anyone else in the Seniors but cleverly conserving
every last ounce of his strength for a $100 25-23 win in the fifth over Dennis Gresham in the
Senior As was our newly-appointed USTTA Treasurer Lyle Thiem. Also not playing in the
Seniors (though, who knows, he might have won it) was George Hendry, winner of the
Esquires over Defending Champion, me. Thus: Dear Tournament Director Fox, may I ask,
just in passing, why the hell in the U-1900 Seniors there was $150 in prize money, and in the
50-player Esquires, where five people were over 1900, there was no prize money? The
USTTA should take back that money from the U-1900 Senior As and distribute $100 to
Hendry and $50 to me. USTTA Treasurer Thiem, please take note.
George beat me, I thought, because I was so tired in Vegas this year and just wouldnt
move to hit in my forehand. But since George also won the 28-player Senior Esquire over
Defending Champ Mike Lieberman; the Over 50 Doubles withMiss Ping, are you docu238

menting this?Sol Schiff over, again, me and Norm Schless; and the U-2000 Singles over a
formidable Brian Thomas, maybe it wouldnt have made any difference if, say, I was as indefatigable as I seem to recall I once was.
George returned to the Game five years ago. In the late 70s, he said, I used to play
with Challenger pips on the forehand. But since I was losing to everyone I switched to Friendship long pips, while on the backhand I continued to play with Peril. Way back in 1935,
George was the National Boys Champion. Later, a U.S. Team member to the 1938 Wembley
Worldswhere he got to the eighths before losing to four-time World Champion Richard
Bergmann in Expedite (which back then meant whoever was ahead after 15 minutes of play
would win the match).
Winning the 11-player Over 70s in this his first year of eligibility was Laszlo Laci
Bellak, three-time World Mens Singles finalist, over Wing Lock Koon, formerly from Hong
Kong. As for the Over 80s, Stan Morest was telling me that, since he himself knows of six
players eligible for this event, the USTTA ought to make it a regular feature of both the Open
and Closed. I agree.
Now, before I continue with the Mens Singles eighths, I want to give you the results
of those events I havent yet mentioned: U-1800s: Scott Preiss over Roland Schilhaub, 19 in
the 4th. U-1800s: Jim Scott over Trent LeForce. U-1700s: Rolf Goos over Ardith Lonnon.
Senior U-1700s: Lynwood Smith over Lenny Hauer, 19 in the 4th. U-1600s: Danny Carbo
over Erich Haring. U-1500s: Peter Tang over Al Covey, 13, 12, -20, -23, 15. Senior U1500s: LeRoy Petersen, 18 in the 5th, over Wes Wolfe whod advanced, deuce in the 3rd, over
Paul Vancura.. U-1400s: Bill Lemiux over Kenny Owens in five. U-1300s: David Jinks over
Paul Lewis. U-1200s: Jinks over Paul Thompson. Novice: Richard Magnal over Sonia
Hernandez. Beginners: Bogidar Avramov over Dorian Avramov. Unrated: Tom Barger over
Burhan El Bakhit.
U-4000 Doubles: Fu-lap Lee/Andy Diaz over Juseski/Dana Jeffries. U-3400 Doubles:
David Edwards/Bob Leatherwood over Bill Burke/Jay Jett in five. Senior U-3400 Doubles:
Rich Livingston/Deiter Huber over Wolfe/Richard Badger, 25-23 in the 3rd, then over Bill
Hornyak/Jack Loth. U-2600 Doubles: Jim Schulz/Carol Trosa over David McAfee/Chris
Hoffe. Over 40 Doubles: Grossman/Dawidowicz over Y.C. Lee/Neil Smyth.
Taking it from the top of the draw, the first eighths match in the Mens was Sean
ONeill vs. George Brathwaite. Sean, whod knocked out Grossman in four, was pleased with
his 7-ply Stiga racket that hed won in the Swedish Junior Championships last spring (its the
same kind Stellan Bengtsson uses), and was also pleased to be playing on a Butterfly table, for
he had one just like it in his basement in Vienna, VA. George, too, was pleased with his racket
(he had given up his old one with the trigger on it, since, he said, his wrist was no longer
weak and didnt need to be locked there anymore).
Two weeks earlier, Sean had beaten George for the first time at a tournament in Maryland, and those who knew his game well said he was playing the best, the smartest, hed ever
played. Amazing how his game had improved, they said, since hed grown two more inches.
Also, he was getting a better jump on the ballhad started going for his shot the moment it
left his opponents racket.
Originally, George had been in D-Js eighths, Domingos quarter, and Dannys semis of the
draw, but when #8 seed Jae Ho-Song failed to show, George was moved into a different section.
Since, at the Princeton U.S. Open, Song had been identified as a member of the bussed-about
South Korean Team, why in the world was his entry accepted and he seeded for the Closed?
239

The Chief wasnt unhappy about playing Sean, but he was unhappy with the scheduling. Hed just played that very demanding Seniors final against Dawidowicz and now had to
stay at the table to play Sean. Up 19-18 in the first, George lost three straight. When he came
off the table for a one-minute break he had a cramp in both an arm and leg. He apparently
soon recovered, however, for in the second game he led 11-1; but then was down 19-16and,
no, he wasnt going to win this match, not even a game.
Against Sakai, Eric had only a little touch of 17-15-down trouble in the third before
running out the match. He was not happy with the way he was playing under these fast conditions. It was difficult in the beginning for him to keep his anti block and his serves short. He
wondered if maybe he had a bad sheet of anti. Hed started very slowly, had played two early
shaky matches in the Youth eventwith Brian Masters, whom he beat, and Dean Wong,
whom he didnt. In Sweden he was used to playing one tough match after another. The players
there knew how to drop the ball, move it around. U.S. players were weak on technique. He
had an easy draw in the Menshe had to keep telling himself to play hard.
The Dean Wong-Ricky Seemiller
eighths was a 19-in-the-fifth firecracker. Last
year about this time Ricky had been working on
his game in Japan, had been watching Japanese
table tennis students at Meiji University lining
up open-mouthed to play him (and brother
Danny) and more or less just observe his
strokes. Since then Ricky had lost 20 pounds,
was down to 145the better to improve his
game. Dean had been going to San Francisco
College while, in keeping with his major, he was
doing part-time computer work. He was taking
Ricky
school seriously, and, because he had exams,
Seemiller
couldnt stay for the Team Trials.
Photo by
Robert
As it happened, once Rickys 18-13 lead
Compton
eroded in the fifth, the match could have gone
either way. Up 20-19 but with Dean threatening
him with one of those wicked serves and fearless follows, Ricky had to make a decision
fast. Was he going to take the serve with his sponge or anti side? My mind was saying
sponge, he said later. But my arm was saying anti. So Dean served, and I steered it with my
anti cross-court perfectly and it caught him on the move, right in the gut.
Bui, coming in to face Malek, had not been at his best this tournament. Earlier hed
been spared playing Paul Raphel when Pauls plane was fog-bound and hed arrived late. But
Quang had twice had problems with hard-hitter George Cameron. In fact, hed just eked out a
23-21 third-game win over George in the Mens Amateur before losing to Roberto Byles in the
quarters. (Flip to his forehand, then attack the backhand, was Robertos way of playing
Quang.) Also, worse for Bui, playing in warm-ups and training shoes (why?), he was upset in
the Youth event by the always-difficult-to-beat-when-its-close Todd Petersen whos now at
the University of Nebraska studying to be the kind of teacher-coach you can bet wont settle
for anything less than an all-out effort. Against Attilas oft-controlling forehand topspin and
slingshot-snap of a backhand, Quang could put up only one-game resistance.
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Jay Crystal of course had no chance against Danny. Bush, who was originally in this
spot, had the right ideahed requested and received a move in the draw so far away he
couldnt meet Danny. But Crystal was quite happy with the $200 hed received for beating
Tim OGrosky three straight.
Jimmy Lane, who, along with Malek, had been winning the West Coast tournaments,
still hadnt recovered from a car accident hed been in four or five months ago. Hed torn
some muscles in his back, had dislocated his shoulder, and right up to the tournament was still
doing weight therapy. The heaviest burden for him to lift right now, though, was Scott Boggan
whod beaten him earlier in the Youth event when Jimmys game had begun to go a little soft.
Like Bui with Malek, Lane with Boggan could manage only one (21-19) game.
Against D-J, Bush might have wonbut the 22-20 first game that went to Lee made
all the difference. At 19-all D-Js serve barely ticked the net and he missed the follow. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Michael acknowledged with some private reservations that the serve was a let.
Afterwards, Mike said he shouldnt have played a short game with D-J, should have forced
an attack.
The last of the eighths saw Domingo seem to so mix up Thrasher that in Jerrys head
they might just as well have been playing on Reys home courts in Westfield.
In the first match of the quarters, Eric paid Sean the compliment of overpowering him.
Someone said Boggan played like McEnroespecifically with his drop volley off the anti.
But it was a barrage of very hard flat kills that proved too much for young ONeill, who of
course all in all had a highly successful tournament. Sean will now be spending all of January
in Sweden, and so part of his time there hell be seeing Eric who, after the Grand Prix English
and German Opens, will be returning to Stockholm to play for his Angby Club.
Everyone felt that Ricky and Attila
would have a close match and their first two
games certainly suggested as much. In the first,
Attila Malek
Maleks up 20-15 with Ricky serving. Then
Photo by
20-16171819whereupon Ricky
Mal Anderson
crouches, servesand whiffs the return.
In the second, its 19-all and, keeping up the pressure, knowing full well that
the outcome of the match is probably on the
line now, Ricky comes through, winning a
long crucial exchange and the game. After
that its no contest. In the third, and from
10-all in the fourth, Attila seems reluctant to
stay backhand-strong at the table, and Ricky
discovers that theres no sense looping to
Attilas backhand, for if instead he loops to the forehand, Attilas block comes soft. Thereafter
Rickys on his toes, ready to loop, saying to himself, Here, Attilamiss, miss!
There couldnt have been any more astonishing match for me than the D-J Lee slaughter of Domingo. Of course the fast conditions at the Tropicana were so different from what
Rey was used to back in New Jersey, but when you see Lee up 2-0 in games and 12-315-4,
hurrying to take away Reys game, so he, D-J, can quickly get back to concentrating on his
equipment business, you wonder if youre seeing reality. Is this the Domingo who only the
week before played such a superlative five-game match with Eric?
241

Defending
Champion
Danny Seemiller,
whod not much
liked the draw
(translate to:
meeting Scott?),
and had little
preparation for a
serious match,
had just been
going through the
motions (8, 12;
16, 11, 16; 11, 10,
9; 11, 16, 9). But
of course thats
what he was often
doing as he went
about making a
Danny Seemiller
Scott Boggan
living. Before he
Photo by Neal Fox
played at the USOTCs, he was busy with assemblies at
little town-and-country schools. Competitive trips were few and far between, though hed
soon be going to England, then to Japan for two weeks of exhibitions and tournament play
with Hasegawa, Itoh, andsurprisea slimmed-down Stipancic. Having reached the
quarters of the Nationals without having had to play even a 2200 player, Danny did not,
could not perhaps, look like a hungry Defending Champion.
Boggan, on the other hand, had warmed-up with five additional matches in the Youth
event. (Astonishingly, Scott would be in the finals of all five events he entered! That included
his five-game loss in the Hardbat to three-time Defending Champion Dean Doyle, and his fourgame loss with Eric in the Mens Doubles to the Seemillers.) Scott had so far played two 2200
players and three 2300 playershad played 27 singles games to Dannys disinterested 11.
Moreover, Scott was showing strong table control, and even before their match started, some
were saying, If Scott can get balls to flat-hit through, hell win.
In the first game, Scott, down 5-1, suddenly began moving Danny from corner to
corner and, streaking out nine consecutive points, had gone 10-5 up! Behind 16-11, Danny
served off, and in a moment or two was down 19-13. Then 19-141516 (Scott whacked a
blocked ball just waiting to be put away, but it didnt go in)17 (Scott whiffed a serve
return).Up 20-18, Scott missed a high one. But then, down 20-19, Danny made a costly mistake,
he mishit to lose this game. The first, then, at times convincing, at times shaky, to Scott.
In the second, Danny still looked occasionally as if he were not in the habit of even
going after some of Scotts shots that threatened to pass him. Did he remember them from a
year or two back as being wild? From 15-all Scott moved to a 19-16 lead and a 21-18 winin
part because of his spectacular two-sided play but also because Danny was still playing too
conservatively. Just wasnt looping hard enough.
In the third, Scott again got off to a bad 5-1 start, brought it to 8-7, then lost four in a
row, closed to 15-13, then from 18-14 down closed again to 18-17. Clearly this was a new and
242

very dangerous opponent for Danny who, though he now ran out the game, could not feel
secure with a three/four-point lead.
In the fourth, Scott was again down 4-1, tied at 5-all, down 11-7, then back up to 1110, down 15-11, then back up to 15-14, and now, with Danny scoring two beautifully aggressive point-winning loops, down 18-14. But then, incredible how similar the third and fourth
games were, Scott scored with some perfect placements and closed to 18-17. This time,
however, Scott got a fourth and then a fifth straight point, and, finally, as in the first, won it at
19. Game and match to Boggan, Scott Boggan.
More than mild applause. More than one Bravo!
Congratulations followed: Said one well-wisher to me, Scott never gave up. He
showed a lot of maturity.
Condolences followed too: Said Danny to a friend, I probably used bad tacticsbut I
dont know, I dont have a coach. The friend was astonishedhed never heard Danny say
that before. At 27, he suddenly seemedso human.
It now began to occur to many that there would be an all-Boggan final.
The aging D-J was still considered by some
to be the best spinner or counter-spinner in the
U.S.but could he move into position fast enough
against Scott? Who would force whose play?
In the first two games, though, it was again
Scott who had the control. But in the third, Scott
was down 4-19-3then drew up to 10-8. D-J,
however, moving remarkably well, point after point,
pulled away for a convincing win.
Scott started the fourth by serving off.
Was he shaken on losing that third game? Not
too much. In a moment he did what earlier hed
done to Dannyunleashed a variety of
backhands and forehands for another nine points
D-J Leemoving remarkably well
in a row. Up 15-5, Boggan looked to have no
problem. But Lee, ever the fighter, climbed to 17-13 before he could climb no more.
Earlier, Ricky had told me how much hed wanted to beat Malek so as to set up a rematch with Eric. This is it, hed said on coming off the table a winner over Attila. This is
what I wanted. Weve trained together. Were all buddies. Its like playing in your backyard
we all grew up together.
But Ricky, I dont think, played as well as he hoped to. Eric, he said, is hard for him to
handle. He picks too welltakes that half-step back and when the ball comes out he cracks in that
backhand for a winner or gets into a counter-driving pattern that rarely results in his opponent
winning the point. Anyway, Eric over Ricky three straight. In the Mens he had yet to lose a game.
There were several questions strangers in the crowd wanted to know. Would Scott and
Eric play an intense match or just an exhibition?
An exhibition? With who winning? I always wanted to say, but never did.
Friends wanted to know if I knew who was umpiring their final match.
I did. I remembered him well, as Im sure Scott and Eric didPat Collins. Last year
hed called the Boggan Rule on Eric in the final, had gotten me screamingly angry. This year
thered be no more Boggan Ruleexcept in a different way, among themselves.
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Earlier, in the semis of the Mens Doublesthe Boggans against Lee/Malekan

umpire had warned Eric, then faulted him on his serve. He was cupping the ball. Too purist
was the cry from all concerned. Over came Andy Gad, the Referee, and, though the call stood,
both umpire and Referee agreed that since all four players thought the strict application of the
rule too inhibiting, there would be no need to call it again.
Earlier, too, just before one of his late-round matches in the Mens, Eric, for whatever
reason, well-founded or not, had asked for a change in his assigned umpire. Erich Haring, the Chief
Umpire, was accommodating, but the originally chosen umpire stayed on court as the scorekeeper.
Before the final match, Pat Collins spoke to both Scott and Eric and to me. Said he
was not going to intrude in any way in the match. Gave the impression that since Scott and
Eric were experienced international players all would go sportingly well.
It did. (Lyle Thiem would write, I have observed a definite improvement in Eric Boggans
attitude and behavior at two recent major tournamentsthe Duneland All-American Closed and
the Tropicana U.S. Closed. In my October Topics article I exhorted him to mature as Scott has and
it appears that he did. They both performed as true professionals in Las Vegas.)
I really think that this kind of practical, reasonable discussion and understanding on the
part of players and officials would satisfy a good many egos and avoid many unpleasantries.
Personally, I think Gad learned from his experience with Guillen and Id be surprised if he
would ever again handle such a difficult situation in such a way. I hope both Andy and Ray
give each other another chance.
Who did I want to win? Most really did not expect the reply I could not give. Who
did I want to win? For years it had been a never-ending question without an answer.
As the match got underway, both Scott and Eric seemed to me to do a lot of footstamping. A former National Champion asked me about it. He said he found it disgusting.
Strangely, though, after the first ten points or so, I couldnt tell you if they continued with it or
not. Perhaps, as someone suggested in a recent issue of the English Table Tennis News, it had
something to do with young men wanting to show their virility. Personally, I footstamp only in
my Imaginationfor the sake of argument.
At 12-9, Scott, there was a small controversy over whether Erics ball had hit the side
or the edge. Eric thought he should get the point. Scott wasnt so sure. Collins didnt know
how to call it, talked it over with Bill Hornyak, the scorekeeper, and finally said, Play a let.
Eric didnt like the call, said so. Scott replied, You want the point? Eric said, Yes. Scott
served off. Collins didnt get itbut knew Scott hadnt been ready to serve. Let, he said.
Scott smiled, waited, looked at him, served off. Collins got it, 12-10.
Down 13-10, Eric loses a point, thinks it had been a net serve. Jesus, he says, you
gotta call the nets! But he doesnt protest the point and play continues. Eric pulls to 16-all
but then Scott runs it out. Eric has lost his first game of the Championship.
Some people cant believe how Scott with his beautiful backhand touch has kept Eric
away from the table. And his backhand countershis hand speed is as fast as Erics.
In the second, Eric gets off to a 9-3 lead and Scott is routed.
Scott starts the third by serving offthen goes 3-1, 11-6, 15-8 up, and Eric, unable to get
into any comfortable rhythm or pattern because of Scotts quick winners, is summarily finished off.
At the beginning of the fourth, Scott is pick-hitting very well and Eric is not at his best.
Someone close to me says Scott is just not giving Eric the chance to move the ball around. He
also suggests that since Erics been encouraging Scott, coaching him in his matches, part of
him really wants Scott to win. After all, Eric won in 78hes already been there, Scott hasnt.
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Up 13-10, Scott is showing more patience, more good shot selection than Ive ever
seen him show before. And to think Erics always accused Scott of poor shot selection.
Down 14-11, Eric rallieshas to now or not at all. Down 19-17, Scott gets a net.
Down 20-19 game point, Scott scores on a serve and follow. Deuce. And now Scott goes
match-point upbut cant close. At 21-all, Eric serves, zings in a followthen fails to return
serve. At 22-all, Eric serves, misses a follow. Again hes match-point down. Now hes going to
subliminally help his brother to the Championship? Nope 23-all. Scott serves and Eric thuds
a winner of a return into him. Then, having survived the two match points, wins it 25-23.
The crowd knows its a hell of a match. Art
Olson, Brandons father, says, Its like a boxing
matchstrength against strength..That Erics really

Eric Boggan
Scott Boggan

Photo by Neal Fox

Photo by Don Gunn

got drive! says a fellow next to me.But Scotts the all-around most talented player, says
another. Hes the greatest shot-maker in the U.S.
On into the fifth they go. At 1-all, Scott serves off. Down 2-1, he serves off again!
Eric moves to a 5-2 lead. Its all over, says a guy near me.
But Scott rallies. Such European mobility, says a star-struck fan. What a flat-kill!
And so much control, says another. Its as if theyre just discovering a good player; Eric they
already know.
Up 5-4, Eric serves off. At 10-all, Eric loses the point, yells, Dammit! Watch the net!
And now Scott gives Eric three fast deep serves to his backhand, none of which Eric
can prevent Scott from flat-hit following. Finally Eric moves to topspin in a return. Later hes
to say that his feet were hurting him and unconsciously he didnt want to move to loop and
instead blocked too much. In the Trials that followed he would switch to a heavier shoe.
Eric can close only to 16-14, 18-16, 19-17. Then Scott gets an edge. In a moment its
all over. Scott, like Eric before him, has risen to the occasion, has not been given, but has won
himself, all along the linethrough Chui, Lane, Danny, D-J, and Ericin the best way possible, the Championship.
I do not immediately congratulate himI dont feel I have to. I go off by myselffor I
have a small, very private thing to do.

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Chapter Nineteen
1981: Interview with U.S. Closed Champion Scott Boggan. 1981: U.S. Team Trials.
1982: U.S. Players in England. Danny Wins Western Japan Open. 1982: Canadians Do Well
at Commonwealth Games. 1982: More Grand Prix Points for Eric at the German Open.
As you saw in the last chapter, Scott Boggan became the current U.S. Mens Champion by defeating his brother, Eric, in a five-game final. Heres the interview I had with him the
day after his win.
TIM: Scott, in 77 you won the U.S. Junior Championships; and you, Eric, and
Rutledge [Barry] almost won the Mens USOTC, losing to the Seemillers in the final, 5-4. In
78 you were the CNE Mens Singles runner-up to Danny. In both 78 and 79 you were a
Mens Singles semifinalist in the U.S. Closed. In 78 and 80 your Joola team won the
USOTCs. In 79 and 81 you earned a spot on the U.S. Team to the World Championships;
also in 81, on returning from Germany, you won the Under 2400s at the Princeton U.S.
Open. So although your strong, steady results for four years have sometimes been overshadowed by your brother Erics play, did it really come as a surprise to you that, like Eric, you too
were able to win the U.S. Mens Championship?
SCOTT: Not a surprise, no, because I had a lot of confidence this tournament. Besides, it really wasnt that big an upset for me to win. Even a few years ago well-meaning
people were telling me, Scott, youve got all the shots. If youd just cut your hair and get
your head together, you could be the U.S. Champion. Well, as you know, I did cut my hair
cut it short once anywayand now my game, though its still very aggressive, shows a lot
more control than it did before I started playing in Germany.
TIM: Then would you say that your league play and training in Germany really helped
you to win this Championship?
SCOTT: Yes, definitely. In the last three months particularly I started to get much
better practice than Id ever had beforewith my Swedish roommate Ake Gronlund and the
German Internationals Wosik, Nolten, and Huging. Im so used to severe loops now Im not apt to
miss Dannys. And compared to American players, Gronlund plays so fast that hes improved my
hand speed and made it seem like some of the players I played in the Team Trials were moving in
slow motion. Huging, naturally, is marvelous practicemy loop against his changing chop.
TIM: Well, it did seem to me and to quite a few others there at the Tropicana that your
game, in all its variety, was starting to come together. You agree to that, do you?
SCOTT: Yes. My serves are better now. I can flat hit or loop topspin, can loop long
serves very well. My backhand goes cross-court or down the line. My anticipations betterI
get to lots of balls now and can even turn them into point winners. Physicallythough, like
anybody else who played for that long week in Vegas, I had a blister or two, a bruise here and
there, a mild sore throatI was never weak, and so could often make the shots I wanted to.
TIM: Did you then always get plenty of food and rest even in this Vegas atmosphere?
SCOTT: I never eat much during a tournament. In the morning Id have some hot
chocolate, eat some fruit, then later drink some caffeine, a soda. Also, I got up every morning
at 7:00 oclock and was always one of the first ones at the playing area. Id try to practice
short periods of time with different people, and I always took time out to loosen up quite a bit.
I think, if you dont overdo it, sleeps not that important. Naturally, though, I wasnt up until
the wee hours gambling.
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TIM: So in general Vegas or this years change in venue didnt

prove in any way distracting to you?
SCOTT: No, not at all. Actually, the fast playing conditions at the
Tropicana were just perfect for me and the old sponge I continued to use
on my bat. [Later, I was shocked, stunned after, ecstatic, Id sent a
telegram to Scotts sponsor, Joolas Michael Bachtler. Why? Because
Michael replied, Scotts win is no good to mehe wasnt using Joola
rubber. Something of course I didnt know. Michael was very nice, but
naturally that was the end of Scotts contract with Joola.]
TIM: Well, perfect conditions or not, for a Mens finalist to be in
the finals of all five events he entered, as you werethat might well be a
record. How did you do so well in all these events?
Michael Bachtler
SCOTT: Despite losing to Dean Wong in the Youth final on
SaturdayI dropped that first 28-26 swing game, and he continued to play serve and follow
very wellI really did have a great deal of confidence in my game. Although I didnt win any
doubles championships, I feel that here in America Im the best doubles player. My service
return, I think, is particularly good. The best match I played the whole tournament was against
D-J and He-ja Lee in the quarters of the Mixed. My partner Kasia [Gaca] has a great opening
backhand loop against the push, and once I had a shot to take, we almost always won the
point.
TIM: Many people wondered why you played in the Hard Rubber event, especially
since on Finals Day, on Sunday morning and into the early afternoon, you had to repeatedly
change rackets. Why did you play in the Hard Rubber?
SCOTT: I guess because I wanted to win it. But its really no big deal for me to
switch. For the most part I stroke the ball totally different with each racket. So it takes me
only a minute or two to adjust. In Hard Bat I could get a faster blade and practice a little to
better exchange backhands with [Dean] Doylebut since I play only twice a year, at the Open
and Closed, its not worth the effort. Of course I play Hard Bat because there are so few even
halfway decent players that Im getting paid $100 an hour for trying. Wouldnt you work just a
little for that too?
TIM: So you did finally get that Hard Bat event out of the way and after your doubles
matches still have time to rest before playing the Mens final?
SCOTT: Yes, I left the playing area and went alone to my room and got into bed and
just took it easy for an hour or so.
TIM: Before we talk about your final with Eric Id like to bring up some of your other
matches. First, in the money round, the 16ths, after you lost that second game to [Lim Ming]
Chui, 24-22, and were down 2-0, what was going through your mind? As it turned out, this
was a huge swing match for you. But did you think at the end of that second game you were
going to lose?
SCOTT: No, Eric was giving me encouragement, and I knew myself I could still win.
Id been missing Lims serves in the first gamebut Id corrected that. And I thought I should
have won that second gamebut when Id looped wide to Chuis forehand, where he was
vulnerable, hed continually cracked in some out-of-this-world shots that had caught me by
surprise. But I knew Lim would have trouble with my changing serves, especially my long flat
ones, and I was certain of my loop follow. The fifth game was 16-all closebut I just played
my game and had no trouble at the end.
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TIM: And Jimmy Lane in the eighths?

SCOTT: Well, my normal loop has little spin. And sometimes my loop hasnt any spin
at all. I dont think Lane ever did read those shots right, so I didnt have a problem with him.
TIM: So that brought you to Danny.
SCOTT: Yes, I was a little surprised when I first saw the draw, for I thought Id be
playing him in the semis. But [Rey] Domingo was 4 rating points and [Attila] Malek I rating
point ahead of me, so I was seeded sixth and in Dannys quarter.
TIM: Your match with Seemiller was 19, 18, -17, 19 close. Would you tell us something about how you played him?

1981 U.S. Mens Champion Scott Boggan

Defending Mens Champion Danny Seemiller

Photo by Robert Compton

Photo by Mal Anderson

SCOTT: I knew it was right to loop the first ball against Danny and so I usually did
that. Occasionally, though, Id push a ball and he didnt expect that, and hed often make a bad
return, especially with his backhand. As the match progressed, I didnt mind Danny, or later
Eric, opening a pointbecause I knew what to do. One thing, though: when Id angle Danny
back from the table I sometimes played a little too conservativelyIll have to watch that next
time.
TIM: After being up 2-0 and losing the third, you were down 18-14 in the fourth. Did
you think then that the match was turning against you?
SCOTT: Not really. I know it might sound a little strange, but this whole tournament I
felt very confident, and this confidence carried over to my play in the Team Trials where I
might easily have gone undefeated. In so many games during the Championship I started off
down 4-1, 5-1 and came back into the match. I often felt I had so much controlas if I were
doing footwork drills and making the other person run.
TIM: So actually once you beat Danny the draw turned out very well for you.
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SCOTT: Yes, for Id avoided both Malek and Domingo who were threats to me, and
now I had only to beat D-J to get to Eric.
TIM: But you lost a game to Lee.
SCOTT: Yes, but I never felt in danger of losing the match. After Id lost the third
game I was determined to come out a little harder, stay at the table, and take away his game
which I did.
TIM: So as it was in 77 for the U.S. Junior Championship, so now it was again in 81
for the U.S. Mens Championship.
SCOTT: Well, we did have another five-game match and I did win. But with all due
deference to Danny, whos been a great champion, Eric is now much better than any U.S.
player [sic: much better than Danny?]. Its just that from all those years we were growing up
and exchanging matches together, I know him and his game so well, and have formed a very
good flat-hit style to play him. Often I found myself relying totally on instinct. That is, when
Eric didnt spin much this match, I just kept hitting his anti hard. Also, unlike a lot of players, I
always watch the ball and not what Eric with his fast motion does to it. How does the ball
take off?thats always the question Im looking quickly to answer.
TIM: Yes, I can understand strategically how you whove played Eric more than any
other person in his lifetime could do what you had to do. But, before you won, when you were
up at the end of the fifth game, did any confusing thoughts go through your head about taking
this Championship that for months Eric has been thinking about winning?
SCOTT: Well, when I was up 19-17 in the fifth, I did for a moment have some total
schizoid feelingsI dont know why, perhaps because Eric had been cheering me on. Anyway,
I wanted him to prove himself with a point
TIM: My god! Hed certainly proved himself beyond all doubt by coming back from
two match points in the fourth!
SCOTT: Yes, thats truebut Im just telling you and everybody else what I felt. I had
this image of myself losing the 19-17 point and Id already planned that then I was going to go
for my towel. I mean, it was crazy. I knew I was going to win the match, but I just wanted him
to get another point. So he served and I pushed it to his backhand, popped it up really, and it
just caught the back edge. We both knew that was it.
TIM: You seemed extraordinarily calm after winning that last point and the title.
SCOTT. I was happy of coursebut though Im ready to yell encouragement to
myself after winning a big point in a big match, Im not into screaming and raising my fist in a
deciding game that wasnt finally so close and that was, after all, against my brother. Also, to
tell you the truth, I did find it a little ridiculous not that so many people were shaking my hand
and congratulating me but that so many of themstrangerswere practically accosting me.
That is, they seized the moment to ask me one absurd question after anotherabout my
racket, my strokes, my thoughts on table tennis in the Olympics, whateverwhereas if Id
have lost they wouldnt have said anything to me.
TIM: O.K, O.K., I see your point. One last question. How did Eric take his loss?
SCOTT: Very well, I think. And Danny too. But of course if youve played as long as
we have, what else is there to do? One reason Eric wins so many close matches is that he hates
to lose. But from Saturday on, he and I had understood the situation. We knew we were going
to be playing each other in the final and again in the Team Trials. Nevertheless, night after
night we continued normally to share the same room. Life goes on. Youve got to accept the
fact that playing a brother is like playing a close friend.
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U.S. Team Trials

John Read, U.S. Team Manager, gives us the following report (TTT, Jan., 1982, 4) on
the U.S. Team Trials, played at the Tropicana, Dec. 21-23, immediately following the U.S.
Closed. This was Johns fifth time as Chair of these International Team Squad (ITS) Trials, and
in this one, unlike others, there were no major problems, uproars, or other disturbances. All
the players should be praised not only for their decorum, outstanding play, and sense of professionalism, but also for their cooperation with the officials. John says that perhaps one
reason why there were no incidents is that this is an off year (no World Championships in
1982).
Also, no difficulties with those running the event and doing the umpiringthey did a
fine job. Thanks go to Tournament Director Neal Fox, Mas Hashimoto, Hal Reynolds,
Heather Angelinetta, Pat Hodgins, Sylvia Rosenthal, Hank Wittig, and the many others, including our indefatigable President Sol Schiff, who helped at the desk, umpired, and did the many
other necessary things to make these Trials truly memorable.
Monday was Qualifying Day for the Men. There were 20 rabbits, seven of whom by
days end would join the 17 players exempt from qualifying because of their high ratings.
These 20 non-exempt players were divided into three groups. The top two from each group
would qualify, and the seventh player in would be the winner of a three-way play-off among
those that finished third in each group.
Results: Group A: (1) Brian Eisner, (2) Bob Russell, (3) Larry Thoman. Group B: (1)
Roberto Byles, (2) Mike Baltaxe, (3) Bob Mandel. Group C: Jay Crystal, Fu-lap Lee, Tony
Koyama. The winner among the third-place finishers: Thoman.
First order of business on Tuesday: Reduce the 18 women (no pre-lim qualifying for
them) to a Final 12; reduce the 24 men to a Final 12. Note that Faan Yeen Liu, Dean Wong,
Angelita Rosal, and He-ja and D-J lee didnt playFaan Yeen due to scholastic commitments
and illness; Dean because of exams; Angie due to family illness; and D-J and He-ja due to
business and personal reasons.
Womens 18-Player Competition
Well reduce the three-group Womens field first (four of the six players from each
group would advance). There would be carry-overs: All matches played (not only for the
women but for the men) counted towards ones final record, provided the players had advanced to the Final 12.
Womens Group A: Insook Bhushan (5-0). 2. Takako Trenholme (4-1). 3. Judy
Bochenski Hoarfrost (3-2). 4. Diana Gee (2-3).
Group B: 1. Two-time Trial winner Sheila ODougherty (4-1). 2. Ai-ju Wu (3-2) and
for her success may have had to travel back to New Jersey by herself. 3. Alice Green (3-2).
4. Linda Chong (3-2). Alice had a loss to Lisa Gee, but since Lisa didnt make the Final 12,
Alice wasnt accountable for that loss.
Group C: 1. Carol Davidson (4-1). 2. Judy Tun (4-1). 3. Cheryl Dadian (4-1). 4. Kasia
Gaca (2-3). Kasia told John, she was in these Trials only for the practice, since she had just
returned to competition after having a baby.
When play started Wednesday morning [after two Final 12 matches on Tuesday
evening, making, with the three carry-overs, a total of 5 of the 11 Final 12 matches played],
John said, the contenders were Carol Davidson (4-1), Judy Tun (4-1), Sheila ODougherty
(3-2), Takako Trenholme (3-2), Alice Green (3-2), and Kasia Gaca (2-3) who had wins over
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Alice Green and Judy Hoarfrost following an 0-3

carry-over record. As play progressed through the
remaining six rounds, certain players were more
quickly eliminated than others. Carol Davidson,
after winning the first game from Alice Green,
tore a thigh muscle badly, had to be taken to the
hospital for x-rays, and was forced to retire from
all matches. Carol, our Womens National Amateur Champion, hopes that the Selection Committee will keep her in mind when selecting the one
player the Committee may pick when we send
teams overseas in 1982. Cheryl Dadian, with
losses to Bhushan, Trenholme, and Green, suddenly remembered she had a scheduled flight
aboard a 2:00 p.m. plane and defaulted her last
two matches, which affected the positions of other
Carol Davidson
players.
To sum up, here are the final ITS positions: 1. Insook Bhushan (11-0didnt lose a
game). 2. Judy Tun (8-3with a super-taut -9, 24, 19 win over Alice Green). 3. Alice Green
(7-4/12-11). 4. Takako Trenholme (7-4/12-11 but losing out to Alice on points won/lost). 5.
Sheila ODougherty (7-4 but losing out on games won/lost). 6. Kasia Gaca. (6-5). The remaining ITS positions are as follows: 7. Judy Hoarfrost. 8. Carol Davidson. 9. Faan Yeen Liu
(positioned by ranking). 10. Angelita Sistrunk (positioned by ranking). 11. Tieu Lan Vuong
(positioned as top-ranked junior).
Mens 24-Player Competition
After the Monday qualifying, the remaining 24 men players were divided into three
groups of eight players each. The four players with the best seven-match records in each group
would then form the Final 12. As with the women, there would be carry-overs.
Group A: 1. Eric Boggan (7-0). 2. Attila Malekhis 19-in-the-3rd loss to Butler didnt
count. 3. Quang Bui. 4. Brian Masters (4-3/9-6won out via games won/lost over Charles
Butler, also 4-3).
Group B: 1. Danny Seemiller (7-0). 2. Sean ONeill (5-2beat Rey Domingo, 21-13
in the third, and Jimmy Lane, 23-21 in the third; his loss to Jerry Thrasher didnt count). 3.
Domingo (4-3his loss to Lane didnt count). 4. Roberto Byles (4-3). 5. Lane (4-3but
didnt advance, lost tie-breaker via games won/lost).
Group C: Scott Boggan (7-0). 2. Ricky Seemiller (6-1). 3. Mike Bush (5-2). 4. Perry
Schwartzberg (4-3).
There had been two additional rounds played Tuesday eveningand in both of them
undefeated Scott Boggan lost deuce in the third. Leading Malek 20-15 in that last game, he
eventually lost it, 24-22. Then went down 22-20 in the third to brother Eric in what John Read
thought was the best match of the Trials. Thus, when play continued Wednesday morning with
six rounds of matches still to go, only Danny and Eric (both 5-0) remained undefeated. Malek
was 4-1with a 19-in-the-third loss to Ricky. And Ricky and Scott were 3-2.
These five players, though their positions shifted some, would be the top five finishers.
Particularly eventful were Scotts straight-game wins over all six of his opponents, including
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his relatively easy-looking 11, 13 win over Danny Seemiller, which allowed Scott to finish #2
in the ITS standings just behind Eric. With Scotts fantastic results and his obviously much
more controlled play, and with Erics game maturing and improving all the time, the USTTA
should and will be proud to have this Mens Team represent us in 1982. [As it happens, these
same five players will also be the Mens Team to represent us at the 1983 Tokyo Worlds.]
Danny did not fare so well on Wednesday, losing matches to Scott and Eric. But the
#1 player for the U.S. for so many years, the player to whom we owe than anyone else for
bringing us up to the First Division in the World Championships, finished third and is certain to
represent the U.S. and the USTTA in 1982 with his usual dedication, sportsmanship and
outstanding play.
To sum up, here are the final ITS positions: 1. Eric Boggan (11-0). 2. Scott Boggan
(9-2/20-6). 3. Danny Seemiller (9-2/18-7). 4. Attila Malek (8-3/18-8). 5. Ricky Seemiller (8-3/
18-12). The remaining ITS positions are as follows: 6. Mike Bush. 7. Rey Domingo. 8. Quang
Bui. 9. Sean ONeill. 10. Perry Schwartzberg. 11. Dean Wong (positioned by ranking). 12.
Charles Butler (positioned by ranking). 13. Scott Butler (positioned as top-ranked Junior).
John says that the names of these ITS squad players (both men and women) and their
order may not be changed until July, 1982 if no Trial is held before then.
U.S. Players in EnglandCleveland Open
Danny Seemiller, with more than a little assist from Editor Boggan
(TTT, Feb., 1982, cover), reports on back-to-back tournaments Danny, Ricky,
and Eric played at in England thanks to the back-home support of President Sol
Schiff, International Chair Gus Kennedy, and Team Manager John Read. (Jack
Carr says E.C. member Rufford Harrison didnt approve of the Selection
method, though why he didnt Rufford didnt say.) First stop after a New
Years Eve Atlantic crossing was the warm-up Cleveland County Three-Star
that would be starting the very day of their somewhat wobbly arrival. Afterwards, on Jan. 6-9,
theyd be playing in the Norwich Union Grand Prix English Open at Crawley in Sussex.
From plane to trainand then hail-fellow-well-met Brian Anderson greeted them at
the local station, relieved them for the duration of the Cleveland tournament of any transportation difficulties, saw to it they had a good dinner, and, thanks to Alan Ransomes hospitality
arrangements, made sure that each player was put up in his own separate room in a hotel
adjacent to the playing hall.
Settling in couldnt be easier, and, given the excellent wooden-floor playing conditions,
our team was pound-for-pound right in there for the prize money, right? Not exactly.
In the Teams, with Danny and Eric playing singles, and Danny and Ricky doubles, our
guys got stopped in the third round by the English internationalists Douggie Johnson and
Graham Sandley
.
Danny lost the first match to Johnsonclose at 19, 18. He was disoriented both by
Douggies clever bat-twirling and loud foot-stamping, and so just didnt know how to return
serve or read the changing spin well enough.
Ironically, right after this match, the Tournament Committee decided to outlaw footstamping altogether. Personally, Danny doesnt approve of foot-stamping, and even thought
that in his match with Eric in the Vegas Team Trials Eric had been overdoing it so much that,
said Danny, Had the match been an important one, he would have asked the umpire to insist
that Eric refrain from thumping that distracting, deafening noise at him. Moreover, said Danny,
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Eric deceptively didnt always coordinate foot-stamp and racket contact. Sometimes he
stamped, then hit the ball; sometimes he hit the ball, then stamped.
Against the left-handed attacker Sandley, Eric got off to a horrible startwas soon
down 11-1. No doubt he had to be surprised by the ease with which Sandley topspin-flipreturned every one of his serves. Erics timing was affected because there wasnt any push off
which to get a third-ball follow going. So he had to try to generate an offense against
Sandleys roll. Still, he fought all the way back. Rallied to get the adthen lost the game. The
second he won. But in the third he got off to another bad start and couldnt get back into the
match. Sometimes it takes Eric a while to get confidence in his forehand, said Danny, but
when it starts to find the range it can be devastating.
In the doubles, Danny and Ricky lost two straight, the second from 19-all.
No, the jet lag didnt bother us much, Danny said afterwards. Johnson and Sandley
were just better than wed thought they were. And perhaps he was rightfor in Doubles
theyd recently gotten to the final of the Italian Open, and were to get to the final here, beating
one Chinese pair (Jiang Jialiang/Chen Xinhua) before losing to the other (Teng Yi/Fan
Changmao).
In the Doubles, Eric, hitting his anti well, partnered Englands Paul Day to the semis
where they were up in the third before losing to the Chinese.
In the Singles, Ricky lost in the round of 16 in straight games to teenager Teng Yi, the
eventual winner of the upcoming English Open.
Eric also lost to a Chinese in the round of
Chinas Fan
16Fan Changmao. But he had some great
Changmao.
chances. With the Chinese repeatedly looking
Hes lost the ball
at his coach as if hed never in his life seen
in the lights?
anything like this Americans backhand, Eric
lost the first at deuce. In the second, hes down
4-0, at which point he and Fan have a sensational rally, which Eric wins. Or does he? For
the umpire says that on his point-winner Eric
stamped. What! says Eric. You cant take
that point from me! I earned that point! But
the umpire insists. Hey, says Eric, how can
you call a let? Thats unfair! I made a clean
winner! But the umpire insists. Eric, furious,
hurls an obscenity at him. Shades of McEnroe.
But, if you grant that this foot-stamp was unconscious, Eric has a point. For it soon
becomes apparent that umpires differ, and different umpires cant always tell whether the
degree of sound the player consciously or unconsciously makes is or is not offensive, is or is
not allowable. THUMP! is a no-noso the English umpire calls a Let. Thump! is likely
a no-no, but maybe not. But thump? Hey, when an acrobatic players feet are both off the
floor as he makes a leaping loop or kill, you expect him to be a Cheshire cat-burglar coming
down?
Behind 1-0 and 5-0 in the second against Fan, Eric rallies to go up 8-7. Then stretches
his lead to 20-18. Now comes another marvelous pointwhich Eric loses. Then Fan rolls a
return of serve that just catches the edge. After that, Eric cant win$100 match to Fan in
two deuce games.
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As for Danny, after picking up $100 for beating Englands Bob Potton, he lost in
straight games to Jiang Jialiang. Jiangs so quick, said Danny, I just couldnt stay in the
point more than two or three rallies.
So, no spectacular results for the U.S. in Clevelandbut at least all three of our
players got to play against the Chinese, and it may very well be that all three learned something
from them.
English Open
After a day or two of
the usual sightseeing trips
around London, the
Americans turned up at the
English Open for some
very early Tuesday night practice. Thanks primarily to
Albert Shipley, the English were again very cordial,
and, even though the tournament wouldnt be starting
until Thursday, they immediately looked after, took
very good care of the U.S. players.
The small playing hall itself, however, was a
big disappointment. Only eight tables on a white
linoleum floor for the English Open? And only four
tables elsewhere to practice onif with such a
slippery floor you dared to practice at all (once Eric
slipped and hurt his knee). And the official tournament ballscandalous! You couldnt find a round or
Englands Albert Shipley.
uniform one.
He always dresses like that?
On Wednesday night, the Tournament ComEnglish TTA News photo by Graham Duncan
mittee, realizing that our first opponent in the Team
matches, Poland II, wasnt going to show, asked us if they might insert Italy II into our draw.
We would have preferred a walkover, but we said. O.K. Crazily, though, the Italians now tried
to insist that their Italy II team consisted of their two world-ranked players Costantini and
Bisi. Better they drew us than France, huh? Also, said Danny, They probably wanted to get a
shot at us to better prepare themselves for meeting us in what will have to be a very important
tie at the 1983 Tokyo Worlds. But of course reason prevailed, and we beat Italy II three-zip.
Next up for the U.S.: the South Korean team of Kim Wan and Kim Ki Taek, the very
same team that Danny and Eric had come so excitingly from behind to beat at the 81
Princeton Open. Danny lost to Kim Ki Taek, 19, 17. And Eric, down 20-15 in the first to
World #36 Kim Wan, rallied for six in a row, got the ad, but, oh, lost the game. Then he won
the second. Then lost the third. Still, there was a chance for us because Danny and Ricky were
17-11 up in the third. Only to lose. Perhaps if wed had a good coach with us, we could have
won some of those close games we lost, might have beaten the English at Cleveland, or the
Koreans here. Of course the two Kims were no slouch of a team. They went on to beat the
Czechs, Dvoracek and Pansky, before losing to Fan and Teng in the semis.
Among Chinese Coach Li Henans players was Chen Lili, the recent Scandinavian
Open Champion, who would soon be winning this Open as well, again defeating fellow teammate Chen Jieling in the semis and (is this Chen Lilis sister?they look somewhat alike) Dai
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Lili in the final. Penholder Dai Lili (Chen Lili plays shakehands) again beat South Koreas An
Hae Sook, then in the semis took out the former European Champion Valentina Popova
whod beaten Koreas Hwang Nam Sook, the 79 CNE Champion, in five. Womens Doubles
winners were Dai Lili/Chen Jieling over Chen Lili/Xie Xiaoyan. Mixed Doubles went to Chen
Xinhua/Chen Lili over Ro Yoon Kwan/Yang Young Ja.
Naturally the Chinese men dominated the Singles. But there were many exciting
matches, especially in the early rounds.
Czechoslovakias Jindrich Pansky, World #31, took plenty of hits from Germanys best
youth, Jurgen Rebel, but outlasted him,19-in-the-fifth. Erik Lindh, World #24, maneuvered a
deuce-in-the-fifth win over Germanys heavy, heavy chopper Engelbert Huging. Englands
Paul Day downed Italys Massimo Costantini, deuce in the fifth. Frances strong looper Patrick
Birocheau, World #19, just got by Yoon Kil Jung, 19 in the fifth. And European Youth Champion Jan-Ove Waldner (Your basic Swede, said Dannytopspinner, good wrist, excellent
technique) ralled from 2-0 down to beat Russias Podnosov, 19 in the 5th. Earlier in the
Teams, Sweden IIs Waldner had perhaps not surprised but had beaten Teng Yi, just as, in
another tie that would not change the outcome, Sweden Is Ulf Carlsson had beaten Jiang
Jialiang. Hence, the Chinese werent invincibleexcept when it came to winning every event
in the tournament.
As for the Americans, how have they fared thus far?
Eric and Ricky did not have to ply pre-lim matches. But (strange?) World #42 Danny
didand drew Douggie Johnson whom hed just lost to at the Cleveland Open. But Danny
had learnedthis time he didnt push any serves back, rolled every one, and now when
Johnson didnt get to follow, couldnt attack, say, 30% of the time and was forced to play all
defense, it made a big difference. And yet, although Douggie was never ahead in this 13, 9, 21, -20, 11 match until he twice caught Danny at deuce, the tenacious Englishman forced their
play into the fifth.
In the 32nds, Danny couldnt get going against Dvoraceklost three straight. The
Czech wasnt exactly over-powering, but he cleverly never gave Danny a chance to loop the
ball hard. Dvoracek, said Danny, was receiving my serves extremely well and I just couldnt
outplay his strong, Secretin-like topspin.
Ricky, meanwhile, had taken advantage of a fortuitous draw, had beaten the Welshman
Nigel Thomas before losing in straight games to World #30 Peter Stellwag.
(Stellwag, surprisingly, had been clobbered in the Teams by Frances Bruno Parietti. And, as if
that were no accident, Parietti then went on to partner Eric in the Mens Doubles where they
advanced over the #1 German team of Stellwag/Nolton before losing to (how is it possible?)
the #2 Italian team.
Eric had had more trouble with an umpire checking out his racket (This rubber meets
ITTF specifications, does it?) than he did with the Russian Minkevich who averaged only 11
points a game.
But Erics 16ths match against the 1980 European Champion John Hilton, whose
world ranking had fallen to #29, would be very tough. Actually, though it may in a moment not
sound like it, the match between Eric and John, whod been very nice to Eric when hed gone
to Hong Kong for the World Cup matches summer before last, was pretty clean. Eric would
win it, 18 in the fiftha good win of course. But one unanswered question remained. After
John had gone back on defense to take the second game very easily, he then returned to a
losing backhand-to-backhand countering game with Eric. Why?
255

Eric Boggan

Englands 1980 European Champion John Hilton

Photo by Mal Anderson

Hilton, though he has the image of a gentleman was a great foot-stamperperhaps a

fourth of his bat-twirling game had been built around it. But as it was in Cleveland so it was
herethe umpires had been instructed to call Let on hearing any obtrusive noise. Which
meant that neither John nor Eric could do their thing. Not even on the serve?...Well, maybe on
the serve.But then, no, not even on the serve.
Still, it was always a judgment call, and perhaps even an English umpire, umpiring an
English gentlemans match, had a twinge of conscience (Fair play now, lads) when he saw,
as Danny did, how Eric, afraid of not a THUMP! but a thump, began coming down into
his feet-off-the-floor loop finish by landing on the side of his foot!
At any event, after the match had progressed a while, Hilton felt the umpire wasnt
calling enough lets on Eric (who, though he didnt stamp much, did occasionally forget) and so
mockingly stamped a ball loud and clear (Let! said the umpire). Again, Hilton mockingly
stamped (Let! said the umpire), and then John announced, Yeah, thats right. See! Thats
what youre supposed to say to Mr. Boggan when he foot-stamps.
Of course, Hilton, in his mid-thirties, is a very experienced, clever player and no doubt
felt Erics rhythms, Erics head, would be affected more than his own by this (Cmon now,
how scrupulous is scrupulous?) foot-stamp game.
John also had another little habit or trick of retrieving a ball and (Play should be
continuous) hurrying back to the table to serve immediatelywhich especially in the mid-tolate stages of the fifth game Eric was not about to speed up to. A ridiculous pace, thought
Eric, wisely keeping his head. But Hilton, down 18-16 and with his opponents serve coming
up, got a little (Are you ready now?) piqued at Eric for taking at least the walk-away time
he wanted, if now not more.
As the tournament moved its favorites into the late rounds, Eric continued his winning
ways by beating penholder Kim Ki Taek in four. He thus picked up 400 more Grand Prix
points and that may be enough to qualify him for the worldwide Final 16 this spring.
256

Although the South Korean was

good at changing the pacethe speed on
his blocks, for exampleand had a fast,
hard flat-kill, against Eric he was faced
with a mystery he couldnt solve. Eric kept
hitting his anti low at him and every time
Kim would counter it straight, and every
time it wouldnt come back high enough,
would catch the net cord and go off.
Yugoslav penholder Karakasevic,
who had beaten English Champion Des
Douglas in the Teams, got by Waldner in
five. And perhaps the light ball had something to do with the win. It was just uniformly awful. That is, it invariably had both a
Milivoj Karakasevic
soft side and a hard side, and when youd hit
a different spot youd naturally get a different effect. And this in time would affect your confidence. Why am I making so many easy mistakes? Danny had asked himself earlieruntil he realized he held the answer in his hand. But such
a ball helps steady pips-out blockers like Karakasevic who tries to win not with any big topspin but
with control. (Compare, too, in the Womens, Karen Witts easy victory over power-spinner Carole
Knight who doubtless found it difficult to attack well with this soft ball.)
All the quarters matches were played three straight. Naturally all of them were played
at the same time, and naturally Jiang vs. Douglas was the one picked for television. Douglas,
the English Champion, World #8, averaged 12 points a game.
Eric, pinned back in a corner in a hall made smaller by the TV filming, could do no
better than earn an encouraging smile, a wink, once even a broad salute for an excellent shot
from 17-year-old Teng Yi. Against this shakehands pips-out cannoneer, Eric averaged 13
points a game.
Karakasevic, blocking into his opponents body, and
placing his forehands well, carried his boundless, bouncing
enthusiasm all over the court and beyond. He too lost three
straight, but averaged 17 points a game against Fan Changmao.
Only the ageless Secretin, World #17, could beat the
Chinese. And he did it twice. Stopped Chen Xinhua in the
Teams, and then beat him three straight in the Singles. Chen,
like the anti-sided 81 World finalist Cai Zhenhua, loops well,
and chops well, but, said Danny, he seems to have nothing in
between. Secretin nullified his serves, topspinned him away
from the table, and drop-shotted him to death
Against Jiang, though, who Danny thinks is the best
of these Chinese, Secretin, after losing the first at deuce,
could do no more. In the other semis, Fan and Teng had
some crackerjack backhand-to-backhand hit and counter-hit
playbut they werent really fighting. Teng deservedly won,
English Open Mens Champion
and became the champion.
Teng Yi
257

Danny Seemiller Wins Western Japan Open

Heres Dannys coverage (TTT, Mar., 1982, cover) of the Western Japan Open:
The Western Japan Open is held every year in the small port city of Yanai. This year
there were over 1200 entrants. In Japanese tournaments they usually have just seven events
Mens Singles and Doubles, Mens Over 40, Womens Singles and Doubles, and Boys and
Girls Singles.
This years field was the strongest in the four years
Ive attended this tourney. Entries included the Korean
Womens Team, Yugoslavias Anton Stipancic, the Nissan
(Datsun) Motor Company Team, and many University
squads. Despite being played on only 24 tables, the tournament was run smoothly and on time. At the tournament
desk is a big board with the numbers 1-24 on the first row,
25-48 on the second row. As matches are played, the
numbers are moved up. You always know exactly when
your match is up.
The first day of play for me was in the Mens
Doubles. My partner was Stipancic. Since we were both
left-handed we had a lot of trouble adjusting to each other.
I never realized how difficult doubles can be if you both
play with the same hand. Since Ive always played reguYugoslavias Anton Stipancic
larly with a right-hander (Ricky) this was my first experience moving in a circle. Normally Ricky and I just move side to side. We had a little difficulty
in the beginning, but we cruised through six rounds to reach the final. There we met a Nissan
Motor team and they took it to us, 18, 15.We were disappointed, but they outplayed us and
deserved to win. In the Womens Doubles, the Korean team of Hwang Nam Sook and An Hae
Sook won 2-1 over Kawahigashi and Kamaraki of Tokyo.
On Sunday the whole Mens Singles draw was to be played. I would have to win eight
rounds to win the tournament. I decided not to practice at all and save my energy for the late
rounds. At 9:00 a.m. there were 470 players going for the title, and by 2:30 p.m. we were
down to four. Theres no wasted time in this tournamentI played three matches in a row.
Whenever you get to your table the referee gives you three misses and then the game starts.
Thats, at most, a 30-second warm-up.
The semifinalists in the top half were #1 seed and former World Champion Hasegawa,
still considered by many even at 34 to be Japans best player. His opponent was Stipancic who,
though hes about 15 pounds overweight, still has a fantastic backhand game. Hasegawa won
a grueling topspin battle, 21-18 in the third. This match almost went to expedite with topspin
rallies only. Each point would take about 10 hits apiece.
The semifinalists in the bottom half were Kenichi Sakamoto, runner-up in the All-Japan
Singles just a month before, and me. In the first game I was down 17-13 before running five
on my serve. At 19-20 Sakamoto served a high-tossoff! I was so excited when he served off
(I never expected it) I went running around the court yelling, OOSAAH! OOSAAH! I
realized that I was now in a great position for the title and the 200,000 yen ($900) 1st Prize. In
the second I took an early lead and held on to win that one 21-19 too. If I had lost this match,
I would have received no prize moneynow, as I readied to play the final I was guaranteed
$450.
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On the Womens side, the Korean

women won their semis against
Kawahigashi and Yamashita. In the
final, An Hae Sook (whod take the
triple crown at the German Open) beat
Hwang Nam Sook, 2-1.
In the Mens final, before about
5,000 spectators, I was really pumped up
and jumped on Hasegawa quickly and
defeated him quite easily at 18 and 13.
Hasegawa may have been a little tired
from his semis, but I played him perfectly
with only one or two unforced errors.
This was my second Western Japan
Singles title, and in addition to the $900 I
received quite a few gifts. Id like to
Danny Seemiller
thank the Yanai TTA for their help and
also the Butterfly Company and particularly Mr. Tamasu and Bowie Martin for helping me to gain some world-class experience.
In closing, Danny shares some thoughts on his Japan Tour:
Japan is a great place to play table tennis. The girls are so cute, and so many play
table tennis. Its never hard to find a practice partner or a place to play. I always found good
playing conditions: wooden floor, good lighting, and good tables. And the places were always
so clean. The players clean the floor and table after every practice. Many also clean their
dinner platewhatevers served. Japanese food is all soft and multi-colored. Very difficult to
stomach unless youre adventurous. I always ate Western food.
Meiji University is a high-powered school in table tennis circles. They have a great
team thats led by a freshman. Eighty percent of all Japanese players play pen-hold. The other
20% chopmost with Super Anti and Tackiness. Sometimes its very difficult to tell which
side theyve just used. Pen-holders hit the ball harder than shakehands players. Shakehands
players have better technique.
Japans
Kiyoshi Saito is the best young player Japan
Kiyoshi Saito
has seen since Takashima. Recently he defeated three
Chinese. Ive never seen a player with such quick feet,
and he has a good touch too. Stipancics backhand
attack is the best. Hes able to vary his topspin on the
backhand counter and loop.
Touring with Itoh, Hasegawa, and Stipancic
was great fun. Its an honor just to practice with these
guys. Japan is a beautiful country, all mountains and
waterways. It has an excellent public transportation
system. You dont need a car.
Table Tennis appears to be on the upswing in
Japan in preparation for the 1983 Worlds. There in
Tokyo the U.S. Table Tennis Team is going to gain
some respect.
259

Canadians Do Well at Commonwealth Games

George Jovanov (TTT, Mar., 1982, 4) in covering the
Commonwealth Games at Bombay, tells us that Zoran Zoki
Kosanovic, 26, won three silver medalsin Mens Singles,
Mens Doubles (with Joe Ng), and Mixed Doubles (with
Mariann Domonkos). Thats the highest achievement in table
tennis by any Canadian to date.
In the Mens Singles, Zoki, seeded 6th, eliminated the #3
seed, Chiu Man Kuen of Hong Kong before losing in the final to
Nigerias Atanda Musa. In Mens Doubles, Zoki and Joe lost to
Musa and Sunday Eboh. And in the Mixed, Zoki and Mariann lost
to Englands Nigel Eckersley and Joy Grundy.
Domonkos reached the semis of the Womens Singles
before losing to the #2 seed, Englands Alison Gordon, who in
turn was beaten in the final by her teammate Carole Knight.
Nigerias Commonwealth
Gloria Hsu had wins over 6th seed Jan Morris of New Zealand
Champion Atanda Musa
and Liane Morrow of Australia.
The Canadian Mens Team (Errol Caetano, Ng, Alain Boubonnais, and, surprise,
Zlatko Cordas) finished fourth. Kosanovic couldnt play in the Teams because hed competed for Yugoslavia in the last World Championships. Cordas was allowed to play because
hed not played for Yugoslavia in Novi Sad.
The Canadian Women (Domonkos, Hsu, Becky McKnight, and Julia Johnson) finished
second in the Womens Teamslosing only to the English
Congratulations to all concerned for this fine showing.
The carded Canadian men players for the 81-82 season, based on participation at the
Worlds, the Commonwealth Games, and the National Championships are: Joe Ng, Alex
Polisois, Errol Caetano, Alain Bourbonnais, and Chris Chu. Not all get the same government
assistance money per month. Chu, for example, because hes attending the National Training
Centre in Ottawa (participation there is also important to being a carded player), gets $350 a
month; Errol Caetano because hes training at home (in Toronto) gets $200 a month. The
carded Canadian women players are: Mariann Domonkos, Gloria Hsu, Becky McKnight, Julia
Johnson, and Micheline Aucoin.
German Bundesliga Results (First-half Season)
Mariann Domonkos and Mike Bush (TTT, Apr., 1982, 2) report on the First-half Season
Bundesliga. Mariann explains that The German Bundesliga is the First Division in Germany and is
made up of 10 club teams from different parts of the country. Throughout the full season, which
goes from September to March, each team plays the nine others twice, once at home and once
away for 18 matches per team. At seasons end, the two teams with the worst results fall to the
Second Division and are replaced by the two top teams from the Second Division. The Second
Division has Regional teams; the Third Division County teams; and the Fourth Division Local
teams. The relegation/promotion system applies to these Divisions as well.
One of seven foreigners, non-Germans, on teams, Mariann says shes gained confidence by playing in this Womens League. For the first-half season her ATSV Saarbrucken
Club finished 6th out of 10 teams with a 9-9 record (gain 2 points for a win; 1 for a tie; drop 2
points for a loss; 18-0 would be a perfect result). However, Mariann herself had a strong
260

individual record, finishing with 29 win points, 7 loss points (playing two matches a tiewith
four points a tie, 36-0 being a perfect result).
Bush gives us the First Division Mens results. There are six men to a team; each plays
two matches: #1 and #2 play both the opponent #1 and #2; #3 and #4 do the same against
their positioned players opposite; and so do #5 and #6. There are also doubles matches, the
number varying on the outcome of the matches. Half-season Team leaders. 1. Dusseldorf (180with Englands Douglas 15-2 in Singles and Douglas/Deutz 10-1 in doubles; Wosik 7-9;
Deutz 11-3; Nolten 9-6, and Jurgen Erdmann 11-5). 2. Reutlingen (15-3with Swedens
Appelgren 15-1 in Singles and Appelgren/Stellwag 8-1 in doubles; Stellwag 12-5; Swedens
Thorsell 12-1, and Hong Kongs Vong Iu Veng 8-5).
More Grand Prix Points for Eric at the German Open
Eric Boggan, in getting to the quarters of two successive Norwich Union Grand Prix
tournamentsthe English Open at Crawley, and now the German Open at Kielhas become
the first U.S. player in decades to achieve such back-to-back European Open successes. It was
not inconceivable he could have won this tournament that was attended by many of the best
players in Europea remark about an American that not so many years ago would have been
laughable. But more of Erics Singles matches later.
Yugoslavia (Surbek, Kalinic) won the Mens Team over Japan (Maehara, Abe), 3-2.
The U.S. (Boggan, Boggan) was not in contentionthey lost in the first round to Israel
(Polak, Rosenbaum). After Eric had beaten Rosenbaum, and Scott had lost to 1975 U.S. Open
Junior Champion Dror Polak, whos recently been training in Sweden, the Israelis won the key
18-in-the-third doubles match. But the tie looked like it would go the limit when Eric had Dror
down 20-18 in the third. But Polak deuced it, and now, just as the tension was building to a
climax, the ball broke. So in a moment it was Erics serve at deuce with the new balland he
served into the net. Then Polak, poised for the kill, got Eric to pop the ball up. So the tie was
over? To look at Scott there on the bench youd think so. But Dror missed the put away and
Eric didnt give him a second chance. In the final
match, though Scott won the first quite easily, he
could not win the last two.
Nor did Scott get much warm-up in the
Singles. He lost in the first round to the exYugoslav, now Canadian Zoki Kosanovic. And
who did Eric meet in the first round? Canadas Errol
Caetano. Unreal.
Winning the Mens Singles in this Grand Prix
Open was Josef Josh Dvoracekover teammate
Milan Orlowski. Mr. Cleverthats what Danny
Seemiller calls this Czech who hed lost to (I know I
wasnt playing badly) in the English Open. If youre
used to playing a third or fourth-ball attack, said
Danny, Dvoraceks really tough to playhe so
neutralizes even your best serves, and, big as he is, hes
got such a touch, can bring the ball back with such
marvelous placements, that its amazing to think that
German Open Champion Czechoslovakias
this guy didnt become a good player until he was 23.
Josef Josh Dvoracek
261

In the one semis, Dvoracek had little trouble with former Hungarian great Gabor
Gergely. But in the quarters hed been down 2-0 to Gergelys teammate Tibor Klampar before
winning the third at 19 and then the fourth and fifth.
In the other semis, it wasnt just the Czechs and Swedes who were up out of their
seats when Orlowski finally outlasted recent European Top 12 Champion Mikael Appelgren,
24-22 in the 5th.
The Apple downed Eric Boggan in the
quarters in five. Eric lost both the first and third
games at deuce (and, unbelievable, in one of
these games he was leading 20-13). He twice
came back strong, but couldnt get it close in the
fifth.
Before reaching Appelgren, whom hed
beaten in the U-21s at the 81 U.S. Open, Eric
downed the former Japanese Champion Abe, the
German Champion Stellwag, and former World
Champion Jonyer, always a very tricky player
who likes to experiment with new materials (and
sell them in his Budapest sports shop). Here
Jonyer unexpectedly was playing with Super
Anti on his backhand.
Of
Mikael Appelgren
these
world-class wins, the best, according to Danny
Seemiller, was over the quick penhold spinner Abe.
Why? Because, as Danny points out, Abe has such
great concentration and discipline, and taking
everything as he does on the forehand is such a
steady, hard worker. Though he lost to Eric in the
Singles, he beat Surbek, Kalinic, Carlsson, and
Douglas in the Teams.
For getting to the quarters in these two final
tournaments Eric raised his Grand Prix points to
1200, good for 10th position and a place among the
final 16 in the $27,000 Norwich Union Grand Prix
Masters to be played just outside Toronto, June 26.
Former Japanese National Champion
On returning to Sweden after this German Open,
Hiroyuki Abe
Boggan
played out his season in the Swedish
From Nittaku News, 6, 83
league. His Angby Club just missed qualifying for
the four-team final play-off semifinals. Among those players Eric beat in league play after his
return to Sweden was Jan-Ove Waldner, whod just won a recent Swedish Grand Prix, beating
Eric in the quarters and the strong Swedish Team members Carlsson in the semis and
Appelgren in the final. After his return from Kiel, Boggan won all 12 of his last league matches
(and I dont know how many bonus chocolate bars at some fantastically compounded rate).
Erics overall record for the complete league season, playing in the #1 position, was 24-4.

262

Chapter Twenty
1982: E.C. and Other Matters.
USTTA Recording Secretary Rufford Harrison (TTT, Jan. 1982, 14) gives us a short
summary of the Minutes from the December E.C. Meeting at the Tropicana Hotel. Instead of
continuing as a Vice-President of the Association, Lyle Thiem, at President Schiffs request,
became the Treasurer, replacing Paul Therrio whom Harrison criticized for not pursuing some
thousands of dollars due the USTTA in accounts receivable while unpaid bills mounted. For
some reason, no new Vice-President was appointed, so the position remained vacant.
The sanctioning official for three-four-and five-star major tournaments, as well as for
those with significant amounts of prize money, was the USTTA Tournament Chairmanthat
is, Wendell Dillon. Tim Boggan became Public Relations Chair; and Dr. Michael Scott the new
Sports Medicine Chair. Howie Grossman was named Coaching Chair, but would very soon
be replaced by Larry Thoman.
Ruffords Minutes revealed that USOC funding, approximately $37.2 thousand last
year, would probably be about $62.5 thousand this year. The increase, largely reflecting the
incorporation of table tennis into the 1988 Olympic Games, is allocated inter alia to the appointment of a full-time national coach to be based in Colorado Springs. Attempts are being
made to obtain such a person from the PR of China.
A Capital-Development Fund (CDF), referred to in previous
Minutes as a Locked Trust, has been initiated by the National Table Tennis
Foundation. Fred Danner, Secretary of the Foundation, explains (TTT,
May-June, 1982) that the Foundation received
a most generous grant of $1,000 from
Catherine and Erich Haring to start building the
Capital Fund. At the moment, that $1,000 is
earning 13.9% interest. [Catherine will also
gave $1,000 to help USTTA Womens
Sports]...This CDF will permit an account to
build up with tax-free contributions, with the
first 10% of interest in any period accruing to
Fred Danner
the USTTA for use in the educational part of its
activitiesthat is, in areas such as cultural
exchanges and professional coaching.
Fred says (TTT, Apr., 1982, 12), The simplest way to set
up the CDF is through the National Junior
Catherine Haring presenting
Table Tennis Foundation (NJTTF). The builda thousand-dollar check to
ing of a permanent capital fund must be proWomens Chair Yvonne
tected from expedient short-sighted financial
Kronlage.
decisions of the USTTA Executive Committee
which tends to be susceptible to political pressures to spend faster than it
receives income. For this latter reason, the proposed By-Law changes
exclude USTTA E.C. members and NJTTF Board of Directors from
appointment as Trustee Managers of the CDF unless they are either the
Secretary or Treasurer of the NJTTF. Dr. Bill Walk and Neil Smyth have
Dr. Bill Walk
263

agreed to become trustee managers of this new fund. The initial goal is to raise one million
dollars within the next ten years. Income to the USTTA at that point would be (at a 10% rate)
$100,000/year for our national table tennis development program.
Fred also urges USTTA members to support an Estate Planning Gift Program. In other
words, to designate the CDF of the National Table Tennis Foundation as a beneficiary for a
part of your estate. If the gift is large enough, well find a way to light an eternal flame for you
on some mountain, name an event in the U.S. Nationals after you, or some other suitable
benefit.
Nominating Committee Chair Jack Carr says that, as the New Year begins, the following members are running for the four positions open for USTTA E.C. office: For President
(Incumbent) Sol Schiff (hes unopposed). For Executive Vice-President (Incumbent) Gus
Kennedy (hes unopposed). For (Incumbent) Recording Secretary Rufford Harrison (hes
unopposed). For Vice-President Stan Robens (hes unopposed)and is endorsed by Carr as
an unselfish, dedicated individual who truly wants to promote the sport as an E.C. member
and who has already proved himself as a committee chairman, fund raiser, successful businessman, and correspondent.
Some restrictions for running are: Must not have been editor of the National Publication within six months of the election; and must not be an employee of the USTTA receiving
a salary or fees for services in excess of $1,000. Shades of the Boggan Point Penalty Rule.
To serve as President or Executive Vice-President, a member must have previously served as
Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer. As the then Nominating Chair Barry Margolius
pointed out (Vol. IX, p. 315), in the 1978 E.C. election, there were only three people who
could run for President or Executive Vice-President.
By the time of the voting, no one will have challenged the incumbents, and only
Yvonne Kronlage will run against Robens. In their Campaign Statements (TTT, Feb., 1982, 34), Stan didnt have much to say about what hes actually done for table tennis (Schiff himself,
though supporting him, had reservations about him), whereas Yvonne did. In 1978, of the
thousands of eligible USTTA adult voters, there were only 84 legal ballots received. Interest
couldnt be lower.Or could it? In the 1982 election, 83 legal ballots were received. Robens,
whod taken out a half-page election ad in Topics, won out over Yvonne, 51 to 19 votes.
Which seems as good a time as any to bring in Yehudi Menuhins article, Art as Hope
for Humanity (from the Saturday Review, reprinted in TTT, Feb, 1982, 4):
Perhaps one day the artist in man will dominate man the political animal. Let us never
forget that the bigger units of administration only serve to organize, apply, and develop what
man alone, the individual in the unique cultural environment, creates. Ultimately, it is upon the
individual we depend. Perhaps it is thinking very far ahead to say so, but eventually the nationstate must cede part of its autonomy both to the larger world unit and to the smaller neighborhood-community. On the one hand, there must be international cooperation in various fields
foods, pollution, space, resources. On the other hand, the nations must encourage regional
autonomylanguages, dialects, art, music, theater, dress, diet, way of life, and all human,
humane, and cultural activities.
Mans seemingly natural aggressive, combative, competing, and dominating instincts
can find ample outlets and expression on other levels than those of the nation-state. We can do
without emasculated deliberations conducted in committee rooms, deliberations that are
divorced from human pain or pleasure. Let men play Ping-Pong, and write poetry. Let them
264

vie with each other on individual, regional, and world levels. But let them not degenerate into
dumb automatons, robots of the nation-state, manipulated physically, spiritually, and morally
by the abuse of their gifts and by the debasement of their faculties.
I do not doubt for a moment that humankind will find creative alternatives to rigidity,
and I do not doubt that art will play a functional, pragmatic role in our salvation. This, at any
rate, is my faitha faith strongly grounded in the traditions that have bequeathed us
Michelangelos Moses, Rembrandts Night Watch, Chartress Cathedral, and Bachs B Minor
Massor Henry Moores King and Queen, Picassos Pierrot, the Sydney Opera House in
Australia, and Bartoks string quartets.
As always, different points of view find their way into
Topicssome upbeat, some not. Heres Haig Raky (TTT,
Mar., 1982, 11):
To the Editor:
Player A says to Player B at the next table whose errant
ball has found its way into his area, Im not going to pick up
your ball. Im not your slave. A player engaged in a singles
match adjacent to a doubles match balks at the request from
the doubles table that he kindly keep the noise and disruptions
down as they are playing a match. His reply, Why should I?
My match is more important than yours. A young boy, perhaps age 10 or 11, is playing this writer and throughout the
match is complaining aloud to whoever might possibly be
concerned or interested. Do you believe this is really happening? he says, making incredulous reference to his rapidly
impending demise. Continuing his whining and querulous
Haig Raky
Photo by Mal Anderson
babble, punctuating it with mild expletives at the conclusion of
the match, he grabs his mini-gear, and, without shaking hands,
or even looking back over his shoulders to view the dumbfounded expression on the victim of
his impudent defiance, saunters away.
The next time we hear the laments of disgruntled
table tennis players regarding the absence of major advancements in our beloved sport in America, and how the future of
the game resides in our moral and financial support of the
young players, and how we cant get any TV coverage, we
should stop, look, and examine much of our own behavior,
as therein dwells the ogre that robs us of our pride and the
fulfillment of our dreams.
We have grand visions of the expansion of table
tennis throughout this country, yet our snobbery and elitism
imprisons and short-circuits our development and growth.
We have fantasies about professional standards as our code,
yet we breed, nurture, and even reinforce anti-professionalism by our smug pardoning of rudeness and our disrespect
for one another. We painstakingly design rules of governance
265

and regulation and yet there is little unanimity of interpretation, little ability to implement and
enforce such rules. We wonder where the crowds are, yet our antics on the playing area make
John McEnroes behavior look good by comparison. [Not to excuse selfishness and rudeness,
but part of the problem is that human beings, particularly table tennis players used to selfreliant one-on-one competition, are naturally individualistic (which probably means selfcontradictory). They value self-expressionwhich is why so many have tuned in to McEnroe.]
And heres a Letter to the Editor (TTT, Nov., 1982, 12) from Californian Dusty Rhodes:
Today we have the racket thrower, the table-bouncer, the game-delayer, etc. They
remain unpunished and unpenalized, apparently because no one has figured out an appropriate
penalty which would restrain such juvenile acts. I believe the thrown racket, etc. is not really
spontaneous and emotionalI think it is choreographed in advance to attract attention and
distract the opponent.To discourage such actions I suggest, since the serve is the cornerstone of an attack, that the perpetrator, when next its his/her turn to serve, be forced to give
up his first three serves to his opponent, so that hes left with only two before the natural order
of service is resumed.
Something must be donetable tennis is on the doorstep of attaining Olympic
respectability. It is ludicrous to think that superstars of our game lack the discipline or intelligence to weed out childish tantrums. [Uh, Dusty, what superstars have you in mind? How
many are therein the U.S?...abroad? How often do such disciplined superstars show theyre
undisciplined?]
While I personally think a racket
is seldom thrown rationally, calculatingly,
I agree with Dusty that some players do
try to distract their opponents. Indeed,
Mark Holowchak, in his article, Psychology and Winning Table Tennis (TTT,
Apr., 1982, 7) points out that distracting
an opponent is a legitimate weapon and a
tactic that needs to be studied. He explains:

Example of a player
distracting his opponent.

In a match situation, the key

to success is self-control and concentration. Its this in your opponent you must attack. View
the game as a mental as well as physical confrontation. Attempt to control your opponents
thoughts and actions. To do this effectively, you must first know whatever you can of this
person: likes, dislikes, habits, intelligence, dominant emotions, instincts.Once this knowledge is acquired, an opponents concentration is exactly the facet of his/her game that you will
try and upset. For example, if you know your opponent is aggressive and highly emotional,
you may choose to play a slow, deliberate game.
A word spoken, an act committed, a mood set: these are ways of disrupting someones
concentration. There are many other ways to psyche out the opponent. And they can all be
utilized in varying degrees.Let me emphasize, however, such tactics are not for everyone.
Its no short cut to immediate improvement and success. Its hard work and time-consuming.
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But if you are one of the few who want to reach your full potential as a table tennis player,
then you owe it to yourself to give psychology a chance.
What is the Sport coming to? some readers are sure to say. Todays players being urged
to be deceptive, to be psyche-out artists. Shouldnt Table Tennis be a Gentlemens Game?
The point requirement for selection to a U.S. Team was reduced from 15 to 11 points.
A professional player may regain amateur standing, for all events except the Olympic and PanAmerican Games, by signing a statement that he wishes to become an amateur. He must wait
for 12 months, meanwhile conducting himself as an amateur. The National Association of
Intercollegiate Athletes (NAIA) defines an amateur as a player who engages in athletic
contests for educational values [what does that mean?], personal pleasure [a pro too], satisfaction [a pro too], and for love of the sport [a pro too], not for monetary nor material gain for
himself.
Ive never seen an actual listing (certainly one was never published in Topics) of the
reported 29 players who said they were professionals. But Angelita Rosal Sistrunk now makes
it known shes an amateur, and later the E.C. will say that Kasia Gaca, George Brathwaite, and
Scott Boggan never were professionalsthough I myself dont understand how this could be
true for Scott. As for amateurs Brian Master, Cheryl Dadian, and Dean Doyle, theyre allowed
to be advertised, so long as any sponsor-money they receive goes first to the Association then
in large part from the Association back to them.
Denvers Stan Wolf says his fellow Colorado players would like to see every active
players rating listed every month. The USTTA Approved Equipment page should be removed
(made obtainable on request) so another page can be devoted to ratings. This wont happen
but as a compromise the Oct., 1982 Topics will have a special section listing 3 and pages of
ratings. By decree: Tack it on the bulletin board at your club house.
This years USTTA Amateur Athletes of the Year are Faan Yeen Liu, 21, and Dean
Doyle, 20. Faan Yeen was runner-up in the U.S. Womens Amateur at the 81 Closed, #1 in the
USTTAs Womens Spring Rankings, the Olympic Player Representative, and the Singles gold
medal winner at the 81 National Sports Festival. Dean won the U.S. Amateur at Caesars in
1980, came first in a series of tournaments in the Northwest/Southwest, and, for the third
straight year took the Hard Rubber Championship at the 81 Vegas Closed.
Californias Tim Lee (TTT, July-Aug., 1982, 17) writes, I would like to see Eric
Boggan, Danny Seemiller, Dean Wong, etc. play in tournaments for a $100,000 first prize
instead of a lowly sum like $500. But how can a professional table tennis player expect to earn
a living by winning petty cash? [By persevering, as Danny has, and Eric is in the process of
doing, for something more than petty cash. It takes a strong commitment. Attached is a list of
U.S. 1981-82 Money Winners. Of course the sum shown here is only part of Danny and Erics
income. When in a year Eric will have signed a contract with Schildkraut and moved to Germany to play #1 for his Bundesliga club he will be making a good living. Doubtless, in winning
only petty cash, Perry Schwartzberg, Dean Wong, and Quang Bui realize that a college education is so important] Dean told me hed love to play professional table tennis if there was
enough money to earn a livingbut there isnt. How can Perry and Dean and Quang expect to
play in top form if they have to study and get a job to survive?
Jack Carr says, Its great to see the wonderful wins by Danny and Eric in foreign
tournaments, yet do they help promote the sport in the U.S. as does tournament press cover267

age and TV exposure. [What, then, is so great, so wonderful about their wins, Jack? Do
you think the sports being promoted in the U.S.? If so, by whom? Doing what? Want to hear
what a professional like Zlatko Cordas, back now as interim Canadian National Coach, has to
say about promoting the sport? Everyone expects service from the CTTA [or the USTTA],
but they have to understand that the sport wont make any progress in 20 years if we dont
have good results from the National Team. Its wonderful, is it, that Danny and Eric continue to make some progress for U.S. Table Tennis? Though itd be more wonderful, more
progressively wonderful, if, as youve said before, the two of them being professionals werent
even on the U.S. Team?
Tim Lee, now suddenly writing monthly Topics columns,
on finishing his May-June, 1982, one, says he welcomes any
criticism or complementary comments. So, o.k., here we go
Jack Carr, for one, says Tims article is worth reading and rereading:
Now that table tennis is an official Olympic sport and since we will be getting support
from the U.S. Olympic Committee now is the time for the U.S.A. to strengthen its position in
the world. After all, the U.S. Team has done little in the past 35 or so years to prove that it can
be a world power. [Youre talking since 1947, Tim, and you obviously dont know U.S. postWWII table tennis 40s and 50s history; indeed, you dont seem to consider the advances the
U.S. Teams made in the 70s].
One action that is no secret to most good table tennis nations is the special training of
its junior players, and their giving these players experience by having them play in many
international tournaments against top players. For example, China [surely not a typical example] has its new young players Teng Yi, Jiang Jialiang, Chen Xinhua, Fan Chang-mao, and
Xie Saike playing in tournaments in Europe. Where, though, are Chinas older players, Guo
Yuehua, Huang Liang, Liang Geliang, Wang Huiyuan, and Shi Zhihao? [Oh, theyre around
Cai Zhenhua too. They havent all been abandoned. 1981 World #1 Guo Yuehua, and World
#2 Cai Zhenhuatheyll be World #1 and World #2 in 1983 too. And Wang Huiyuanhes
the current Chinese National Champion, and as a decrepit old man hell even be on Chinas
1985 World Team. True, the Swedes (also not a typical example) have very good young
players, but after these developed, another comparably strong group wouldnt follow. Of
course in a pinch they might still use World #11 Stellan Bengtsson. Almost all countries continue to use their proven stalwarts, for theyre unable to finance the extensive tournament
seasoning the up-and-coming players need so they can be depended on to produce.]
Tim Lee wants to know why the USTTA hasnt followed other nations examples and
sent our better juniors to international tournaments. [What nations are you talking about, Tim?
Most nations who value their standing in world table tennis have the same problems we do.]
Of course if money is a problem I can understand that. [IF?] But when money is [sparingly]
availablelike for the tournaments in Englandthe USTTA sends our old standbys Danny
and Ricky Seemiller and Eric and Scott Boggan. [Why shouldnt we send our Champions, our
proven best? If U.S. Table tennis abandons those most committed and most accomplished,
what the hell kind of sport have we wrought? And who now would you send in their stead?]
Why doesnt the USTTA send players like Dean Wong, Sean ONeill, Brian Masters,
Quang Bui, and Scott Butler, along with Eric Boggan (at 18 he still has many years to go)
[brother Scott is only 20]. [Well, Tim, youve already answered that in part yourself, Dean and
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Quang, both of whom cant be considered so young, are not committed even to short-term
giving their all. Of course our most dedicated juniors need international experience, and their
parents and the USTTA are increasingly doing what they can at this point in time to give them
that, but not at the expense of the still relatively young Seemillers and Boggans whove more
than paid their dues and can hardly be considered old.]
[And what makes you so sure that Sean, Brian, and Scott Butler (also Brandon Olson
and Khoa Nguyen) when they get of college age will commit to the rigors Danny, Ricky, Attila
Malek, Scott and Eric have gone and are still going through? How long would it take these
juniors, even were they committed, to get as good as our perennial U.S. World team members?
Maybe theyll go the distance and maybe they wont. Maybe theyll get high world-class
rankings and maybe they wont. Maybe theyll play in the Olympics and maybe they wont.
And then you and Jack Carr say its only fitting to send amateurs to represent us in international competition when the Olympics are for amateurs (can people still believe that?). And
you talk of preparing these young players for the Olympicsas if this once-every-four-years
tournament with no prize money were the life blood of the world-class players, the great
majority of whom in representing their country have no chance of winning a medal. The
Olympics is still six years off. Want to work hard to maybe earn a spot to play in it? Thats a
very iffy, huge commitment for teenagers and their parents.
Though the USTTA doesnt have the wherewithal it will later when the ITTF will have
a myriad of cadet and junior tournaments in place, and the junior development you want, Tim,
will be avidly pursued, the USTTA has recently and more so now every year given a number of
Juniors the opportunity to developwith Sean ONeill, particularly, responding as hoped.]
In his article, The Door Swings Open (TTT, March, 1982,
4), Professor C.F. Liu, a great admirer of the myriad styles of the
Chinese champions, explains how he successfully urged the Chinese to unlock their heretofore closed-door table tennis policy
toward the U.S. and with a great openness and generosity begin to
help coach our players, particularly, as well soon see, our Juniors:
Just before and after the 1979 World Championships in
Pyongyang, North Korea, the U.S. Team, whom I was traveling with,
spent a short period in Peking, China. I utilized that opportunity to
establish communications with the Chinese table tennis community.
Over the past three years and many trial-by-deed situations, that
community and I finally forged a certain mutual respect and trust. This
respect and trust manifested itself in last years U.S. Open in
Princeton, N.J. Paul Lee and his organization, in cooperation with the
Dr. C.F. Liu
USTTA, requested me to make contact with the Chinese table tennis
Photo by Mal Anderson
administration to invite a team (any team) to participate in our U.S.
Open. The Chinese responded by sending their World Championship team, a national level coach,
and one of their most important table tennis officials.
Buoyed by a mere sense of optimism, I visited Peking late in 1981. A dinner meeting
was arranged between several Chinese table tennis and other sports officials and myself.
Among the officials were Xu Yinsheng, the President of the Chinese Table Tennis Association
and Chinas Vice-Minister of Health and Sports, and Li Furong, the Chinese National Teams
Head Coach. At this meeting I had the most interesting conversation with Mr. Xu.
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Well into our dinner, Mr. Xu asked me what I thought of

Chinese table tennis. I interpreted that as my opening and responded
by saying, I think that ever since 1961, when China won her first
Team Championship, Chinese table tennis has always been troubled.
Mr. Xu said, Oh? How so?
Because your teams have been too good. When you went to
the World Championships you always had difficulties. If you won too
much you were afraid that the rest of the world might lose interest. If
you didnt win, your opponents seemed to think that you threw the
matches, and they felt demeaned. Further, the team must satisfy the
people at home too.
At this point Mr. Xu looked at Li Furong and broke into a big
China TTA President
smile and then said, Lets say you are right. How would you remedy
Xu Yinsheng
the situation?
He seemed genuinely interested, and it was my big chance. I think a good idea might
be to bring the rest of the world up closer to your level. I mean really go out and help some
countries improve their level of play.
Mr. Xu nodded, and I continued. Of course you have to be careful as to which countries you help. If you go all out to help Sweden you may not like the results.
Now Mr. Xu was sporting a really broad smile and obliged by asking, Which country
do you think we should help?
The United States, of course.
Why is that?
Because, first of all, we are a big and prestigious country that can possibly have a big
impact on table tennis all over the world. Just as importantly, we cant threaten your position
in table tennis. At least for a little while. If you could help us get to the top ten, or even the top
five, we might be able to make a difference in the popularity of table tennis.
Mr. Xu and Mr. Li smiled at each other again as though both knew exactly what the
other was thinking. Then Mr. Xu turned to me and said seriously, Suppose we are perfectly
willing, what can we do for you?
My play had been called. The door was ajar! I composed myself. Of course I cant
decide on my own what should be done, but I have some suggestions. For instance, you could
send coaches and players to the U.S. to help us on a grass-roots level. You could also allow
our players, our Team members as well as our Junior players, to come to China to train.
Mr. Xu turned to Li Furong and said, I think we can do all those things, dont you?
Li Furong nodded
Mr. Xu looked at me and continued, We think we can help you in all those ways.
When the opportunity arises, get together with us.
The whole dinner was a delight to me.
Since my return, several things have taken place to show that Mr. Xu was not at all
joking. Some time ago, Mrs. Sue Butler of Iowa asked me to try to arrange for some of the
top U.S. Juniors to have an opportunity to train in China. After a bit of doing, five top U.S.
Junior boys have been invited to go to China. The Chinese organization indicated that they
would supply top-level coaching, training, and competition. Mrs. Butler has been extremely
busy trying to raise funds for this historical event.
I was asked by the USTTA Executive Committee to contact the Chinese to try to
270

arrange for a national-level coach to come to the U.S. for a minimum of six months. That
arrangement has now been made.
Most recently, I was informed that Shi Zhihao, a World Champion Swaythling Cup
Team mainstay for China, and Guo Yuehua, the current World Champion, are going to West
Germany for a tournament in August. The question asked me was: Are you interested in
having them come to the U.S. before or after the tournament?
The door is open.
New USTTA Coaching Chair Larry Thoman will begin his Coaching Committee
Reports (TTT, Apr. and May, 1982). Hell be pleased that Professor Liu will succeed in his
liaison efforts to bring a professional Chinese Coach to this country. The price tag will be
$8,000 for six monthsa sum that likely can be raised by clinic fees and USOC funds. Larry
hopes that, through this Coachs travels to a number of cooperative clubs in various cities
throughout the U.S., coaches can be trained to teach instructors, so that eventually a nationwide system of state, regional, and national programs can be set up.
Larry is very ambitious, wants to recruit Assistantsone to certify coaches
(new requirements and tests
are necessary), another to deal
with the coaching literature
hes eager to accumulate, and
a third to help with videotapes and films (particularly of
our top players and their
probable international opponents). He wants to write an
up-to-date instruction book.
He pleads for help in learning
how coaching classes are
taught from a grade school
Photo by Ray Fields
through a university level.
And hell continue to urge interested parties to send him books, magazine articles, any written
material, even in a foreign language for he could probably get a volunteer translator.
Meantime, Larry takes note of a Clinic for Coaches, to be held Oct. 7-11 at Colorado
Springs (letter of attendance request to Bill Haid necessary), and he continues his Coaching
Corner articles. In an How to Practice article (TTT, May-June, 82, 7), he emphasizes the
importance not of playing games but of practice partners consciously working together so
each will improve. Plan what you want to work on, he says, and keep track of how youre
doing.*
Ill get to another of Thomans Coaching Corner articles in a moment, but first Ill
have Tom Wintrich report (TTT, May-June, 1982, 8) on the USOC/USTTA Elite Training
Camp, held Apr. 12-18 at the USOC Training Center in Colorado Springs:
No matter that it was cold, windy, and snowingwe were still on the track by 7:00
a.m. to run our daily six laps. On previous mornings, under clear skies and bright sunshine, we
271

had jogged along entranced by the majestic view of snowcapped Pikes Peak and the city of Colorado Springs lying
at its base. Our vantage point was the bright green and red
USOC Olympic track perched high on the eastern side of
the city. But on this day, our fifth of the training camp, we
were happy just to see our feet and finish our mandatory
run as quickly as possible. Then, it was off to a hearty
breakfast before the days first of two three-hour practice
sessions.
Nineteen players, including four coaches, participated
in the camp and with the exception of this reporter, all
men were rated above 2100 while all the women were
above 1600, Danny Seemiller was the head coach, assisted
by Scott Boggan, Perry Schwartzberg, and Larry Thoman.
The training camp turned out to be an advanced
players dream come true. Nineteen people shared ten
tables so no one ever had to wait to play. Everyone was
Tom Wintrich
proficient at drilling so it didnt matter who you hit with.
The camps expert chopper, Bohdan Dawidowicz, was
always available for looping and hitting practice. And the four coaches made sure they personally played with everyone. But thats just half the story.
The USOC provided ideal training conditions. We were all housed on a single floor of
one of the dormitories, and room and board were free. With the exception of the playing site,
everything was within walking distance, including a cozy neighborhood bar for those of us
prone to a few beers, pool, and pinball at the end of each long day. The USTTAs hard-working Executive Director, Bill Haid, met with us daily and President Sol Schiff made a special
trip to Colorado Springs to oversee the management of the camp. As a veteran of five other
clinics, I have never experienced a better training camp, especially one that so intimately
involved coaches, players, and administrators.
Nevertheless, the week-long training was not easy. Head Coach Seemiller was uncharacteristically demanding. From day one it was made clear this was a training camp and that
meant physical exertion. Besides our morning mile-and-a-half and end of the day 440, we
concentrated heavily on footwork drills. The high altitude (6500 feet) certainly affected our
lung power, but it was the legs that experienced the greatest pain and it became all too obvious
which muscles are the most important in table tennis. Consequently the USOCs Giant whirlpool became a favorite hangout at days end.
In the long run, of course, it was the camaraderie (or, as Scott Boggan might say, the
Gemutlichkeit) that made the camp so enjoyable. Male and female athletes from age 12 to 45
shared a common experience and they did so on the most friendly of terms. On the last day, we
braved gusty winds and downright chilly air for a farewell picnic. All week long we had functioned as a tight-knit group of individuals and our last hurrah at Memorial Park emphasized
the communal spirit of the camp.
On behalf of all the participants, I would like to sincerely thank Bill Haid, Sol Schiff,
Sarah Haid, and all the USOC personnel who took such good care of us. In his July-August
Coaching Corner article, Larry Thoman said he had just returned from the camp Tom
Wintrich described above, and so got to thinking:
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One impression that stands out from the rest is the general poor physical condition
of many of the camp participants. This made me think, If even our better players have trouble
getting through a moderate exercise program, then our countrys overall physical condition
must be very poor. This is perhaps understandable with regard to the typical player, but not
understandable, and not acceptable, for the table tennis athlete we need to represent us in
international competition.
Continuing this train of thought, I feel as if Americas coaching program should emphasize physical conditioning and self-discipline (another attribute I noticed lacking in several
April Training Camp participants).
What is the difference between a true t.t. athlete and other t.t. players? A true athlete
wants to push himself to his physical limits. He knows he must always strive to improve his
physical condition. Since he realizes that it takes a long time to change ones body, he is
geared more for long-term improvement than short-term accomplishments. That is why he sets
up a thorough schedule of training. He starts with heavy physical workouts with lots of roadwork and exercises. He also does footwork drills and he works on improving his weaknesses.
When playing games at this stage, his primary focus is not so much in winning, but on trying to
incorporate new strokes and patterns into his style. Gradually, he changes his training to
include simulated game patterns, more serve and receive drills, and more actual match competition. Finally, having solidified his game by improving his physical condition and having
strengthed both his strong and weak points, he enters those tournaments that are mot important to him. After these tournaments, he rests his body and mind and recovers from the grind
of his training and competition. Then he starts the cycle over again, aiming at performing
better and better.
Thirty years ago, a USTTA mimeographed sheet was
printed regarding lighting. Because the loop and the lob have
become so commonplace in the last three decades, Executive
Director Bill Haid requests a volunteer professional electrician
with knowlege of lighting specifications to help in an easy-tounderstand rewrite of this study.
The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association celebrated their 75th Anniversary and in an historic summary (TTT,
Dec. 1981, 11-12) mention was made of its operational arm,
created in 1934, the Athletic
Institute. This Institute put
out a series of sports books,
one of which was Table
Tennis by Si Wasserman,
former USTTA Coaching
Chair. It appeared in hard
cover in 1973 with photoGus Kennedy, electrician
Photo by Mal Anderson
graphs of famous Chinese
stars taken from the
Institutes sound/color slidefilm, Table Tennis.
Sporting goods stores in Europeor, better make
that toy storesare sporting the Pelikan Companys
Family Ping-Pong. Picture it: the attractive net contains
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two strong black plastic bats with the Pelikan symbol in yellow and a new special yellow ball, soft
and slow-moving, 38mm in diameter, with a very high bounce. Two net-stands with rubber feet to
prevent them from slipping; and five green, plastic interconnecting net sections that allow play on
different-sized tables, complete the set.
Family Ping-Pong is now
recognized by the European Table
Tennis Union (ETTU) and by the
German Table Tennis Federation
(Deutscher Tisch Tennis Bund) as a
useful introduction to table tennis.
World and European Champions,
Istvan Jonyer and Gabor Gergely,
enjoy this game and played a match
by traditional table tennis rules.
[Indeed, it may be the very match you
see in the accompanying photo. Quite
a treat for the kids to see world-class
players in action.]
Family time with Hungarian World Champions
Rules Chair Mal Anderson,
Istvan Jonyer and Gabor Gergely
after stating that ITTF-approved
racket coverings are now required in Open International Championships, responds to questions Jack Carr wants answered. Jack asks, Does this include the U.S. Open? No, the U.S.
Open is not an ITTF-approved Open International Championship. Many conditions must be
met bfore this approval is granted; the table, net, ball, and all racket coverings must be currently ITTF-approved brands; each table must be enclosed by barriers, and the playing space
for each table must be at least 7 meters by 14 meters by 4 meters height (about 22 by 44 by 13
feet); and there are lighting and floor composition regulations, etc. The ITTF only approves
very good tables, such as Stiga and Butterfly.
The first ITTF list of approved racket coverings included 215 types of rubbers from
27 different manufacturers, including Butterfly, Yasaka, TSP, Armstrong, YSP, Nittaku,
Dunlop, Banda, Stiga, Friendship, Double Happiness, Hanno, Joola, Harvard, and Robbins
Sport. If the U.S. Open is ever ITTF-approved, most of our players wont have to worry.
Jack neednt be concerned either about a possible conflictthat foreign players might
be required to use USTTA-approved equipment in the U.S. Open. But thats already been
solvedthe E.C. passed a bylaw that members of foreign associations are excluded from this
rule.
Harrison mentioned in his Topics Minutes summary that The
problem of delinquent fees from major events was referred to the
Associations lawyer. In that summary Rufford didnt mention Ron
Shirley as one of those delinquent, but in the Minutes themselves he did.
Which drew Rons ire (TTT, Mar., 1982, 11): It is erroneously stated that
the 1978 U.S. Open, which we ran in Oklahoma City, was on the list of
U.S. Open tournaments which had to be contacted by the USTTA lawyer
demanding financial reports. I must demand, on my part, that the USTTA
correct this error to the minutes and let it be known that the 1978 U.S.
Open met all its financial obligations to the USTTA (and to all others) in a satisfactory time
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period after the 1978 tournament. We are somewhat proud of the fact that our tournament was
able to pay all its billssomething that no other U.S. Open in recent history has apparently
done. I would hate for the membership to think otherwise.
Which reminds me.The organizer of the 1977 U.S. Open, Bobby Gusikoff, who
couldnt meet his financial obligations and was suspended, reportedly will soon be reinstated
by USTTA President Sol Schiff.
The U.S. Open, under the direction of Danny Robbins, will be played at Detroits Cobo
Hall, June 30-July 4. The Canadian TTAs Board of Directors gives notice that the Canadian
National Team will not participate in this 1982 or any U.S. Open Championships unless full
hospitality is provided to the members of the official Canadian Team according to the traditional international hospitality norms.
SELECTED NOTES.
*An example of players working together for the benefit of each can be found in Bob
Mandels article, As The Life Goes On (TTT, Feb., 1982, 14). Bob begins by telling us how
he was introduced to table tennis at the University of Houston, and how, after graduating, he
left the Game for a while, then went to Seattle where, beginning to play again at Dr. Michael
Scotts Club, he met Quang Bui:
We immediately hit it off. What a great practice partner Quang was. His father
invited me to practice at the local church that had sponsored the Bui family in the U.S. At
dinner I met Quangs large family and learned that they had fled Vietnam the day Saigon fell.
Quang and I started practicing 2 days a week, then 3, 4, 5, 6.In two months we were playing 6-7 days a week, 2-3 hours on weekdays and 3-4 hours on weekends. Occasionally we cut
practice short to watch the Seattle SuperSonic basketball games. Quangs family loves basketball.
Several months later I opened my big mouth. I told Quangs dad, a former Vietnam
TTA President, that Quang (then a 1900-rated player) showed great promise. We made an oral
agreement. I told Lam that I would help make Quang the U.S. Champion. He did not have to
hold me to my word thoughbecause, like most table tennis players, I loved to practice. Out
of college or not, perhaps we never grow up. Anyway, I loved to play with Quang because he
was a truly remarkable player and person.
Our schedule? Quang would get up every morning at 5:00. Would then run several
miles and spend about an hour exercising and jumping rope. Then hed be off to school until
3:00. A quick bite to eat, and he would meet me at the church on Mercer Island between 4:005:00. I would get off work at 3:00 and drive 45 minutes to the church. There we would begin
with our exercises and then get serious.
Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away
Your problems, Quang, are not going to be so far away if you dont turn off that
damn cassette!
:O.K. O.K.
(Always the Beatles. God, I was getting sick of hearing even my favorite group.)
While stretching wed think about our practiceabout our goals for the day. Of course
we were aware of the importance of limbering up, for we both had learned the hard way that if
either one of us were injured it meant no practice for a while. Why? Because for the first year
we could never get anyone serious enough for even one day a week to help us train.
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We would start off practicing forehand to backhand and vice-versa until we were satisfied,
then we moved on to forehand to forehand. Quangs forehand to my backhand, then backhand to
backhand. We would do the same variations in both topspin and chop. After an hour we would rest
5 minutes, eat an orange or two, and come back to start footwork practice.
Its been a hard days night, and Ive been working like a dog.
Quang, I cant concentrate with that music on. Turn that damn cassette off!
:O.K. O.K.
God, how I hated the footwork drills. They were so tiring and boring, at least to me,
though probably not to Quang. He was quick on his feetI was quick with my mouth. Besides, we needed to work on foot speed as our backhands were weak. After a half hour it was
back to drills, short serves, short and long returns, etc.

Bob Mandel and Quang Buisparring partners

But, strange, the more we trained and went to tournaments, the more my rating, my
old rating, went down1980, 1900, 1870. What was happening? How could this be? I was
practicing like a madman. But after losing more and more matches I was becoming a man
mad! What was my problem?
Well, first of all, certain styles just tore me up. Particularly with all those new rubbers.
Anti, Phantom, etc., etc. No matter who used the stuff against me, it worked. I just wasnt
consistent enough; I never got to practice against those type players; I had no recent experience playing against a field; I had a sub-par backhand; I still got nervous during the matches
(choked)but it was tough when you stopped playing for three years.
However, Quang kept getting higher and higher ratings. Why? Because he had spirit;
the drive to get better; a good style; and talent.
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This sport is the agony and the ecstacy. You go from highs to lows, from saying, I
love to play to I hate this game. If you want to get good you have to sacrifice your future
and perhaps the happiness of a family and a good job. Ill tell you, after a year or so, there
were times when I just did not want to practice. I had few chances to date (what women will
put up with 10:00 p.m. dates?) and no time to do other things either.
Only the summers were different. Then, though I continued to practice table tennis
conscientiously, I also pitched slow-pitch softball, which I loved to do. This past year I played
60 games for a good team, had a .649 on base percentage, and improved my game over all.
Im sure my dedication to table tennis had a lot to do with it. Softball, though is a team effortand it was a good and different feeling I got when I played well and won as part of a
team.
As Ive said, I didnt always want to practice table tennis. But once I went home, put
on my EST clothes (warm-up suit, etc.) and got into my car, I knew I had to psych myself up
to play. For there on Mercer Island, Quang, my best friend and practice partner, would be
ready and waiting for me. And I knew that practicing with anything less than 100% effort
would really not be worth the time at all.
Quang and I at different times tried to coax players out of the game back to play with
usJoe Lee, Tom Ruttingerbut with no steady luck. Then we started training a few new
players who showed interest. This helped. We also did exhibitions and visited other clubs and
places to try to spark more interest. However, unless these players showed a genuine interest
in working as hard as we did, it sometimes, one way or another, ruined our own practice. On
days I could not make a practice I would arrange a substitute to practice with Quang. However, too often the following day, Quang would tell me that itd really not been worth it to
practice.
Still, Quang kept getting better and better. He went to Japan three summers in a row,
and every time he returned stronger and with more knowledge and experience. Some of what
he learned he passed on to me. Our practices got better and betterthen, usually after practice, we took to playing 5-10 games.
As it would turn out, in December, 1980 Quang would graduate from high school a
semester early, then in June of 81 hed get a scholarship to Brigham Young University for
being a superior person, student, and table tennis player. Back in June, 1980 Id told Quangs
father, Lam, that my contract would expire on Dec. 20th, after the U.S. Closed. Then Quang
would be free to leave and get the experience and competition from stronger players that he
needed. I knew I could not further Quang along alone any more. He needed more than I could
give, even though I would miss playing with him.

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Chapter Twenty-One
1982: Jan./Feb./Mar. Tournaments. 1982: B.K. Arunkumar Stars in Lehigh Valley Open.
Scott Wan (TTT, Apr. 1982, 21) writes that USTTA President Sol Schiffs letter congratulating the Concord, CA Club on its 10th anniversary was read at a Banquet celebration on Feb. 27th.
During the brief ceremony before dinner, the Club President, the Rev. Leland Regier, got everyone
in a completely relaxed and joyous mood immediately with his good-taste jokes. His qualities make
up the rare combination of natural leader, preacher, and orator with a special way of reaching out to
people. He is also one hell of a good sportsman and table tennis player.
Scott points out that in the last 10 years the Club has moved to different locations five
times. Fortunately, the majority of its original founders are still around, and that the Club still
exists today is due largely to the dedication, labor, and personal sacrifice of a few people like
Phil Schafer, Don Bartels, and Bob Partridge.
Homage to Partridge comes in an adjacent article to Scotts above. In
it, Wan Quei-Sum has this to say:
[At this Feb. 27th Club Banquet,] a plaque was presented to Bob
Partridge from all the members of the Club, and he received a standing
ovation. The honor was befitting for the man who, besides being a cofounder of the Club, has nurtured and guided it throughout the years.
Always courteous to others, he is a fine example of good sportsmanship. He
has never been known to lose control of his temper with anyone in the Club.
Bob was born and raised in Buffalo, N.Y., and later moved to Spokane,
Washington. While in Spokane, he became interested in table tennisan
Bob Partridge
interest that later developed into love. Bobs earliest table tennis experience
Photo by Tom Miller was playing in a garage. Having defeated all the neighborhood kids, he went
on to join a table tennis club that existed then in Spokane, and in time rose
to become its top player.
Today Bob and his wife Pat live in Lafayette, CA. Bob is a successful insurance businessman with an office in San Francisco. The Partridges have two sons and a daughter. Both Tom, the
older son, and Doug are marriedTom with two sons of his own. Sue is living in Seattle.
Blessed with a very sympathetic and supportive wife, Bob continues to play table
tennis and has acquired a collection of trophies from countless tournaments. Now silver-haired
and in middle age, Bob does not play a powerful game any more. Still hes fiercely competitive, and a great many foes find him hard to beat. He uses a combination bat which has a secret
brand anti-spin rubber. When he attacks with that backhand anti-spin, he can be devastating.
Since Bob is a National Umpire, no one seems ever to have asked him about the legality of
that unknown brand of rubber.
Some people may remember that Bob umpired the match between D-J Lee and World
finalist Cai Zhenhua during the 1981 U.S. Open. The high point of Bobs table tennis career,
however, was when he took Pat with him to the 77 Birmingham, England World Championships.
Both Bob and Pat also enjoy yachting, and they have their own yacht.
The Concord Club [with space enough to set up 14 tables] has a reputation for running
top-quality tournaments. This in large part is due to the driving force, the energy and the
dedication of Bob Partridge.
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Winners at the Arizona Open (Phoenix, Feb.

27-28): Open Singles: Ricky Guillen over Bernie
Bukiet, -14, 11, 20, 15. Semis; Guillen over John
Merkel, -11, 16, 20, 17; Bukiet over Mike Baltaxe in five.
Best quarters: Baltaxe over Randy Nedrow, 24-22 in the
4th; Bukiet over Mark Wampler in five. Womens: Carol
Davidson over Thomasina Burke. Open Doubles (?). Mixed
Doubles: Guillen/Kim Gilbert over Merkel/T. Burke, 16 in
the 5th. Senior Esquires: Richard Badger over Eugene
Wilson. Esquires: Bukiet over Badger. Esquires U-1700:
Paul Daniel over Ken Hoover, 19 in the 5th. Esquire Doubles:
Bukiet/Daniel over Badger/Wilson. Seniors: Bukiet over
Randy Nedrow (2010)
Dennis Gresham. Senior Doubles: Vincent McMenamy/Dave
Photo by Mal Anderson
Alvarez over Hoover/Robert Groenig. U-17: Stevan
Rodriguez over Gilbert, 16, 21, -11, -24, 21. U-15: Dan
Bryan over Toni Gresham.
As: Charles Childers over Steve Betts. Bs: Harold
Kopper over Zahid Tufall, -9, 20, 19, then over Don McDonald,
19 in the 5th. Cs: T. Burke over Bill Burke, 24-22 in the 5th. U3600 Doubles: Compton/McMenamy over John Harrington/
Bryan. Ds: J. Gee over Gilbert, 16 in the 5th. U-3200 Doubles:
Dang/Sukianto over Robert Compton/Alvarez in five. Es: Ken
Martin over T. Gresham. Fs: Ben Davis over Filemon
Rodriguez, 24-22 in the 5th. Gs: Kevin Blatenford over Gildo
Meniccaci. Hard Rubber: Nedrow over Mark DaVee.
Since Albuquerques Tom Wintrich (TTT, May-June,
1982, 18) knows from his own open-space travels that the
closest tournament to him is 450 miles away, hes very aware
that if he wants people to come to his Mar. 27-28 Manzano Five
John Harrington (2010)
Open, hes got to entice them with some goodies. Thus, its
Photo by Mal Anderson
best to offer multiple match play; award cash prizes instead of
trophies; and complete the competition early on the second day. In addition, if you cleverly
time-schedule the tournament, and throw in unlimited coffee and a few dozen doughnuts, as
well as all the beer and pizza your entrants can consume, then you guarantee your supporters a
tournament well worth their patronage. Tom thanks Vic Smith and the GreshamsLiz,
Dennis, and Tonifor their constant support
Donn
Results: A Singles. 1. Tien Van (2148), who went
Olsen
the distance losing only two games (13, 8, -21, -22, 10).
Yep, he was just cruisin along until all of a sudden
Wintrich became very stubborn. In fact, said Tom,
When penholder Tien started returning my high-toss
serves with his wood late in the third and fourth games, I
thought, because of his cautious play, I had him. 2.
Donn Olsen, who, playing aggressively, downed 3rd-place
finisher Tom and the other semifinalist Paul Williams. B
Singles: 1. Ben Ross (hed been upset in two deuce
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games in the pre-lims by Albuquerque Club President Vic Smith). 2. Liz Gresham. 3. Bill
Walsh. 4. Dave Alvarez. C Singles: 1. Thomas Kwan. 2. Ben Herrera. 3. Danny Valdez. 4. Joe
Abeyta. A Doubles: Van/Ross. B Doubles: Robert Compton/Alvarez.
Dean Herman (TTT, Apr., 1982, 20), writes of his son, Dean, Jr.s excitement at improving his table tennis playuntil one day the unthinkable happened.
Dean had started at age 11 playing on the kitchen table with a net and two old paddles
bought at a goodwill store. Soon, though, his mom said, No more playing on the kitchen
table! So, o.k., his dad bought a For Sale $40 table. Problem was Dean had only a six-yearold sister (though soon shed be playing regularly herself) and at this point a rather disinterested father to hit with. However, one day Dean read where there was a table tennis tournament in Boulder, CO, and begged his father to take him therewhich he did. And soon,
because of the kids great interest, the whole family was hooked on the sport.
Twice a week Dean would go to the local clubs and all the tournaments his family
could manage to help him to. One of his biggest thrills was at Las Vegas where he took the 3rd
Place trophy in the U-1350s. There followed for the young teenager lessons with Coach
Marty Prager whod moved into the Denver area, and the boys progress continuedhis
rating was now 1500. When Prager left Colorado, no need to worry, Howie Grossman was
there to coach him. Then
Dean was in a terrible automobile accident, and had been rushed to St. Anthonys
Hospital in a flight-for-life helicopter. Heres a saddened Dean, Sr., with a trauma of his own
to work out, to tell us what happened after that:
By the time we [Dean, Sr. and his wife] reached the hospital a priest was with Dean, and three doctors were feverishly working
over him trying to keep him alive.
The doctor said he had to perform immediate surgery if Dean
was to have any chance of surviving. After the internal bleeding was
stopped by removing his spleen, he was rushed to another room to see
how severe his head injuries were. We were relieved to hear although
he was in a coma the doctors felt he would eventually regain consciousnessalthough they were uncertain just when. In addition, hed
suffered a bad break in his right leg and a broken arm.
After a lot of prayers and tearseven broken bones seemed
Dean Herman, Jr.
mild in comparison to the complicated head injuries hed received
Dean regained consciousness three days later. The first thing he asked was, Will I be able to
play table tennis again? The next question was, Can I see Howard Grossman? It was then I
realized how much of an impact table tennis had made on his life. [And on how many others
lives too?]
After spending nearly five weeks in the hospital, Dean finally was coming home. All he
could talk about was getting the cast off his arm so he could swing his Sriver again. He was
using a walker to get around with while his severely injured leg was healing. He began hitting
with his left hand while waiting for his right arm to heal. Hed suffered some paralysis to his
right side but his doctor felt that in time he would overcome this obstacle as the brain would
begin to heal.
It has been nearly eight months now since the accident. At first Dean jumped back into
the sport with more enthusiasm than ever. But with each trip to the Club his confidence and
280

self-assurance seemed to wane. It was very difficult for him to see his sister (whom he used to
spot 10-15 points) now play him to a stand-still.
At the Club the members were very sympathetic and encouraging (they even made him
Treasurer of the Club), but it was tough for Dean to lose to players he used to beat quite
easily. It seemed like the harder he practiced at home the worse his game became at the Club.
It finally reached the point where he just couldnt stand to see his once proud rating fall anymore. Hence, that Friday night came when he said he wouldnt be going to the Club. [No, not
a happy ending. But]
As I look back, Im so happy the kids took up the sport. We have never had any
problem with drugs, alcohol, or discipline. I think table tennis has been a very positive influence in their livesat a time when theyve been most vulnerable.
Dave Strang (TTT, May-June, 1982, 23) covers Akron, Ohios Mar. 13-14 Rubber City
Open. He thanks Rick Hardy and Don Story for their able assistance at the control desk. And he
also gives more than a nod of appreciation to Mike Prendergast, Vern Weingart, and Don Bassette
for successfully implementing the new and unconventional all-round-robin format being used
here. Over 60 players were willing to pay $8 to $15 dollars per event to play a guaranteed 4, 6, 8,
even 10 matches per event. One player in the U-1700 event, Ray Martino, played eight matches
and picked up 234 rating points!
Chief casualty in the Open Singles beginning
round robin was Ohio Champion Simon Shtofmakher.
Hed been under 25-pound traction in a hospital for
two weeks last year after an auto accident, and was
still playing without his usual power. His 3-3 opening
round robin play left him no chance to reach the
semifinal round. He lost to Ben Nisbet and also to
both Randy Seemiller and Youngstowns Phil Panno,
deuce in the third. Panno, however, whod won the
Ohio/Michigan Regional VII Qualifier for the National
Intercollegiates (Seemillerd won the Pennsylvania IV
one), didnt
reach the round
robin semis.
Randy got
to the final four
with a 5-0
Simon Shtofmakher
record and an
Photo by Mal Anderson
assist from Jim
Dixon whod
phoned in his entry but never showed. Others joining Randy
in the semis were the undefeated Nisbet, Bobby Powell
(who had to carry over his loss to Seemiller), and Aarne
Kylakallio, an Erie, PA exchange student from Finland (who
had a carryover loss to Nisbet).
In the semis, Seemiller went his straight-game way
Randy Seemiller
over
Nisbet and Kylakallio to finish first. Ben was also
Photo by Cam Clark
281

beaten by a fired up Bobby Powell in an exciting match punctuated by some amazing long
counter-driving rallies, outrageous angle shots, and an around-the-net sidespin loop by Powell
that caused an uproar in the audience watching. I think the ball skidded rather than bounced.
Kylakallio then turned in a brilliant performance, upsetting Powell 22-20, 19-21, 22-20. The
Finn pulled it out with his exceptional serves and his quick, two-winged attack. He has an
outstanding, aggressive backhandwhich was a real plus against the left-handed Powell.
Ironically, the two upsets canceled each other out, and after going to the game-records to
break a three-way tie for the second and third place prize money, it was clear that those seeded
higher finished higherNisbet came second, Powell third, and Kylakallio fourth.
Other results: U-2050: 1. Bob Cordell. 2. Jim Repasy. U-1900: 1. Strang. 2. Jerry
Denno. U-1700: Vong Doan. 2. Denno. U-1500: James Armocida. 2. Ray Panik. U-1300: 1.
Muqsood Dawood. 2. Dave Blair. Esquires: 1. Terry Mazzaco. 2. Bob Allen. Seniors: 1.
Mazzaco. 2. Weingart. U-17: Dave Skrzypek. 2. Brad Hudson. U-15: Jamie Dixon. 2. Jeff
Darwish.
Ron Schull, in reporting on the popular Ohio Team Championships, held in Dayton
March 27-28 (TTT, May-June, 1982, 22), complimented Lyle Thiem on a well-run tournamentone that Lyle hopes will be his last at this facility. Heres why:
There hasnt been any central heating for three years, and this years severe winter
froze and ruptured the water pipes, which necessitated the use of a porta-potty. Some practical
joker put an elaborate sign on the door. It showed a bright red cut-out table tennis paddle
fastened on with a paper fastener that moved from side to side to cover either the male or
female gender symbol with a caption at the top: UNISEXUAL TOILET
FACILITYPLEASE INDICATE GENDER OF OCCUPANT.
Winner of the 17-team field was the Bob-Hudson-sponsored Columbus Yasaka foursome of Bob Powell, Bob Cordell, Jim Repasy, and Ron Schull. They downed the otherwise
undefeated runner-up Dayton I team (Ian Mailing, Larry Hensley, and Sam Nusinow), 5-0.
However, Columbus did have to work some. Cordell, with help from Coach Powell, pulled out
a -19, 20, 17 match against Mailing whod boomed ace backhand hits through him. Powell
also had to struggle against Hensley who was tenacious with his long pips/inverted, flip-thepaddle-in-the-middle-of-the-point defense. Against Repasy, Nusinow, down 19-20 in the first,
mis-served by double-hitting the balland that was the end of Daytons resistance.
Much more exciting was the Saturday-night scare given Columbus Yasaka by a makeup team from Dayton called the Flash Backs. Heres Ron to tell us about it:
If Flash Backs sounds like an odd name for a table tennis team, you might consider
that its the name of a downtown bar in Dayton! Another twist was that Tim OGrosky was the
#1 player on that team, rather than the Dayton #1 team. The tie started after midnight and
finished well after 1:30 Sunday morning. OGrosky pulled out three death-struggle matches
against Repasy, 11, -17, 17against Cordell, 19, 19and against Powell, 20, 19. Tim then
got unexpected help when an inspired Cam Clark prevailed, 13, -13, 18, over Cordell who
wasnt at his best with little more than four hours sleep in the last 48. With the tie at 4-all,
however, the Columbus favorites scored the decider as Repasy finished off Greg Maynard, 13
and 16. Whos up next? said Greg fresh off the table. What! He didnt know hed been
playing the deciding match! Said he might have choked if hed known that!
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In an article called Goodbye Big Place (TTT, July-Aug., 1982,

22) Lyle Thiem will follow up on Ron Schulls comments about the
severe winter freeze that affected the Dayton T.T. Center:
Needless to say we are in violation of the City building code.
I cant fault the landlord for not repairing the plumbing. What he
says is true: it will just freeze next year and break again. He has
modernized some offices beneath us and he doesnt want water
damage from above anymore. He only rented this space to me as a
personal favor anyhow. He isnt dependent on any rental income. It
would be too expensive to heat the large area with forced air, and
the original antiquated steam system has been dismantled.
Im not sure yet where we are going. The way I feel today, tired
and totally wasted, I wonder if its wise to go anywhere. You see,
Lyle Thiem
we just had our last tournament here yesterday [May 15] and I
Photo by Ken Lowden
always feel exhausted the day after holding a tournament. Im here
alone today cleaning up the big place. Picking up pop bottles,
throwing Arbys bags and coffee cups in the trash, sweeping up cigarette butts, etc. Really, do
I want to do it anymore, anywhere? Do I have some kind of chronic sickness to want to
continually torture myself? Maybe Ill feel better tomorrow and look at things differently.
Let me reflect a while on the past eight years we have been here in the big place.
During that time we ran an average of one tournament a month. Thats nearly 100 tournaments. I must say I basically have enjoyed it, but it has taken a lot of my time away from Bev
and our two daughters. I surely owe them a lot of thanks for putting up with that. The girls are
both married and away from home now, but Ive promised Bev that if we start another Club it
wont consume anymore of my time.
[Lyle now thanks all the regulars who have attended his tournaments.] A special
thanks has to go to my friend Andy Gad, who I never thank often enough for all the help hes
been in running tournaments, helping with the League, giving me advice, and just being so
faithful and so interested in the Sport and the survival of the Club.
I believe that all but one tournament was a financial success, and the Club did show a
profit each yearthat is, if I dont figure the value of my time
at more than 50 cents an hour. Maybe at a new location I can
make enough to pay for the time invested in the past. I hope
things work out and we get another site. After carrying out
five loads of trash today Im really not too enthusiastic, but
Im sure that after a good nights rest Ill once again be
anxious to hear that bouncing celluloid ball.
Brenda Reid reports on the 9th Annual Mississippi
Closed, held Feb. 27th on the campus of Mississippi State
University. A field of about 70 players participated, making
this the largest Closed tourney ever held in Mississippi. It was
sponsored by the MSU T.T. Club and ably run by Joe
Ferguson, one of the best tournament directors in the South.
Results: Championship Singles: 1. MSU student Cho
Sheung
Lee successfully defended his Championship by
Cho Sheung Lee
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defeating runner-up Richard Fung-A-Fat, 17, 17, 2. Womens (11 entries): Agnes Tang over
Leslie Giltz, 13, 11. Championship Doubles: Lee/Hope Torkonoo over Julian Wright/H.
Bender. Mixed Doubles: Fung-A-Fat/Tang over Lee/Reid. As: Torkonoo over Mike Pritchard
whod advanced over Chris Miller, 21, -18, 17. Bs: D. Dorsey over T. Vaughan. B Doubles:
Dorsey/Vaughan over Brian Burris/Ricky Hughes. Novice: A. Hussien over Eddie Lamar.
Seniors: Bender over Ferguson.
Bard Brenner, taking
Florida State Champions
time out from his introduction
to clogging and tap dancing at
his favorite Orlando clubs,
covers the Florida State Closed,
played Jan. 30-31 at Lock
Haven Park in Orlando under
the direction of Olga Soltesz,
Orlandos First Lady of table
tennis. Results: Championship
Singles: Final: Greg Gingold, in
five, over Newgy Pro-Manager
Marty Prager, then, three
straight, over Ron Rigo.
Womens: Soltesz over Bev
Hess Patterson. Championship
Doubles: Gingold and Kit
Jeerapaet over Brian
Miezejewski and Jerry
Thrasher who didnt compete in singles as a protest
over the playing conditions
at the tournament site.
Seniors: Steve Rigo over John Maley
(from down 2-0). Juniors: Jeerapaet
over David Leibowitz.
As: Pat Patterson over Soltesz.
Bs: Larry Gold over Lance Rosemore,
18 in the 4th. B Doubles: Gold/Ray
Look over Doug Wilcock/Michael
Lansford. Cs: Cameron Phipps, -20,
22, 22, -22, 14, over Maley whod
advanced over Scott Baker, deuce in
the 3rd. Ds: Leibowitz over Vern
Thomas. Es: Frank Hanley over Steve
McLaren.
Bard Brenner (TTT, Apr., 1982,
23) would say, We dont need to eye
Freds picture at Newgys to remember
its his time againthe Feb. $1,000
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Fred Fuhrman Memorial Open. The perpetual Cup that bears his name and goes annually to
the winner of the Championship Singles was made possible by donations from well-known
members of the Miami Club: Marv and Caron Leff, Bob Walker, Laszlo Bellak, Bard Brenner,
Joe Newgarden, Elmer Levin, Joe Sokoloff, and Joe Purnell. When the Fuhrman family
arrived to present this Cup and the other awards, Bard said, I thought I saw a ghost, so
strong was the father/son resemblance, when Jerry Fuhrman entered the room. Then Caron
Leff had a very emotional reunion with Freds widow Olga.
Results: Championship Singles: 1. Jerry
Thrasher (who after this tournament leaves
for league play in Germany). 2. Jamaicas
Dennis Duncan. 3. Former Cuban National
Champion Roberto Garcia. 4. Malaysian
immigrant Linda Chong. Best matches:
Chong in five over John Shaun Hayes; and
Duncan in a succession of winsover Prager,
deuce in the 4th, over Garcia, deuce in the 3rd;
and over Chong, 19 in the 4th. Womens: 1.
Judy Tun. 2. Linda Chong (defaulted to Tun
because exhausted from playing all her other
Dennis Duncan
matches). 3. Olga Soltesz. Championship
Doubles: Tun/Chong over Duncan/Anderson.
As: Russ Wyatt over Chong. Bs: Gary Harbeck over Bill
Jerry Thrasher
Opdyke. Cs: Roman Teller over David Leibowitz. Ds: Steve
Photo by Mal Anderson
McLaren over Ray Glass. Beginners: Rene Tywang over Mike
rd
Kirby, deuce in the 3 . Novice Womens: Joyce Story over Lane Baggett. Seniors: Jim
Leggett over Ray Look whod escaped Hugh Lax, deuce in the 3rd. College Men: Scott
Beauregard over Leibowitz. College Women: Nadine Yuen over Kate Vlahakis. High School
Boys: Leibowitz over McLaren.
Its a testimony to Dave Sakai, whos always welcoming and encouraging players, that
at the Metro Invitational, held Jan. 30-31 at the McLean, VA club (Daves Club), all but one
of the top 20 players in the country who could conceivably have entered did so.
As expected, Danny Seemiller was the winner in the Over 2000 Top 14 event,
beating with 8, 14, 12 ease, runner-up B.K. Arunkumar, the immigrant Indian chopper who
continues to dominate the Virginia/Maryland tournament scene. Danny lost only one game
here in McLean, in an early round robin match with Philadelphias anti-spin artist Enoch
Green, which apparently so incensed Danny that he thrashed poor Enoch 3 and 5 in the next
two games.
Undiscouraged, Enoch, flipping his racket skillfully, went on to manage straight-game
upsets over Brian Masters and Rey Domingo who, shaking his head after playing against that
shifting anti-spin, could only wail that his concentration was all mixed up.
Others, too, were a little mixed up. Igor Fraiman had Ricky Seemiller down 13-11 in
the deciding 3rd before faltering then coming to a dead stop at 14. Sakai just caught his breath
in time to outlast Barry Dattel who was also having a choking fit. Ohh, the last time theyd
played, Barryd had Dave 17-10 in the final game but couldnt put him away. Of course if
Barry gets too frustrated, he can always teach tennishe has an Eastern ranking. Losing to
Dattel in their crossover match was Larry Hodges whose Ace bandaged attested to the fact
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that hed been out of action since his (torn tendon?) injury at the USOTCs. As for Domingo,
though he said it was the worst tournament he could remember having, he did barely beat out
Brian Masters, deuce in the 3rd on a skid ball.
Before meeting Danny, Kumar had not dropped a game. Not to U.S. Team member
Ricky Seemiller whos lost to him three straight times now. (If you cant hit Kumars nothing
ball through himand Ricky cantforget trying to beat him, said Danny.) Nor had Kumar
lost a game to U.S. Closed quarterfinalist Domingo. (Paul Rubas, the U-2000 winner here,
said hed recently been in the Philippines, where they still think Reys #1 therethough, uh, a
good Chinese player has recently arrived.) Nor had Kumar lost a game to the wily Sakai who
sooner or later will maneuver this beautiful pick-hitter into expedite (and still wont beat him).
Kumar doesnt attack much, said one spectator, but when he does, I never see him miss.
But against Dannys serve and explosive follow, Kumar was soon forced to admit to
himself that he had no chance. Dannys brother Ricky said, Danny hooks the ball out of his
backhand corner. This forces Kumar if hes to handle the speed and spin to move farther away
from the table. Thus the angle of his return becomes greater as hes forced to reach for the
ball, and if it comes back highgoodbye.
Players will soon have a respite from Dannys superior play, though, for hell have that
hernia operation hes been putting off and will then be recuperating until the middle of April.
Wish him a complete and speedy recovery, for over the years hes unquestionably always
stretched himself to do his very best for us.
Other Metro Results: U-2000 (1st/2nd Place finishers): Paul Rubas over Barney Reed,
23-21 in the 3rd. U-2000 (3rd/4th Place finishers): Pat Lui over Morris Jackson. U-2000 (5th/6th
Place finishers): Tom Steen over Dave Skipton. U-2000 (7th/8th Place finishers): Scott Holzman
over John Olsen. U-1700 (1st/2nd Place finishers): Gonda over Guou Toker, 23-21 in the 3rd. U1700 (3rd/4th Place finishers): Wetzler over Miller. U-1700 (5th/6th/7th Place finishers): Norman
Labrador over Ty Hoff. U-1700 (8th/9th/10th/11th Place finishers): Dana Hanson over Bob
Stephens, 19 in the 3rd.
Topics May-June, 1982 Junior of the Month isJunior Tebbe:
This months deserving Junior, though little known outside his Northern Virginia Club
in McLean, has been having an exceptional tournament season, has, in fact, on many an occasion totally run away from the fieldright through the 9s and under and on up to the 17s and
then often giving those much older a hard time.
So many matches hes like pantingly been involved in and yet he seldom poops out. In
the morning, even before he goes to Dave Sakais Club, his child-like imagination is quickly
aroused. From the minute John Tebbe, his father, manager, coachcall him what you will
takes that turn off Route 7, Junior knows exactly where hes going andtalk about a
Pavlovian responsebegins getting excited, as excited as, well, The Hodge. Andwow
when he comes into the Club on a slushy spring-tournament morning and sees those inviting
green tables and barriersespecially the hydrant-high barriers all set up, back and forth he
goes, shaking himself, as if, no matter how many times hes been welcomed by Donna Newell
on high at the control desk, by Nate Sussman (not at the control desk), or by an encouraging
Herbie Horton, his intensity (as you can see from the accompanying photo) shows.
Competitive as he is, its often been observed that, like Charlie Rodriguez, the Puerto
Rican Champion, hes even learned to growl a little as a match has gotten close. And good as
Junior is at singles, the better is he at doublesas if he really needs someone by his side to
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bring out the best in him. According to Sussman, who

Junior
so well remembers the times hes been right there at
Tebbe
the table with him, Junior knows very quickly just
Photo by
Kathy
how to sniff out a players weakness.
ONeill
As for exercise, he never seems to get
enough. And sometimes his drills are very disciplined.
For example, in one very much to his liking, he
balances on his tail bone, Id guess youd say, and
both hands up, paw-like, watches carefully as Horton
opposite him readies his forehand. Again and again
Herbie tries to catch him with a drop shot, but Junior is always there to take whatever Herbie hands out.
As Club member Bob Kaminsky has appropriately pointed out, Junior is quick to work up an
appetite, a thirst. Hot dogsoh, as the Snyders well
know, thats what Junior really likes (onions of
course for his breath, but better hold the messy
mayo). He favors rich desserts too. Once, Ron Lilly, shortly after his arrival at the Club from a
French bakery, had to yell at Tebbe, Sr. Damn, dont you have any control over your son?
For Junior, unasked, had gotten his nose into Rons uncut pie. And more than once young
Junior has been known to acquire a very questionable back and forth saunter from drinking
too much beerthanks but no thanks to his father and NVTTC bartender John Vos.
Actually, Junior often keeps to himself and really doesnt cause too much trouble.
(Many in the Club have said privately, We dont mind Juniorjust get Tebbe out of here.)
Of course neither father nor son can stand to be teasedas they were rather recently.
Into the Club this past Valentines Day (like out of an old Ed Sullivan variety act) came Tebbe
Sr. and Jr., the latter wearing something garishly mod around his neckfrom which (picture
four strings floating slowly, slowly up, up, upward) dangled gaily-colored balloons. Junior,
both before and after, looked a sight. But that was nothing compared to Tebbe, Sr. when later
he discovered Sean ONeill (another of the Clubs Juniors) had secretly tied Tebbes pack of
cigarettes to one of the balloons now hugging the 40-foot ceiling,
As you might imagine, neither of the Tebbes is what youd call a show dog. Tebbe is
always dressed very comfortably, casually, not to say beer-stained sloppily; and Junior, why,
hed just as soon play with old Sriver, real old Sriver, and eat pips off Kaminskys and Vertas
playing cards or Rubass potato or backgammon chips
Though as one wag said, Tebbes game has long since gone to the dogs, its obvious
that, though Juniors enthusiasm might have to be checked, he is still an excellent prospectI mean, people know immediately when hes entered a room.
Perhaps, Pat ONeill, you could use your international connections? See about this
Junior going to China? Oh, sure, he may be the best in McLean, in all of Virginia, or even in
the whole United States. But would he be the best in Peking? And would he (like those by the
dawns early light who tell such awful jokes at Daves Club) get along with the Pekingese?
Dave Ferreys big news (TTT, July-Aug., 1982, 22) is that 32 teams and a total of
more than 100 players made the trip to Bethlehem to compete in the Northampton Community
College TTC-sponsored Mar. 27-28 Pennsylvania Team Championships. Unchallenged Satur287

day winners were Ricky, Randy, and Timmy Seemiller. The Philadelphia runner-ups for the day were Stan Smolanowicz, Sam
Balamoun, and Parvis Mojaverian, tested but a little when Stan lost
a game to NCACCs Mark Vrable, and Sam barely eked out a 19in-the-third win over Ferrey. One upset in Saturday play, however,
occurred when the very hot team of Captain Barney Reed, Todd
Ingram, and Max McAllister downed the 5th-seeded Pittsburgh
team of Bill and Mike Walk and Gary Martin. Even Mikes heroics
couldnt save his team. He would go undefeated for the tournament, but couldnt match records with the other top players once
his team had to settle for Class A play.
Barney D. Reed...
Reaching the final against the Seemillers on Sunday was the
a few years hence
team of Steve Lowry, Ben Nisbet, Jim Doney, and Jeff Young.
They thrashed the Philadelphians, 5-1, when only Balamoun could score a winover Lowry.
The final went to the Seemillers (Ricky winning three, and Timmy losing three) when Ben but
not Jim, even with his big backhand loop, threatened to make Randy the goat.
Class A was won by the Walks and Martin over another Pittsburgh team of Hank
Colker, Jerry Schaub, and Carl Willis. Class B winners were Tom Steen (with three wins), Vic
McCoy, and Pat Hernan over Dan Walk, Joe Ramirez, and Dan Miller. Best in Class C was the
Hazelton team of Dave and Bill Caravella, Jeff Sabrowsky (three wins), and Frank Biskupics
over an NCACC host team of Dave Fulcomer, Rich Sosis, and Chris Bolmer.
Class D winner was the Newtown II team of Erich Haring, Horst Zodrow, Tom
Darigo, and Marty Flynn who beatwell, some team. Muhlenberg College student Keith
Minnich raised his 1350 rating considerably with his 12 wins and 6 losses.
At the business meeting of the Pensylvania TTA, Professor Dan Simon was elected
the new President. Hell be replacing Sam Steiner who served as President for many years.
Bob Hawck will be the new Vice-President, Dave Ferrey the new Secretary, and Bill Walk will
continue to serve as Treasurer.
Lehigh Valley Open
Dan and Patti Simons 247-entry Lehigh Valley Open, played Feb. 13-14 at Bethlehem,
PA, was again this winters bright-star, biggest and best tournament. In addition to the support
shown him by his wife Patti and daughter Pam, Dan was fortunate to have the always gentlemanly help of Manny Moskowitz and Harry Stern to bear the burden of much of the umpiring,
and the experienced, efficient Dennis Masters to give a big assist at the control desk. Other
indispensable workers were Dave and Donna Ferrey, Rich Sunny, Bill Kohut, and John Vrabel.
Dave Fulcomer was runner-up in the Class Es to Rich Sosis. Chris Bolmer came second in the
Fs to Alan Fendrick. And Mark Vrabel (though surely not with his mini anti-on-one-side
exhibition racket) won both the Ds over John Jarema and the U-3200 Doubles with Bolmer
over Norman Labrador/Larry Johnson. The publicity, too, was as much as could be expectedwith Rey Domingos picture in the local paper and WFMZ-TV (Allentowns Channel
69) filming lots of the action and interviewing Sean ONeill, Scott Butler, and me, Tim.
The Open Singles of course drew the most spectator attention. Ill begin with notable
matches in the 16ths. George Cameron, who was upset in the As by Michigans Cody Jones,
knifed away at the strings of Sam Balamouns balloon defense to win in three. Stan
Smolanowicz dropped the first game to Barry Dattel, but won the next two. Barrys one more
288

college graduate looking for work. They keep telling me I need experiencebut how can I get
experience without a job? Dave Sakai lost 10 and 10 to newly-arrived Israeli Eyal (pronounced AAl) Adini. Eyal, whos studying at NYCs Baruch College, said he tried to keep the ball short, then
spin, then cut it, then spin some more. Dave (with partner Brian Masters) lost in the semis of the Open
Doubles to the winners Ricky and Randy Seemiller, 19 in the 3rd (after, ohhh, being down 20-12).
Undefeated Id always been playing young ONeillbut years have passed, and though I
won the Esquires over a no longer shaved-head but sideburn-grey Bill Sharpe, I couldnt contest
the match with Sean. Sean footstamped, yes, said umpire Manny Moskowitz, but the footstamp
was made in the exertion, the execution of the shot and not deliberately for the sake of disruption or
distraction: therefore I allowed it.
So, o.k., who could argue with that?
Horace Roberts
Photo by
Mal Anderson

Yep, Sol can still play.

Photo by Mal Anderson

Or who could deny that Sol Schiff could still play? He and the younger Apertini from
the NYC Hungarian Club won the U-3600 Doubles by defeating Bob Saperstein and Marty
Theil, runner-up in the Cs to Joe Polselli, Jr. Jim Doney stopped Horace Roberts who said he
might be moving to Vegas soonto go into the hotel business. Simon Shtofmahker took out
Brown University math and eco major Maurice Taylor in straight games. But Maurice came
right back to win the $100 first prize in the Class As over Jeff Young, Charlie Rodriguez, Pandit
Dean, and runner-up Sparky James. Taylor beat Dean 25-23 in the 3rd, after being down doublematch-point only to get a break when Pandit opted to passively push-return two serves.
Earlier, Maurice had dropped a game to Young, Class B winner over Mike Walk. Jeff, a
student at the University of Pittsburgh, is a boxing fan and every year on coming to this Lehigh
Valley tournament makes it a point to go to Larry Holmess house in the areajust to have a look
anyway. Maurice, who came to the U.S. 10 years ago from Switzerland, said hell probably go to
Geneva this summer and train with the Swiss team. A small country it is, yes, but in Geneva alone
there are 40 table tennis clubs, and Maurices club alone has 300 members.
Against Randy Seemiller, Sparky James, who says he plays three times a week at his Rhode
Island Club, was up 10-5 in both gamesbut then when Randy began using more anti, Sparky
couldnt win either. At the end of January, Randy had come to the Northampton Club here and had
scored points with the locals by conducting a How to Prepare for the Tournament Clinic.
After winning the As and almost beating George Brathwaite in the Open at Westfield
the week before, Brian Eisner decided to put off his contemplated Vernon Valley skiing trip
and so found himself almost taking a tumble against Pandit Dean. Down 18-17 in the 3rd,
Brian, distracted by a ball coming into his line of vision, swung then called a let. Technically,
Brian could have lost the point, but Pandit let it goand lost the next four points and the
match. Small consolation, was it, that he later beat Brian in the As?
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In the first of the 8ths matches I describe, George Camerons table game, as one fellow
put it, is just awful for as good a player as he is, but he did smack in one of his tremendous
loop kills to take a deuce game from Ricky Seemiller.
Smolanowicz downed Adini, 27, -20, 19, -18, 12. Although Stan was complaining that hed
lost his forehand hit, his strong spin game was very effective. Adini put up strong resistance, kept
trying to push-return his pips into Stans middle, the better to start his ex-tennis players attack. But
in the 5th he got off to a 6-0, 10-1-down start and couldnt recover. For two years Adini was an allIsraeli Team Champion, along with fellow members Dror Polak, the 1975 U.S. Open Junior Champion, and Menachem Stein who after the Birmingham Worlds was reportedly so depressed (by the
fact that earlier hed been suspended from the Israeli Team or that Id beaten him in the semis of
the World Press tournament) that hed become a Hare Krishna.
Putting up a growling four-game dog fight against young
ONeill was Charlie Rodriguez, the Puerto Rican Champion. The
round before, Charlie had taken out Bill Sharpe, Senior finalist
(whod beaten Bill Walk after Bill had eliminated me). Im going
back to pips out, Sharpe had said. I need a slow loop. In the
first game against Sean, Charlie (for those of you who watch TVs
Hill Street Blues) let out a Belker-like GrrrGrrrGrrr on
top-spinning his way to deucethen served off, eventually lost
the game, 25-23. Again, in the third, with the score all tied up,
Sean looked a little startledlike he didnt want to risk a rabies
shotbut again prevailed at 19.
Looking also more than a little uncomfortable until deep
into his match with 14-year-old Scott Butler was Senior Champ
George
The
Charlie Rodriguez
Chief
Brathwaite. In fact, The Chief on
losing the first two games at 6 and
16, looked almost paralyzed. Said his
self-appointed coaches, George
youve got to play slower. Youve got
to towel off a few times, let the ball
roll, pick it up at the barrier. The kids
angling you too much. Youre playing
too much at his pace.
George Brathwaite
But The Chief hung in there
Photo by Mal Anderson
and at 20-19 his favor in the third,
the turning point finally came. Scott
had a forehand to hitbut at the last
moment checked his swing, half
stopped his stroke, and dumped the
ball into the net. When, then, from
15-all in the 4th, Butler couldnt win
itin going backhand to backhand
with George, Scott ought to try
290

changing the pace?you could see it was all over. In the fifth, Scott, though he often moves
well laterally, couldnt get his feet set to smack in a winner, and down 14-8 was again stopping
his stroke. Spin, spin, spin. Keep the ball in play. Concentrate. That was what George had to
doall he had to doto win. Later he was saying, as if to Cameron, So many guys think
that Power is table tennis. Power isnt table tennis.
Having trouble with Shtofmahkers slow spin was Masters. But after dropping the first
game, Brian won in threethough not without a late fourth-game glitch. Down match point,
Shtofmahker (the name means Shotmaker) started a juggle of a high-toss serve, then
stepped in front of the ball as it came down, and circus-like hit it behind his head. What
thebut it was a good serve, and Brian, startled, failed to return it.
Also playing Brianthough he was out there on court against Randy Seemillerwas
the not easily definable Lim Ming Chui. Ming still couldnt get over his big USOTC team-tie
match with Masters, Up 19-18 in the 3rd, said Ming (verbalizing later what hed repeatedly
been thinking), I try to serve to one corner and the ball goes to the other. I would have
caught Brian going the wrong way but instead he goes the right way. Chui as he served had
almost missed the ball completely, missed it so much that he hit it to the opposite corner
intended, and so played right into Brians handsand feet. So naturally with Fate against him
like that he lost from 19-all and his team was symmetrically 4-3 down instead of 4-3 up. Sure
is something to think about alright. Most people, though, however sympathetic, would say that
right now Ming should be concentrating more on his present match with Randy than his past
one with Brianespecially since, after having two game points in the first, hed lost it 22-20.
Randy had looped well against Mings serves that first game, whereas Ming had found
Randys serves hard to lift and so had resorted to push-returning them. But then, in the second, Randy too seemed to get a little confused and game-point down he served off. Then got
killed in the third.
In the 4th, Chui, down 15-5, suddenly wins a point and just as suddenly begins exhorting
himself to Stop daydreaming! and Play! Down 169 he says, Thats it!... Now
get five in a row!...Thats
1Thats 2, 3
more!And, unbelievable,
hes soon at 16-14. Mad,
inspired he is. Until at 19-all
he makes two errors and
loses the game after all. Now
Randys corner was huddling
him with advice. Dont
always spin down the line,
spin into Chuis underarm
that was one thing brother
Ricky said. But the advice
wasnt much needed, for
after his last charge had
failed, Ming couldnt muster
Lehigh Valley Open Winner: B.K. Arunkumar
another.
Photo by Mal Anderson
291

Kumar, the six-foot #2 seed at this Open, lets hear about him. In 1975, he represented
India in the Singles at the Calcutta Worlds, losing to Hsu Shao-fa, the best of the early Chinese
high-toss servers. Almost unknown in the U.S., except in the East, this strong, 23-year-old, pick-hit
defensive star (flippable Feint on the backhand, Black Power on the forehand) has been in this
country over a year and is now doing post- graduate engineering and computer work at Old
Dominion College in Norfolk, VA and playing tournaments on weekends. So far, only Danny
Seemiller has been able to beat him.
It therefore stunned everyone when, down 16-12 in the first, Brian Eisner, constantly
admonishing himself not to rush between points, caught Kumar and then, with still another
fearless serve and follow-up put away, 21-19 took the game. But, -13, -5, -13, could win none
thereafter. Said Brian, He adjusted, I didnt. Adjusted to what? I wondered, but didnt ask.
I really think that for the first time here and at Westfield I look like a serious player, said
Brianeven though I know Im not.
We come now to the Open quarters, and, as often happens in the later rounds, three of
the four matches were won in straight games. Ricky Seemiller, cheered on by Sheryl Richards,
his October bride-to-be, had no trouble with Smolanowicz who, married a year now and
wearing a playing shirt proclaiming table tennis The Other Indoor Sport, had his wife Sharon
rooting for him. Ricky said he had some time now (wont have later in the fall?) so hed like to
go out on the road, teach table tennis at various clubs. The only way this countrys gonna get
good is if some of us with the international know-how can start teaching it to lots of others.
Sean ONeill of course is only 14but he too has been around. He just returned from
six weeks in Sweden where he played for Nisse Sandbergs Angby Club and competed against
juniors whod qualified for the Swedish Open and other European international tournaments.
Against this competition he outright won an U-17 event and three out of four U-15 events. He
also managed to do some school work there. (Tres bien, said his French teacher on being
handed an assigned essay, so happy was she apparently just to get it).
After ONeill won the 19 first game from Brathwaite he was never again really
pressed. I can be a lot lazier now that Ive got a long reach, said the fast-growing Sean.
Seriously, Im always getting to the ball now. Its nice not to be smallnot to have to worry
about short balls anymore.
In the other half of the draw, Kumar, in between sips of Gatorade, was just too steady
for Randy. I think he tests you out in the first gameat least for the first 10 points, said
Randy. Thats the only way I could score.
Three years ago in his native Bangalore Kumar decided to change the rubber on his
racketprimarily to slow down the pace. I wanted a deep cut on my backhand, he said. So
he gave up lobbingconvincing himself that hed rather win than be spectacular. At first he
didnt play very well and all his friends were urging him to give up this racket. But after four
months he began to find the control he wanted.
Now, after his match with Kumar, Randy was saying he had constantly to learn how to
read Kumars ball. He uses the same stroke over and over againbut chops it high, middle,
or low at the bended knee, and high, middle, or low on the racket face. And then of course he
deceptively twirls the racket. His Feint comes straight out and he mixes it up on the backhand
with nothing balls that most playersincluding mehavent the power to smash through him.
Also, hes got such good anticipation and can get to so many drop shots that its difficult to
wear him down. Maybe if I had a slow loop.But I dont know whether you should write that
or not because then everyone would know I dont have one.
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The only quarters match that was excitBrian Masters

ing was Masters five-game win over Domingo.
Photo by Mal Anderson
Someone said Brian was able to win because,
though Rey chops the ball heavy close to the net,
Brian is very good at over the net play. Also,
Reys serves, normally so effective, break into
Brians lefty forehand, and so cause him little
trouble. From 15-all in the 5th, with Coach Sakais
encouraging words in the background, Masters is
relentlessly aggressive. Up 18-17, he scores a
perfect passing placement down Domingos
backhand, then wins the match on an edge.
Brian and Sean, then, are both left in the
Openand Ill speak of their semis in a moment.
But only in the U-21s will they get to play one
another. Sean had a nasty scare in the quarters of
this event when NYC penholder Stephen Mo had
him 10-3 at the turn. Said one observer, Steven
needs much more tournament experience, but at
least hes venturing out of Chinatown.
Masters, meanwhile, had a 19-in-the-3rd
semis squeaker with Scott Butler. Scott often had Brian out of position and yet it was Scott
who afterward said hed felt uncomfortable playing Brian.
Boy, Brians getting hyper, one of the young juniors watching the match was whispering
to another. Oh, he gets more hyper than that, replied his friend. He even says the F words.
Finalthats an F word. And Brian, cool or not, won it from Sean, deuce in the fourth.
Sean, however, had no difficulty capturing the U-17s from Scott Butler. The best
matches in this event were Lee Rosss three-game victory over Joe Polselli, and Jimmy
Butlers win over Womens winner Ai-ju Wu.
Jimmy celebrated his 11th birthday by taking
both the U-15s from Jasmine Wang, and the
U-13s from Vicki Wong.
In the Womens Singles, Ai-ju avenged
her loss to Donna Newell in an earlier event to
take the Womens title and $75 in what may
well have been the weakest draw in the
tournaments history. Ai-ju had been complaining about how Donna had been playing her in
and out and how Donnas pips were bringing
blocked ball after blocked ball back to her
forehand. But apparently the second time around
she and Coach Domingo figured out how to
combat the Sakai-Newell strategy. In the best
Womens match of the day, Jasmine Wang, who
seems to play so naturally, so effortlessly, just got
Ai-wen Wu
by Ai-wen Wu in a 23-21 thriller.
Photo by Mal Anderson
293

The Open semis match between Sean and Ricky was perhaps the most intense of the
tournamentthough it didnt start out that way. In the beginning, Sean was having considerable difficulty handling Rickys loops, and it didnt look like he could win. But when he took
the second game to even the match, Ricky suddenly seemed vulnerable. I thought if it went
five, Sean, like my son Eric five years ago (his 30-28-in-the-5th victory over Ricky had been his
first big win), would prevail.
Before the start of the 3rd game, Coach Sakai
told Sean to begin opening the point, but almost
immediately he was down 10-4 and didnt get to
double figures. Again Ricky looked like the winner.
More of the same in the fourth, was it? YesNo.
Sean, down 11-6, unpredictably began to find his
game, and from 13-all ran six straight to send the
match into the fifth. So far Sean was showing an
excellent temperament.
From 5-all in the 5th, ONeill, trying to keep the
ball short, twice failed to return serve and, much as
in the last game, was down 10-6. Then even at 12all. Then, ahead 17-14, he had Ricky out of position
but just missed a block winnerand screamed as if
hed been scalded. Now Seemiller, playing aggressively, went ahead 18-17. Serve to Sean though and
high-toss up and out, and Ricky couldnt make a
return. It stopped his momentum. Down 19-18,
Ricky missed a high ball. One more! shouts Sean,
and doubles up a not so little fist. Another throw-up
serve, but this time Rickys return goes right into
Seans gut20-19. Go for it, Sean, says father Pat
Sean ONeill
to himself. Go for it! Up and out hops a little
Photo by Robert Compton
sidespin serve andVrroom!the follow rockets in.
Ricky shakes hands, walks about dazedly, bangs around down in the locker room, and
finally sends himself to the showers.
In the other semis, Coach Sakai sent Brian out to play for the Rule. But this bit of
Masters-minding was a psychic horrorit only 8, 15, 9 expedited Brians demise. However,
what could you do if you didnt consistently play this 2400-2500 chopper? In 13 matches
against Kumar this season, Brian, Sean, and Dave had managed to win only two games between them.
The more surprising then that Sean, encouraging himself with a Get with it, Stay with
it little shuffle, was up 5-0, 7-1 in the first. But slowly, 7-4, 14-11, then with a 14-all, 21-16
rush, Kumar came on and Sean was gone.
For four years in his native state of Kavnataka, graduate-student Kumar had what he
calls a scholarship. Indian Airlines was providing him with a monthly stipend and free air
tickets to travel all around India playing in tournaments. Why, he wondered, didnt they
have something like that here in the U.S.?

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Chapter Twenty-Two
1982: April/May Tournaments (Troubled CA State Open Draws 28 Over 2000-Rated
PlayersJim Lane Stars).
We read (TTT, July, 1982, 20) that a new Portland Paddle Palace Center has opened.
Its a full-time facility operated by 1980 U.S. Mens Amateur Champion Dean Doyle. Housed
in a former Masonic Temple at 3536 SE 26th, its well-suited for six tables. The wood flooring
and fluorescent lighting make for excellent playing conditions. There is also a TV room, robot
room, pro shop, and plenty of lobby and viewing area. We also have room to house out-oftown players at a nominal fee on a first-call, first-served basis. This will work very nicely for
tournaments and summer coaching sessions.
We have leagues and programs planned to accommodate recreational to national level
players. There are individual, family, and guest rates. There is also a Booster Program available. This allows for five complimentary playing visits per year plus admission to all Paddle
Palace tournaments and exhibitions. The club hours are 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight, 7 days
a week.
Scott Wan reports on the $1,500 Northern California
Duc Luu
Open, held Apr. 17-18 at the Ygnacio Valley High School
in Concord, CA. Play, under Tournament Director Bob
Partridge, was on 12 Detroiter tables with favorable
conditions for the playershigh ceiling, good lighting, and
a hardwood floor. Results: Open Singles. Final: Jim Lane
over Dean Wong. 9, 19, -19, 18. Semis: Lane over the
former Vietnamese #2 Quang Do, 18, 14, 13; Wong over
Carlos Brignardello, a former runner-up in the Peruvian
Nationals, 18, 19, 10. Quarters: On the one side, it was
Lane over Mas Hashimoto; and Do over Wuk Kyong
Choes whod earlier eliminated recent immigrant Duc
Luu, formerly the #1 player and coach of the Vietnamese
National Team that Do played for. Duc plays shakehands
and uses a short, fast stroke to crack in winners. On the
other side, it was Wong against the L.A. Korean Clubs #1
woman, defensive star Jin Na, in four; and Brignadello
over Chalk Wu in five. Wan says Carlos a very intense
player who kept calling out Bravo! and some Spanish
words for self-encouragement. When not playing he
greeted everyone with friendly smiles.
Womens: 1. Jin Na, 5-0. 2. Kyung Mee Choi. 3. Jaime Medvene. 4. Erika Iqbal. 5.
Nancy Tyler. 6. Sheri Soderberg (later several-time USATT President). Open Doubles: Lane/
Brignardello over Wu/Wong. U-2200: Choes over Hashimoto. U-2050: Kil-su Kim over
George Sanguinetti. U-1900: Hans Nilsson over Eric Cheung. U-1750: James Therriault over
Ed Hu (from down 2-0). U-3350 Doubles: Lee Regier, Concord Club President with not a hair
out of place, and Harry Nelson, gum-chewing Livermore Club President, successfully defended against attackers Bill Lui, whos originally from Hong Kong, and Tony Horan, whos
originally from Wales. Someone in the audience suggested the match was a good example of
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Serenity overcoming Reckless Aggression. U-1600: Joe Holman over Tim Aquino, deuce in
the 5th. U-1400: Daniel Wong over Hai Nguyen, deuce in the 5th. U-2800 Doubles: Warren
Baxter/Frankovich over Shanilec/Wise.U-1100: Baxter over Skip Polacchi, 17 in the 5th.
Seniors: Azmy Ibrahim over Bill Poy, 17, 10, 19, after Azmy (rated 1945) barely escaped
Hadvan Nguyen (rated 1604), 16, -20, 21. U-17: Stevan Rodriguez over Shui-fai Lee.
Harold Kopper tells us that the Apr. 2-3 Riverside Youth Scholarship Open, the first
sanctioned tournament held in Riverside, CA, proved to be very successful. The tournament
was staged for the benefit of the Riverside Youth Scholarship Foundationwhich gives
scholarships to high school seniors who have aided the community through volunteer work.
This tournament raised $1,000 for scholarshipsover double last years total. Several organizations helped. The George Winkelman Trophy Co. donated all the trophiesand they were
quite large and well made. Dave King, Athletic Director of the California Baptist College
playing venue, gave us a fine gym with superior lighting and good space and floor conditions.
U-Haul of Corona donated the use of a truck for hauling tables, and the Corona TT Club for a
small fee provided 10 Harvard tables and Stiga nets, as well as balls and barriers. Tournament
helpers were Peter Antkowiak, Hank Sonksen, Filemon Rodriguez, Stevan Rodriguez, Chris
Salgado, Kent Lewis, and Bill Lewis; and Jeff Ellis and Terry Berman helped run the control desk.
Results: Open Singles: Jim Lane over Chalk Wu whod survived 63-year-old Bernie Bukiet
in five, after Bernie had upset Craig Manoogian, 25-23 in the fifth. Back in the quarters, Lane, too,
had to go fivewith Mike Baltaxe. Womens: Hanna Butler over Jamie Medvene. Seniors: Louie
Kerekes over Don Higgins. College R.R. 1. S. Nurwono. 2. Kjell Nyman. U-17: Stevan Rodriguez
over H. Butler. U-15: Chris Sonksen over Gina Butler, 18 in the 5th.
U-2100: Phil Moon over Kerekes. U-2000:
Stevan Rodriguez
Moon over Gabor Berezval. U-3850 Doubles;
Mason/Miller over Therriault/ Foster. U-1900:
Berezval over Stevan Rodriguez. U-1800: Dale
Francis over S. Rodriguez whod eliminated Edi
Janto Joesoef, deuce in the 3rd. U-1700: S.
Rodriguez over Steve Krell, 19, 21, then over Lenny
Hauer, 15, -21, 21, 18. U-1500: Tad Nakawaki over
Luis Alcocer. U-3000 Doubles: S. Rodriguez/Chris
Salgado over Krell/John Slaback, 21, 19. U-1400:
Berman over Steve Kovin in five. U-1200: Marv
Sherman over Slaback. Unrated (Experienced):
Denny Barela over Del Brooks whod escaped Jaffe,
19 in the 3rd. Unrated
(Amateur): Torrence Moore over Tony Tapia. Consolation: Sherman
over R. Hampton. Hard Rubber: Manoogian over Mas Hashimoto in
five. Draw Doubles: Higgins/Nyman over Rogers/Steve Schreiner, 17
in the fifth.
Paul Tse-tong Ng tells us that when Senior of the Month
(TTT, July-Aug., 1982, 14) Walt Gomes first came to Cheyenne,
Wyoming in 1968, there was hardly anybody playing competitive
table tennis. So for a couple of years he ran a club in an old building
near downtown Cheyenne. He was still in the Air Force then, and,
because of ever-increasing costs and rent, it was only natural that hed
Walt Gomes
296

move the club to the Recreational Center at the Warren Air Force Base where you could play
four days a week. Here hed coach players, take delight in bringing up their game to a respectable level. It kills me, it just breaks my heart, he said, to see some youngsters quit
after Ive spent months, even years training them.
Over the years Gomes and his buddies have gone down to Ft. Collins, CO for league
play and to places like Denver, Omaha and Las Vegas for tournaments and training. Now
(hes the youngest looking 54-year-old Ive ever met, said Paul Ng), Walt and his wife
Elaine have two grown daughters and four grandchildren. With family duties pretty well under
control, he was ready to try to bring about his longtime dream of running a permanent training
club or a tournament of high caliber. And soon it happened.
On May 8th, the first-ever USTTA sanctioned tournament was held at Cheyenne
Central High School. It was a two-star with more than $750 in prize money, and drew more
than 100 entries. Among the attendees influenced by Walts enthusiasm were Insook Bhushan,
Todd Petersen, Bohdan Dawidowicz and his daughter Kasia, Mark Kennedy, and Howie
Grossman. It was a long sweaty day, but with all the goodwill help, Walt got it done beautifully.
Terry Canup covers the 170-entry $1,500 Texas Open, played Apr. 10-11 at the Forde
Recreation Center in Houston. In the Championship Singles, in the one semis, it was current
National Champion Scott Boggan (rated 2540) against current National Amateur Champion
Perry Schwartzberg (2360). In 1979 these two lived and trained together for six months in
Pittsburgh, so they knew each others game. This time Scott won in four.
The other semis was between U.S. #1-ranked Eric Boggan (2620) and Lekan Fenuyi
(2292) whod represented Nigeria at two World Championships. Though the rating disparity
was such that Eric wouldnt gain a single point if he won the match, he knew better than to
take Lekan lightly. So in the first game it was often an anti-drop and then crack! (Lord what a
backhand!) But then, slowly, Lekan began to control tempo, began to force Eric, good at
counter-play, to initiate the attack, until, down 19-16, Eric ran out the game. The third game
was almost a repeat of the second. But this time, though Eric again came storming back, he
lost it at 19. Lost it a little at the audience too. Cant you people shut up! he screamed to
the unusually filled stands. Fourth game, though, to Ericand two Boggans in the final.
Sure, Id like another crack at him. But hes better than me, said Scott before their
match. When I beat him in Las Vegas, I had confidence. My backhand would just, you know,
go on. I couldnt miss and I knew it. This confidence obviously was not there for this match.
Said Scott at one point, Ive got to be dreaming if I think that shot could have gone in. But
then, Sometimes Dreams come true, he added after an unbelievable winner.
Eric was better than Scottbeat him in four. However, he had more control of his play
than himself. On serving illegally, Eric was faulted, and reacted violently. Why dont you just
leave! he said to the umpire. The game is between the players, not the officials! Though
Scott took the umpires side (Bro, you know thats an illegal serve and you shouldnt use
it!), he intentionally threw the next point. Canup comments, If I may speak as a player, if
Ivan Lendl sometimes foot-faults and accepts the call, so should our top table tennis players
accept the rules by which they play. A fault is a fault, a foul a foul, and a penalty a penalty no
matter what the sport.
Other Results: Womens Singles: Pigool Kulcharnpices (later Peggy Rosen) over
Shirley Woo, 17, 18, 17. Never giving Shirley a chance to get into a point-winning tempo,
Pigool constantly maintained her table control and concentration. Championship Doubles: E.
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Boggan/Horace White over S. Boggan/ Schwartzberg. Mixed Doubles: Fenuyi/Woo over

White/Kulcharnpices. Seniors: Dennis Gresham over Dave Harville, -12, 19, -19, 20, 19.
Dave suffered a major shoulder injury about a year ago skiing, and it was questionable that he
would ever play again. Welcome back, Dave. Senior Doubles: Buddy Melamed/Harville over
LeRoy Land/D. Gresham. Juniors: Tarek Zohdi, at 16 the youngest ever Louisiana Closed
Mens Champion, over Roger Byles. Junior Doubles: Zohdi/Poon over Letgers/Frank Waugh.
As: Zohdi over Ernie Byles (handicapped because he couldnt use his contact lenses).
A Doubles: Russ Finley/Allen Cornelius over Buckly/Gary Melamed. Bs: Thang Lu over
Randy Levy, 24-22 in the 3rd. B Doubles: Hoffman/G. Melamed over Hopper/Geeze. Cs: Jim
Walker over Woo. Ds: Thien Vu over Cesar Serna. Novice (U-1200/Unrated52 entries):
Bien So Trinh over Michael Hsu. Consolation: Gary Garner over Neil Schwartzberg in five.
The May 8th Port City Charity Classic (TTT, July-Aug., 1982, 24), held at Muskegon,
MIs Community College, was the first USTTA tournament held in this city in 11 years. The
tournament proceeds were donated to the St. Joseph Community Center to be used to sponsor
area youth-programs for the summer.
The Muskegon TTC has the largest active membership of any club in the state of
Michigan, yet only 45% of the people playing in the tournament were Muskegon players.
Many of the Muskegon participants have never played in a USTTA tournament before or in
just one or two. Yet the Muskegon players were able to take 22 of 30 places in the tournament. We think this is remarkable considering the rating of many of the invading players.
This unsigned article goes on to say, If members of our Muskegon Club could coax
our players to go and compete in the various tournaments around the country [by paying
travel, food, lodging, and entry-fee expenses for them for two/three years?], were sure we
could again become a power in table tennis as we were back in 1971 when we won the U.S.
Junior Doubles and [in 1970, not 1971] Junior Team Championship. [Such surety is more
than a bit fanciful, I have to say. Lesner, Veillette, and Smart were very good juniors, but not
top-rank adultsso youre talking Junior power, right? Who in your club might be comparable to them now? What gives you any reason to think that your unknowns could be a
power against the likes of ONeill, the Butler brothers, Brandon Olson, Khoa Nguyen, or how
many others? To me, such wishful thinking is just embarrassingly sillyits just another indication of a lack of understanding of the gulf between the amateur and the professional.]
Muskegon winners: Open Singles: 1. Paul Lamse, 2-1 (7-3beat Pawlowski). 2. Mike
Baber, 2-1 (7-4beat Lamse, 18 in the 4th). 3. Tortsten Pawlowski, 2-1 (6-4beat Baber). 4.
Dave Fortney, 0-3. U-2100: 1. Baber. 2. Lamse. 3. Fortney. 4. Gary Peters. U-1900: Paul Wilke
over George Brewer, deuce in the 3rd, then over Peters. U-1800: Greg Woodring over Fortney. U1650: Wilke over Sam Jackson whod eliminated Ned Leuchtner, 19 in the 3rd. U-1500: Timo
Salonen over Pete Zadzinskis. U-1350: Salonen over Jerry Gilbert. Seniors: Bill Hornyak over Bill
Fortney. U-17: Wilke over Robin Schwark. U-13: Retsin Schwark over James Sydnor.
Results of the 11th Annual ACU-I National Intercollegiate Table Tennis Championships,
at which, thanks to a grant provided by Halex-Sportcraft-Stiga, 32 Regional qualifiers from all
over the country came together in April at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta to
play for the titles:
Mens: Final: Perry Schwartzberg, 22 (University of Texas at Austin) over Randy
Seemiller, 21 (Allegheny Community College, Pittsburgh), 17, -19, 22, 18. Semis:
Schwartzberg over Erwin Hom (University of CA at Berkeley), -12, 11, 16, 9; Seemiller over
Joe Yoon (University of Chicago), -19, 15, 20, 6.
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Genevieve
Hayes
Genevieve
Hayes

Perry Schwartzberg
Photo by
Robert
Compton
Perry Schwartzberg
Photo by Robert Compton

Womens: Final: Genevieve Hayes, 21 (University of Michigan at Ann Arbor) over Alix
Sou Chan Loh (University of Florida at Gainesville), 11, -19, 13, 19. Semis: Hayes over
Denise Heerman, 8, 11, 10; Loh over Cindy Miller, 19, 18, -18, 18.
Mixed Doubles: Final: Hom, 20/Cindy Miller, 22 (CA State University), over
Schwartzberg/Sarka Dura, 20 (University of Houston), 15, 10, 16, whod defeated Seemiller/
Kathy Hartzel (Bloomsburg State College).
Eric Boggan, with an assist from Editor
Boggan (TTT, Feb., 1982. cover +) reports on
Power Poons $5,100 Louisiana Open, played
Apr. 3-4 at Baton Rouge. This tournament was
one of the premier events of the season not only
because of the exceptional prize money but
because of Powers flexibility, fairness, and friendly concern for all
levels of players. Strangely, though, in view of the fact that amateurs
and professionals have always played and continue to play against
one another, the 10 Canadian players sponsored all the way to Baton
Rouge by their Association were not permitted to play in the Open
the only event where the First Prize money of $1,000 exceeded the
Power Poon
ITTF limit.
Leaving no doubt in anyones mind as to the event Power considered the most important, all other play was stopped while the deciding round robin matches in the Open were
being contested. Youthful experience again prevailed as 18-year-old Eric and 20-year-old Scott
Boggan (both have upcoming summer birthdays) topped the fieldfinished the Open Singles
in the 1-2 Eric-Scott order of their International Team Squad (ITS) qualifier at Vegas. Fellow
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U.S. Team member Ricky Seemiller (whod taken out Brigham Young University student
Quang Bui in the quarters) was 3rd ($400), and National Sports Festival Champion Perry
Schwartzberg 4th ($300).
Erics toughest match was against Ricky. Eric said that Scott in their four-game final
wasnt either as psyched or playing as consistently well as he had been in Vegas. Ricky, at
least against Eric, was playing better than he had in a long time. Eric, who somewhat impatiently prevailed, 20, 17, -16, -20, 19, said he went for too many hard counters instead of just
steadily playing the ball and was surprised that Ricky often was able to loop three or more
balls in a rowsomething he hadnt been doing in their previous matches.
Eric, up 20-18 in the 5th, thought he had the match won when Rickys return went wide
to the side, but just as Eric was raising his hands in victory the ball caught the net post, took a
crazy dive back table-ward, landed on the net, rolled along the plastic cord, and finally
dropped over onto Erics side and caught the table edge coming downso that Ricky was still
alive. Up 20-19, Eric served, Ricky pushed a return, Eric pushed back, then Ricky pushed off.
Against Ricky, whom he beat in four, and Perry, whom he beat in three, Scott was
generally just too quick.
Although Perry (much like Randy Seemiller before him) did not (-12, -19, -16) give
Eric mush of a test, he was a bit testy on one occasion toward their slightly officious but wellmeaning umpire. When that gentleman stopped play to wipe some drops of sweat off the table
Perry thought it a bit much and said so.
The big upset of the Open was pulled off by expatriate Ernie Byles. (And where was
brother Roberto?...Nursing a sore arm.) Ernies 17-in-the-5th win over Dave Sakai in the
eighths (after Ernie had downed Louisiana State Champ Tarek Zohdi, 19 in the 3rd) was a
$175 swing that had Dave even more paralyzed after the match than hed been out there at the
table. Open Consolation: a recovered Sakai ($100) over Larry Thoman, 22-20 in the 3rd.
Other Results: Womens: Mariann Domonkos over Judy Tun, 18, 19, 14. Though
Mariann just completed her first and very successful season in the German Bundesliga, shes
not going back next yearthinks she can train better in Canada. Semis: Domonkos over
Linda Chong, 20, 15; Tun over Adel Karim (Canada #4), 14, 10. Quarters: Domonkos over
Micheline Aucoin (Canada #7), 19, 22; Chong over Sheila ODougherty (the U.S.s ITS #5), 12, 12, 18; Karim over Elaine Walquist, 19, 20; Tun over looper Christine Forgo (Canada
#11), 16, -19, 22. Open Doubles: Eric/Scott Boggan
over Schwartzberg/Lekan Fenuyi whod knocked out
Ricky/Randy Seemiller. Mixed Doubles: Mitch
Rothfleisch/ Aucoin over Jean Emond/Domonkos,
def. Seniors: David Harville over Ron Hoff. U-21:
E. Boggan and S. Boggan didnt play the final. U-17:
Emond over Michel Bourbonnais whod barely
escaped Derrick Black, deuce in the 3rd. U-13: Alex
Poon over Eric Owens (the first mention in Topics of
this future Olympian and U.S. Mens Singles Champion), then over David Goodwin.
AAs: Randy Seemiller over Rothfleisch, -20,
20, 8, then over Domonkos, 6, 14, 19. As: Black
over Emond whod advanced over Zohdi, 10, -20,
Eric Owens
19. A Doubles: Terry Ziegler/Roland Schilhaub over
Photo by Robert Compton
300

Rothfleisch/Emond. Bs: Bourbonnais

(Canada #12) over ODougherty, 27, -10,
18, then over Chong in five. Cs: Rafael
Zambrano over Ray Mak. Ds: Allen
Cornelius over Hope Torkonoo whod
eliminated Sammy Peters, 24-22 in the 3rd.
Es: Cornelius over Al Weaver. Novice:
Neil Schwartzberg over Walt Rosen.
Handicap: Robert Canup over Bud
Caughman, 19 in the 3rd, then over Rene
Rene Tywang
Tywang.
Bard
Brenner tells us
(TTT, July-Aug.,
1982, 25) that
Judy Tun
became the
first woman
ever to win a
Championship
Singles event at
Newgys when
Rafael Zambrano
on Apr. 18 she
Photo by Michael Wetzel
won the Sunshine State Open from Joe Sokoloff in
four. Russ Wyatt took third, while
Bard Brenner, after a slam-bang-inthe-third upset of expatriate Jamaican
Marion Anderson, finished fourth.
Sokoloff, however, won the Doubles
with local tennis-shop owner Steve
Federico.
No one better to report on the
Cherry Blossom Invitational, held Apr.
24-25 at the McLean, VA club, than
Larry Hodges (TTT, May-June, 1982,
24) since he himself was at the center of the action. Indeed, hed advanced to the final round
robin of the Open, joining three anti-spin players, Dave Sakai, Ron Lilly, and Igor Fraiman.
Dave had just started using his Yasaka Anti-Powerwhich he called the best anti-spin for
attacking, for its got a fast sponge base with an anti-surface. Ron, a penholder, was using it
to return serves and play out whole rallies with ithitting everything! Igor, in his fashion,
looped and chopped with it.
The fourth semifinalist, Larry, was taking so long in winning the As (U-2100s) that
the other Open semifinalists startedand very nearly finishedwithout him. When the second, third, and fourth seeds in the As were all upset, Larry didnt have to play anybody within
200 points of him. Yet, no easy time awaited himhe squeaked by Dave Strang in the semis,
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19 in the 3rd, then downed Mike Heisler, 19, -22, 9, in the final. Also, Larry further extended himself
by teaming with Arlie Proctor to win the Handicap Doubles over Muhammed Farooqi and Enoch
Green (another anti-user). On then to the Open Singles where, pushing himself to exhaustion, he
had to face, without let up, Ron, Igor, and Dave waiting for him like Mafia hit men.
First up for Larry was Lilly. Ron had lost three
straight to Dave who, as it would turn out, had won a key
game from 20-18 down, and Ron had also lost to Igor, in
five (from up 10-3 in the fifth). Larry beat Lilly in four.
Next for Larry: Fraiman. Igor had been up 2-0 against
Sakai, but couldnt come through with the clincher.
Against Hodges, however, Igor won in straight games. (I
couldnt hit his high balls, Larry moaned, and when I did
he brought them back!)
Now Sakai vs. Hodges. On and on their match
went, with Larry teeing off on shot after shot. Finally, up
18-17 in the fifth, Dave got the serve. But about 30 loops
and several smashes later, he was down 20-18 double
match point, and then, despite a last- minute loop kill to
close to 20-19, he erred with a block So Sakai had lost,
but not LOST. Yes, he and Igor were both 8-5 in games
won and lost. But since Dave had shellacked Larry two
games under 10, he won the tournament on pointswith
Larry Hodges
Igor second and Larry third.
Other Results: Womens: Jackie Heyman over
Gladys Blaner. 1950s: Ron Snyder over Marty Theil. U-1800s: Farooqi over Larry R.
Johnson. U-1650s: Richard Blaner over David Kagan, 21, 24, then over Larry Johnson, -18,
19, 18. U-1450s: Claud Stults over David Kelley whod eliminated R. Blaner, 19 in the 3rd. U1250s: Nguyen over Ursula Morgenegg. U-1000s: Ken Daniels over Weiss. Handicap:
Nguyen over Fraiman. Seniors: Snyder over Theil. Juniors: Proctor over Liu.
John Soderberg covers the Northern Virginia Invitational
played May 23 at McLean under the direction of Donna Newell
who once again ran a very smooth and fair tournament (no small
accomplishment). In the Invitational R.R., five of the six qualifiers,
but not Soderberg (pleased that hed gotten by Bill Sharpe, a pipsout.anti player), used fast/slow rubber combinations. This now
included Dave Sakai who says he dislikes the anti-spin rubber and
its accompanying unfair tactical advantages on the grounds that
success becomes increasingly dependent on chess-like strategies and
deceptions as opposed to a pure athletic competition. John says
that Dave and I have commiserated on the concomitant departure
of the aesthetics of play, but, like so many players out there, he
wants first and foremost to win, let the means be what they may. If
you cant beat em, join em runs the logic throughout the country.
John said friends of his who came to the tournament to
watch these top U.S. players were only somewhat impressed.
Why? Very few long rallies, balls missed for no apparent reason,
John Soderberg
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and awkward attempts to hit in shots. John says, The very nature of the game has changed.
A two-color rule differentiating which side is the players anti is now a necessity, for the flipper
knows what hes hitting the ball with, but his opponent does not. The flipping limits the time
allowed for short preparation on the opponents part, so with predictability lost, an advantage
gained and followed up on, the points cannot be as long or as smooth as they used to be. Thus
the game is less enjoyable to watch. The lay spectators cant understand and appreciate the
complexities of play. This means, since they have difficulty in identifying with the players, they
lose interest and the sport stagnates.
Talent and hard work are still the essential ingredients for a strong game. What has
changed is that our sport, through the influx of new equipment, no longer provides a good
showcase for the players athletic abilities. To flourish, or at least to survive, the sport must
become spectacular. [John cant know this of course, but ironically 30 years later, as the sport
has evolved, the players will have become far more athletic than ever before, and some points
at least far more spectacular than ever before.]
Results: Invitational R.R. Final R.R. 1. Dan Seemiller ($300), 4-1 (9-2). 2. B.K.
Arunkumar ($200), 4-1 (9-3d. Boggan, -16, 25, 19). 3. Eric Boggan ($100), 3-2 (7-5). 4.
Ricky Seemiller, 3-2 (6-6d. Dan Seemiller). 5. Dave Sakai, 1-4. 6. John Soderberg, 0-5.
Heres Johns take on these matches: Play at first proceeded predictably enough
with both Eric Boggan and Ricky Seemiller getting by the new Sakai in three games. [Boggan,
however, quite unpredictably lost the first game at 10, as did Seemiller at 14.] Eric then beat
Ricky very easily, two straight. He led the first game 20-6, and seemed more annoyed than
delighted with the quick win. It seemed bizarre that only a few weeks earlier Ricky had fought
Eric for five tough games before losing.
Though John didnt win any matches in this final round robin, he had some chances.
Against Arunkumar, after losing the first at 17, he was up 16-9 in the second. But then Kumar
suddenly found his goove and played many long points with near perfection in a 12-1 run.
Against Danny Seemiller, John, down 1-0, was at 19-all in the second before Dannys defense
held for two points. And against Eric, John, down 1-0, got to deuce in the second before
being stopped.
Danny disposed of Sakai and Kumar in
straight games. But thenwhats this? Ricky,
having lost the first to his brother, mounts a
huge12-3 second-game lead. Dannys timings
off and Ricky, returning serve well and looping
with consistency, applies pressure that wins him
the second and propels him to a big third-game
lead. Danny tries to rev up his game, but that
only results in some unforced errors. Pac-manlike, Ricky continues to control the points and
showing no signs of astonishment goes on to
defeat Danny. In celebration, as it were, Ricky
was given a testimonial by friends Sakai and
Soderberg in anticipation of Rickys important
Oct. 1st wedding date.
Ricky Seemiller
Eric and Kumar now begin their
match at the end of a long day of tough competition. Leading 1-0 and match-point in the
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second, Eric cannot drive a final winner through the smooth chopping, paddle-flipping Kumar.
Several ads follow for both players to the delight of the spectators and the frustration of Eric.
Then Boggan smashes a heavy deceptive chop into the net, and Kumar stays 27-25 alive with
a strong forehand loop winner. The third was close all the way. Kumars excellent footwork
allowed him to get to nearly all of Erics shotsthe long hard loops and the shirt anti-spin
pusheswith time enough to make a good shot of his own. Eric seemed emotionally down,
having lost that second game after a number of ads. In the end, Kumar simply outplayed his
frustrated and tiring opponent to win the match 21-19.
Its unusual to see two disappointed players in the final of a tournament, but that was
the case with Danny and Eric. The winner of this match would come first, the loser third, with
Arunkumar assured of second. Danny, as usual, started off hustling and confident, as though
he had just come off a win. Eric, on the other hand, was clearly still upset by his loss to
Kumar, and played a far too free and impatient game, losing to Danny 19 and 15.
Other Results: A/B Invitational: 7. Bill Sharpe, 2-1 (5-2). 8. Ron Lilly, 2-1 (5-3d.
Sharpe). 9. Paul Rubas, 1-2 (3-4). 10. Igor Fraiman, 1-2 (2-5d. Lilly). U-2000 I: Todd
Ingram over Max McAllister. U-2000 II: Jim Mossberg over Asif Hussain. U-2000 III: Tom
Shistler over Gary Martin. U-2000 IV: Hines over D. Nguyen. U-1600 I: Bob Baskett over
Joe Hall. U-1600 II: Vijay Gideon over Jacobs. U-1600 III: Jurgen Dencher over Dana
Hanson. U-1600 IV: Brewer over Louie.
Winners at the $850 Howard County Open (Columbia, MD Apr. 3-4): Championship
R.R.: 1. Brian Masters, 8-1. 2. Tim Boggan, 7-2. 3. Brian Eisner, 6-3. 4. Eyal Adini, 5-4/11-9.
5. Larry Hodges, 5-4/10-10. 6. Barry Dattel, 5-4/11-11. 7. Jeff Steif, 4-5. 8. Jim McQueen, 27/8-13. 9. Pete May, 2-7/4-11. 10. Marty Theil, 1-8. Open Singles: 1. Brian Masters, 2-1 (12188). 2. Brian Eisner, 2-1 (116-104). 3. Ayal Adini, 1-2 (98-116). 4. Larry Hodges, 1-2 (90118). Quarters: Masters over Steif, n.s.; Hodges over Dattel, -20, 17, 20, 20; Adini over Ron
Lilly, 14, -12, 18, 19; Eisner over Boggan, 21, 20, 13. Womens: 1. Ai-ju Wu. 2. Tahnya Percy.
U-4200 Doubles: Adini/Boggan over Masters/Theil. Mixed Doubles: Eisner/Wu over Masters/
Percy.
U-2000: Theil over Muhammed Farooqi. U-1800: Farooqi over Rob Wincapaw whod
escaped Mark Davis, 24-22 in the third. U-3600 Doubles: Boggan/
Alan Fendrick over Warren/John Wetzler. U-1700: Larry M.
Johnson over Chauncey Ford. U-1600: Bob Percy over David
Gonzalez, -26, 22, 18. U-1400: Walt Twardus over Leslie Bieber,
18, 20. U-1200: James Schneck over Mike Bohan, 20, 20. Championship Consolation: Marty Ness over Don Yabiku. Veterans: Gus
Sempeles over Bob Powley. Esquires: W. Wetzler over Sempeles.
Seniors: Boggan over Theil. Boys U-17: Richard Bowling over
Gonzalez. Girls U-17: Ai-ju Wu over T. Percy. Girls U-15: T. Percy
over Bieber. Junior Doubles: Twardus/Gonzalez over Rich DeWitt/
T. Percy, 19 in the 4th.
Results of the Pennsylvania State Championships, played
Apr. 24-25 at Slippery Rock: Open Singles: 1. Rick Seemiller, 3-0.
2. Jim Doney, 2-1. Jim, who learned t.t. in his native Michigan, can
play in these Closed Championships because hes taken on a physical/medical curriculum at the University of Pittsburgh. 3. Aarne
Gus Sempeles
Kylakallio, 1-2. 4. Gary Martin, 0-3. Womens: Kathy Hartzel over
Photo by Mal Anderson
304

Deb Noethiger. Open Doubles: Rick Seemiller/Dave Lally over Doney/Steve Lowry. Esquires:
Tom Shirley over Larry Lowry. Seniors: Bill Walk over Shirley. U-21: Kylakallio over Mike
Walk in five. U-17: M. Walk over John Ramirez. U-15: Nimit Bansol over Stephen Redlich. U13: Bansal over David Redlich.
As: Jeff Young over M. Walk in five, after Mike had downed
Nick Mintsiveris. A Doubles: Doney/Chip Coulter over Mike and Dan
Walk. Bs: Vic McCoy over Joe Ramirez, 17 in the 5th. B Doubles:
Young/Bansal over Sam Steiner/Tom Burik, 19 in the 3rd. Cs: Coulter
over Burik. C Doubles: Martin/Noethiger over Dave Caravella/
Hartzel. Ds: Burik over Mylo Wattenford. Es: Bill Caravella over
Martin Crawley, then Roland Ramirez, both in five. Fs: Bansal over
Hartzel. Novice: Don James over Everett Myer in five (from down 20).
Chip Coulter
Alan Fendrick reports that the 1982 New Jersey State Champions were decided Apr. 24-25 at Westfield. As expected, Ray
Domingo successfully defended his New Jersey Closed Mens title. Brian Eisner lost his first
match to Tournament Director Barry Dattel (winner in the quarters over rapidly improving
Chris Kollar whod eliminated last years runner-up John Sisti). But then Brian, down 20-18 in
the fifth to Pandit Dean, and so threatened with his second loss, recovered just in time. He
went on to beat Barry to get to the final against Domingo who earlier had downed both Dean
and Dattel.

Ai-ju Wu and Jasmine Wang

Thats Mike Stern (R)and father Al and son Robert

Nochenson, almost thirty years later.

The Womens State Champion was Jasmine Wang over Ai-ju Wu, whom shed lost to
in the Girls U-17. Rajiv Dosi recently switched to Feint on his backhanda good move
apparently, for he won not only the 1450s (in the 1550s he was second), but the Boys U-17
over Clifton Jones. Mike Stern made his annual appearance at the Closed; this time, however,
he only played Doubles with Jeff Pedicini. The winning partnership was Domingo/Sisti over
surprise finalists Alan Feldman/Jimmy Releford.
Fendrick also reports on the Northeastern Intercollegiate Table Tennis Leagues May
1-2 Playoffs. Rutgers, led by undefeated Brian Eisner and Jeff Steif, came out the winner (for
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the second straight year) over runner-up Princeton.

Jeff Steif
Nor did they lose a tie to Yale, MIT, or Brown.
Princeton, dropping only the one tie with its superbly balanced team (17 players in the 1500-1850
range), was led by freshman Mark McDonald and
Senior Bill Moore. Steif won the Class A Singles,
and League Commissioner Fendrick the Class B.
Dennis Kaminsky, in covering the May 1516 Westfield Open, said he recently purchased a
Beta video tape recorder and camera to record the
matches there. I taped some late-round Open
Singles matches, then reviewed the tapes and
charted how the points were scored, sometimes
using slow motion and stop action. After noting that
favorites B.K. Arunkumar, Rey Domingo, and Mike
Bush beat their respective opponents George Cameron, Kurt Douty, and Ralph Bockoven, I
decided to tape the fourth of these quarters matches between Eric Boggan and George
Brathwaite.
In their first game, Erics forehand left much to be desiredhe lost 5 points, won
only 2. However, his loop accounted for 6 winners and proved to be the deciding factor. One
noteworthy point: at 16-14 Erics lead, George stroked a backhand that hit the side and not
the top of the table. The video tape definitely shows this. However, the umpire, who was on
the far side of the table, called the ball good and gave the point to George. There was no
complaint by either Eric or George. Eric went on to win this game 21-16. Brathwaite won the
second; Boggan the thirdat 19. In that third game Erics backhand was not going in well (5
misses), but his forehand exchange (6 points won, only one lost) won him the game. In the
fourth, Erics short serves and strong follows made him the winner.
In the Kumar-Bush match, theyre in the fifth, and although Mike didnt win any
points with his backhand loop, he used it to control Kumars counters. Also, he now began
rolling all of Kumars serves instead of often pushing them as hed done before. Kumar
counter-attacked 9 times, the most times in the match, and won 5 of these points. But Mikes
loops went in for all-important winners (11 out of 19) and he even won (4 out of 6) points he
chopped! Of course I could see Kumar lose this final game at 17. But it was very difficult for
me to pick up the precise side Kumar was at any one moment using. His bat-flipping technique
is very confusing, even at one picture per second. I might add that I never saw him flip a
complete revolutionthat is, flip from long pips on the backhand to long pips on the backhand.
In the other Boggan-Domingo semis match, Eric lost the first at 16. Though he
served and followed beautifully (4 for 4), he blocked badly (lost 6 out of 8 points that way)
and was outscored 5-3 both on the exchanges and as a result of Reys aggressive serves. In the
second game, Rey was luckybenefitted from 6 point-winners that were nets or edges and
that disturbed Erics concentration. But now Eric rallied. He took the third at 10, at one point
running off 10 straight with a variety of loops and kills. In the fourth, Erics 7 out of 9 spinand-hit follow-ups proved decisive. In the fifth, everything Eric hit went inoutright service
return winners (3 out of 4), his own service and follow (3 for 3), his all-out loops (4 out of 6),
and his angled-off blocks (4 for 5)thus giving him a 21-9 win.
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Mike Bush
Foto: Holzwarth

Eric Boggan
Photo by
Mal Anderson

Against Bush in the final, Eric won the first from 12-allhe began to spin and scored 6
out of 7 winners. Then, in the second, finding his game and then some, he again streaked
devastatinglygot in 3 outright service return winners and scored 5 out of 6 on his own serve and
follow to take a 9-0 lead! In the third, it was 5-all when, again, Eric was unstoppablescored 9
more in a row. Nice to have those last six games preserved. Has Eric ever been better?

Results of the Apr. 10th New York Chinatown OTB Open: Open Singles: Rey
Domingo over George Brathwaite. Semis: Domingo over George Cameron; Brathwaite over
Jamaicas Cornel France. Womens: Ai-ju Wu over Vicky Wong. U-2100: Wally Leung over
Fu-lap Lee. U-1950: Shu-lin Foo over Hing Wong. U-1750: Andrew Forde over Rich DeWitt
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whod advanced by Guy Castronovo. U-1500: Thomas Fung over E. Teamanis. U-1350:
David Basson over G. Ajala. U-1200: Eugene Ng over Harris Kenlock. U-17: F. Lee over
Steven Mo. U-13: V. Wong over Blanche Leung.
On Thursday, Apr. 29, an Evening of Table Tennis and Chinese Music was promoted
by Table Tennis Associates at NYCs Symphony Space Theatre (Broadway and 95th) with
Bruce Anderson as Producer. Table Tennis players scheduled to appear were (Men) Eric
Boggan, George Brathwaite, and Steven Mo, and (Women) Alice Green, Vicky Wong, and
Jasmine Wang. Mr. Ming Gee and his Cantonese Chamber Players will provide background
music to the competition. Instruments used for this Chinese Classical music presentation are:
the Yee Wu (a favorite of Mr. Gee who will do two unique solo performances)thats a
violin-like instrument with two strings that has a snakeskin-covered chamber; the Goo Jung
an 18-string harp; the Jung Yenbass, amplified; the Silla Bamboo flute; and the Jung
Wua mid-range cello-like instrument. Ought to be differentfun.
U.S. and Canadian winners in the 100-entry Green Mountain
Open, held Apr. 17-18 at the Vergennes, VT Union High School:
Open Singles: Lim Ming Chui over Canadas Rene Lewandowski
whod advanced in straight games over Ray Mack and John Allen.
Womens: Canadas Helene Bedard over Florence Dubreuil. Open
Doubles: New England Champions Allen/Eli Koulis over Chui/
Lewandowski. Seniors: Frank Studley over Lionel Cloutier whod
advanced over Jim Hayford, -19, 19, 16. U-21: Lewandowski over
Mitch Rothfleisch in five (from down 2-0). U-17: Joe Billups over
Frederick LeBlanc. U-13: Chi-sun Chui over Chi-Ming Chui.
Under 2200: Allen over Lewandowski. U-2000: Canadas
Rothfleisch over Paul Normandin. U-1900: Billups over Jay Rogers,
17 in the 5th. U-1800: Canadas Sylvie Leveille over Danny Lessard.
U-1700: Lessard over Yvan Boucher. U-1600: Canadas Cloutier over
Pat OHannessian, 14, -20, 20, 13. U-1500: John Beauvais over Chris
Helene Bedard
Kalagher. U-3000 Doubles: Potter/Trey Adams over Brickell/Natale,
Photo by Gosselin
20, -14, 22, then over Beauvais/Kalagher in five. U-1400: Jean Luc
Oliver over Julius Orban. U-1300: Francisco Bellei over Chi-ming Chui. U-1200: LeBlanc over
Chi-ming Chui whod escaped Bedard, 23-21 in the 3rd. U-1100: Marc Guillemette over Ned
Rasmussen whod eliminated Ed Bonfigli, 19 in the 3rd. U-1000: Rene Rivard over Bill Williams in
five (from down 2-0). U-900: Varonique Ellyson over Joe Semanchik.
Strong Field in CA State Open
The 175-entry California State Open, held May 28-30 at the Corona, CA High School,
drew quite a bit of attentionand not only because of Jim Lanes four Singles wins ($370 plus
a stereo system). To begin with, heres the very frustrated Tournament Director Peter
Antkowiak (TTT, July-Aug., 1982, 19) lambasting USTTA Rating Chair Neal Fox. After the
bad experience Ive had for the past two years in trying to receive the rating results from you
for my tournaments, I want you, before I pay your rating fees, to send me the tournament
rating results and then your bill.
Peter also had a couple of other asides, as it were. He and his Tournament Committee thanked Chuck Gill, a professional photographer from Corona, for bringing some of his
models to act as trophy girls. Also, Peter reports that two members of his Corona Club
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Ron Tutt (drummer) and Doug Rhone (guitar) are playing in Neil Diamonds band. Both John
Denver and Diamonds groups take a table tennis table with them when they go on tour. As
Harold Kopper says, Maybe some pics could be taken of these guys on and off their makeshift court? A little promotion story couldnt hurt.
Control Desk Manager Kopper (Mens) and Mary McIlwain (Womens) will cover the
matches for us (TTT, September, 1982, 23), but first lets listen to what Masaaki Tajima has to
say in an adjacent article:
During the last year, the Corona Table Tennis Club, led by Peter Antkowiak and
Harold Kopper and their staff, has picked up the slack in what was a lagging table tennis
program in Southern California. Unfortunately, however, many regrettable incidents marred
the excitement and show of talent at the May California State Open at Corona.
First, the Mens Open draw was practically decided upon by the players. Second,
blatantly illegal serves werent called, which led to animosity among various nationality
groups. Irresponsible name-calling took place and the bad feeling continued until 1:15 Monday
morning when the tournament finally ended.
Perhaps the saddest incident, which left both the
spectators and players involved confused and angry after
the finals, was, as I see it, a misunderstanding between the
cultureswith an innocent newcomer caught in the middle.
The furor was caused by what I and other observers felt
were illegal serves early in the tournament by a Korean
player [Jae-Ho Song], a member of last years Korean
National Team and a newcomer who had been in this
country only a few days. The Korean player was never
faulted for what seemed obvious illegal serves.
Illegal serves are one thing, but unruly crowd
action is another. The Korean contingent cheered every point
no matter how the Korean player earned it. [Compare the
North Korean spectators at the Pyongyang Worlds. Is this just
a common Korean practice?] This partisan action is at the crux
of the matter. It is common practice to root for ones own. But
some degree of restraint is surely necessary. When the nonKorean spectators at Corona were confronted with such
partisanship on top of what they believed to be obviously
illegal serves, they got angry and made insulting remarks.
The Korean player openly wept after the finals because
Jae-Ho Song
he couldnt understand our language and the reasons why
his match was being interrupted and why he was being persecuted. I believe he thought his
serves were legal. [They would have been in South Korea in competition against high-level
opponents? I cant help but question that.] Perhaps the problem could have been avoided if he
had been warned and faulted earlier in the tournament.
Also, those Koreans who have been in this country for some time might have helped by
urging the other Koreans to soften their favoritism. As for those who made crass comments
like Go back where you came from, couldnt they realize that it takes time to adapt to a new
countrys culture?
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If both sides could have learned these lessons, the Corona tournament could have had
spectators cheering the best point and the best player of the moment, instead of the best country.
In the Open Singles, Kopper tells us, the two best eighths matches were Je-Ho Song,
just arrived from South Korea and fighting jet lag, over Mas Hashimoto in five; and recently
transplanted Vietnamese Quang Do over long ago German immigrant Marty Doss, 15, -17, 21,
15. Twenty years ago Doss was a top-ranked U.S. player, an habitu of Bobby Gusikoffs 73rd
St. N.Y. club. The quarters saw two terrific spectator matches: Song over Duc Luu, 26-24 in
the fifth; and Do over Carlos Brignardello,
25-23 in the fifth. The semis were then
Jim Lane
anticlimacticwith Song defeating Dean
Photo by
Wong, and Jim Lane defeating Do, both in
Don Gunn
straight games. In the final, there were
disputes over illegal serves and other tactics.
Match Umpire Antkowiak, assisted by San
Franciscos Kurt Jensen, managed to keep
the players in order. Song, bothered by leg
cramps, lost the hotly contested 16, -12, 19,
21 match to Lanethus giving Jim his fifth
straight Ca tournament win and his second
State Singles title. Open Doubles went to
Wong/Ricky Guillen over John Merkel/Gary Hranek.
In the Womens Singles, for McIlwain and others, the quarters had to be disappointingall were won in straight games. The semis were only a little more interesting. San
Diegos perennial Table Tennis Queen of the West Coast, Angelita Rosal Sistrunk, defeated
L.A.s Jin Na, 22, 14, 15; and Minnesotas Sheila ODougherty. Sheila, after just finishing a
training camp in Colorado Springs, showed great improvement by defeating Carol Davidson, 22, 14, 7, 17. In the final, Angie prevailed over Sheila, -19, 22, 10, 12, but had she lost that
second game. Sistrunk, with Dean Wong as her partner, also won the Mixed Doubles over
Brignardello/Davidson, 19, -19, 20, 15. Mary, in her typical upbeat fashion, said, The women
looked great, showed beautiful sportsmanship, were neatly dressed, had no quarrels with
umpires, and were a joy to watch.
Other Results: Amateur Singles: Lane over Craig Manoogian. U-2200: Manoogian
over Wuk Kyong Choes, 15 in the 5th. U-2100: Jerry Fleischhacker over Sistrunk, deuce in the
3rd, then over ODougherty, deuce in the 3rd (though in a five-game match). U-2000: Jin Na
over Tajima. U-3900 Doubles: Fleischhacker/Steve Krell over Phil Moon/Kim Gilbert in five.
U-1900: Bill Kenig over Stevan Rodriguez, 18 in the 5th. U-1850: Allen Lee over Ed Hu. U1800: Lyn Smith over Young Kim. U-1700: Cindy Cooper over Chi Ngo, 25, 15, 20. U-1600:
Randy Mullins over Karl-Heinz Dreger. U-1500: Joe Tran over Vitaly Glozman, 21 in the 4th.
U-1400: Chris Salgado over George Schwarz, 17 in the 5th. U-1300: Khai Nguyen over
Schwarz, 19 in the 5th. U-1200: Prince Carpenter over Apple Valley Club President Tony
Tapia, both in their matching club shirts. Unrated/Novice: Isaak Pai over Jarnel Kennedy.
Draw Doubles: Fleischhacker/ Nguyen over Choes/Pat Hodgins. Hard Rubber: Lane over
Ricky Guillen, 18, 20, then over Manoogian. Esquires: Smith over Richard Badger. Seniors:
Doss over Bernie Bukiet. U-21: Lane over Do whod advanced over Choes, 19 in the 3rd. U17: Gilbert over S. Rodriguez, 21, -17, -11, 21, 24.
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Chapter Twenty-Three
1982: U.S. Juniors Train in China. Coach Wang Fuzheng to be U.S. National Coach
and Tour America.
Sue Butler, through four separate articles, will cover our U.S. Juniors two-months
visit to China in the spring of 1982. In the first of these articles (TTT, Apr., 1982, cover +), we
learn that, with Sue pushing for the trip as its proposed Chaperone, and the liaison help of C.F.
Liu, the Chinese had invited to Beijing Sean ONeill (age 14), Scott (14) and Jim Butler (11),
Khoa Nguyen (15), and Brandon Olson (15)all having between them a myriad number of
U.S. Championships.
There was, however, the considerable problem of each boys family, singly or together,
raising funds for the trip. Sue tried, as did Paul Lee whod been responsible (at great expense
to his company, Lee Global Enterprises) for bringing the Chinese World Championship Team
to the 1981 U.S. Open and the attendant publicity that followedfor example, in Sports
Illustrated. But in this depressed economy, funds were limited and committed and there was
so little time.
So, says Sue, what were we parents to do? Do you go for itinvest thousands of
dollars on a one-shot experience? Will it benefit the child that much or is it just an ego trip for
the parents? Is it worth risking perhaps much financial hardship? How about expenditures on
one child while other siblings get far less? Is table tennis going to be as important a part of his
life in five years as it is now? As these and other related thoughts swirl through a parents
head, one who thinks of taking a chance needs to look at the other side of the coin. The
cultural experience and the travel, plus the immeasurable advantages of such a trip as new
avenues of learning and communication are opened up, can never be taken away.
O.K., finally all the parents agreewe do it. And then things began to
look up. Paul Lee, who deserves the help, support, and appreciation of all
who care about the future of table tennis in this country, got a commitment
for half the air fares from CAAC, the official airline of the Peoples Republic
of China. Some funds were provided by the USOC through the Pan American Team Development Fund. And donations were received through an
appeal in Topics to USTTA members. [Still, the final cost to each family
was considerable, and especially so to the Butlers$80 a day Institute charges, and another
$2,200 to be split with the others to have
Cam and John Nguyen
the advantages they did, including their
Khoas parents
own personal, highly experienced Chinese
coach].
In Sues second article (TTT, MayJune, 1982, cover +), the Juniors leave the
States and once they arrive in China we
begin to follow their adventures. Take-off
point; San Francisco (after, Sue said,
Wed spent two delightful days at the
home of Son Nguyen). Then, first, a
sequestered stop at the Shanghai airport,
followed by the groups arrival on 11:30
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Sunday evening, March 28, at the new, modernized Beijing airport. Welcomed by the Dean of
Student Affairs at the Institute of Physical Culture, a Mr. Wu (pronounced Ooh) and two
teachers at the Institute, Mr. Zheng (Chun) and an American, Michael Brzezinski, they exited
the airport, only to discover later that Scotts suitcase was missing. It contained all his
clothes, table tennis shoes, and, worst of all, our main supply of precious kool-aid, countrytime hot chocolate, and other assorted drink mixes. (It would later turn up during the fifth
week of our stay.)
The Institute, located about 20 miles northwest of Beijing, is Chinas best training
centera combination of a college for training physical education teachers, and a very
Chinese version of the U.S. Olympic Training Camp in Colorado Springs. On arriving, we
were ushered into the dining room where we had cookies and tea and cheesuir, a highly carbonated orange drink (the Chinese soft drink), and then were shown to our rooms on the third
floor of a four-story building. We were placed two to a room (the Chinese usually stay five to
seven in such a room), and though it was Spartan it was very clean and comfortable. There
were two dormitory-style bathrooms on each floor (one for men and one for women).
The Institute is a city within itself with its own generating plant, dining facilities, post
office, and souvenir/gift shop. It is isolated and 90 minutes from Beijing by bus. Serving at the
moment maybe 1500 men and women, the Institute has 15 large buildings, several small ones,
and several dormitories and facilities for a number of sports, including, for example, basketball,
volleyball, swimming, gymnastics and track and field. We are staying in the most modern unit
where all the foreign students and visiting athletes stay. Our building is much nicer than the
Chinese dorms and our rooms are cleaned daily and the towels and bedding changed. Our
dining room serves only the residents of this building.
In the beginning, even our fussy eaters liked the varied Chinese food, although we all
found ourselves getting more hungry than usual as there was a decided lack of enough fiber,
protein and carbohydrates in our diet. The sensitive Chinese, however, were quick to adjust
our meals. We then had cold water on the table at every meal (almost unheard of in China),
and our breakfasts were altered to include eggs everyday, bread, and several kinds of meat. We
also could have a hot rice cereal that tasted much like cream of wheat. After five days we
switched entirely to western-style meals.
[I, Tim, might mention that during this time the Chinese National Championships were
being played in Guangzhou with the following results: Mens: 1. Wang Huiyuan. 2. Wang
Yansheng. 3.-4. Fan Changmao. 3.-4. Wei Qingguang. (World Champion Guo Yuehua and
World Runner-up Cai Zhenhua lost in the first
round!) Womens: 1. Cao Yanhua. 2. Geng
Eric Boggans
Lijuan. 3. He Shili. 4. Tong Ling.]
crooked-finger grip
Time now for Sue to talk table tennis.
We met with our coach, Hua Zhengde. He
carefully asked about each boyage, how long
hes been playing, and what international
experience hes had. Then he asked what kind
of players they wereattacking or defensive.
His very next question was, Did they hold the
racket like Eric Boggan? When I said no, he
smiled. Three players from Beijing were assigned to us as hitting partners. Later, if Coach
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Hua feels were getting on to them, theyll change. The best was 21-year-old Wong Gingui
(Chinchee) an attacking penholder, about 2450, who proudly wears a shirt given to him by
Eric Boggan three years ago. Chao Weigou (Weegwa), an 18-year-old defender/hitter with
Friendship and long pips, was about 2400 as a chopper/2350 as a hitter. And Liu Yong (Ung),
16, using Friendship and anti, was about 2350 as a chopper/ 2300 as a hitter.
The practice hall is very nice. It is a large roomwith high ceilings and a wood
floorthat easily holds four tables. The general routine is: 7:00 a.m.: Breakfast; 8:00: Chinese
Lesson; 8:30-11:30: Practice; 12:00: Lunch; 1:00 p.m.: Schoolwork, etc.; 2:00-5:00: Practice;
5:30: Run or Physical Training; 6:00: Dinner. The schedule runs six days a week. On Sundays
we were to go sightseeing (amongst ourselves we had all Sundays already plannedGreat
Wall, Forbidden City, Friendship Store, Zoo, Train to Tianjin (Tientsin); Exploration of
Beijing.
Our coach, Hua Zhengde, 38, had just been appointed a
Chinese National Junior Coach. Hes been a national coach for 18
years. He is polite, friendly, and quite serious. [Also, very diplomatic.]
The boys are very fond of him, and his English is fast improving as he
adapts his personality and coaching methods to the personality and
age of each boy. Jimmy, having just turned 11, has games invented
for him much more often than the others. Coach Hua is a master and
it is a pleasure to watch him work. Although he is a penholder, he
usually demonstrates shakehands (his level is so high it really doesnt
matter). The one exception is that he uses penhold when he demonstrates short serves. (You should see his four-bounce serve.)
A typical practice routine is as follows: ATTACKING AND
Coach Hua Zengde
CHOPPING: 1. Forehand attack cross-court (10 minutes). 2. Loopblock variety of serves (20 minutes). 3. Hitting against chop (20 minutes). 4. Combination
loop drive, blocking and smashing (20 minutes). 5. Serve and attack, then reverse roles (20
minutes). 6. Play games. Then, if still alive, practice serves. All the boys like to play games
with their hitting partners. I observed that the Chinese practice at about our level, but when it
comes time to play the match they improve about 200 rating points.
There is one great drillfor footworkthat our boys hadnt seen before. Each player
has two big buckets to either side of the tableat the beginning one is filled with balls, and
one empty. There are the same
number of balls in each bucket at
each table. Players must move
from side to side as rapidly as
possible taking one ball from the
full bucket and placing it in what in
the beginning was the empty
bucket. The first player to move all
his balls wins.
Time now for an International
Match with the Japanese boys
(there are also Japanese girls
training herea total of 53 juniors
in all, and theyd been here 12 days
U.S. Team with matching flag patches
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so far). Sue had taken it upon herself to partially outfit the U.S. boys, mostly from Iowas J.C.
Penny regular stock, with an assist from husband Dick and son Scott in the Butler basement
sweatshop. Thus, with a combined Butler sewing effort the boys were dressed in red, white,
and blue, had appropriate lettering on the backs of their jackets, and an American flag patch
and a USTTA patch on their sleeves. Sue was also proud of their beautiful 3 by 6 banner on
a wall by the two-table arena (said USA Junior Table Tennis Team Friendship Tour 1982
both in English and Chinese charactersand it also had a large red USTTA logo on one
corner and a large red Chinese symbol meaning Happiness in all the four seasons on another.
Team draw sheets were made up, souvenirs exchanged, and the Friday night two-table play
beganon the one table, Swaythling Cup style, on the other (with Khoa and Jimmy),
Corbillon Cup style.
A large group of Japanese juniors (though no girls) were there rooting for their fellow
players, but this was offset to some degree by Chinese students whod be cheering us on.
They particularly favored Jimmy, the clown, who amused them greatly on or off the table. In
describing, first, the Swaythling-like matches, Sue was helped by Sean, Scott, and Brandon.
First up: Olson and 14-year-old Tahara, a non-attacking chopper. [How does the
Japanese coach not insist that this kid intersperse an attack?] Brandon served the first point
into the net and the crowd went wild. But in the end, Olson was 19, 16 victorious.
Next up: ONeill and Ito, another 14-year-old, ranked #8 in the Under 15s in Japan.
In the first game, Sean couldnt hit in enough winners and Itos loop was hot. In the second,
Sean was up 15-10, but lost it at 19. USA 1-Japan 1.
Japans #3-ranked U-15 boy, Sato, a right-handed penholder with pips, launched an
all-out attack against Scott. But Scott, playing well, kept the hitter at bay, won the first 21-17.
In the second, Sato went for everything and got nothing as Scott soared to a 9-0 lead. This
win, in which Scott played better than he has in months, pinning Sato to his weak backhand
and winging in balls off the forehand, helped his confidence (rattled lately by close demoralizing losses in U.S. matches).
After ONeill had won the first game against Tahara, Coach Hua, as yet still not
completely familiar with the boys styles, gave Sean some bad advice: slow loop, push. This
allowed Tahara to gain control and 21-19 draw even in games. Continuing to follow the
coachs advice, Sean pushing more in this one match than he has in a year, found himself down
17-13. But then he returned to playing his own attacking game, and as he went match point
20-19 up, Brandon said, Hell go for the loop. But then, I dont believe it, said Scott. He
pushed it. Still, Sean eventually won that point and the match. USA 3-Japan 1.
Sato couldnt quite cope with Brandons backhand-slap strength and went down, 18,
19.
Now the crowd-pleasing match of the eveningButler vs. Ito. Ito never saw a
forehand the first game. Scott was at his finest, keeping the ball short and hitting into the
penholders backhand until he was able to smash in a winner. Ito changed sides shaking his
head after losing at 11. But now the Japanese boy ralliedled in the second 22-21. Scott
thought hed hit in the tying point, but Ito managed to lob it back. Then, after several smashlob exchanges, Ito banged in a counter-drive from far behind the table and the ball caught the
net and dropped over for the game.
Scott, furious over having lost the second game, was like a man possessed. He paced
and fumed after every point. His concentration was intense. He was totally wired. Before a
crucial point, Scott looked at Coach Hua. Serve, attack came the response. Scott served
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short to the backhand, Ito returned, and Scott smashed down the line. Good, said Hua. Scott
took this third game at 15. Final score: USA 5-Japan 1.
In the opening Corbillon-style match, a life and death struggle was going on with
Khoa in his first international competition. Kotaka, like Khoa 15, supposedly one of the
younger, weaker Japanese, was slamming in point after point off both wings. The attacking
penholder, excited by encouragement from the crowd, could do no wrong and won the first
with 21-8 ease. But Khoa, turning the match around by lobbing and returning everything that
came across the net, prevailed at 18, 19. USA 1-Japan 0.
Jimmy and Watanabe (13, the youngest player the Japanese could produce) had some
great points. Jimmy played the attacking shakehander very well, but the two years difference in
age was too much to overcome.
In the doubles, Japan fielded two 15-year-old players wed not seen before, choppers
who could hit. And, again, helped by the age factor, Japan won 15 and 19. Japan 2-USA 1.
In the fourth match, both Khoa and Watanabe were looping and smashingwith
points evening up until Khoa finally held a 21-20 advantageat which point Watanabe served
off. The second game, again at 22-20, went to Khoa.
Jimmy in the clean-up spot, though he showed a strong backhand, could not begin to
handle Kataka. The crowd (especially the Chinese) applauded his spirit, but that wasnt
enough to bring him into the match. Final score: Japan 3-USA 2.
After the Swaythling-style play finished, the Japanese coach asked for a rematch, but I
said we would like to informally play matches with them but not a formal competition as this
had been. And so we did play Sunday morning. Out of 18 matches our top four boys lost only
twochopper-hitter Kenichi Usui (whod won the tournament the Japanese had played
among themselves) took down both Scott and Sean.
Our first week, said Sue, has gone well. Hopefully, it will continue that way. However, if C.F. Liu had not come to China two weeks ago on business and looked into the arrangements that were being made for us, it would have been quite another story. Instead of the
very experienced Coach Hua, whod coached in Sweden, Spain, France, and elsewhere, we
would have had phys. ed. instructors and been pretty much on our own.
Sue said Coach Hua had told her that our players level is very high for their ages.
They are super stars, he said. When I asked him how they compared to Chinese juniors of the
same age, he smiled and said, They must work on better serves, pushes, and loop drives. I
will work with Brandon against choppers. Scott surprised me. In practice he looked ordinary,
but in a match he is superior. That is the mark of a great player. He added that he felt differently about all our players after seeing them in competition and thinks they can develop into
great champions. He will alter our training routine to work on specific weaknesses and will
add more competition as he sees that is what the boys want.
Sue ends this first article by saying, It is a real joy to watch the boys develop and
improve. Also, you may be assured that it is a great pleasure to be around these boys. They are
cooperative, work hard, are friendly, courteous, and are excellent ambassadors for our country.
Sues next article (TTT, July-Aug., 1982, cover +) picks up the remaining weeks of the
Americans stay in China and tells us about some of the problems, eventually resolved, they
faced. She begins by giving readers some background on China. The country has changed
much in the three years since I was here last. The people appear more prosperous. There is
more color everywhere, from clothing to the brightly painted commercial billboards seen
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everywhere that advertise mostly Japanese products. Wangfujung Street, the main shopping
district of Beijing, is packed with Chinese shoppers. The Chinese are not just looking, they are
buyingbooks, radios, silk, better clothing, arts and crafts, and even refrigerators. A refrigerator costs about 900 Yuan ($495.one years salary). In 1980, only 5,000 refrigerators were
produced and sold to the Chinese consumer. In 1981, the figure was 50,000. It is even possible
to own a car or a house in Chinathough a small house costs $5,000.
The official government policy on family-size is one child. Severe penalties are imposed if a couple has more children. Salaries are cut, the living conditions are lowered, and the
couple has to pay for medical care and medicine. Even if twins are born, the couple is penalized as if they had two single births.
It is possible to listen to Radio Peking for four hours every night and hear all English
broadcasts and classical music. Also, you can always find an English lesson on some station.
But the TV is very restricted. In Beijing there are only three channels and they only broadcast
from about 6-10 at night. They are far behind in the quality of presentations and variety of
programs offered.
Everywhere the effects of Deng Xiaopings modernization plan are apparent. China is
building and the people are studying and learning. They are trying to catch up with the rest of
the world and overcome the nightmare of their burdensome bureaucratic system.
We had problems to overcome too. Ron Shirley of Table Tennis America, the Yasaka
Distributor, sent playing uniforms to us straight from Japan, but when during the second week
of our stay I went to the air freight office to pick them up, a Chinese custom official said Id
have to pay about $350 in duty. I removed only one outfit for each boy and everything else I
left there. Fortunately, shortly before it came time to get this big box of clothing that remained
out of the country, Coach Li Henan came with me to customs, and I was able to take it back
to the Institute without paying any more and could disperse the remaining uniforms to the
Team members.
Jimmy broke a baby tooth molar and the filling came out. Unknowingly I took him to
the Friendship Hospital (which it turned out the Soviets had helped build), instead of to the
Capital Hospital (that the Americans had contributed to). When Jimmy saw the old-fashioned
equipment and sat in the non-adjustable adult-sized chair with a head rest that forced him to
stretch himself as much as possible for his head to reach it, his confidence was at an all-time
low. That he was uncomfortable didnt seem to bother the
woman doctor though. She
Jimmy...in the chair
said the tooth was already a
little infected and had to be
pulled. She asked if hed be a
good patient. And when I said,
Do you have an anesthetic?
she gave me a disgusted look
and replied, Of course. All
went welland then came the
bill. Cost: $1.10.
Sue thought readers
would like to hear about what
she called the Chinese Table
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Tennis Machine. The Chinese have 12 top level National Coaches: Li Furong, Head
CoachMen; Zhang Xielin, Head CoachWomen; Xi Enting, Head CoachJunior Boys; Li
Henan (Ai Liguos wife), Head CoachJunior Girls.
There are 30 men and 27 women on the National Team. New National Team members
are selected almost exclusively on results of national championships. Once on the Team, a
player is given one, no more than two years to produce. Women must be 16, men 18 to be on
the Team. They practice together all year round. All facilities, housing, travel, whatever, are
completely government subsidized. The main practice facility is in Beijing near Ai Liguos
apartment, but no one is allowed to watch them practice. Players are selected by categories5
choppers, 5 shakehands attackers, 5 penhold attackers, 5 shakehands loopers, etc. Practice is
3-4 hours a daynot including running and physical training.
All of Chinas coaches are called National Coaches. They are classified as follows: 1.
National Level Coachhighest level. Works with National Team, but can also be a good
province team coach or large-city coach. You do not have to be a national level coach to work
with the National Team. They also have people who are not players but work on the psychology of the sport and the technology of the equipment.
2. First Classalso a top coaching level. Hua Zhengde and Wang Fuzheng (wholl be
the U.S. new National Coach) are examples. Also, Li Zhenshi whos just retired as a player
and has started coaching. Second-Class: most province coaches. Third-Class: spare-time
sports school coaches.
Certainly by the first part of the third week, the U.S. Juniors needed more coaching
or somethingon how to make their stay more enjoyable. Things seemed to be going
welland then they werent. Sue says, Heres why: 1. Our nervous excitement and energy
ran out. 2. The differences in the food bothered the boys the most at this time. 3. The monotony of the daily routine, especially during free time, seemed to really depress us. Brandon
once said during the early afternoon rest period that he guessed the only excitement of the day
was, if he took a nap, he might have a dream. (These down experiences are not uncommon
when trainees go to a different countryto Japan, for example.)
4. We played some Beijing juniors, 14 and
15, and our boys, playing badly but thinking they
werent outmatched, lost 10 matches to 3 and were
upset about it. 5. There was a communication
problem between Coach Hua and the boys and me.
6. We needed a better interpreter to avoid misunderstandings. 7. The practice sessions were not as
productive as I thought they should be. 8. We had
little or no sightseeing and no relaxation. Something
had to change quickly. I arranged an expensive
dinner with high-level people, including Mr. Zhang
Weilian of the China Sports Service Co., Mr. Zhung
Junhan, Secretary of the China Sports Federation,
Coach Hua and his wife, and Coaches Ai Liguo and
Ai Liguo and Li Henan
Li Henan.
In a separate meeting, with Ai Liguo serving as Interpreter, misunderstandings were
repaired. Coach Hua had thought erroneously that the boys werent taking the competition
with the Beijing juniors seriously, werent trying their best, and so came on strong to them,
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bringing tears to Scotts eyes. Coach Hua also didnt like it when the boys occasionally
laughed at something they thought funny during practice. Chinese boys, he said, never show
any kind of humor in practice and everything is always super serious.
I explained that, though the boys liked Coach Hua, a lack of communication was a big
problem and that we needed someone like Ai Liguo who understood both cultures to be our
interpreter. Another big problem was that our juniors felt so frustrated because the Chinese
boys their age had the advantage of such good serves. I asked that we have more drills on
serves and serve returns. It cant be assumed our boys can read the spin well, I said.
I was very pleased with the action these high-level Sports officials tookAi Liguo
would join us every Saturday for discussion and coaching, and Lin Henan would come one or
two days a week to help us at no additional charge. That next Sunday we all went shopping,
had a buffet lunch at the Beijing Hotel, and even went to a park for a Chinese flea market.
There we purchased drawings and paintings from Chinese artists at unbelievably low prices.
There followed on Monday and Tuesday absolutely remarkable coaching sessions. I
was so excited I couldnt sit. Brandon was looping hard in multi-ball drills with Gergely (we
have nicknames for the Chinese hitting partners which we use instead of the difficult Chinese
names, and they respond to these names). Zheng Weitian is the tall shakehands looper Khoa
was practicing looping and serve-attack with. Zhao Weigo is Smiley, a chopper hitter. Wang
Jinqi (Butch), a penholder attacker, was placing chop serves wide to the forehand, then
backhand and Sean had to run back and forth repeatedly to loop drive. The drill didnt stop
until the bucket of balls was gone and I looked over to see an empty bucket and Sean lying on
the floor completely exhausted. He was playing great and his good work was often rewarded
by words of praise from the coaches.
On the table next to Sean, Coach Hua was blocking and serving while Scott was to attack
as soon as possible and open with a strong shot. Li Henan stood near Scott and the play would stop
at once if Scotts opening loop was too weak or he was merely placing the ball and sparring instead
of attacking. If Scott missed a kill, play was stopped, spin was discussed, and proper procedure
outlined. When execution was good, instant praise was given. This went on for almost two hours.
Li Henan would work with Jimmy for about 10-15 minutes. When she saw that his
concentration was going and his shots were becoming weaker she would stop, tell him to rest,
and she would work with another boy. In 10 or 15 minutes, she would return to Jim. With him
she mixes games in with drills. Jimmy, working hard, plays her even, and its anyones game.
The Chinese have learned the handicap system from us and Coach Hua now equalizes
Jimmy with the Chinese hitting partners by giving him12-15 points a game. Coach Hua first
challenged Jim that afternoon and gave him a choice: penhold and 13 points or shakehands and
0-0. Jimmy took shakehands. Jimmy won the first at 19, lost the second at 19, and won the
third 22-20 when Coach Hua served into the net and went crazy.
Every question we asked of the Chinese coaches was always discussed and answered.
Strategy? Very simple: serve and attack. There are three parts to training according to the
Chinese: technique; strategy; and footwork. The Chinese players are very patient and give
blind obedience to their coaches. If they dont work hard, they are sent home.
Everyone in China worked hard for us. Even the male head cook of our dining room
went out of his way to please us. Li Henan told him we loved cake and gooey desserts and he
responded by a constant array of cakes, puddings, and even a chocolate souffl (which he
apologized for serving in a bread pan because he didnt have the proper dish to cook it in).
Also, all of his cooking was done on a wood stove!
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After our talk, Coach Hua

took over the sightseeing as well as
training. He arranged to take the boys
to a hockey competition between two
Chinese teams, borrowed bikes for all
of us for a 25-minute ride to the
Summer Palace (where we rented
boats and had a wonderful time), took
us to an acrobatic show, arranged for a
trip to the Ming Tombs, the Great
Wall, and several parks. We saw the
Forbidden City, went to Tianjin by
train, and had many other outings.
Can you imagine the boys
saying they wished they were staying
for six months? After a while Jimmy
didnt think five hours a day was a
long time to practice. Sometimes they
would go to the hall after hours to
practice and to do extra physical
conditioning on their own. The boys
became more interested, I think,
because Coach Hua came to see that
our boys wanted to play matches
against the strongest competition possibleand so arranged it.
We got to know and befriend juniors from the Middle East, including the 17-year-old
Junior Champion of India, who were here for three months of training. Unlike us they had only
an institute coach and no hitting partners. They were very unhappy with their training, but
their associations couldnt bear the extra costs we were sustaining. Of course we got to play
two or three times a week with the best teams the Chinese could providequite a few different teams in factincluding The Peoples Liberation Army Team who had a player about to
turn 13. If I lose to that little squirt, said Brandon, Ill kill myself. I handed him a knife after
the match. We lost all the singles matches the first time we played them and won only the
doubles. If these juniors have any weakness it is in their doubles playtheyre so busy running
into each other trying to hit the big forehand. The second time, however, we won three
matches.
Then, abruptly, with three weeks or so still remaining in our stay, Coach Hua was
transferredtook up duties as Mexicos National Coach. But before hed leave, Sue, helped
by Interpreter Ai Liguo (TTT, Sept., 1982, 16), conducted the following interview with him:
SUE: When were you on the Chinese National Team?
HUA: 1961-1965.
SUE, What is the most important, most exciting thing you achieved as a player?
HUA: In the Chinese National Championships, I finished 3rd in both the Mens Singles
(1964) and Mens Doubles with Tu Hangang (1963).
SUE: Why do you like table tennis?
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HUA: Even when I was a little boy I loved all sports. But in table tennis I improved
and had much success. I was a teenager when China had its first world champion in 1959 and I
was caught up in the excitement.
SUE: What has table tennis done for you as a person, besides allowing you to earn a
living?
HUA: It has given me great pleasure. When I was young I had an ambition to be a
doctor or an engineer. But after I got hooked on table tennis I gave up those ideas, and I have
never regretted doing so.
SUE: When and why did you start coaching and what positions have you had?
HUA: I began coaching in 1965. In China, if you are a National Team Member and
decide to coach, you do not have to work your way up. You start out as a national level coach.
I am a newly appointed national junior coach. There are only a very few of these positions.
Two or three of us are assistants to Xi Enting, the National Junior Head Coach. This means I
work only with the National Team and the very best juniorshence my assignment with the
U.S. boys. I decided to become a coach because as a player I wasnt by Chinese standards
good enough. As a coach I could make a greater contribution. Ive served in Asia, Africa,
South America, and in several European countries.
SUE: Why are the Chinese so far ahead of other players?
HUA: The government pays great attention to table tennis. The sport is very important
to the Chinese people. They expect us to win and when we dont they are most upset. It is our
national sport. We have a very powerful association and the foundation is very strong. We
have so many people that play and so many good coaches.
SUE: The Chinese were almost all penholders. Now we see most of the juniors playing
shakehands. Why?
HUA: Our policy is to produce every style of player. Let the flowers blossom, weeding through the old to bring forth the new. The shakehands grip provides more flexibility.
SUE: After almost 20 years of coaching, what keeps you interested?
HUA: I have now coached a world champion (Xie Saike, 1981 Mixed Doubles Champion with Huang Junqun). The feeling is very good. I want to do this again and againbe a
very good coach and so provide for my sons future. I would like to continue to coach the
U.S. boys and try to make them world champions.
SUE: What is your coaching philosophy with the boys?
HUA: In training I am very strict, but after practice I want to be a friend and enjoy my
students.
SUE: I know that you and our U.S. boys have been getting along nicely and that
between you and them theres mutual respect. How are they the same or different from Chinese boys of the same agesin intelligence, determination, curiosity, interest, and listening to
directions?
HUA: American boys are more active and independentsometimes this is good,
sometimes not so good. But they are all different and respond differently to me. Chinese boys
are more obedient, but too dependent. The Chinese are more patient. Sometimes the American
boys tempers are too hot. They have to learn to steady their spirit. Many matches they could
have won, but the fighting spirit, the confidence, was not there. They are too dependent on
their emotions. They must learn to use them to their advantage and control them.
SUE: What do you think of Americans? What did you expect?
HUA: I think there are no big differences between us. You and the boys make me very
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happy and we have become very good friends. The boys often surprise me. For instance,
Jimmy is very small but he plays very well. A boy will be out of a match, then settle down,
concentrate, and come back to win it. They often play differently in competition than they do
in practice. Americans are very frank and open. The boys are so easy to like and you are the
sameyou are warm and friendly and have worked very hard to improve my English. I appreciate that very much.
SUE: What kind of things must the boys work on when they arrive home?
HUA: 1. Strengthen all aspects of their game. 2. Work on upper body strength. 3.
Steady the spirit. 4. Be calm, confident, and think about what theyre doing when they play. 5.
Have much competition.
SUE: What do you think of their future in table tennis? Do they have the ability to be
great?
HUA: They all have very exceptional ability, and can be great players as men. The next
few years are most important. They must have superior coaching, constant training, and a
great deal of good competition.
Sue went on in her second article to say that after their disappointment at Huas departure, the next day who should walk in but Li Henan. This was a big surprise because we had
already said our goodbyes as she was supposed to be in Hangchou for the National competition. This was yet another example of the Chinese commitment to us. Li Henan was an incredible gift. She is one of Chinas most famous women. Wherever we went she was recognized.
She is the most energetic, dedicated, humble, unaffected person I have ever known. Li and Ai
wrote the book for the Chinese training program, and without them helping us to solve our
problems things would have been much different.
About this time, Sue took advantage of being invited to a luncheon meeting with Mr.
Xu Yinsheng, President of the China Table Tennis Association. She asked him to outline the
Chinese training philosophy for her, which he did while she took notes. Here are the 12 points
he stressed: 1. Competition and training cannot be combined. 2. Training is the most important
thing. 3. In basic-skills training always pretend its a competition. 4. Chinese never do rote drill
without variation. 5. With regard to forehand- counter practice, dont do 100 forehands
without missing; instead do forehands with different spins and speeds. 6. The backhand is as
important as the forehand. 7. Practice for three to four hoursthats enough. Quality is more
important than quantity. 8. When training, encourage partner to be always serious and work
together. 9. Confidence is so important in games. Know you
can win. 10. Lose confidence and you have lost the match.
11. Know your opponent and yourself. 12. If in trouble in a
match, be flexible and adjust.
In the course of other business, Sue said she and
President Xu made new arrangements for U.S. National
Coach Wang Fuzheng to return to the U.S. with me. She
also invited Xus 12-year-old son to come to the Institute
and hit some with Jimmy. And, sure enough, a week later
Huazhang, as hed be known in coming to the States several
years later, appeared in his Wrangler jean-jacket with
racket in hand.
During this meeting, President Xu asked Sue if there
was anything in Beijing she and her juniors would like to see Xu Huazhang...a few years later
321

or do. And, prompted so, Sue replied, There is nothing in China that you could show our
boys that would mean more than if they could WATCH the National Team practice for even a
few minutes. Soon I was told that the National Team members would be brought to us the
next day. What does this favor mean? It is the ultimate confirmation of the respect the Chinese
have for us, and the total commitment of the China Table Tennis Association to a strong bond
of friendship and understanding between our two associations and peoples.
Here, in another article by Sue (TTT, July-Aug., 1982, 4) is what happened when seven
Chinese National Team membersGuo Yuehua, Liang Geliang, Lu Yaohua, Chau Chien, Jia
Ning, Ying Ching, and Lu Kuicame to accommodate our Juniors that Friday, May 7.
We had
thought we were
just to watch the
practice, but that is
not what the Chinese had in mind. A
complete two-hour
program was arranged. Each of the
boys played each of
the five top Chinese
players one game.
After that there was
Guo Yuehua demonstrating a move as U.S. juniors watch carefully.
one game played,
first, by Guo Yuehua
and Liang Geliang, and then by Lu Yaohua and Lu Kui.
After that, the boys were given serve and attack pointers. Guo spent almost an hour
demonstrating serves and follow-up attacks. He worked with each boy on several of the best
serves. Here is a summary of his comments and philosophy on the techniques of serve and
serve return:
On serves: 1. Chinese penholders prefer high-toss serves for best spin. Contact ball
just before it would hit the table. 2. Shakehands players should not toss the ball too highthe
grip makes this serve more difficult to achieve maximum results. 3. Guo likes to modify or
change his grip during serves to confuse his opponent and then, immediately after serving,
change back to his regular grip. 4. The main force in serves comes from the wrist. 5. Its only a
good serve if you can 3rd-ball attack. 6. You can decide placement of the serve when the racket
contacts the ball. 7. Its not fun to practice serves, but its very important to do so.
On serve returns: 1. ALWAYS prepare to attack. 2. You must be accurate and pay
attention to placement. 3. Return short serves with a flick. 4. You must be aggressive but
patient. 5. Take your time. Think about what youre doing, concentrate.
Ai Liguo told the Chinese players we wanted them to play hard against us. The men
laughed and Guo said, Of course. They did play hard most of the time, except with Jimmy.
When Jimmy said, Play hard to Guo, youre just fooling around, and that was interprted to
Guo he cracked up. But after the game, one small boy got a compliment hell never forget.
Guo beckoned him over and said, You are very promising. Brandon, playing Lu Kui, was so
excited he called me over in the middle of the game and said, I cant believe it. Im ahead 147. Im so hotI cant miss. Dont choke, I said. And he didntbeat Lu Kui at 8.
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There is so much to say about World Champion Guo. His upper body strength and
physical condition is magnificent and he is very quick. His warm friendly manner and spontaneous smile win him instant friendship. He is a gentle, kind man and is a most gracious champion. After I couldnt resist telling him all this, he thanked me and said he was sorry he
wouldnt be competing with our grown-up juniors in a few years. Hell retire after the next
Worlds. Im also told hes in love and wants to get married.
Guo has at least five practice partners assigned to him. They are there for his use only,
and he may work with them on any technique he wishes. All his living expenses are covered
and he is paid a handsome salary. He is a national hero, but not because of his Singles title. The
Chinese do not put that kind of emphasis on the Singles. It really is the Team event that matters to them. The Chinese are team and people oriented. They say the most important thing for
a player is to have a good practice partner. The second most important thing is a good coach.
Liang Geliang is really amazing. He has just returned from Germany and was at the
practice session in his Joola training suit, using his pretty good English to apologize for being
out of practice. He has had to take care of his daughter lately while his wife is busy elsewhere.
Tall, well-built Lu Yaohua is so good. He gets to every ball and is very powerful. The other
Chinese are quick, powerful and aggressive too. Their backhands are very strong and it is
difficult to find a weakness in their play. Their concentration, patience, and confidence are
incredible. The Chinese Team is now in serious training for NEXT years World Championships. They cannot comprehend that our national teams do not train and practice together.
Danny Seemiller told me last year that China was the place to be. He was so right. If
you cant lick em, join emhow perfect it was to be allowed to do just that.
This May 7th visit by the National Team was of course the highlight of the China trip
for the boys and it was an experience none of us will ever forget. Being able to hit with,
observe, and listen to the Chinese stars was a dream come true. They are great champions and
it was the highest possible honor for us to be with them.
Coming back to Sues second article, we see that after May 7th an immediate change
was made in our training program. I was told that the supposed innocent game each boy
played with Guo was not that at all. Guo, Li Fuzheng, and Li Henan analyzed each of our
boys play and developed a specialized program for them.
Khoa now works on serve returns, backhands, and stroke technique. Brandon and
Sean are being developed as forehand and backhand loopers. Scott is categorized as a twowing close-to-the-table fast attacker using occasional loops followed by immediate smashes. Li
Henan said that Jimmy is better than Chinese players his age. They dont want to categorize
his style yet as he is so young, but prefer instead to work mostly on his loop stroke, which is in
the beginning stages of development.
The Chinese believe strongly that you play in competition as you practice, and now
that the boys feel comfortable with the continuity of the total program, they are playing exceptionally well and are making steady improvement. The top Chinese coaches tell me often that
they are most impressed with our juniors and would like to continue to work on developing
them into world champions. The Chinese coaches are thoroughly delighted when we beat
Chinese players. They say competition for them makes them work harder and they love to be
challenged.
Pat ONeill arrived the last two weeks to return to the U.S. with the boys on May 29th.
I returned home with Jimmy and Wang Fuzheng May 15. It is with a great deal of sadness that
I left China. But I worked on many exciting ideas with the Chinese. I edited several English323

translation articles for China Sports Press and was asked to write an article for the English
edition of China Sports.
Besides my marriage and the births of my five children, China has been the most
incredible experience I have ever had. It has had a profound influence on my life. I am overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of the Chinese. Everywhere we went, everyone did
everything he or she could to see that we were happy.
[I want to add that I always find the Butlers work ethicparents and sonsadmirable, and that its quite poignant to me to see here how hard Sue works, how much success
she dreams for her boys, and how much recognition she hopes theyll receive.]
Chinese Coach Wang Fuzheng to Tour America
USTTA Coaching Chair Larry Thoman (TTT, July-Aug., 1982, 10) tells
us that Wang Fuzheng comes from China to serve as Americas International
Traveling Coach through Nov., 1982. Mr. Wang was ranked in the top 10 in
Singles and the top 5 in Doubles in China in 1965/66, and began his career as a
coach in 1972. Since 1978 he has been a National Junior Team Coach whose
primary student has been Cai Zhenhua. In 1980 Mr. Wang became the ViceChairman of the Chinese TTAs Coaching Committee. In 1981 he took his
National Junior Team members to the International Junior Championships in
New U.S. Coach
Japan. There they won first and second place in the Teams and first and second
Wang Fuzheng
place in the Singles.
At present, Mr. Wangs coaching schedule in the U.S. is as follows: June 7-13, Peoria,
IL; June 14-20: Minneapolis; June 30-July 4: U.S. Open, Detroit (July 3: Coaches Clinic); July
5-17: Maryland Training Camp, McDonough; Aug. 10-18: Pan Am Advanced Camp, Colorado
Springs; Oct. 7-11: Coaches Clinic, Colorado Springs.
Want Coach Fuzheng to come to your club? Heres what you have to do: 1. Select a date
and put down a $50 deposit. 2. Pay the USTTA a fee of $350 for a three-day clinic, or $550 for a
six-day clinic. You must also furnish all transportation costs for the coach to and from your city, and
hospitality costs while hes in your city. This fee, minus the deposit, is to be payable three days
before the start of your scheduled clinic. Some monetary assistance may be possible if your club is
in need. 3. Your club must have 10-30 players, in or out of town, interested in attending the clinic.
One table must be provided for every two players. If there are too many entrants for the clinic, the
higher-rated players get priority. At least one gross of balls must be provided. Your club may
choose to charge the players a fee for the clinic and keep any monies in excess of the clinic fee.
4. Since Mr. Wang does not speak English, it will be necessaryif need be with my
helpto arrange for a local Chinese-English interpreter. 5. The club must furnish hospitality
with dignity for the coach. This means a nice room and bed and three good (preferably homecooked) meals a day. Mr. Wang will need local transportation for his visit. It would be much
appreciated if your club could provide half a day for the coach to tour your city and see its
sights. You might also want to schedule him for TV or newspaper interviews to promote your
club and the clinic. 6. Participants should be prepared to do physically demanding exercises
and drills demanded of the group, but they will get individual attention as well. 7. I, Larry
Thoman, am in charge of Coach Wangs Tour, so, if youre interested, please write me at 370
Wallace Rd., Nashville, TN 37211 or call (615) 331-3078, or 292-3303. Since you will have a
great impact on Mr. Wangs impression of the U.S. and its culture, lets work together to make
his stay here a rewarding one both for him and you.
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Chapter Twenty-Four
1982: U.S. Teams, Alice Green
Victorious in Cuba. 1982: U.S. Players
Win Six Medals at First World Veterans
Championships.
In the first (TTT, May-June, 1982, cover +) of two articles on the Cuban Invitational
held in Santa Clara, Mar. 23-26, Brian Masters begins by telling us how, because we live
close to Washington, D.C., my dad was given the job of getting the visas for the entire U.S.
teamnamely Brian, Quang Bui, a vacationing Roger Kennedy, Judy Tun, and Alice Green,
along with interpreter Sylvia Rosenthal.
When we landed in Havana we were met by the head of the Cuban Table Tennis
Federation, Sr. Rento de Aguero. He was very friendly and had everything all arranged so that
we didnt even have to go through customs. All food, lodging, and personal transportation
(with an interpreter/guide to take us shopping and sightseeing) would be paid for by the
Cubans. We got into a small bus, and were told by the driver that it was about 60 miles to our
destination. So we figured the trip would take about 90 minutes. Almost four hours later we
arrived in Santa Clara.
Right away Alice Green told us there was a problem in the Mens Team Matches They
were to be Swaythling Cup styleand we had only two not three playersuntil Alice talked
vacationing Roger into playing. After dinner, Quang, Roger, and I went to our room and found
we had some serious trouble. That first night we didnt know how to work the air-conditioner.
So all through the night we suffered, had to fight off the mosquitoes that seemed as big as
horse flies.
On our first full day in Cuba we ate (the food was good), swam, and practiced. We were
well treated, and it was nice and relaxing. By this time we had met Santana, our guide, who was to
spend the next seven days with us. Wed also seen the playing conditions at the basketball stadiumthey were pretty good. The
floor was wooden, the tables were
fast, home-made but solid, similar to
Stigas. The only problem, which
wed have to live with, was the
lighting.
Sylvia will now take over
the reporting (TTT, July-Aug.,
1982, 8), though Brian will occasionally supplement her account. It
certainly was one of the rare times
in the history of Cuba, said Sylvia,
that the United States Anthem was
played and the U.S. flag raised in
that country.
With regard to results,
well take the Womens play first.
The U.S.Alice and Judywon the Womens Team event. Then Alice, combining skillful
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defense with
powerful
hitting, took
the Womens
Singles over
the two best
Cubans,
Baez and 15year-old
Armas whom
Judy lost to
in the semis.
Alice praised
Judy Tun
Womens Champion Alice Green
the Teams
Photo by Don Gunn
Photo by Mal Anderson
tremendous
team spirit; all supportive of each other. She was most appreciative of Judy Tunformer
Coach of the Thailand National Team. Judy, said Alice, is an absolutely outstanding coach,
and should always be chosen as the U.S. coach when we travel. However, the Cubans did win
the Womens Doubles. And both Cuban pairs downed our Mixed Doubles teams.
Sylvia says that Brian and Judy, pitted against the Cuban B team in the quarters of the
Mixed, played the most spectacular point of the entire tournament. With the U.S. up 1-0 and
13-12, the Cuban woman served and play began as a close-to-the-table point. Then a smash
from Cuba and Brian countered. Back came a counter-loop and Judy smashed! Back again
came a counter to Brians forehand at the left side of the table and lefty Brian counter-looped
sidespin. Cuba slow-looped back and Judy chopped! Then the Cuban woman smashed Judys chop
to Brians backhand side. And now Brian, on the run, lifted a backhand sidespin lob from the floor!
And Cuba hit into the net. At this point the entire stadium broke out in thunderous applause! All
matches on the nearby tables had to stop for nearly five minutes until things began to quiet down
again. Then quickly the match was overCuba lost the next seven points.
After her matches, Alice said, I felt the Cuban people were one of the warmest and
most hospitable people I have ever met. Sylvia said, The people were warm and wonderful.
The children followed us everywhere and formed huge circles around us both in town and at
the tournament. I spent hours translating all their questions to our team members, and, in
addition, they brought us all little gifts, postcards, badges, and coinsregalitos to remember them by. The members of the other teams were very friendly, as were all the people with
whom we came in contact.
The tournament was very well organized. Matches were played on time, and we had
several hours after each tie to go back to the resort where we were staying to eat, swim, rest, and
relax. We were housed in Los Caneyes, a resort of clean, thatched-roof huts, the interior complete
with all the comforts of a modern hotel, the exterior with its own private patio. One strolled
through tropical grounds, down picturesque paths, flanked by flowers, plants, and palms.
At the tournament site itself, free sandwiches, orange juice, and water were all provided in
abundance. All of the officials treated us with the utmost courtesy, were constantly concerned about
our well being. Even the two medical doctors, specialists in sports medicine, who were present
throughout the four days of the tournament, graciously offered their assistance to us should we
need it. Of course we thanked them all in person, and I again thank them here.
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In the Mens Team final, our U.S. men met Cubas A playersBetancourt, Bravo, and
Baro. Reportedly they train four hours a day, six days a week. Raul Betancourt, their #1, was
rated somewhat higher than the others, probably around 2400. They all had a strong offensive
chop and very good serves. In fact, Betancourt, a righty penholder, had really excellent serves.
On the wood side of his paddle he had three different surfacesone long pips, one short
pips, one antispinany three of which he could accurately choose and use at will for serves,
or chops back from the table. (He will probably change this racket in the future, as it was
pointed out to him that it is illegal; that a sheet of rubber must be one piece, uncut. [But the
officials let him play with it anyway, huh?]

Quang Bui
Photo by Robert Compton

Cubas Raul Betancourt

Brian Masters
Photo by Mal Anderson

Brian had a lot of trouble reading Betancourts serves, and lost to himthe only
player he lost toboth in the Teams and the Singles. Quang, too, had some trouble getting
used to his serves, but after the first game was able to read them and so defeat this #1. The
fact that the Cuban team did not have good short games made it easier for both Brian and
Quang to play against them and take the offensive. Furthermore, most of them had trouble
against Brians Sriver-Killer, so Brian was able to win most of the quick counter points.
Betancourt was the exception, thoughhe seemed to have had lots of experience against
Sriver-Killer and when Brian used it, surprisingly it was to the Cubans advantage.
The thing that seemed to shock the Cuban team the most was Quangs quickness of
play. They all said, Hes just too fast. Their reaction to Roger, on the other hand, was just the
reverse. In the beginning, only we knew that he was about to play the first game of his first
team match against an opponent who would be rated maybe 700 points above him. [Still, weak
as Roger was, I presume it was more formally fitting, more diplomatic, that we fielded three
rather than two players.] Nervous and rather embarrassed at the unexpected turn of events
which put him out there at all, Roger soon found himself down 18-0. Then he got his first
point and the crowd went wild, giving him a rousing cheer and a three-minute ovation. This
was very heartwarming to all of us, and gave us our first indication of the support and good
fellowship we could expect from the spectators.
However, after that disastrous 21-3 first game defeat, Roger pulled himself together,
his initial panic left him, and from then on, though he didnt win any games, he was able to
concentrate on each point, and did as well as he could.
Buis match with Betancourt was big for the U.S. With the tie 3-3 and 1-1 in games,
Quang came through. I thought to myself, he said, that this third game will probably be the
327

biggest game of my life because the gold medal depends on the outcome. Quang then got off to a
stunning 8-1 lead. He was controlling Betancourts serves, and, since the Cuban never did play well
when he was down, he started giving up, and Quang beat him easily at 9. Brian then scored a twostraight eighth-match win to give the U.S. men a matching gold with the women. Up 17-9 in that
deciding second game against Bravo, Brian said, I suddenly heard a strange noise behind me. I
looked to see what was going on. It was the Cuban coachhe was crying.
In the Mens individual matches, Brian had a momentary scare in the quarters. In his
first game against the Cuban chopper, he was down 20-15. At the beginning, Brian had been
looping, but his arm and back were sore and he couldnt get too much power in his loops, so
he changed his stylepushed with a lot of spin-change and just waited for the easy set-up, and
so came back to win six straight points, and then the next game as well. But again, in the
semis, Brian, though this time contesting in three, lost to the winner, Betancourt.
Quang, too, had his difficulties in the Individual play. His playing arm, which had
started to bother him during the Team matches, was becoming increasingly more painful to
use. Not only was he not able to topspin well because of the pain, he was not able to fully
concentrate on his game. Later I remarked that he must have felt really bad at losing in the first
round to a playerLamorena of the Cuban B teamhed beaten in the Teams, particularly
after his win over Betancourt had made him the favorite to take the Singles. Yes, Quang said,
I did feel pretty bad. But, after all, the Team title was more important to me than any Individual title. (Quang and Brian also lost the Doubles, in deuce games, to two Cubans whod
not played against them in the Teams.).
Quang said, My biggest moment came at the award ceremony when our team went up
and they raised our flag and played our Anthem. However, I felt a little less bad at losing when
I saw how happy all the Cuban players and the people in the stadium were at also being able to
see the Cuban flag raised and the Cuban Anthem played, for, after all, a tournament like this
does emphasize Friendship first.
Sylvia echoed Quangs sentiments. I watched our Mens Team and then our Womens
Team stand in the first place of honor to receive the gold medals and team trophies. Then, as
our flag was raised and our National Anthem played, I saw the entire stadium stand in respect.
And I felt the tears flowtears of happiness and pride and perhaps a little sadness that we
would soon be leaving the many people who had shown us such overwhelming kindness,
hospitality, and genuine friendship.

The first World Championships for Veterans (that is, for

players over 40, 50, 60, 70 (and later 80), was organized by the
couldnt-be-more-solicitous and indefatigable Hans Westling of Sweden. His year-long dedication to these Championships earned him
everyones admiration. I then did my part by organizing a U.S. contingent to the host country Sweden, though getting some flak from an
unnamed USTTA official for devoting space in Topics to a tournament
328

Hans Westling

that he said would have limited interest to the readership. However, among those who wished
us good luck was former USTTA President Graham Steenhoven of Ping-Pong Diplomacy
fame. The tournament drew entries from 23 countries to the appropriately named Valhalla
Sport-Centre in Gothenburg. It was a play-hard, happy-time Junk Rubber Festival that for
years to come would be the most attended tournament in the world.
Technically, it was an ITTF unofficial World Championshipunofficial because it didnt have the imprimatur that the old (and much less ambitious) Jubilee Cup event at the Worlds had. But now that the prestigious
Swaythling Club International has given its patronage to these Championships, and as several countries have quickly followed up with bids to run the
next Veterans tournament, it seems likely it will be held every two years (in
the same year as the European Championships).
It also seems likely (as I know from representing the U.S. at the Swaythling Club
meetings) that from now on players will only be allowed to enter one age group. Why this
limitation? Well, if the tournament proves as successful as its anticipated to be, and would be
held, say, in Germany (52 men/women came from Germany to Gothenburg), there would
literally be a 1,000 players in the drawand how, without giving up the popular preliminary
round robins, could any organizer handle that? [Flash to the new millennium and organizers of
this highly successful tournament will handle those 1,000 players and many, many more.]
There was also a discussion whether disabled players (a Japanese with one leg played
here with the help of a crutch, another guy had a wooden leg), particularly disabled players in
wheelchairs, should be allowed to participate. Some thought not, especially since those players
already had their own World Championships.
Getting umpires was a problem. Some reporting daily for the 2,000 matches were too
young. Yes, agreed the organizers, but how many adults could take off work? We had to go
to the schools. No wonder then the rules werent always enforced as they should have been.
There were thousands of bad serves here, complained our own Bob Kaminsky. Yes, said
the organizers, but thats a problem all over the world. At the recent European Championships not one player was reprimanded. Much discussion centered around the incredible
diversity of the rackets, some of them home-made. Hundreds of combination rackets here
would not meet ITTF specifications, lamented one fellow, shaking his head.
But Bohdan Dawidowicz, whod been a strong player in his native
Poland, said not only for Americans but for participants from everywhere,
This is beautifulall these old people playing. Son of a gun. So much friendly
smile. No like madthrow away rackets. Nice ladies and gentlemen.
The tournament really did have class. Also, it offered near-the-playing-site
pleasant accommodations. At the serious-minded opening ceremonies North
America was represented by 13 Americans and 1 Canadian who, along with some
of their spouses, made the trip. We had in all a party of 20. There were preliminary
rounds in all age brackets and in both singles and doubles play. Those who came 1st
or 2nd in these four-player/or pair pools advanced to the single-elimination
Championship proper; those who came 3rd or 4th competed in the Consolation.
Bohdan
Preliminary Play
Dawidowicz
Over 40s: All seven of our Mens Over 40 players qualified for Championship Singles playimmediately beat out half the 247-entry field. Not bad, eh? 1971 U.S.
329

Team member Errol Resek, Bohdan Dawidowicz and I, Tim, were 3-0though to my surprise
I was seeded #2 in my pool and just did win out, 27-25 in the third, over the Swedish #1 seed.
Canadas longtime international Derek Wall hadnt touched a racket in five months, then
before coming here had played 12 straight days. Troubled by a strange insomnia, he lost a
match to one of the many routinely-good German players, but had no trouble advancing.
Getting in, too, with 2-1 records were our Sarajevo Worlds U.S. Team Captain Kaminsky,
Leon Ruderman (hed lost a match to Englands Derek Schofield who was later to get to the
semis of the Over 50s), and Mort Zakarin who, comparing my draw with his, got quite a kick
out of being seeded #1 in his pool.
In the Mens Doubles, in which no U.S. player was paired with another, all seven teams
made it into the 64-teams Championship Bracket
In the 27-entry Womens Over 40 Singles, Yvonne Kronlage who,
before the tournament started, had been in London the same time as Wall,
advancedbeating out players from Japan, Sweden, and Germany. Evelyn
Zakarin, however, had a nightmare of a pool. Her opponents? Former
World Mixed Doubles Champion Kazuko Ito, the eventual winner of this
Over 40 Womens Singles; the Swede Wannehed whod reach the semis
before losing to Ito; and Edith Santifaller, the Captain of the Italian
Womens Team. Not even practicing with Mort could help her win a match.
Evelyn, expecting the worst, didnt enter the Over 40 Doubles. But
Yvonne did, and with her Swedish pick-up partner Pettersson came second
in her pool to stay in contention for the gold.
Evelyn Zakarin
Over 50s. Wall and I and Ruderman (with
wife Phyllis rooting for him) zipped 3-0 into the
Championship 50s. And both Mort and Hawaiis Jerry Hock (whose
wife Ruth accompanied him) advanced by finding a way out of a
three-way tie for last. But both Bill Hornyak, despite winning two
matches, was less fortunate and didnt qualify, along with Arkansas
Paul Vancura. Paul and his wife Mary had to be surprised when the
Tournament Committee sought them out as they were breakfasting at
the hotel. Yes, certainly, Mr. Vancura had been put into the 50
Singles as hed last-minute requested, and even now his 8 oclock
Paul Vancura
match was being held up. Could he please finish his toast and come
right over?
Of course in the Doubles, Wall and I, one of the favorites, got through the Pre-lims
easily, as did Leon and his Swedish partner Jonsson. But Hock, playing with an Austrian, came
third; and Vancura and his Swede, and Zakarin with a Finnish turkey, came last. Oh, well,
finishing fourth in one pool was Hasegawa and Ito.
There were only 16 women in the Over 50 Singlesbut though Evelyn knocked out a
Swede, the best she could do was third in her bracket. And third again with her Swedish
partner Wetterstrom in the Doubles.
Over 60s. Seventy-one entries in the Mens Over 60sand both Laszlo Laci
Bellak and Bill Hornyak advanced to the Championship draw.
Laci, whos a born story-teller, was often reminiscing. Hed talk about how particular
the players are now about the balls they use. When I was learning the game in Hiungary, he
said, wed play with a ball till it cracked, then wed glue it back together and play onover
330

layer after layer of paint that had coated all the tables down through the years.
Or hed talk about the places he and his friend Barna had toured. In Bombay they had
a percentage of the gate. And what do they see on walking into the stadium? 5,000 people!
Were rich! screams Laci. Victor, were rich! Until of course they find out that the admission price isnt more than a penny.
Bill, too, was having a great timethe more so because this week hed celebrated his
th
65 birthdayand 42 years of marriage to Liz. For years Bills been teaching part-time airconditioning, heating, and refrigeration at the maximum security Indiana State Prison, and Liz
says she always worries if hes even five minutes late for lunch. I was the only one who
applied for the job, Bill said. They need someone in thereI think he meant someone who
knew how to start a table tennis club.
Not advancing but not giving up either were Hock and Vancura. (Poor Paul, he just
got squeezed out on points.)
In the Doubles, all the Americans, each with a new but invariably courteous partner,
qualified for the eighths.
In the 12-entry Womens Over 60, Liz Hornyak did not advance. In fact, in another
sense, ahe found herself going back with some of these Europeans to 1926, the year of the
first World Championships, and remembering when she used to cuddle up all warm with her
grandmother in a bed over an oven in a house in a little village outside Budapest. The more Liz
apologized to Ursula Bihl, her German Over 60 Doubles partner, the better they playedwon
two matches and moved into the semis!
Over 70s. In the Mens Over 70s, three-time World Singles finalist Bellak, as expected, won all his Singles matches. Ditto in the Doubles. Although Laci was playing in four
events he never seemed to tire. I need an 18-year-old girl, he said once when he was holding
hands wit his wife Lily. And once when an innocent asked him if he had any children, he smiled
and replied quickly, hopefully, Maybe next year.

Jerry Hock

Consolation Medals
Three Americans, whatever their age bracket, were able to win for
losing. Jerry, stretching his game, or at least his borrowed USTTA
sweatsuit (thanks again, Bowie Martin), teamed with the Austrian Bolena
(winner of the Mens Over 50 Consolation) to tie for third in the Mens
Over 50 Doubles Consolation. Paul, who rewarded himself with a much
autographed USTTA pennant, a memento of the trip to hang up on the wall
of his Arkansas Club Tickeys, was runner-up in the Over 60s Singles
Consolation. And Liz got a bronze for sharing third place in Womens Over
60s Consolation.

Mens Over 40 Championships

Bohdan, who comes from Lwow, the same town in Poland as Bernie Bukiet (now
theres an Over 60 Championsomebody sponsor him, please) got by his first-round opponent Johansson in three games. (No, thats not Kjell Johanssonthough, take warning, hes
informed everyone that in two years hell be 38 and plans to go into training for the 1986
Senior Worlds.)
In the second round, Bohdan drew Persson, a very good Swedish player who, despite
an unorthodox grip, could push, loop, and put away a backhand. Dawidowicz, up 16-12 in the
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first, lost six in a row and eventually the game at deuce. Then, in the second, he got off to a terrible
start, was down 5-0, and Persson, all confidence, looped and hit in low balls and there was nothing
Bohdan could do. When finally this Swede got beat, there were only four of the 247 left.
Watching Dawidowicz drop his one knee so close to the floor as he chopped reminded
me of the trouble Leon had been having with a fractured cartilage in his knee. Its either
surgery or be crippled, his doctor had said. The bones being eaten up. So, back in February, Leon had had the operation, and was only able to come to Gothenburg because hed
worked hard. Back to the wall on an exercise table, hed been encouraging his quadriceps with
20-pound barbells. Or off the table hed swing into the hamstring-machine stirrups and do 60
repetitions of this, 100 of that. Also, three times a week hed be faithfully doing his two-mile
run. Wonder is he had enough energy to play t.t. at all.
Yes, he lost in the first round of the Singlesbut 2-1 to Skultety, a clubmate of
Persson. Before losing in the eighths, Skultety went on to upset Gomolla, one of the Over 40
favorites whom Scott Boggan for one had yet to beat in repeated league play in Germany.
I lost in the first round to Thorinsson, a Swede whom I had 10-6 in the third. Damned if my
glasses didnt suddenly slip down over my nose. 10-7. If, unbelievable, they didnt slip down again,
so that in mid-point I quick hurled them off to the side of the court, 10-8. Then I pushed, pushed,
pushed my bat into the table edge, 10-9. Then from 14-all I couldnt win. A sad tale.
Next round, Thorinsson had Bjorne Mellstrom, former Jubilee Cup winner and an exmember of the Swedish National Team, 16-12 in the third before losing. Mellstrom, incidentally, in the Pre-lims had been down 15-2 in the first, 18-5 in the second, to the German
Hubner, one of the Over 40 favorites. And who do you think was flipping his racket, or trying
to? Thats rightthe loser.
Mort was soon as first-round dead in the 40s as I was, and since
it was so hot in this Valhalla we were ready to hurry out to get some
culture. Culture. A few days before the tournament wed been tourists in
Copenhagen, and on a sightseeing tour had learned how the well-known
Carlsberg Foundation had spent a Danish brewers fortune on enlightenment (supporting museums, for example). Round the neck of a
Tuborg beer bottle there would be a little printed collar of high-school
facts which, if you squinted, you might read even as you guzzled. (Question: Whats the biggest, heaviest statue? Answer:
The Statue of Liberty in New York.) So if, like the
Danes, Id ask Mort, Are you about ready now
for some culture? I wouldnt expect him to hurry
off to the centuries-old collection of masterpieces
at the Rosenberg Castle but to accompany me to
Mort Zakarin
the nearest bar for a quick cold one.
Bob Kaminsky won his first-round matchbut perhaps that was
because before coming to Gothenburg hed stopped off at the Silver Star
Club in Geneva where his fighting spirit had been aroused. Hed arrived
at the Club on a Friday night and of course wanted to know if he could
play. Turns out hed have to ask the President of the Club. O.K., said
Bob amiably, and then, as if still wearing his fez with its different-colored, different-shaped, different-country pins all over it, like war decorations, he let it be known that he was our General at the Sarajevo Worlds
Bob Kaminsky
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and would be back soon. When he returned on Tuesday and asked, Well, can I play? he was
told, You can play on Mondays.
Bobs picture was not in the Valhalla program, but the guy who beat him in the second
round, Swedens former Austrian Open winner Toni Larsson, was.
Resek, in getting to the eighths, made the best showing of the
Americans. His first-round match he won two straight. But in the second,
he lost the first game at 19 to Magnusson, a Swedish chopper. Said
Errol, Im putting the ball away, or think I am, until I see this guy
getting every one back, deep, with no spin, and its becoming harder and
harder to get that ball down and keep it from floating off the table. But
as someone cheering Resek on through the second and third games put
it, Just watching Errol is a lesson in table tennisjust the way he
handles the ball.
Reseks third-round opponent, one of 37 players representing
England, was Ralph Gunnion, a former member of the National Team
whom Errol beat in straight games. In the round before, Gunnion had
taken out Germanys Erich Arndt two straight. So, who was Arndt? Just
ask Derek Wall whos played for 35 years in roughly 90 countries. In
Errol Resek
1963, in Prague, said Derek, Arndt won all three against North Korea.
And Arndt, Gomolla, and Scholer put up a very good fight in the semis of the Teams against
the ChineseChuang Tse-tung, Li Fu-jung, and Chang Shih-lin. Now Arndt, who attended a
private little goodwill German/American dinner, says he cant play anymore, says his back is
killing him. But he can still generate a lot of sidespin on both wings.
In the eighths, Errol ran into a spoiler in George Evans, who might still be on the
Welsh National Team if his age werent counted against him. In the 80 Commonwealth Games
he beat another ErrolCanadas Errol Caetano. Evans has a funny racket, often switches it
on you, and his shots come soft. After losing the first, Errol won the second by cracking the
ball. But then in the deciding third he played too carefully. He should have at least rolled the
ball, he said later, because whenever he tried to push, Evans would sooner or later flip his
racket, get Resek to pop the ball up, and hit in a winner. I
lost to a bat, moaned Errol.
Wall also made it to the eighthsbut not without
a struggle. His best win was over Norlin, a very strong
Swede who looked to me like he might be the leader of a
motorcycle gang. Fit or not, Derek played some damn
gutsy deuce-in-the-third points to finally win this match. In
the next round, though, the fourth in just a couple of
hours, red-faced Derek just didnt have enough culture or
anything to make a contest of it with Denmarks Freddy
Hansen whod go on to be the runner-up in these Singles.
In the Doubles, Resek was supposed to play with
George Brathwaite, but The Chief had sent up more
than one smoke signal he wasnt coming. Thus Errol,
partnered with a Frenchman (no, the Tournament CommitThree-time Canadian Champion
tee wouldnt let him play with Dawidowiczhed already
Derek Wall
been assigned a partner), was doomed from the start.
Photo by Mal Anderson
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Now that he was out of the tournament, Errol thought itd be nice if Derek would take
a pic of him with Kjell Johanssonyou know, something to take back to his club in Alaska.
Derek was willing, but a little old man kept getting in the way and smiling. Finally Derek told
him nicely to F off! Only later did he find out that this little old man was Stellan
Bengtssons father.
Errol was not only into picture-taking, he wanted to exchange souvenirs with the other
players. On presenting one Japanese with a USTTA badge or decal or whatever (thanks again,
Bill Haid), he so caught the fellow off guard that, looking frantically on and all about his
person, the man finally thrust a roll of film into Errols startled hands.
Mort, too, with his eccentric, visored partner, was quickly out of the Doubles. As for
Kaminsky, partnered with Ludvig, he could scarcely have had time to improve his German.
Know how Ruderman got interested in table tennis? Its more interesting than talking about his
first-round Doubles loss. Back in the 1940s, Leon was Captain of his New York City High
School chess team and was one of the top 10 high school players to compete in a special citywide tournament. Some of the others? The Byrne brothers, Arthur Bisguire, and Larry
Evansnames now known of course to every chess buff. What was Leons score in the round
robin tournament? Out of 9 points possible, he got that is, he lost 8 matches, drew 1.
Utterly devastated, he wandered out of the Manhattan Chess Club and into Herwald
Lawrences Broadway Table Tennis Courtsto watch (who else, they played 10 hours a day)
Miles and Reisman. He was so fascinated he took to playing in the Tuesday night Handicap
event. Ruderman +17, Reisman -9. Who would you have bet on?
Derek and I downed two more teams to get to the quarters of the Over 40 Doubles
before losing in straight games (I played horribly) to the eventual runner-ups Borg and
Mellstrom. Our best win was against the Hungariansformer World Champion Sido, who
someone was telling me once coached the Chinese Team, and his partner Piggy Pignitsky,
for a time in the 1960s the Hungarian #1. At 20-19 match point in the second, as I never tired
of telling everyone, I hit in a low balla perfect cross-court, diamond-point finish.
The winners of the Over 40 Doubles were the German favorites, Hubner, a 44-year-old
who looked maybe 25, and Gomolla who, pushing 50, was so flexible, so perpetually bouncy
out there on court, that it was fascinating to watch him
In the Over 40 quarters of the Singles, Evans, the Welshman whod beaten Errol, had
Hansen 17-12 in the thirdbut couldnt hold on to win. Hansen had lost in the Pre-lims to
Kleevian of Austria whom Noller, a German advancing now to the semis over Persson, had
beaten. Good thing for Noller that Kleevian had been too Alps-sunshine-bright for Englands
Stan the Bat Battrick since in the opening pool Noller had lost to The Bat (two straight,
somebody said, under 10). In other quarters matches, Englands Adedayo, who along with
Battrick youll hear more about shortly, just wasnt tricky enough to oust the former German
National Hubner. And the Japanese Hirai was just not as strong or intense as the sometimes
angry-looking Austrian, Toni Hold.
Hansen preferred not the schnapps I heard Noller was drinking in between matches but
the warm Danish culture he carried round in his bag (to be drunk only at the end of the days
competition?). Maybe he won 2-1 in the semis because he has a little more hold over himself
than the Austrian?
A week earlier, in the 450-entry German Senior Championships, Hubner (who has or
has not funny rubber on his forehand, depending on who you talk to) had beaten his doubles
partner Gomolla before losing in the final in deuce games to former World Singles runner-up
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Eberhard Scholer (who couldnt play here because he had another table tennis commitmenta
European Youth Conference in Vienna). In the other semis, this same Hubner came from a
game behind to beat Noller.
In the first game of the final, Hansen, wearing a Citroen shirt, is up 18-15 and
playing a steady push game when he gets a break, an irretrievable net. Hubner reacts to this
with a curse and walks away to compose himself. When he comes back he serves into the table
edge. Then, hearing someone clap at this, he looks into the stands and shakes his head in disgust.
In the second game, Hansen up 14-6 appears to be the winner. But slowly the heat
seems to get to him, the points are longfor though he can hit from either side and is therefore a favorite if the match goes to expedite, he has to be careful about picking an opening.
Hubner keeps creeping up on him and finally wins the game. So now theyve got to play the
deciding third. Over in Hansens corner a friend is pouring water down his back. Never mind
water says Freddy, I need beer.
He needs somethingand not the jerky, half-stop forehand hes now trying. But tired
as he is, he doesnt give up. At 16-9 Hubner, the Expedite Rule is brought in. My last image of
the youthful German is hitting in a 19-10 down-the-line forehand that sends him running
around in a triumphant circle.
After it was all over, what could Hansen say? Only that he had been in full control of
the match, but Hubner had kept trying. Sometimes, he said, something can happenand
this time it did.
Womens Over 40.
The Womens Over 40 final went to, as everyone knew
it would, Japans Itoover Swedens Tegner. In the first round
of this event, Yvonne drew one of the best Japanese flat hitters,
Omiro, Itos winning Doubles partner, and against her fast penhold attack she had no chance. However, in the Doubles,
Yvonne and the Swede Pettersson did away with a German/
Italian team to reach the final and take home a silver medal.
Mens Over 50
Ruderman on the flight over had been talking to U.S.
tennis players going to the World Senior Championships in
Athens (their Association selects them, however). Perhaps they
gave him a pointer or two, for Leon downed one of those 200
Swedes, 2-0. But in the second round he lost a killer, 19 in the
third, to Rune Forsberg, whod be the Over 50 Singles finalist
Yvonne Kronlage
in our upcoming U.S. Open.
Photo by Don Gunn
Had Leon won he would have played Wall, who took
care of Forsberg in straight games. In the quarters, against the Japanese Yamada, Derek, up
13-9 in the third, strangely did not think himself a winner. Its not very often I choke, he
said, admitting to what few would admit to, but today I did. And this after his great clutch
win over Norlin, a younger and much superior player to Yamada.
Anyway, whats a loss? Derek always had another story to tell. This one about
Bergmannhow after beating Schiff in the quarters he went on to win the World Championships. And what a trophy he got. Not his to permanently keep, however. So when the next
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World Championships rolled around, the Tournament Committee wanted Richard to return it
so they could put it on display. Slight problem, though. No reflection on its worth, you understand, its just that Bergmann didnt have ithed pawned it. Of course everyone asked him
why in the world hed done that. Why? he said. Why?...Because I have to live. At least he
kept the pawn ticket.
I also got to the quartersand was later pleased to
hear my friend Nisse Sandberg say, Ive never seen you play
better. My first match was on a feature table against a Swede,
Mattiassona hard bat player who kept getting a hell of a lot
of balls back. I won the first easilybut he steadied in the
second, fought for the offense, and I was ad downat which
point I got in a good serve and follow. Again I was ad down and
again I hit in a low ball that made the crowd roar and my opponent
smile, shrug, and say, Impossible! He had too much poise to suit
meand, sure enough, I still lost the game. In the third, though, I
got off to a lead and, sometimes even far back from the table
returning from side to side, I puffingly held on to it.
I then fully expected to play Sido (whom Id upset in
the 1971 Jubilee Cup at the Nagoya Worlds), but apparently
he couldnt handle the combination bat of my next opponent,
Wicksell, who I had such little difficulty with that I thought
Tim Boggan
maybe Sido deliberately dumped to him. But of course why
would he do that?
Trouble, trouble in my quarters match,
though, against Uno Hedinpast or
present President of the Swedish Table
Tennis Academy and Mr. Table Tennis, at
least on Radio Sweden. A very popular
fellow. He had a decent Phantom defense
and favored his backhandalways looked
to snap through a winner. Id say he was
about 2300. Down 1-0 and 18-12 in the
second, things did not look good for me.
But, what the hell, again I was at a feature
table and figured I owed it to myself and
everybody else to give it the old head-down
charge. Miraculously I scored on five
straight 3rd or 5th-ball attacks and ended up
Swedens Over 50 Champion Uno Hedin
winning the game.
I do believe I shook up not only Hedins
followers cheering in the adjacent stands but Hedin himself. He popped up two balls at the
start of the thirdand I missed them both. Had I smacked both of them in, I think Id have
had a chance. As it was, after being down 10-6 at the turn and in the process of losing some
more points, I let out a vicious curse or two sotto voce (or maybe not so sotto voce). I hope
later I sufficiently assured my opponent who took offense that I didnt mean him personally the
slightest ill will. At any event he quickly recovered and went on to win the Championship
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Mort did not get to the quartersbut neither did a lot of other people. The eighths
match in his section of the draw, between Battrick and Adedayo, was the center of everyones
attention. They were both English players whose games were well known to one another
(though Adedayo had never beaten Battrick in a tournament).
Stan the Bat Battrick plays every day and just as often is more likely to change the
wood on his racket rather than the rubber. He looks like an enthusiastic Y player, with a grip
to match, and intensely, interminably keeps pushing, pushing, or rolling, rolling (for with his
stroke he cant kill the ball). Oh, said a good player, Id rather play Klampar and his big
loop and lose than play Stan the Bat.
Adedayo, who got to the quarters of the 40s, quite fancied his gamethough until
hed switched rackets, went with the technology of the times, he was said to be a mediocre
player. The only piece of identification, other than his special racket, Adedayo could produce
(he had no drivers license) was a passport that said he was 49which in this Over 50 event
quite naturally caused more than one player, one tournament official, to, well, flip. Adedayo
said this reference to his age was a mistake, that he was really 50, and that hed given himself
and his table tennis friends a birthday party earlier in the year to prove it.
There was the option of getting Nigeria on the phone, have someone try to pick up
what probably would not be an easily accessible copy of his birth certificate. It was an awkward situationespecially because Adedayo happened to be the only black in the 450-entry
field. Naturally Hans Westling called the English TTA. They seemed convinced that Adedayo
was telling the truth. But just in case he wasnt, they wanted him to understand that it would
go hard for him, that hed have trouble finding players to play with in England, and that hed
be barred from tournaments for more than a yearperhaps even until the next World Championships. Adedayo was pleased. This decision is quite correct, he said.
So, o.k., they let him playbut at the next World Veterans, they said, everyone would
need a valid passport.
After all this, Adedayo did not upset Battrick. Stan the Bat pushed right through
him, deuce in the third.
In the semis, Hedin had more three-game difficultywith the Englishman Schofield
so it was thought that though the Swedes game looked far better than The Bats it might not,
this first meeting, be better. But Hedin handled him very carefully, made few mistakes, and
surprisewas not only giving The Bat serves he had trouble returning, but was repeatedly
able to snap in his point-winning backhand. At the end, then, it was not Stan the Bat but
Hedin who was flying through the air, thrown up, jolly good fellow, by his clubmates.
In the Over 50 Doubles, Ruderman and his partner, Thornqvist, having advanced to the
quarters, were attacked by The Bat, the slow beating of its wings, as it were, and another
Englishman with the unusual name of Donlon Leonand they did not survive. As for Hornyak
and his partner, whatever junk they were using between them wasnt first-round enough. Did
you know, by the way, that in 1942 Bill was U.S. #24? And that he quit the game for a quarter-century? Now look at himheart blockage unblockedhes meddling in international
competition.
The story in the 50 Doubles was whether Derek and I could win the eventwe knew
we had a chance. Although the rackets I was playing against and the strategy I was to use
against them was all an I-dont-care mystery to me, Derek did try to help me out with an
occasional word or two of advice. My god, man, how long have you been playing this fing
game? I told you, hes got inverted on his forehand and Feint on his backhand. Youre to play
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the ball to his forearm. You got that? His forearm. You just played the ball to his backhand.
Dont you see he doesnt switch? I cant loop the bloody thing against this guys funny rubber.
Youve got to get me the inverted side, then if the ball comes up you can put it away.
Or, again, when occasionally Derek would ask me in the heat of an end game what
serve I wanted him to give, I would as often as not hyper out, I dont care. Serve. Serve.
So what happened? Nothing much until the semis when against the English team of
Sheader and Schofield (in the 40 Doubles they had taken out Dawidowicz and his partner) we
were 1-1 and down 13-9. Then, although Id been awful up till then (Well, we cant win,
said a disgusted Derek), his usual unusual encouragement prompted me to get in a streak of
shots that had him back high-spirited, and we won.
So now in the final we faced the Swedes Kinstedt and Osterholm whod been 2-1
struggling all the way. They didnt look very goodOsterholm was white-haired and looked
old enough to me to be in his 60s. In the 40s hed come dead last in the Pre-limsbut had
then won the Consolation. In the 50s he was beaten in the second round by Kinstedt, his
Doubles partner. Kinstedts Singles record was o.k.in the 40s hed lost to a Japanese, so
qualified second; but then on advancing caught Hubner. In the 50s, hed lost to another topspinning Japanese. However, not to be overlooked was the fact that these Swedes had taken a
game from Hubner and Gomolla, the winners of the Over 40 Doubles.
This 50 Doubles final was played at the worst possible time for usit was the very last
final, late in the afternoon, and wed been waiting, watching other finals in that hot hall since
noon. Derek, particularly, I thought, needed some air, but the two of us went out only for a
short time. When the match was finally ready to start, the old Swede was looking at me with a
scowl, and when Derek asked to see his racket, he only quite grudgingly allowed him to.
Definitely the guy wanted to win.
From the first point we knew we might have a problem. Derek served, Kinstedt
pushed, I pushed back, Osterholm push-returned, and, as Derek was thinking about looping,,
the ball began to zig-zag. So no looping off the old guys ball. If we got beat, it was going to
be him that beat us.
The first game of the 2/3 final couldnt have been closer. At 28-27 our favor, I finally
got in an on-the-run forehand down the line. But the last half of the second game we couldnt
contest.
In the third, we were down at the turn, but, helped by a succession of errors on their
part, we strongly rallied, went 16-12 up. Now a long point, which we not only lost but which
turned the match against us. Sometimes something can happen, Hansen had said referring to
his final. It did now to us. For after Derek had failed to return the ball on that 16-12 point, one
of our players, intent on the match, called out, Watch the spin, Derek!
NO!
Derek stopped play, went over to the stands, wagged his finger at the offender and
said (to this lesser player), Dont you tell me about spin! When he came back we lost three
points in a row (with Derek unable to defend well as I perhaps strategically relied too much on
him). Then, after Id got in a forehand that ticked the net and brought a curse from the old
guy, the score was 19-all. I wanted to take a shot, but nothing looked halfway good to me, so
I unimaginatively, predictably followed our pattern of playing into Kinstedts backhand. But
then he stepped around and got in a topspin which Derek didnt return. Same for the next and
last point (Oh, said Leon later. I could see this guy keep inching over and I wanted to call
to you, Put it to the other side!)
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I really took the loss pretty hard, apparently much

more so than Derek did. I could tell from the expression
on peoples faces what they saw in mine. Kaminsky
instinctively wanted to take a picture of the silver medalistsbut I didnt want then to oblige and he quickly
backed off. Hans Westling didnt know what to sayhe
looked stunned. [Coincidently, 20 years later at the World
Veterans in Vancouver, in the 2/3 quarters of the 70s, I
was up 1-0 and at deuce in the second with this same
Swede, Osterholm, and, again playing cautiously at
deuce, I lost, while he went on, as Hedin did before him,
Derek Wall/Tim Boggan
to win the event. Worse, I was again in the final of the 70
Doubles (this time with Ruderman), and up 1-0 with a lead in the second, and again lost, though
repeatedly patting Leon on the back trying to give him encouragement. Again Westling was
stunned. Its said that nobody remembers who came secondbut I sure de-ja vu do.]
Womens Over 50
Two Japanese fought it out in the finalwith Miyagowa winning 22, -17, 19 over
Tasaka. Doubles went to Nakatsuka/Tsuboko over Sasaki/Tasaka, -16, 19, 8.
Mens Over 60
Hornyak tried hard in the Over 60s but didnt have quite enough to get by Tsukamoto
in three. And though Bellak beat a Japanese, Englands DArcy was too much for him. Still,
there was always another story to tell. Vana? Of course, Laci, we all remember Vanawon the
Worlds in 38 and 47 (was runner-up in 48 and 49). In 38, the Worlds was at the Royal
Albert Hall in Londonand Vana came. So? Well, said Laci, he came alone, from Czechoslovakia, and couldnt speak a word of English. Worse yet, for some reason whoever was to
meet him at the station didnt show up. So Vana didnt know what to dohe just walked
around saying, Ping-Pong?...Ping-Pong? Of course the police soon picked him up (PingPong?...Ping-Pong?) as a vagrant and a loony. Finally, somebody made the connection and
later Vana came back to that same train station as the World Champion. It just shows you,
said Laci, you dont have to have brains to play ping-pong.
In the Over 60 Doubles, Hornyak and his French partner Raymond Muyauw were giving it
their all. Before losing to the winners, Neidenmark/Berggren of
Sweden, they made the semis and took a bronze. Liz was so
happy for Bill she almost ran down the aisle. Bellak and
Urchetti beat Jerry Hock and his partner to get a bronze too.
As for Vancura, at least he and his Belgian partner won a match
and had the consolation of losing to the gold medalists.

Liz/Bill Hornyakmatching medals

Photo by Mal Anderson

Womens Over 60s

Singles winner was West Germanys Bihl in straight-game
succession over Swedens Lindstrom, fellow German Kuhn,
and Japans Yamada. In the Womens Over 60 Doubles, won by
the Swedes Narting/Goransson over the Germans Koervers/
Kuhn, Liz with favorable partner Bihl got her second bronze.
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Womens Over 70s

Englands Lauder downed Swedens Sundqvist.. -17, 11, 12. Back when Lauder was
Phyllis Hodgkinson, she played for runner-up England in the Corbillon Cup at the 38 Worlds. But
in those days she preferred hockey to table tennis and toured Australia with an Anglo-Scottish team.
Mens Over 70s
The Japanese sent some strong players to this tournament. The 70
Singles was won by Nakamura over Kawakami. Doubtless it was a disappointment to Laci that he couldnt win the Over 70s. But he and Denmarks
Juhl didnt drop a game in taking the Doubles. Best action was in the Singles
quarters. There, helped, you might say, by some coaching from Ruderman,
Laci did down Japans Sumino in three to win another bronze. Leon, whos a
professional hypnotist (he did some shows in Korea in 52-53 for our servicemen, and wanted to do his act on Laci, for hed played this Phantom blocker
in the Over 50 Pre-lims and knew how to beat him. Very close it was at the
Laszlo Bellak
end of the third, and when Laci looked to him for advice, Leon was ready.
Give him a nothing ball! Leon fairly shouted. No spin! No spin! Bellak
nodded. And twice served two heavy chops into Suminos stomach to win the match.
Afterwards, Laci comes over to thank Leon. Which thanks Leon simply accepts. Some
hypnotist. Some storysounds like one of Bellaks own.

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Chapter Twenty-Five

European Top Twelve Winners: Swedens Mikael Appelgren and the Netherlands Bettine Vriesekoop

1982: Appelgren and Vriesekoop win, first, the Top 12 tournaments, then the European Championships. Waldner and Daniliavichute are European Junior Champions. 1982:
Chinas Cai Zhenhua, Cao Yanhua take Asian Championships. 1982 Eric Boggan wins
Jamaican Love Bird Invitational. 1982: Japans Seiji Ono tops $27,000 Norwich Union
Grand Prix Masters at Toronto (Eric finishes fourth).
Mikael Appelgren, the Swedish National Champion and winner of the recent Top 12
tournament in Nantes, France, captured the European Mens Championship in Budapest Hungary,
Apr. 17-25, by defeating 16-year-old fellow countryman Jan-Ove Waldner, 19 in the 5th, in the final.
As far back as the eighths of the Singles, Waldner had a little problemwas down 2-0 and 20-17
triple-match-point to Des Douglas, the English #1, before pulling it out. Then, in the quarters and
semis, he finished off Bengtsson and Klampar, both in four games. Nor did Appelgren, after
stopping Dvoracek in straight games, have such an easy time of it. In the quarters he was down
12-6 in the fifth to Jonyer before rallying to win. Then he got by Gergely in four. Thenohhhin
the final he lost the first two gameswon the next twowas up 18-12 in the fifthtied at 19allbefore finally winning it. So, still another big Championship for The Apple.
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Bettine Vriesekoop, the Netherlands National Champion, and also the Top 12 winner
at Nantes, beat Englands Jill Hammersley in five games in the Womens final. So excited were
her Dutch compatriots that they threw Vriesekoop heavenward butsuch are the ups and
downs of this sportthey failed to catch her just right coming down, and she injured her leg
and had to default from the doubles.
Waldner/Daniliavichute: European Junior Champions
Results of the European Junior Championships, played July 16-25 in
Holabrun, Austria: Boys Singles: Final: Jan-Ove Waldner (SWE) over Jonny
Akesson (SWE), 15, 18. Semis: Waldner over V. Broda (CZE), 15, 18;
Akesson over Jorgen Persson (SWE), -18, 19, 19. Girls Singles: Final:
Iolante Daniliavichute (RUS) over S. Pircsak (RUS). Semis: Daniliavichute
over K. Bolvari (HUN), 10, 19; Pircsak over Eva Malmberg (FIN), 16, 18. Boys Doubles:
Waldner/Akesson (SWE) over Broda/Broda (CZE). Girls Doubles: Daniliavichute/Vecherok
(RUS) over Borbely/Nemes (RUM), 14, 22. Mixed Doubles: Final: Persson (SWE)/Nemes
(RUM) over Waldner (SWE)/Bolvari (HUN), -21, 12, 16.
Asian Championships
Mens Singles: Final: Cai Zhenhua over Xie Saike, 17, 20, -16, -17, 16. Womens
Singles: Cao Yanhua over Tong Ling, 17, 14, -16, 18. Mens Doubles: Guo/Xie over Cai/Jiang
Jialiang, 11, 15, 13. Womens Doubles: Cao/Huang over Tong/Li Chuli, 16, 17, 17. Mixed
Doubles: Final: Jiang/Tong over Guo/Li 17, 17, 20. Boys Singles: Final: North Koreas Hong
Sui Il over Indonesias T. Santosa, 6, 8, 10. Girls Singles: North Koreas Li Bun Hui over
Indonesias E. Suniendar, 16, 18, 17.
Eric Boggan Wins Jamaican Love Bird Tournament
Under the joint sponsorship of the Cigarette Company of Jamaica (makers of
Rothmans King Size) and Air Jamaica, and thanks to the special efforts of longtime Jamaican
TTA President Roy Hylton, who, as always, was ably assisted by Tournament Director Ken
McLachlan, the JTTA resumed their (interrupted since 1979) annual Love Bird International
Tournament at the Kingston National Arena, May 25-27.
English promoter Mike Lawless had packaged some of his Norwich Union Grand Prix
final qualifiersvacationing Europeans (Swedes, Czechs, Poles, and Hungarians due to fight
it out the following week in a $27,000 extravaganza in Toronto)to come to Kingston to
have fun and, via a 16-player Invitational, please the crowds who love dramatic table tennis.
First-round play was mostly a showcase, a test, for the young Jamaican players who
were proudly excited about playing with the pros. The best showing among them was made by
17-year-old Stephen Hylton, Roys son, last years Caribbean Junior Champion and the current
Jamaican National Mens Champion,. He was 9-all in the third with Hungarys 1975 World
Champion, Istvan Jonyer, before succumbing.
The rest of the JamaicansDavid Marchalleck, Colin McNeish, Randy Fagan, and
(though Dennis Duncan was officially rated #5) Ernest Virgolost to the something less than
intense internationals. The one high-point was when Fagan, a notoriously hot and cold player,
had the Czech Jindrich Pansky, the former European Junior Champ, down 11-4 in the first.
The Czechs, by the way, had more than a little visa trouble en route to Kingston, for
when they couldnt fly straight through from Trinidad/Tobago but instead came by way of the
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U.S. without visas to enter Jamaica they had to stay overnight in a Miami hotel. An armed
guard in their room kept watch over them until the next mornings paper work could be
processed.
During the second nights play, there were Consolation matchesall of which involved
the Jamaican players. The best of these was Hylton vs. Fagana rematch of their two-week
earlier Guinness Championship final. On that occasion the athletic-looking Hylton was down
2-0 and 13-4 in the third, yet coolly came back to win in five. As a result, Fagans been accused of playing to the gallery, of over-playing that big loop of his, and of lacking staying
power. When, this time, Randy was up 1-0 and 19-17 in the second, and again faced with a
steady, rallying Hylton lost that game, and was then down 15-12 in the third, it looked very
bad for him. But Steve unaccountably failed to return two serves, suddenly seemed so vulnerably human, that Randy took heart and went on to win.
In the generally uninspired and rightfully unappreciated quarters matches, all the
highest-ranked Europeans got knocked out of the tournament. Molnar dumped European
Champ Appelgren who, afterwards, was quite upsetthough certainly not about his loss but
with the cashier overseeing the late-evening buffet line at his hotel. Shed obstinately refused
(after hed inadvertently handed over his dinner ticket for lunch) to take his lunch ticket hed
given her for dinner. Needless to say, though, Mikael didnt go hungry and was soon all
mellow, inspirited by the disco sounds whirling in and out of his head.
The local Star paper, reporting on the second of these quarters matches, said
Kosanovic unleashed good drives with power which the Czech Orlowski couldnt handle.
Pansky defeated Jonyerwhich is what, after beating Klampar and Gergely, he couldnt do for
all of Czechoslovakia in the ninth match of the Czech-Hungarian tie in the final of the recent
European Team Championships.
In the last and best-played quarters, Boggan got
by Andrzej Grubba. Eric, hot in the third game, had built
up a 20-10 lead, whereupon Grubba playfully faked a
high-toss serve. On looking up, hed unexpectedly quickserved shortonly to have Eric, as if in one shared motion between the two, as if this were a planned exhibition
point theyd played for years, instantly swatted it crosscourt in. This of course drew roars of applause. Said a still
stunned Andrzej later, Thats the first time in my life
anybody ever hit that ball in.
I was surprised that Grubba, who was reading a
Patrice Highsmith novel (Stodka Choroba in the Polish
translation), could speak English so well. Hed not learned
it (though he could have) in school in Poland, where
Polands playful Andrzej Grubba:
Russian is compulsory; he was self-taught. Despite the
wanting to surprise, he got surprised.
uncertain situation in his homeland, Andrzejs stature there
as a sportsman is deservingly high and his international achievements do not go unrewarded.
Earlier this season he won the Italian Open; and just recently at the European Championships
he and his Netherlands partner, the new European Womens Champion, Bettine Vriesekoop,
won the Mixed Doubles.
Preceding the semis and final on the third and last day of this Kingston tournament
were the deciding Consolation matches. The last Jamaican, the moody, dramatic Fagan,
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thought he had a chance, or at least a crowd-pleasing chance, against Bengtssonif only his
opponent would serve legally. Please, he pleads the ump theatrically, make the Swede throw
the ball up. Bengtsson looks at Fagan, shakes his head slowly in disgust, then exaggerates a
high-toss servethrough his legs. Pro Fagan or not, the crowd loves it. Later, after Randy
whiffs a hanger, grimaces, throws out his hands in appeal to those in the bleachers and then on
up to the Almighty on high, Bengtsson, as if not wanting to be upstaged, serves one in behind
his back. Bravo! Bravo! Finally, at 20-15 match point, the umpire himself cant resisthe
faults Bengtsson. Ulf looks to the players bench, to Appelgren and the others half-dozing in
their head-sets, smiles, serves very carefullyand scores.
The other semis is some consolation only to Dvoracek. Kucharski is sick of the same
thing again and must forfeit his singles and doubles.
But Dvoracek and Bengtsson, as if mindful of that article in the official Program that
had all too prophetically warned of the giant-sized task of entertaining the Jamaican spectators put on the kind of skillful show that everyone had been waiting to see. In addition to the
many good points in this match, theres one incredible one. The ball is worked back and forth
until both players are no longer behind the table but have maneuvered themselves to opposite
sides. At which point, Dvoracek, whos been sidespin looping, literally dives for the ball and
curves it back so table-top low that, coming in, it just skids unreturnably across the playing
surface. The crowd eruptsas if, with this, all those seated had been given renewed (Me nuh
believe it, mun!) table tennis life. Bengtsson retrieves the ball, joins in the applause, then goes
over and, shakes the Big Bananas hand.
In the one Championship semis, it was Kosanovic and Molnar. Said Zoki at the start
of their match, Ive never lost to him. Nor did he this time.
In the
other semis,
it was
Boggan and
Pansky. For
two days
now Eric
had been
bothered by
an open
blister on
the heel of
his playing
hand and
had been
constantly
Jindrich Pansky
changing
band-aids
Eric Boggan
during his matches. But, counter-balancing that,
hed suddenly gotten some moral support from an old friend. Fuarnado Roberts was back in
Jamaica after a three-year absence. Robbie, whos got his own Midnight Express story to tell,
seemed his old legendary self, greeting and being greeted by admirers as he walked into the
Arena. Despite his recent hardships he still has that life-saving sense of humor, that awareness
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of and concern for others that, come what may, enables him to embrace and survive.
With Robbies encouraging attention (Play him double wing, Eric!), Boggan, down
2-1 to Panskys steady forehand flurries, was himself just able to survive. At 19-all in the fifth,
the young Czech (who earlier had quite generously conceded a controversial edge ball to Eric)
quickly (almost calculatingly, it seemed) looped two off the end of the table.
Against Kosanovic in the final, Boggan was 18-15 down in the first but then ran out
the game. In the second, he was helped to a win when Zoki, down 19-18, served off. In the
third, Kosanovic got a little steamed when Eric, up 11-6, began slowing the pace of play. But
then Eric himself seemed to lose his cool, his concentration, and, from 16-9 up, gave back a
quick five points. Eric regained control of both self and table, however, and on straight-game
ending the match, and so earning a $400 first prize, had become the youngest player ever to
win the Love Bird.
The
Norwich Union
Insurance Company, very likely
the largest sponsor
of table tennis
tournaments in the
world, brought
their (16 player)
$27,000 Grand Prix Masters to the Etobicoke Olympium just outside Toronto on June 2-6.
Attending the six sessions of play (which drew on the average 500 spectators a day) were
Norwich Union Public Relations Manager John McDonnell (Mc-Don-NELL) and Table Tennis
(1977 Birmingham World Championships) Organizer Mike Lawlessthe man most responsible for establishing the Norwich Union Grand Prix circuit. Assisting them were Hugh Taylor,
Norwich Union President for Canada, and Norwich Union liaison man Rick Hardy. Representing TSPs involvement in the tournament was Japans Koiji Suzuki, who was being helped by
his Toronto-based confidant Kenji Nose.
Cooperating to their utmost of course were the various Canadian officials involved:
George Pardon, President of the CTTA; John Brayford, President of the Ontario TTA; Ken
Kerr, OTTA Executive Director and Tournament Coordinator; Adham Sharara, CTTA Technical Director; and other members of the Tournament Management Committee, including Marge
Walden, Ned McLennan, and Referee Detlev Von-Nottbeck.
Doubtless all very prestigious indeed. But wait until you hear who else was there: Roy
Evans, President of the ITTF; his anything but retiring wife Nancy, longtime member of the
ITTF Council; and Dr. Gyorgy Lakatos, new President of the European Table Tennis Union.
Making sure all these people and the players got on TV were two-time World Champion Johnny Leach, who, assisted by Brian Spicer, was doing the color commentary for ITV of
England; and Mariann Domonkos, the perennial Canadian Womens Singles and Doubles
Champion, who was doing much the same thing for the CTV network. (Doubtless Mariann
made the point that there ought to be a Grand Prix for women?)
As for me, the week-long lone U.S. official or unofficial there, I made sure I got on TV
toodid five minutes worth of explanation and bounce-the-ball demonstration of the two
sided rackets some of the players were using.
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All but one of the 16 players, most of whom had earned their way here by gaining
Masters points in previous tournaments, were practicing the day before the tournament. The
exception was 24-year-old Zoran Zoki Kalinic, the Yugoslav Champ for the last three years
(while Surbeks been playing in the German Bundesliga). Meanwhile, waiting in the shadow of
long-limbed Kalinics uncertain wing-spread of a flight (as of the latest report, the Yugoslav
had gotten as far as the Netherlands; could he at the last possible moment still get a visa?) was
standby hopeful Danny Seemiller. Unfortunately for him, however, Kalinic caught that last
flight, and Danny, not being able to take just sitting there watching, flew home to Pittsburgh.
The players were blessed with good accommodations at the Holiday Inn, good food,
and for the most part good playing conditions. But even the early-round matches were played
on only one tableand, aside from it being spaced out there in the middle of the gym too far
from the spectators, there was, uh, something wrong with it. The very beautiful and expensive
wooden support was perfect, but (Dont tell the players, said an official naively) the top,
through some strange mix-up, was not the right one for the support, was too heavy. With the
result that when a shot went deep into the last three inches of the table the ball would too
often skid.
The best place to play a one-table world-class Masters tournament is in the darkened
ballroom of a hotel, said one knowledgeable observer (he meant of course that there would
be excellent lighting over the table. And what about that Masters title? said another aficionado later. A guy came hurrying in on the fourth day of the tournament and told me he would
have been here before but he thought that there were just Seniorover 40players here.
Could you be young and still be a Master he wanted to know.
To get the tournament underway, the 16 players were divided into four round robin
groups of four players. The two top finishing players from each group were then drawn into a
quarterfinals and further single elimination play that would decide player positions one through
eight. Similarly, the two bottom finishing players from each group would play matches for
positions nine through sixteen.
In Group A, at the end of
two evenings of play,
Hungarys 1975 World
Champion Istvan Jonyer
(repeatedly introduced as
ranked 10th in the world and
12th in Europe) had clinched
a spot in the quarters with
straight-game wins over
Swedens Ulf Bengtsson, 19,
and Germanys Peter
Stellwag, 26. This super
Hungarians got an effective
roll-return of serve with his
Hungarys Istvan Jonyer
new, undetectable-to-the-ear
Photo by Mariann Domonkos
Super Anti-Spin. (Not many
serves nowadays are effective against any kind of anti-spin?) However, Jonyer barely won the
first from Bengtsson and down 16-9 in the second looked even more terrible. But Ulf, up 1713, lost five points on his own serve, then pushed one of Jonyers match-ending serves into the
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bottom of the net. As for German Champ Stellwag, he didnt seem to care muchand at the
end he and Jonyer were putting on a sideshow sidespin exhibition.
But both Bengtsson and Stellwag kept themselves in quarters-qualifying contention by
squeaking by Czechoslovakias 82 German Open Champ, Josef Josh DvoracekBengtsson
25-23 in the third, and Stellwag 23-21 in the third.
The hulking, expressionless Czech, 29, plays with an always-at-the-ready backhand
grip but between points has this nervous habit of fast flipping his racket (though the rubber on
each side is the same). Dvoracek has a very good, slow, steady topspin defense, (something
like the late Hans Alsers, someone said). But (because of his grip and the forehand hes
evolved with it?) cant hit the ball hard. Bengtsson had him 18 in the third, but then the Swede
took an incredibly bad forehand and deservedly found himself in 19-all trouble. At this point,
though, he showed the most fight of anyone in the tournamentforced himself to spectacularly serve and follow, to repeatedly run around his forehand, until, yes, he was in the running
alright, still $9,000-first place alive.
Stellwag, too, in his
own peculiar way, showed
a lot of heart. One of his
favorite moves on losing a
point is to open his hands in
what-the-hell hurt disbelief,
then, in a sneer of selfdisgust (well, really, things
are going so bad today, I
just dont give a damn), use
those hands to paw away
the shot hes just missed.
Germanys Peter Stellwag
From
Tischtennis Report, June, 1980
But, despite such mannerisms, hes still trying. Down
1-0 and at deuce in the second, Peter missed an easy
killyet managed to survive. In the third, up match
point, he took the worst forehand Ive ever seenas if
he were in expedite and (101112) totally desperate. A few seconds later, at 21-all, just as Peters chop
was going long, the umpire said, Stop!a break for
the then winner Stellwag.
In Group B, at the end of two rounds,
Czechoslovakias Milan Orlowski, 30, European Top
12 runner-up, was in with ho-hum wins over Kenishi
Sakamoto and Belgian Open Champ Kalinic.
Sakamoto, the Japanese #2, whom Danny Seemiller
beat in the semis of the Western Open this spring, had
no Grand Prix qualifying points at all but was officially
packaged in with Seiji Ono as a supposed replacement
for Yugoslavias Dragutin Surbek (committed, it was
said, to playing in the European Fair Cities Cup). Ono
Kenishi Sakamoto
had been invited when 1981 World Champion Guo
Photo by Mal Anderson
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Yuehua couldnt come for one Chinese reason or another, and since surely it was rationally and
ethically appropriate to have Japans 23-year-old Seiji Ono, the 1979 World Champion, take
Guos honored place.
Sakamoto may have flown in on Onos coattailsbut he could fast-hand win a few
matches himself. He right away kept Leszek Kucharski from being assured of a quarters spot. The
22-year-old Pole likes the ball to hop out at him, but against Sakamotos pips (compare anti), it did
not. I must say, however, that Kucharski, who loves to shout, break down a barrier, drop-kick a
retrieve, bang a bat, break a ball, was, even though he lost, on his best behavior this match.
Perhaps Kucharski was not too upset about losing because the night before hed beaten
Kalinic, a lefty penholder who uses a three-fingered (Chinese) grip, and whos usually the
tallest player in any tournament he goes to. A lazy fellow in practice, someone said of him
after practicing serves he sends a boy to pick up the balls. Lazy he might sometimes be, but
he moves very well, and his cramped-looking but effective forehand block at any moment on
any soft return threatens to turn into a formidable loop. Still, he could not keep Kucharski
from backhand looping wide to his forehand.
In Group C after two rounds, Mikael Appelgren, Europes best, whod done a little
sightseeing with Mike Lawless before the tournament, had no difficulty getting to the quarters
with straight-game wins over the Czech Jundrich Pansky, 21, and the U.S.s Eric Boggan, 18.
The 24-year-old Swedish Champions touch and seemingly effortless anticipation is so good
that time and again he would appear out of the point then quickly right back in it. Pansky
challenged at 19-all in the second, but Appelgren immediately discouraged him with a winning
serve and follow, then finished him off.
Boggan, however, did look to be in a very good position after downing Polands Italian
Open winner Andrzej Grubba two straight. Down 14-7 in the 1st, Andrzej, 25, got so frustrated
with Boggans anti that he thumped down his bat on the ball and flattened it. When play
resumed, Grubba closed from 16-9 down to 18-17. But Eric held strong. Midway into the
second game, Boggan yells, Concentrate! and the crowd giggles. But 24-22 concentrate he
does. Eric has such an intensityan American intensity, said a local writer who was doing
an article on the tournament. Another writer thought Eric was American toointroduced him
as, United States Champion Eric Boggan of Pittsburgh (mixing him up of course with
current U.S. Champ brother Scott and Danny Seemiller).
The Grubba-Pansky match was a beauty. Down 19-18 in the third, Pansky pushed the
Poles serve into the net. Then three-point rallied for the adonly to see Grubba get an
irretrievable edge. A big swing, for, match-point down, Pansky pushed another into the net
and then, without hesitating a moment, smiled, and in one fast-finishing motion rounded the
table and shook hands.
In Group D, at the end of second-round play, Ono, supported by his longtime coach
and English-speaking designate, Professor Shumpei Higuchi (Professor? Professor of what?
Table Tennis of course), had easy wins over Hungarys Janos Molnar and Canadas Zoran
Zoki Kosanovic.
Molnar, 22, winner of the 1981 Polish Open, started out having lots of trouble with
Onos questionable serves. When Molnar was down 6-0, the guy next to me said, How awful
not to be able to return serve and have people laughing at you. But then the Hungarian was at
6-all.And down 17-8.And, no, it didnt get any better for him.
Kosanovic, 26, wasnt in the match with Ono either. The Japanese had too much ball
speed for Zoki whos put on about 15 pounds since he became Ontarios Provincial Coach. At
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one point in their match Ono returns a ball that clearly doesnt hit the table. Sorry, he says
and puts up his hand. Though Ono looks expectant, Zoki doesnt think it hit, nor does the
umpire who awards the point to Kosanovic. However, as Ono looks blank at this decision,
Kosanovic waversand even as Canadian National Coach Zlatko Cordas yells, Zoki! Zoki!
It wasnt good. It didnt hit, Kosanovic deliberately serves into the net. Whats the point?
Well, were one cynical, he could say it was a very good opportunity for image-building.
Also winning his first two matches, though with three-game struggles, was long-haired
(Why not long hair? Its MY life) Park Lee Hee, a rebel-type, but, as World #13, a muchneeded member of the South Korean National Team. He had just finished a second-half season
in the German Bundesliga, where his Hohr Grenzausen Second Division team, thanks to
Parks undefeated singles and doubles play, had been promoted to the First Division.
In an interview here at Etobicoke with Canadian Micheline Aucoin, the 25-year-old
Park, who first started playing at the late age of 15, said he received a good salary as a
professional player in the Bundesliga. Back in Korea, he said, the National Team training is
very strict and controlled by the Association coaches. I must train every day and this training is
very regimented. The coach tells us what to do and he has complete control. I prefer to train
alone. I like to think about table tennis systems myself. In Germany I have free training without a coach. I like it that way. I like to be free, to do what I like, to play when I want. Fortunately for him, the Korean TTA allows him to travel and play where he wantsbut he must
represent South Korea if selected for international matches.
Park was not a Grand Prix qualifier but a wild-card entry who, it was hoped, with his
exciting, deceptive defensive style, would bring variety to the matches and so more spectators,
particularly since his uncle lives in Toronto, from the Korean community. Park could be seen
shadow-practicing in the gym, tossing up non-existent serves, twirling his two-sided racket
again and again, as if, as the unseen ball falls, he were in some anti-matter world, some spacetime continuum all his own.
Right from the beginning, Kosanovic, down 4-0, seemed afraid of Parks spin. But then
he began zapping in heavily chopped first or second balls and, continuing to take risks, won at
deuce. But as play progressed he could do no more. Whenever a high-chopped ball came to
him hed throw a discus arm at itbut not only could he not put it away, hed sometimes miss
the ball outright. Watch the spin! Watch the spin! someone advises (or taunts?) Zoki. At
which 17-12-down point, he stops play, turns to the audience and calls out (to the unidentified
voice, its unseen owner), Who are you to say such a smart thing to me? If youre so good,
you come down here and try to play. But the guy knew better than to make a fool of himself.
Molnar, slow-looping, then picking and smacking the ball, won the first from Park.
When at 19-all the Korean pushed a high ball off, he cursed (or yelled an exhortation) in
German, then lost the next point. But in the second and third games, the Hungarian, shaking
his head, didnt seem to have the confidence to work for the point long enough.
The third nights play was all-deciding. In Group A, Dvoracek, having lost those two
deuce-in-the-third matches earlier, was locked out of the quarters, and Jonyer, with his two
straight-game wins, was locked in. So how much difference could their match make? Answer:
at this stage, the difference between possibly ninth (for the third-place Group finisher) and
possibly 16th (for the 4th-place finisher)or roughly $600. In actual practice, Dvoradek beat a
listless Jonyer in straight games, then went on, in playing for positions 9-12, to drop matches
to Grubba and Molnarwhich made his win over Jonyer worth about $280 at the most
(hardly worth accounting for?).
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Stellwag, meanwhile, still trying in his way to get to the quarters, was down 1-0 and
14-10 in the second to Bengtsson. But then Ulf served one off and, up 19-17, failed to return
two of Peters serves. At 19-all, though, Bengtsson hit in one of his best Johansson hammerkills (he was the hardest hitter at the tournament) and Stellwaghow do you think, now ad
down, he responded to that?...He served into the net. This tumbled him down into the well-Ididnt-care-much-anyway 9th-to-12th bracket.
Group B was more interesting, Sakamoto, behind 1-0 and 12-5 in the second, seemed
to have no chance against Kalinic (You never know where the balls going when you play
Kalinic, someone said.) But then the Japanese began blocking well, caught the Yugoslav on
some serves, and 2-1 (4-4) hustled himself back into quarters contention. Now, if Orlowski
would hold true to form.And, sure enough, the Czech won the first from Kucharskibut
then, down 18-5and 14-8, he lost the next two.
So not Sakamoto but Kucharski was in with a 2-1 (5-3) record, and the Japanese
would finish 10th (better than a lot of people thought he would).
In Group C, people were asking themselves a question about Appelgren. Why does his
racket have that strange sound when he loops? Answer: its his glue. He re-glues his rubber
after every match. If Appelgren beats Grubba 2-0, Boggan needs only to take one game from
Pansky to come second in his group and make the quarters. But The Apple just cant get
interestedbesides, the Poles backhand loop is very effective against the lefty Appelgren.
And to think that once Grubba himself had seriously tried to play left-handed; if hed have
stuck with it, do you suppose hed be challenging Appelgren now? Anyway, when the best
player in Europe averages 12 points a game from Grubba, Eric is in trouble. To keep from
falling into the 12-16th bracket, he has to take at least a game from Pansky, and to make the
quarters he has to beat him two straighta $1,000 swing.
In the semis of the Jamaican Love Bird tournament, Boggan had beaten Pansky, 19 in
the fifth. Here in the first, Eric, up 7-5, was down 12-7then back even at 14-allthen down
19-16and down 20-19 game point. But Pansky, who himself had to win at least one game to
avoid falling into the bottom bracket, picked this moment to whiff Erics serve. And now,
given his chance, Eric, ad up, finished with a serve and follow. At the start of the second game,
Eric tried to ace Pansky with a fast down-the-line serve. It went offand he was soon down
5-1then streakily up 16-9before Pansky closed to 17-16. Now the turning-point for
Boggan. Having forced Eric back from the table, having forced him to chop a long return, the
Czech swungand missed.Big 21-18 win for Eric.
The Canadians were start-and-stop taping this Boggan-Pansky match. They were
interested in the way Eric backhands to his opponents backhand, then how, if the ball comes
to Erics forehand he not only takes that forehand shot but runs around any return to his
backhand and continues his forehand attack.
Pansky, then, with a win over Kosanovic and a loss to Kalinic, finished where Eric might
have14th. Grubba at least had some consolationnot only did he down Molnar and Sakamoto in
straight games to finish 9th but at tournaments end he was going home to get married.
Group D already had its qualifiersOno and Parkbut nobody could complain they
werent trying against one another. Down 1-0 and 19-14 in the second, Park, whose forehand
had been awful (perhaps because for some months now hed had trouble with his back, having
developed muscle problems from trying to warm-up in a too cold hall in Germany), suddenly
rallied for five in a row. But at 19-all Ono hit in a beautifully angled-off serve return and in a
moment had won his sixth straight game.
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Kosanovics loss to Molnar put him in danger of

coming last. Forget that heavy training racket; his
ordinary one must have seemed heavy enough. It was
as if little Tanya was already screaming, Mommy!
Mommy! Down 19-18 in the first, in a 13-16th-place
play-off, and badly in need of some confidence, Zoki
waits to receive serve. And here it comes. Hes gonna
loop it? Not if he wants to keep some of his fingers
from being broken. He cant even swing as it doublebounces in for the point. Down 20-18, Zoki fights
hard, gets a high chopped balljust the kind he cant
flat-hitand loops itoff. Follows by flinging his
racketthudinto the back barrier. Oh well, at least
he wants to win. Of course he wasnt in the second
game.
Cmon, Zoki, win
Zoran and Tanya Kosanovic
a match! I kid him as
later he prepares to play Stellwag. I cant, he jokes back. Im
already three years in Canada. He means, naturally, that hes
not getting the competition in North America that he needs to
keep up his standard. But, up 1-0 and 7-0 in the second against
Stellwag, could he still come last? He, 14-8 down in the second,
couldand did.
Most of the sports psychologists in Canada, said one
who understood Kosanovics problem, feels there should be no
individual stars in Canadian sports. So theyre teaching the kids
in schools that its not important to win, that whats important is Kosanovic: Whered I go wrong?
to be a healthy human being, and winning is merely a by-product. With this negative mentality youre going to produce fewer and fewer champions. No
wonder Zoki, who manages his Woburn T.T. Club in a Fitness Center, has difficulty finding
young players willing to work. As a strict coach he knows very well that 13-18-year-olds want
to be late to training and practice, want to talk and chew bubble gum while they play. Of
course he doesnt like all these young U.S. players eitherall of them trying to protect their
rating while they learn, ever conscious in match after match that theyd better play safe, not
risk the loss of rating points.
O.K., quarters time, and its Park vs. Bengtsson. In the first game, Park sees his 20-15
lead shrink to 20-19, then during an exciting volley he gets an edge, says a hand-up Sorry.
But Bengtsson reflexes the ball backonly to miss in the next still unstabilized moment a high
return. The Swede questions whether Parks Sorry entitles him to the point. But though hes
upset he doesnt formally protest. In the second, down 20-12, he serves into the net.
Against Orlowski, Eric is wearing his lucky (Momm Marabon) chocolate-factory
shirt. He says hes never lost in it. Yeah? say the officials. Well, make sure you dont wear it
before the TV cameras tonight. We have a rule about no advertising.
Before the match there is strategy talkabout how Eric must loop if a long serve comes to
his forehand, or how if he finds his opponents middle and plays accordingly hell win. Some
wonder how Orlowskis Spectol pips will play against Boggans Toni-Hold. From 6-all in the first
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game Eric suddenly breaks open the matchruns his lead to 15-720-9. Orlowski, wholl lose the
second game as well, seems totally unprepared for Erics game. One observer said the Czech had a
coordination problem. Of course hes never been good against a material player.
In Erics corner for this match, as you could tell from the next days paper, was his Russian
Coach, Baltimores Igor Fraiman. One thing Igor asked 62 Eric to do out there, besides maintaining his concentration, was to keep his knees bent (sometimes hes too stiffly upright). Another
thing was to direct his backhand down Orlowskis forehand line. So what do I read in the next
days paper? My coach said to play Orlowskis forehand, Eric had told the reporter, but I said to
myself, Play his backhand. Fraiman, the article went on to say, wasnt upset with Boggan taking
charge because he expects his student to make decisions on the floor.Everything Eric has
achieved hes done for himself, Fraiman said. My job is to make sure he knows someone is
behind him. Not bad, huh? I couldnt have said it better myself.
In his quarters match against Kucharski and his ought-to-be-faulted backhand serves,
Appelgren had only one-game difficulty. Down 16-9 in the second, he soon had it 17-all tied
up. So, faced with such an effortless rally, perhaps the volatile Pole can be forgiven for finally
flinging his racket into the net.
Appelgren, said one analyst, has such good control. He can stroke the ball differently at different times. Sometimes, especially on his backhand, he comes over the top of the
ball, gives a kind of corkscrew knuckleball return. So his opponent has to be very careful
whether he hits the top or chop side of the spinning ball and must change his stroke to hit it to
different desired parts of the table. This privately recognized spin is the key to Appelgrens
easy anticipation. He can see literally what stroke his opponent is going to use, and can see
figuratively in his minds eye where the ball is going to go. Eric punches straight into the ball
though; so hes not bothered by Appelgrens variations as much as most players are. Interesting, I said politely.
The Jonyer-Ono match did not at first appear to be closely contested, but Jonyer is that
rare player who, though he may even be playing badly, always looks like hes in the match
whatever the score. Down 20-15, apparently
confused, the Hungarian served with what he
thought was his sponge but was really his anti
side and didnt catch any part of the table. In
the second game, the score was 16-all, but
then Jonyer scarcely gave Ono a chance to
swing at the balland ran it out. The third
was a reversalJonyer, serving into the net,
was down 20-16. But he closed to 20-19.
Now he waits, thinks, breaks the pattern of
his backhand-side serves, goes over to the
forehand, serves, then pushes the return off.
The televised semis, particularly the
Park-Boggan match, is an intense one, a
dramatic confrontation of two anti styles.
Both players are individualists who appreciate
the chance Norwich Unions given them to
play for such prize money. Eric is the youngSouth Koreas Park Lee Hee
est player in the field and will need a lot of
Photo from Nittaku News, June, 83
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patience and firepower (anti to Parks

forehand, then wait, wait, wait for the right
ball and loop) to down the tricky, experienced Park whom hes never played before.
Who, as the match goes on, will be better
able to adjust to whose game?
The foot-stamping that starts and will
continue throughout their match is perhaps
an unsuccessful attempt by both players to
assert their dominance one over the other.
The spectators, surprised, laughed
seemed, at least in this one-table context, to
enjoy it. At 14-all Eric failed to return serve;
at 15-14 failed again, and aside from two
nets didnt get another point.
In the second game, their mirror-image
toweling started. Up 1-0 and 14-7, Park
stopped, took his time. Up 14-9, Park tied
his shoelaces, toweled again. When Eric won the next point he stopped and to loud applause
toweled too. At 16-10 Park goes for his towel again. Far from being distracted by all this
(someone had made the point that he liked the child in Erics play, that the boy-become-man
always needed to keep the spontaneity he had in his gamebut with control), Eric slowly
moves to stage center, closes to 18-17. But then he misses three successive backhand rolls and
loses that game too.
Park offers to shake hands. Eric refuses. Some in the crowd boo. But of course what
do they know? The semis, as Eric (and perhaps Park) is very well aware, is best 3 out of 5.
In the third game, Eric continues what may well be a wrong patterndoes not ever hit
an early first or second ball hard. Up 14-11, he serves off. Up 14-13, he serves off again. (One
observer later tells him that technically but not tactically hes better than Park. Tactically, hes
not used to thinking the whole match. His mid-game needs to be strongerhes losing concentration, losing games there. Park later told a reporter that Erics improved very much but
has very bad concentration [sic: very bad?]). Anyway, Boggan, from 14-all, moves to an 1814 lead. Thenhold itPark, who has this disconcerting habit of putting his hand up as Eric
is serving, immediately gets back the four points. At 19-all, Eric plays one of the best points of
his careera long in and out, loop and push point, which he wins. Up 20-19, he plays an
almost equally good one, but again to Parks rhythm, which he loses. At deuce they revert to
looking, as one fellow put it, like they were going to break into a voodoo dancereverted
to another foot-stamping pushing duel. Eric lost this game too.
For a moment in this match there was some controversy over whether (and in the
minds of most this would have made Eric the favorite) the Expedite Rule should have been
called. People timing the games said one of them went well over 15 minutes. When, afterwards, I went up to a group of red-jacketed umpires and officials and asked them whether they
thought at least one game had gone over the limit, one guy whod been out there on court
said, Yes, it didbut it was such a good match to watch that we didnt want to interrupt it.
Which of course got me a little steamed. So I went to find the official timekeeper. Just under
15 minutes, he said, considering all the time not counted spent in toweling.
Eric Boggan

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In the other semis, youd expect that Appelgren, who realizes that now is the time for
him to make money in the sport, not 10 or 20 years from now, and whose Bundesliga
Reutlingen Club flies him in from Stockholm for his matches at a cost of $700 a trip, would
make a real stretch run at the $9,000 first prize. And in the first game he does sorallied from
20-18 down, makes a spectacular angled-off placement of Onos 20-19 serve that the musttry-very-hard-every-point Japanese doesnt even get his racket on. But then up 22-21 The
Apple topspins Onos serve off and can never recover his lost opportunity. In general, Mikaels
topspin off that 2 and mm inverted he uses like pips out, seemed just too slow to beat Ono,
now recovered from his leg and back ailments.
Before the Park-Ono final, theres a play-off between the two semifinalists. Although in
this match for third place ($225 difference in prize money), Boggan had Appelgren down
match point, he lost. Only occasionally did either player ever look very good. (For instance,
Ive never seen Eric so slow in getting to net balls.). Of course after one Canadian official after
another had come up to me during the five-day tournament and told me how much Erics
conduct had improved over the last couple of years, how he was approaching my own maturity (both of us had managed to forget the Opening Ceremonies one of the nights), what do
you suppose happened in the final act of this play?
Eric, down 17-13 in the third, released part of his (Damn! I had him match point)
frustrations on some Caribbean hecklers in the audience (the same ones whod booed him
when hed not shaken hands with Park at the end of their second, not third, game?). Told them
to Oh, shut up! Then, when he lost 21-14but, here, take a look at the next days local
paper. The table tennis headline reads, Mikaels Mr. Cool of Table Tennis. And the opening
lines read, It was almost as if Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe had switched to table
tennis.Swedens
Mikael Applegren
acted like the IceBorg, while
American Eric
Boggan played the
role of the brat.
What did
Eric DO?
Oh, at the
end, the hecklers
in full throat came
at him, and he was
quick with the
finger. Then, like a
conductora very
gentle conductorhe urged
them to make
more beautiful
music. Then, in
parting, he gave
them the arm.
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Which might have gone over great in the West Indies, or on a TV screen somewhere, since the
cameras here didnt stop rolling for a minute. But, really, before Roy and Nancy Evans and Dr.
Lakatos? Still, who knows, maybe they viewed this momentary little drama as they viewed
nearby Niagara Fallswith a rush of feelingthen calm.
In the first game of the Ono-Park final, Park, often a slow starter, was down 10-4 but
had then almost 17-16 caught up when Ono returned an edge and won the point. And now
though Park was finally getting in that anti forehand hed had so much trouble with earlier, he
couldnt continue his rally. Up 20-17, Ono looks at the pointing forefinger of his Professor that
says, To the forehand. Message
received and acted upongame to
Ono.
Before this final match, the
Professor later told a reporter, hed
reminded his pupil of three things:
1. Have a fighting spirit. 2. Be
relaxed. 3. Attack all the time. Go
for the forehand with the first shot,
then go to the backhand or middle
with the second. Ono, he said, did
just what he told him.
In the second game, Parks
down again, again closes to 17-16.
But then hes done in by an edge
and some more of those forehands
that are sometimes anti-effective. In
the third, Parks early lead slowly
disappears and from 16-13 up he
fails to return three of Onos serves
(though not perhaps those underthe-table ones that people were
commenting on earlier). He loses
that game at 17, but is not terribly
disappointed with his second-place
prize of $4,500. As for Ono, hes a
very deserving winner: he lost only
one game in allto Jonyer, the
oldest of these 16 players at 31 and
perhaps the smartestthough not,
apparently, as smart as the ProfesJapans Seiji Oho, $9000 Norwich Union Grand Prix Masters
sor, who coached Ono to the World Winner, flanked by South Korean Runner-up Park Lee Hee
and Swedens Third-Place Finisher Mikael Appelgren
Championship and to another
Photo by Mariann Domonkos
triumph here.

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Chapter Twenty-Six

U.S. Open Director Danny Robbins

Cobo Hall Marquee

Danny Robbins 600-entry 52nd Annual U.S. Open, played at Detroits Cobo Hall
through the July 4th weekend, brought table tennis up out of the basement, and brightlycolored flowers into the just-off-the-Boulevard, higher-level Hall A Arena.
Summer-showered with publicity we were. The A.P., Detroit News and Free Press, the
local TV channels and radio stations, thanks to Danny and Tim Boggan, had stories,
photos, and results. Not so amazing then that Ray Seemiller in Pittsburgh could hear of his
sons progress through the eighths before Danny could even phone him.
Inside, incredible, was it, that Thats Incredible was doing a TV show on Jimmy
Butler in the Arena or that People Magazine with a story on Eric Boggan in the wings was
waiting for the drama to unfold.
Blue, white-lettered
players names, sets of flappable
scorecards (but, ohhh, how hard
it was to distinguish the little
game numbers), and a judicious
use of the (sometimes too faintly
heard) separate Arena mike by
Tim and Dick Butler helped
spectators to a better understanding of the feature matches.
Referee Pat Collins and especially Chief Umpire George
Chranewycz, with the help of
National Tournament Director
George Chranewycz, Pat Collins, and Wendell Dillon
Wendell Dillon who ran both a
Photo by Mal Anderson
356

Referees Seminar and Umpires Clinic, kept the highlighted matches well umpired and scored,
and mostly under control despite a few frustrating, even testy moments. (One player, because
of a fused elbow restricting his serve motion, was told by an opponent, You cant serve that
way. So, since the offender said there wasnt any official around to check with, he tried to
comply, lost, and sent a letter to Topics protesting.)
Affable USTTA Executive Vice-President Gus Kennedy worked relentlessly to make
sure all the teams were properly welcomed at station or airportwhatever their late-hour time
of arrival. (As for their stay at the Book Cadillac, it wasnt conveniently across the street, true,
but it was only a few blocks walk from the playing site, and the players were surely offered
better room and board than those in most of our more recent Opens. Thanks to Tournament
Director Robbins, late-playing participants could be assured of getting a good dinner at the
hotel even at midnight.
In only one area was the tournament deficient and that was in its chaotic start, particularly with regard to the Team play on Wednesday. What precipitated the confusion could not
be traced to Bob Beatty, Tom McEvoy, Mark Hrivnak or Aaron Smith, who were absolutely
indispensable to the five-day operation of the tournament (as were often to scarcely any less
degree, Dennis Masters, Mel Eisner, Hedy Mantel, Bob Allshouse, Andy Gad, Dave Strang,
and Sylvia Rosenthal). The problem stemmed from Neal Fox. .
International Club Matches
Neal, I need preface my continuing comments with, provided a huge organizational
service for this tournament. Indeed, people waiting for his lone-wolf arrival bared their teeth in
grin or snarl to say, hah, hed certainly have outfoxed himself if his plane, instead of being four
hours late, had, perish the thought, not arrived at all. For of course he was the one, the only
one, with the 600 entries, draw-sheets, and time schedules. Fortunately, even with the weight
of others upon him. Neal has this admirable quality of accepting full responsibility for his
actions, be they right or wrong. He gives youor at least mesuch a painstaking, honest
account of why he did this or that, if you fault him you fault your humanity. Still, I say publicly
that, dammit, Neal, you do really need to get to any big tournament youre so absorbingly
involved in a couple of days early.
Impossible, was it, with the lack of data on these
internationalists (whos here? whos not?) to have prepared
the draws beforehand? Originally, Neal had planned to begin
International Club play at 10 a.m. But due to a typo mistake
on the entry blank he couldnt get underway now until
1:p.m. This must have left him with a sickening feeling, for
with those three hours forever lost he knew before he started
his somewhat modified Swiss Systemteams with like
records progress in pyramid fashion to the topthat he
couldnt complete play as scheduled and likely would have
difficulty finding time to make up the unplayed matches.
Since Neal had gotten to his hotel in the wee hours
of the morning, he was understandably still tired and now
Neal has a headache?
this Wednesday morning there were as yet so many unPhoto by Mal Anderson
formed and still changing partnerships. (Do you want to
play in the Club or Team event?...No, theres no prize money in the stronger event [sic].
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Finally, after being as patiently fair and thorough as possible, he found he had little time to
check the seedings or the format of this Club play and so sent players out, forgetting an essential ingredient of his Systemthat high-level teams had to start out against high-level teams.
Eight and a half hours later, when Neal had to stop play (other events needed the
tables), the uneven situation was this: two teams were undefeated. At 5-0 were Quang Bui and
Brian Masters, the latter with a big win over European Champ Mikael Appelgren. Appelgren,
the #1 international player in the tournament, was playing in this lesser Club event? (As a
professional, he thought, Might as well pick up a money prize?) At 4-0 was the Pakistani
team of Munserim Saif and Sohail and Janed Hayat. It was decided that at some later date
these two teams would play the final.
But, wait a minute, the Pakistanis had played only four ties. Six teams had 4-1 records,
and four teams had 3-1 records. The teams that had 3-1 records thought they had to be given a
chance to play at least another round IF in the next few days a convenient time could be found
[4-1 would entitle them to share third/fourth place prize money and maybe 5-1 was still a
possibility?].
Understandably, the partnership of Dave Sakai and B.K. Arunkumar was furious with
Fox for not having seeded them #2, above the Pakastanis, as their combined rating so
unarguably demanded. Instead, they were put up against, and suffered their only loss to, the #1
seeded team of Appelgren/Lars Mattsson. To make matters worse, the Pakistanis did not play
either of what should have been the two top-seeded teams.
Ah, but now the Pakistanis did play a fifth tie, their designated finaland beat Bui and
Masters, so gave these Americans their first loss, dropped them to a second-place 5-1 record,
while the Pakistanis were 5-0 first. With Bui and Masters now 5-1, some of the teams with a
4-1 and even 3-1 record were quite ready to make the point that, hey, if wed have played the
same number of matches wed be in there for the $150 second-place prize money too. And,
finally, the question was asked, How did you split up the $200 third and fourth-place prize
money? It was all a mess. Alright, said Robbins, well throw in another $100. And alright,
said Fox, well split the $300 among all nine teams with one loss. Which, give or take a penny,
came out to $16.67 a man.
My own personal opinion is that this Club event cant help but be cheapening to the
simultaneously run International Team event. The U.S. Team players, all of whom are dependent in no small way on table tennis for their livelihood, had to be so angry and depressed
when they thought of that $750 prize money going to those less-proven players that, really,
you wonder how they could be expected to do their best.
International Team Matches (Men)
There was confusion in the seeding of the International Team ties too. Canada, it
appeared, was going to enter two Mens Teams. So Zoran Zoki Kosanovic and Joe Ng
would be Canada A, and Errol Caetano and Ming Yuan would be Canada B. Into the first of
the four round robin brackets then went Canadas B team along with the U.S.A.s A team of
Eric Boggan and Danny Seemiller. But then shortly after the seedings had been made, Ng, it
turns out, was not going to show and now Kosanovic and Caetano pulled out a legal-looking
document that made it clear they were going to play together. O.K., o.k., except of course this
new Canadian A team would not be playing the U.S.A. A team in the round robin.
And yet somehow (unknown to the Canadians?) Ming and his newly recruited partner,
the Canadian Junior Champion Bao Nguyen, played and lost to both the Japanese A and
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Korean B teams before anyone in

authority could realize that left
Kosanovic and Caetano (victors
like the U.S.A. over Puerto
Ricos B team) to play Eric and
Danny. So, since it was already
mid-afternoon (with the scheduled semis coming up), and
since it was impossible now to
ask the Japanese and Koreans to
replay their ties against the
different Canadian partnership of
Canadas Bao Nguyen
Kosanovic and Caetano, there
Photo by Mal Anderson
was nothing to do but get on
with that unlooked-for at this
early stage U.S.A.-Canadian tie.
Errol Caetano, wrote a Canadian reporter recently, is to table tennis what Errol
Flynn was to the moviessuave and smooth, with a swashbuckling style. The seven-time
Canadian Champion can clear the nine-foot table in a single bound. Uh-huh. But this hall
wasnt in a medieval castle on a Warners set, or Danny the bearded, villainous Basil Rathbone.
So in scene after scene this Errol was (12, 11) convincingly out-dueled. And Kosanovic? He
couldnt play any better against Eric than he had a month earlier in Jamaicaagain he lost in
straight games. As hed just finished dead last in the Norwich Union Masters, what was happening to him, his image? O Can-a-da. Only in the doubles could the Canadians take even a
game.
As for the U.S.A. B team, when Attila Malek didnt show, Scott Boggan, who was just
getting back into playing after working on Long Island for six weeks as a tree sprayer, obligingly moved down to form a partnership with Rickybut they could do little against the
Swedes, though Ricky did grab a first-game from sun-bronzed Jonas Berner, and Scott would
later take some consolation in downing Lars Franklin in the final of the ($200 first prize) Hard
Rubber event.
Advancing to the two semis were the U.S.A.s A team vs. Korea A, and Sweden vs.
Japan A. Hideo Goto, 23-year-old go-go member of the Japanese Team at the Pyongyang
and Novi Sad Worlds, had an easy time with 24-year-old Ji Young Ok, 1980 All-Korea
League singles winner. But 22-year-old Juzo Nukazuka, whod played Singles for Japan in the
81 Worlds, had more than a few -18, 21, 12 precarious moments with 1981 All-Korea Classification High School Champion Park Chang Ik. In the Doubles, Nukazuka was partnered with
Koichi Kawamura, who only a month before in Japans National Team Tournament had beaten
1982 Japanese Champion Masahiro Maeharabut Park and Ji held on to win two straight and
keep Koreas hopes alive. In the fourth match, though, Nukazuka, a penholder whosurpriseplays with sandwich rubber, was much too strong for Ji, and so Japan advanced to
meet Sweden.
Franklin, who played for the Swedish B team in the 81 Scandinavian Open, has a
good steady forehand, but perhaps his game was more predictable to the Japanese than theirs
was to himfor, after losing to Nukazuka in three, he went (-9, -11) totally limp against Goto
whom he was later to beat in the Mens Singles. So, though Berner (who has his momentsin
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the 81 Finland Open he beat former European Champ Gabor Gergely) could hit through
Goto, he couldnt get to Nukazuka in the fifth match because he and Franklin (not after all an
established partnership, or even players from the same club) couldnt put up a fight in the
doubles.
Moving into the final against Japan then would be the U.S.A. team of Eric and Danny?
Two years in a row now theyd been there and were expected to be there again.
But 28-year-old Son Sung Soon, 79 All-Korea Singles Champion with a devastating
forehand, opened strong against an unusually passive Seemiller. Down 1-0 and at 15-all in the
second, Danny, threatened by Sons point-winning follow, pushed three of the Koreans serves
off the table or into the netand the U.S. was down 1-0.
Eric evened it up, getting by the 1980 Korean High School Champion Kim Tae Soo
[Kim Taek Soo?] in threethough the ball theyd started out with was soon abruptly taken
out of play, not because it was cracked but because Kim said it had a soft spot and he wanted
a new one.
The doubles of course was going to be a big decider. Eric and Danny were doing just
21-14 fine and holding their own in the second when the Koreans, 1980 Seoul Open Doubles
winners, bothered by a call or two, asked for a change of umpires. When play resumed, Son
and Kim came on strong and, shouting encouragement to each other, began to turn the match
around. Said an interested spectator, You notice how when one Korean chases a ball, the
other goes to retrieve it too? They work in tandem. At 20-19 match-point in the third for the
Americans, Son smacks in a quick down-the-line forehand to tie it up. Then almost immediately he stops play with a leg cramp. Is it for real? Can he continue? Must he continue? Time
will tell. Back come the Koreans with just enough for a 23-21 win. Ohhh, what an exhibitionlike jump shotup, up to come down hard on a lob Danny makes, and misses, at games end.
Son, predictably, has to default, can see no point in finishing even the first game against
Ericbut of course hes done his damage. Now with the tie 2-2, its all up to Seemiller.
But against Kim, Dannys feet are maybe too much on the groundhe seems slow. Up
20-17 in the first, the Korean lets loose an all-out winnerwhich Danny miraculously blocks
back for the point. Follows that for two others. Deuce! But thats the end of his rally. At the
start of the second, someone shouts, Come on, Danny. Lets go! Whereupon Seemiller
serves into the net. But then he wins that game and takes a 20-18 lead in the third. Only,
amazing (were so used to seeing Danny come out on top in such matches), Kim wins a point,
then risks everything, socks in Dannys serve, and deuces it up. After which theres a brief
exchange of third-ball attacks that favor the Korean and hes the winner. The U.S. is knocked
out of the Team event.
I didnt come into Detroit from the Cleveland tournament [played the weekend
before] with enough confidence, Danny was to say later. (He lost there to both Appelgren the
winner, and Eric the runner-up.) Also, because this hard Cobo Hall floor isnt comfortable to
move on, I was having trouble with my swing. Im a power playerbut in this tie I was
stroking with too much upward loft and not enough forward drive, so I wasnt getting my
usual power.
For the U.S. spectators, the final between Japan and Korea is an anticlimax. The
Koreans try hard, but are unsuccessful. Son, down 1-0 but up 20-19 in the second, takes time
out for a hoped-for elixir of a drink. But Nukazukas serve and winning follow is too much to
swallow, and when the Japanese gets the ad Son throws his paddle table-ward as if he were
already throwing in the towel.
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In the doubles, too, the Koreans, one game up and at deuce in the second, had a good
chancebut again they couldnt win the close game they needed to get into the tie. Japan,
then, is the deserving Mens Team Champion3-0 over Korea.
International Team Matches (Women)
The seedings for the Womens Team ties arent what they should have beenbut it
wasnt Foxs fault. He couldnt tellit wasnt yet apparentthat the six Korean women,
sponsored by Coca Cola and led by Mr. Choi Chung Whan (also the leader of the Daewoo
Korean Mens Teams), very privately wanted their best players to be called deceptively the B
team. Why? Well, since there were three round robins (from each of which only the winner
would advance), the seedings would initially separate Japan A and Korea A, and would craftily
put the best Koreans, Korea B, into the round robin with Japan B.
Thus when Korea A (the weakest Koreans) avoided playing (and likely losing to) Japan
B, there would be two Koreas in the final round robin instead of two Japans. Also, unless
Korea B (the best Koreans) were upset by Japan B, the deception would assure the best
Koreans of more practice against Japan and would avoid any psychological division among its
own two teams. That is, if the real Korea B team had had to play Japan B (as would have been
proper), the best Korean women looking on would be caught between two desiresto hope
their teammates would upset Japan B, but also, in the interest of playing better and different
opponents, to hope they wouldnt. Which for such a team-oriented country would not be
good.
Also, it was better for the morale of both Korean teams, better for the image of Korea
itself, that they werent beaten by the Japanese B team. Strange, but Miyuki Uezono and
Tomoko Tamaru, the Japanese B players, never would play, in either the Teams or Singles,
Jang Kum Ok, Han Mi Ok, and World #50 Park Mal Bun, the real Korean B players.
Sure enough, in round robin A, Japan A was an easy winner. Never mind why the U.S.
didnt even try to field a second womens team, our only team of Insook Bhushan and Kasia
Dawidowicz (Team Captain Takako Trenholme also played for us against Puerto Rico) was
destroyed. They didnt average 10 points a game from Kayoko Kawahigashi (World #17) and
Rie Wada (World #24). Maybe Insook and Kasia had been practicing too much with Bohdan
Dawidowicz and his new English junk?
Sure enough, in round robin B, Korea A
(really Korea B) was also an easy winner. The
only interesting tie here was Canadas 3-1
victory over Sweden. Adel Karims singles wins
over Swedish National League player Susanne
Karlsson and Girls Under 15 finalist here, Charlotte Arvidsson was all-deciding. Karim, at 27,
was the 82 Canadian Closed Womens Singles
runner-up to Mariann Domonkos, for six consecutive years now the Canadian National
Womens Champion. Unfortunately, Mariann had
recently been in an auto accident and wasnt up
to playing in this U.S. Open.
Adel had played for Canada in the PanCanadas Adel Karim
Pacific
Games in New Zealand, and with her
Photo by Mal Anderson
361

tricky combination bat (Tackiness on the forehand, long pips on old, old Barna-wood on the
backhand) appeared to have a first-meeting advantage over her younger opponents. Also key
to Canadas victory was the Julia Johnson/Becky McKnight (-22, 22, 20) doubles winone of
those clinchers that in retrospect youd have liked to have seen featured in the Arena.
And sure enough, in round robin C, Korea B (really Korea A) was getting the kind of
competition it wantedgetting almost too much of it in the person of 21-year-old Pan-Tokyo
Student Champion Oezono (Ooh-e-zono)in going the full five matches against the Japanese
B team. Both Shin Deuk Hwa, second in some unstated year in the All Korea Womens Championship, and her doubles partner Jung Kyung Ja, also 19, got better scores in their first and
fifth match singles tests than did their Japanese opponent, 81 National Student Champion
Tamura. Also, as expected, Shin and Jung (82 All Korea Doubles Champions) won the deciding doubles. So, so long, Japan B, see you next year? Uh, youll see them soonerin the
semis of this Opens Womens Doubles, losing to the same Koreans who beat them in the
Teams, and whod then go on to down Kawahigashi/Wada in the final.
Foxs schedule for the three-team round robin final was immediately modified when
Motoo Fujii (pronounced Moto, though he insisted it was spelled Motoo), the Japanese Team
Leader wholl be involved in running the 83 Tokyo World Championships, politely suggested
that it might be best to play the two Korean teams against each other first. It was as if he
thought, Hey, these Koreans are tricky. We might beat Korea B (the real Korea B) and still
come third.
So, sure, no problem. And naturally Korea A (really Korea B), its team members
respectfully bowing to their favored opponents as in a mirror, went docilely down to defeat.
Jang Kim Ok, who was to beat Shin Deuk Hwa three straight in the Korean Open in Los
Angeles a week later, lost to that same Shin 13 and 11; Han Mi Ok got 22 from Jung Kyung
Jaa total of 22 in two games of course; and Jang/Park Mal Bun managed to average 15
points per game from Shin and Jung in the doubles. So, 3-0what collusion could there be
there?
For the second match-up, Foxs nave computer persisted in pairing Japan A with
Korea B, saving of course the paper finalthe Japan
A-Korea A (really Korea B) tiefor last. Naturally,
though, since that Korea A (really Korea B) team,
playing all out, would, in the end, lose to Japan A, 30, clearly the real final was the one we were about to
see now between Japan A and the real Korea A,
Korea B.
Perhaps in the beginning Shin was a little
tightbut after dropping that first game at deuce to
24-year-old, two-time Japanese National Champion
Wada, Shin had no problem gaining full control. But
then when chunky Kawahigashi, for the last two
Worlds a member of the Japanese National Team,
foot-stamped out the fire of Jungs rally, and the
South Koreas
Japanese won the doubles with surprising ease,
Shin Deuk Hwa
Korea, down 2-1, was in trouble. In the fourth
Photo by
Charlie Maas
match, though, Kawahigashi, who later would beat
Shin in the Singles, couldnt win the deuce game
362

from her that her team needed. And in the fifth, it was Jung over Wada all the way.
Solots of practice for Korea and, with this ending rally, the Team title as well. Would
it be Japans turn now in the Singles?
Womens Singles (Pre-Quarters)
Play began in the Womens Singles with 54 entries. Only 16 of these, though, were
from the U.S. and two of them defaulted. Faan Yeen Liu had decided to pursue a summer
nursing program and couldnt take time off; and four-time Michigan Champ Genevieve Hayes
decided when the downtown bus didnt come, towhat the hell, go back to bed. Oh well, our
82 Intercollegiate Champ did give the Open some great publicity with her lengthy pre-tournament interview over that WXYZ widely-listened-to talk show.
The one exciting five-game match in the first round was Cheryl Dadians -14, -17, 21,
20, 19 come-from-behind win over 82 Canadian Closed Womens Doubles finalist Diane
Bourdages. Id loop and shed block me all over, said Cheryl. Finally my dad suggested I
slooow down the loop, and I did that and thats why I won.
Four first-round matches went four
games: Canadas Karim over four-time
Puerto Rican Champ Diana Diaz; 1627rated Irina Shtofmahker over 1847 Christine Forgo; Peaches Newell over Linda
Kay Gates; and Womens Under 1800
winner Colleen Johnson, who rumor had it
was being coached by Mikael Appelgren,
over Jacque Heyman, who rumor had it
wasnt. Once, though, for her Broadcast
Communication course, Jacque was about
to have an interview with Rod Stewart
when, damn, he broke his toe. Think she
got the interview anyway?
Scores of 10 of the 16 secondround matches looked like this: 9, 9, 7; 9,
Jacque Heyman and Rod Stewart
3, 7; 13, 5, 11; 10, 9, 4; 12, 2, 11; 5, 8, 5;
5, 8, 12; 6, 13, 9; 9, 2, 5; 10, 13, 9. No wonder I heard some people talking about how the
scoring should be changed. Once a good player starts building up points, what possible interest
can there be in the match?
However, against Susanne Karlsson, one of Swedens Top 15 players, U.S. World
Team member Olga Soltesz 14, -19, -24, 14, -7 lost a very combative match which she might
have won three straight. After taking the first, she was down 19-13 in the second, but rallied
to 19-all, then said she was the victim of two freaky points. In the third, she had at least four
ads, but lost 26-24. After that, she said, she knew she was going to lose. Fate had to be against
her. But, so what, she said matter-of-factly, I just accept it. I have for a long time now.
Against Japans Tamura, U.S. World Team member Kasia Gaca couldnt win a close
game eitherlost all three at deuce, the second after being down 20-13 and having three ads.
Against Korean 22-year-old Seong Chang Mi, U.S. World Team member Cheryl
Dadian, after having lost the first 23-21, won the secondso she too, before she began flathitting off, was right in there. Too many mis-executions, said her father, Paul. What he said
363

when in the Under 2000s Cheryl lost 23-21 in the third to 65-year-old Chuck Burns, Ill not
repeat here.
In one of the best of the eighths matches, Karlsson defeated ex-Indian National Rupa
Banarjee, deuce in the fourth. The last time I saw Rupa play was in 1976, when she was the
Canadian Champion and runner-up to Insook Bhushan at the Toronto CNE. After that she
retired to start a family. Back now, she hasnt forgotten how to snap-hit a forehand.
Another of the eighths matches featured Shin Deuk Hwa, the #1 Korean, who again
beat Japans Tamaru. Tomoko, however, went on to win the Mixed Doubles with Koichi
Kawamuraover Takahiro Kondo/Kayoko Kawahigashi in five.
In the most recent issue of the Japanese Table Tennis Report, the diminutive, defenseminded Wada said she was taught by her coach that only after she began to find it physically
painful did her practice proper really begin. Maybe then she had to suffer that loss to Jung
Kyung Ja in the Teams before she could beat her now in the Singles?
Also in the eighths, Elizabeth Popper, 19-year-old four-time South American Champion, seemed to go down almost painlessly to Jang Kum Ok. Elizabeths not fired up this
tournament, said her brother Roberto. Pushing, lobbingI dont know whats the matter
with her. Still, Elizabeth and Roberto did upset Danny and Insook in the Mixed, and Elizabeth, all glum, did win the Womens Under 21s from Karlsson.
Girls Matches

Wang Fuzheng coaches Ardith Lonnon to the Under 15

Championship while father Merle looks intently on.
Photo by Mal Anderson

Becky McKnight was the winner of the Under 17s

over
Jasmine Wang in the semis and Ardith Lonnon in the
U.S. Girls Under 17 Singles/Doubles
Winner: Canadas Becky McKnight final. Against the much more experienced McKnight, the
Photo by Robert Compton
Canadian U-17 Champion and a veteran of both the Novi
Sad Worlds and the Bombay Commonwealth Games,
Lonnon was down 15-1 in the first when who should I see rise to her aid but our new Chinese
Coach Wang Fuzheng. Whereupon Ardith suddenly became a respectable loser at 18 in the
second, and almost a winner in the third when she was up 12-6 before succumbing to the
unused-to pressure at games end (I thought Beckys last serves had lots of topspin on them,
Ardith said later, but they didnt).
364

McKnight continued her winning wayspaired with Sangita Kamble to take the U-17
Doubles from Lonnon and her Swedish friend Charlotte Lotte Arvidsson. Ardith and Lotte
also lost the Under 15 Doublesto Jasmine Wang and Vicky Wong.
Lonnon, however, did win the Girls Under 15 titlefrom Arvidsson, 18 in the fifth.
Wong was the Girls Under 13 winner over Tracey Lange; while the marathon Under 11s went
to Laura Biondolino, 25-23 in the fifth, over Stephanie Fox.
Other Womens Events
In other
Womens play:
Senior Singles: Pat
Hodgins over
Marcia Johnson.
U-1800: Colleen
Johnson over
Jasmine Wang, -13,
20, 19, then over
Cindy Miller, 23-21
in the fourth. U1500: Sangeeta
Dosi over Francine
Larente whod
Canadas Colleen Johnson
advanced over Joan
Photo by Mal Anderson
Fu. U-1200: Lien
Luong over Barb Stuart, then over Michelle Mantel. U-800:
Shellie Sweeris over Monica Thimian, def.
Shellie Sweeris

Womens Singles Late Rounds

With the exception of Insooks match, all the quarters were
uncontested. The JapaneseWada, Kawahigashiwere too world-class strong for the Korean
B players; and Karlsson, who was playing in her third U.S. Open because she liked the
Japanese/Korean competition, put all her energy into deucing the first game with Korean star
Shin before collapsing.
Against Japans Uezono, Insook showed flashes of her old self, but lost 19 in the
fourth. She said she was bothered by Uezonos habit of delaying play. No matter how much
time Insook gave her, too often, just as Insook was about to serve, up went Uezonos hand. (I
remember Park Lee Hee doing this quite a bit against my son Eric in the Norwich Union
Masters tournament in Toronto). Of course some table tennis players, like some exasperating
golfers, take longer to get set than others. Even Insook herself, after repeatedly suffering
Uezonos pre-serve deliberationsthe deep breaths for composure, the mini-word pep talk,
the little jog into open-palm readinesshad to back off, her own playing rhythms disturbed.
Anyway, though Insook didnt win this Open, shes come a long way since the 77 one
she wonand dehydrated, twitching, lay waiting for an ambulance. No collapse in a tournament after that, for now in 82, Insook, in addition to being a housewife and mother, is following a full-time career in which shes already supervising three people under her, including a
young man with the accounting degree she as yet does not have. Its hardly remarkable then,
Photo by Mal Anderson

365

with her determination, that

she should make a progressively good showing here in
the Singles.
Both of the semis
were very fine matches.
Japanese Novi Sad Team
member Wada, in pain after
losing the first two games to
the undefeated Uezono,
rallied to win the next three.
But what would you expect
of a person who could
report even at a practice
Japans Rie Wada
From Nittaku News, June, 83
session, I became so
exhausted that in the end I
almost lost consciousness and yet my arms and legs kept responding to
the ball as if they were a separate entity from the rest of my body.
Kawahigashi, too, found the five-game way to victoryover
U.S. Opens Womens
Shin whod beaten her in straight games in the Teams. The footWinner: Japans
Kayoko Kawahigashi stamping final began and ended with an understanding. Each bowed
Photo by Mal Anderson considerately to the other: they knew the match would be long (it went
the full five games). And, yes, in the interests of the spectators, the
Expedite Rule would be put into effect immediately (though only one point would 13-goodreturns run out during the whole match).
Perhaps it was because Kawahigashi, whod been the 76 U.S. Open runner-up, and
the winner in 80, could undeniably pick a forehand winner cross-court or down-the-line that
she was the Champion again this year? Or perhaps Wada did not feel enough pain?
Mens Singles (Up to the Quarters)
Play began in the Mens Singles with nearly 150 rabbits hoping to advance through
three sudden-death qualifying rounds. Their aim was to gain one of the coveted 32 spots in the
64-player draw proper. (Of course the seven under 1500 players, $8 entry fee be damned,
were all knocked out early in straight games.)
There was rarely a very close match in these preliminariesJamaican Champ Steve
Hyltons 19-in-the-3rd win over Milwaukees Geoff Graham was one. And there were few
surprises: 2160-rated Brian Eisner had to go 25-23 in the third before berating himself enough
to beat Bob Dragozetic; and Jerry Thrasher, though not so hard on himself as Brian, went
down two straight to 40-year-old Choi Sung Eui, once a longtime member of the Korean
National Team and former All-Korea Singles Champion, now a player-coach at President
Kwang-Jae Kims Korean-American TTA Club in Los Angeles.
But while Foxs overworked computer might be forgiven for rating the far away and
long ago Choi at 2124, it really must have been napping to pair 2301 Randy Seemiller and
2299 Quang Bui against one another when the companion matches on that same typical
preliminary draw sheet paired a 2197 with a 2115 player, a 2193 with a 2032 player, and a
2160 with a 2030 player. Since generally in the hum and whirr of things Neal has to get high
366

ratings for being reasonable, Im sure had

Quang or Randy protested, one or the
other would have been repositioned in the
drawwith probably quite a difference to
Choe Kyung Wuk
16, 13 loser Randy.
Photo by
In the first rounds proper, matches of
Mal Anderson
more than routine interest saw Chois
pupil, 17-year-old Choe Kyung Wuk, take
a game from Ricky Seemiller; Jim Doney,
Under 2200 runner-up to Fu-lap Lee,
extend Swedens Jonas Berner (-22, -16,
18, -5) at least for a while; Michigans Hall
of Famer Dell Sweeris defeat former
Canadian Junior Champ Chi Chong Wong
in five; Nigerias Lekan Fenuyi hold on, 18, 17, -17, -19, 19, to oust 24-year-old Go Soo Beh,
whod played for Korea at the Birmingham, England Worlds; and National Amateur Sports
Festival and Intercollegiate titleholder Perry Schwartzberg just get by Choe, 19 in the fifth.
Perry, in a tactics and technology interview for the Detroit News, was making the
point, maybe begrudgingly, that if he could get the same exact color for the two different
rubbers on his racket (one pips-in, one pips-out) hed do it. Ive learned youve got to be
rude, he said.
Rude? I asked him later. Is that the right word? Is a high-toss serve rude?
Oh, incredibly, said Perry.
In the 16ths, though, Perry, who says he doesnt play in Texas during the school year
because he hasnt any good sparring partners and doesnt want to get into the habit of letting
up even in practice, surely rued the fact that he couldnt give Kim Tae Soo more than four-game
difficulty. Spins so effective on these tables, said Perryyou cant block the ball back. Also, the
ball doesnt bounce high enough for you to hit it. I gave up trying to hit the ballyouve got to
loop it. Perry had started talking about not returning to school in Austin next semester but again
staying in Pittsburghhe could doctor up his game there with the Seemillers.
Danny, meanwhile, began shaking off his numbing losses in the Teams by downing 24year-old Song Jae Ho, another Los Angeles-based former member of the Korean National
Team, whosince there was no prize money in the 16ths or even the eighths, and, crazily, the
winner of the Under 2000s got $80, as much as a Mens quarterfinalistwould at least pick
up $100 as runner-up to Rey Domingo in the Under 2400s. In another match of more than
lop-sided interest, Rey stoppd Pakistani Munsarim Saif by (-9, 20, 14, 13) winning the crucial
second game at deuce.
Scott Boggan joined U.S. Team members Eric and Danny as the only survivors in the
last 16 when he defeated Dean Wong in close but straight games. Later, in the Under 21s,
Dean, looping in some nice forehands, rallied to beat Scott in three.
At Cunninghams, downtown Detroits 24-hour drugstore, where you could buy cold
beer, Scott, about to buy a six-pack or two for himself and friends, was hit with a more surprising forehand than any Dean had given himit had a fist and a ring attached to it. And
though it landed wildly on Scotts cheek, he, Scott, had been anything but cheeky to this
stranger. Then, not content with that swing, the guy followed dementedly with another to a
nearby bystander before the cops came and took him away.
367

Quang Bui, who emigrated to the U.S. from Vietnam when he was 11, put up a
strong (15, -20, -19, -15) fight against the #1 seed, Swedens European and Defending
U.S. Open Champion Mikael Appelgren. Other Swedes, too, savored the action: Berner
had some trouble with the crafty Korean Son, but forehand straightened it out; and
Franklin, a member of the winning Soderhamns Club in the Swedish League last season,
finished off Brandon Olson.
Indian expatriate B.K. Arunkumar chopped down Park Chang Ik.
Japanese chopper Hideo Goto, World #45, Asian #16, 3-0 disappointed Ricky
Seemiller and friends watchingespecially since Ricky held a 20-18 lead in the first, a 20-17
lead in the second. For the most part, Rickys springy loop worked fine against Gotos Tackiness, but, as U.S. Coach Wang would soon be telling him, Ricky had to learn to keep his wrist
stiff until the precise snap-moment of impact and then rip the ball hard as he could to the
corners.
In the first of the two best matches in the 16ths, 23-year-old Takahiro Kondo, a graduate of Hosei University, but who looks much younger, unexpectedly -16, -21, 11, 19, 20
switched channels on TV-fixer Caetano and gave Errol and wife Diane watching a decidedly
blue view.
Nukazuka, the Japanese #1 at this Open, was extended to five games by Lekan Fenuyi,
a veteran of the Nagoya and Sarajevo Worlds. Back in 73 Fenuyi didnt believe that anyone
with Dannys grip could beat him. And whether it was because Danny did beat him, or for
some other reason, Lekan was to give away all his table tennis equipmentrackets, balls,
shirts, shorts, sweatsto some young admirers and forget about the sport. Since coming to
the U.S. hes had a change of heart, but hes played only occasionally in the Southwest (once
borrowing a racket to beat Schwartzberg in the quarters of a local tournament). Now hes just
graduated from Texas Southern, having majored in Journalism, and no doubt feels free to
travel to a big tournament. Though he lost to Nukazuka, Fenuyi showed the technique hes
learned over the years from three Chinese coachesgood short serves, steady ball control,
and point-winning topspin.
In the eighths, Canadian Champ Kosanovic had some 15, 22, 22 uneasy moments
against B.K. Arunkumarbut wound up on the right side of enough of those loaded balls to
keep the pressure from perhaps fatally mounting.
Franklin, whod soon be vacationing on both our East and West Coasts, had a surprisingly four-game easy time with Goto, whod demolished him in the Teams. But, as Ricky
Seemiller, for one, well knew, Kumars pips were much more difficult to hit against than
Gotos Tackiness. Berner, Franklins fellow 2500+ Swede, did in the Japanese Kawamura
but only after an uphill, five-game fight. As for Appelgren, it appeared he could spot Kondo
eight.
Former Philippine Champ Domingo never could get started against the much younger,
ball-controlling Nukazuka.
Eric Boggan, having obligingly awakened to do an early morning live interview for the
J.P. McCarthy Show, not only did not go back to sleep again, but was not caught even daydreaming in his easy straight-game win over Osakas 20-year-old Hiroshi Masuda. Teammate
Danny also advanced to the quartersin four games against 24-year-old Ji Young Ok. Scott
Boggan, howeverthough at times with his fast footwork and quick, off-the-bounce pointwinners, looked to move into the quarters, especially after winning the big second and third
games at deuceeventually lost in five to Kim Tae Soo.
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Seniors Play
One name I didnt see among the last 32 playersor in the Mens draw at allwas George
Brathwaite. Foxs computer was sure, however, that The Chief not only played in but again won
the Over 40s. His most difficult opponent? U.S. Team Captain Bozorgzadeh, whom he beat in the
final, -19, 21, 11, 11. That Houshang just doesnt give you anything to work with, George said
later, relieved at having won that swing second game. Theres never any pace on the ball. You just
have to have a lot of patience and do a lot of pushing. George, having paired with Houshang, also
won the Over 40 Doublesfrom Chuck Burns/Tim Boggan.
Burns was getting lots of preening from the local mediaGramps rules a dynasty
was the modest headline of one article that also called attention to his two t.t.-playing sons,
Doug and Paul; while the folksy caption under his Im-still-an-old-hustler pose indicated the
65-year-old isnt nettled by the nickname Gramps. What, however, did nettle him was his
loss in the Over 40s to George Hendry after he was up 20-18 double-match-point.
In winning the Over 50s, Hendry, the U.S. Boys Champion almost half a century ago,
was too steady for Stockholms 57-year-old Rune Forsberg, who earlier had beaten Bill
Sharpe, 19 in the third. Bill, it may be, just isnt drinking as much Tigers Milk as he used to?
In the Over 60s, Burns and Hendry went at it
againbut since neither was likely to have won the
40s, this final for a National title was presumably more
important to them. Burns, outfitted in golf glove;
blood, sweat, and tears head-band; and dressed in
perhaps even more Ace bandages than before, as if he
had a playing card up, well not just a sleeve, was quite
a spectacle, the more so for calling himself a freak
and for yelling other peculiar forms of encouragement
to self or who knows who (Gimmie one NOW, will
you!). But somehow it all worked for him, for he
rallied from 2-0 and 17-15 down in the third to take
the Championship.
Ulpiano Santo won the 70s. Runner-up was
Joe Blatt via a tie-breaker over Oliver Nicholas and
Chuck Burns, Over 60 Winner
Marjory Wilcox.
From the Detroit News, July 7, 2002
The Under 1900 Seniors went to Gunther
Pawlowski over Andy Gad, 18 in the fifth. The Under 1700 Seniors to Jack Carr over Brice
Ackerman. The Under 1500 Seniors to Neil Myers over Bill Steinle.
Juniors Play
The Swedish boys brought to the Open by Angby Club
mentor Nisse Sandberg won all three Championships they contested.the Under 17s, 15s, and 13s.
Fifteen-year-old Anders Thulin, a member of the Swedish
National Junior Team who scored an upset over the Czech #1 player in
the recent European Junior Championships in Czechoslovakia, won the
Under 17 title by beating U.S. Junior Champ Sean ONeill in four in the
semis, and fellow teammate Lars Mattsson in four in the final (though
against Mattsson he actually lost more points than he won).
369

Anders Thulin

But Lars, whos considered #1 for his

Lars Mattsson
age in Sweden, evened the record when, in
Photo by
winning the 15s, he beat, first, U.S. Junior
Mal Anderson
Olympic Champ Scott Butler in the semis,
and Anders in five in the final. (Strange
draws that paired Thulin-ONeill and
Mattsson-Butler in both the 17s and 15s.)
Scott, said his father/coach, this Lars is
big, manso stay away from his forehand.
But that was easier said than done, for Lars,
whod warmed up for this U.S. Open by
winning two circuit tournaments in the
Virginia/Maryland area, didnt oblige Scott
by backhand countering with him, but
(careful, careful) would keep the ball short,
then zing one in.
Of course Scott and his brother Jimmy prepared for this Open too. Night after night,
their workout ended, theyd hope to hurry back to the local bowling alleynot to work on an
out-of-pocket Klampar/Jonyer curve-ball, but to play the video games. It improves my
coordination for table tennis, Scott would argue with a straight faceand his father, shaking
his head, would give him another 25 cents.
The upset of the tournament was the way the Canadian TTT naturally put it, so Id
better make sure I at least mention it. And that was Bao Nguyen/Derek Blacks win in the U17 Doubles over both the favored Swedish team of Mattsson/Thulin, then ONeill/Brandon
Olson. Mattson/Thulin, however, did win the U-15 Doubles over Butler/Butler, -21, 20, 11,
then over ONeill/Christer Andersson.
Blond, 13-year-old Daniel Frejhammar, #3 for his age in Sweden, who recently got
some international experience playing in a junior tournament in Germany, defeated, first, U.S.
U-13 Champ, 11-year-old Jimmy Butler, in the semis, then Swedish rival Anders Bergstrom to
win the U-13 Championship. Also, Frejhammar/Bergstrom won the 13 Doubles over Per
Mattson/Frisk. Since the U.S. has only two Under 13 players over 1700Spencer Wang
(1866) and Jimmy Butler (1924)one might think were not exactly going to have a lock on
International Open Junior events to come.
In the U-13s, down 18-13 in the deciding third against Frejhammar whos just run a
string of shots, Jimmy finally scores a forehand and hears from someone in the audience,
Youve got him now. At which point, Jimmy, not at all pleased with the way the mid-games
just gone, turns to that someone and says agonizingly, Whos got who?
Young Butler knows the score all right: in 1980 he won the U.S. U-1600s; in 81 the
1800s; and now in 82 the 2000san unparalleled achievement surely. As expected, Jimmy
also won the U-11s here, beating Canadian U-11 Champion Peter Ng in straight games.
Another Iowan, Dhiren Narotam, won the U-9s over Quang Leong.
Rating Events
Rating event winners I havent mentioned: U-2000: Jimmy Butler over Jeff Young. U1900: Chris Kollar over Vaibhav Kamble, 19 in the 3rd, then over Bill Opdyke in five. U-1800:
Peter Johnson over Sam Huang. U-1700: Ben Chow over Guenther Schroeder whod ad370

vanced over Andrew Giblon. U-1600: Demeiri Demopoulos over Dominic Lau whod survived Song Won Chong, 22, 22. U-1500: John Kwan over Hugh Babcock. U-1400: Boyd
Ruby in five over David Noelker whod escaped John Yu, deuce in the 3rd. U-1300: Rene
Tywang over Dhiren Narotam. U-1200: Narotam over William Salverson. U-1000: Lien Tu
Luong over Crystal Daniel, 14, -22, 16. U-4000 Doubles: Ray Mack/Joe Billups over Simon
Shtofmahker/Doug Hardy (from down 2-0). U-3400 Doubles: Dave Cafone/Wu over Quinn/
Weilhouwer, 19 in the 5th. U-2600 Doubles: Bob Bowlander/Burke ONeill over Ov
Nazarbechian/Bonesteel.
Mens Doubles
In the Mens Doubles, in the late rounds, the Seemiller brothers defeated Japans
Nukazuka/Kawamura, then Koreas Park Chang Ik/Ji Young Ik, 17 in the 4th, to reach the
final. The Boggan brothers kept pace, defeating Japans Go Soo Bae/Takahiro Kondo, then
Koreas Son Sung Soon/Kim Tae Soo, deuce in the 4th. In the Boggan semis, Scott managed
what was surely the most miraculous shot of the tournament: with Eric half fallen floor-ward
and half-locked into him, Scott, in desperation somehow got his racket back far enough, not to
defensively lob (which given Erics position, would have been useless) but to side-scoop-swipe
a return from the middle that rocketed out and arced like a boomerang around the net post to
skiddd unreturnably across the Koreans side of the table. Amazing.
Later, in the
final, won in five by
Danny and Ricky,
with games tied at 1all and 19-all in the
third, Eric returned a
shoteither by lastminute barely
throwing the racket
at the ball (illegal) or
by just meeting the
ball with the bat then
dropping it (legal)
which was difficult
to read. No way!
The Seemiller brothers on their way to defeating the Boggan brothers
says Danny, circling
in five in the Final of Mens Doubles
round his side of the
table as if encaged
when the ump begins to side with Eric. No way! Whereupon Scott, smiling, says, Play a
let? as if he were more amused by Dannys subjectively honest outburst than the judgment
any ump or player could offer. Not so amusing to him, though, was the loss of that important
game at deuce.
Later, coming off the dais, and under the startled eye of Danny Robbins, Scott whimsically handed the huge second-place trophy to an unknown little girl who was applauding on
the sidelines. Here, he said, you take this [a gesture that foreshadows a similar move by
Scott that in just a couple of months will bring the wrath of USTTA officials down upon him
and my own anger back on them]. The little girl, as surprised as Robbins, instinctively took it,
371

but was soon saying to her father, But its not mine. Its not mine. Turns out that this little
girl, at the urging of her father, who said he would carry it for her, did take the trophy. Her
name was Kathy Vegh and her father was Danny Vegh from Clevelandwhose billiards and
ping-pong parlor there D-J Lee, years ago, had managed for a while. Danny is a former U.S.
Open Doubles Champion and, as if taking his cue from D-J, one of the all-time t.t. hustlers, he
not surprisingly took charge of Scotts gift. Danny was, and perhaps still is, in the trophy
business.
Under 21s (Up to the Final)
About the time of the Mens quarters, another exciting event was drawing to a
closethe Under 21s.
In the one semis, Appelgren defeated Dean Wong in straight gamesthough Dean,
serving and following well, challenged strongly in the second.
In the other, Eric Boggan-Berner semis, however, the match couldnt have been closer.
Before getting to Eric, Jonas had been pressed to survive his match with Sean ONeill
in the quarters. Sean had hurt himself a week or so before the Nationalssomeone said the
Peanut-man had been shooting hoops and trying to dunk one too many shotsso for a while it
looked as if he might not even be able to come to Detroit. But seeing a chiropractor helped,
and so now here he was, losing repeatedly to Anders Thulin in the Juniors, but, after besting
Fu-lap Lee in the eighths, very much alive in the fifth against Berner. Indeed, after experiencing a roller-coaster ride of a comeback (up 15-8, down 18-15), he was 20-18 and 21-20
match-point up.
But then, I dont know, was he trying to slam-dunk in a forehand in this game? Or
picturing to himself nothing less than what the best of the Chinese would do? Armed with his
own serve, he three times tried for the most super-aggressive, explosive winner and did not
come close. So Berner escaped to face Eric.
Up till this point, through the Mens Teams, the Mens Singles and Doubles, and the
Under 21s, Eric had not only not lost a match, but (and the two facts may well be connected)
he was getting along pretty well with Pat Collins, the Referee, George Chranewycz, the Chief
Umpire, and those who were umping his matches.
True, in his Team match against Kosanovic, the umpire had been warned, as the players
went out to the table, to call a foot-stamp serve on Eric if necessarywhich selective
directive privately so irritated said umpire that, as chance would have it, he immediately got to
make a foot-stamp call (Let!) on Zoki. Not surprising, though, since the foot-stamp is built
into Erics game as much as it is, say, into Kawhigashi and Wadas, that the Referee and
umpires were watching him perhaps more than anyone else at the tournament.
As Pat Collins pointed out to me, nothing at all about the foot-stamp controversy was
raised by anyone who attended the pre-tournament Jury Meeting: Now, though, a number of
people were beginning to discuss the questionand the officials, though striving for consistency, had still not come to any satisfactory conclusion about the matter. Perhaps there should
be no deliberate (that is, no conscious as opposed to unconscious) foot-stamping of any kind?
Or perhaps no foot-stamping that wasnt normal in playing on that cement floor in this
reverberative hall? Naturally the officials found that in actual practice they had to move from a
very strict position on not allowing any foot-stamping to some modification based on human
judgment. So, if one had a sensible umpire, great; if one had another petty-minded kind and
point after point was interrupted, not so great.
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As almost everyone knows by this time, there are no actual rules per se against footstampingits been going on at the worlds best tournaments for maybe 10 years and over a
stretch of time has been built into many a good players game. The best argument against it
(hey, cmon, its cheapening to the game; nonsense, just the opposite, its feisty and dramatic)
is that its distracting to the opponent (or players on adjacent tables)and hence unfair. But
what may be distracting to a relatively inexperienced player (an unusual serve motion, a hightoss, rubber on a two sided racket) is not necessarily distracting to an experienced player
whos been familiar with the foot-stamp for years. What may be distracting to him, and therefore morally unacceptable, is what the Referee and umpires consistently sought to implement
here at the Open. And thats the absurd compromise that the head of the ITTF Rules Committee has suggested (since he has no power, at least at the moment, to empower a non-rule that
would take a point from a foot-stamper)namely, that no foot-stamping be allowed on the
serve, but, o.k., o.k., may be allowed at other times during play, even on the opponents first
chance to thump/snap contact.
Let, then is the present suggested penalty for foot-stamping on the serve, apparently
in the belief that in some players the stamp is unconscious, or inherent in the serve motion, or,
in a deceptive-oriented game, reasonably, purposefully deceptive. So, yes, one can understand
why no one opened this can of worms at a Jury Meeting for any serious discussion when the
ITTF itself has refused to come to a decision about it.
In the Boggan-Berner match, the
Referee and umpire in the line of what they
perceived as their duty were occasionally
upsetting both of these international players,
particularly after the first game when the
tension began to mount.
Up 20-15 in the first, Eric (having
beaten Jonas in each of their meetings last
season in Sweden) seemed to take it for
granted that this game too would be his and
didnt work to win the 21st pointwith the
unexpected result that he lost seven in a row
and this important first game in their 2/3-game
match. On losing, he gave an extra-point kick
to his bag adjacent to the table which Referee
Collins, among others, didnt think was
featurable behaviorthough one thinks of
Swedens Jonas Berner
other sports and wonders just how much of a
Photo by Mal Anderson
human show of emotion is or is not permissible.
On being called over to Collins at courtside for a word or two, Eric, steamed at blowing this
game, could not at this close, face-to-face moment be interrupted from spray-cleaning his
racketmuch as in baseball one in anger, to protest, vigorously has the outlet of kicking-up
dirt. Fortunately, Eric did not spray Collins.
Some way into the second game, Eric served, unconsciously foot-stamped, and Berner
(not too distracted) loop-killed the ball through him. This of course brought forth a Let! but
almost before Berner could register his anguish, Eric sardonically waved away the umpire and
deliberately served the next ball off.
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Both the Referee and umpire were consistently trying to make up their minds about
calling the foot-stamp while the ball was in play. Once, Eric back on defense foot-stamped a
successful return which was not called a Let! and, out of position, he eventually lost the
point.
On into the third they went with both Eric and Jonas getting upset over Erics occasional reversion to a foot-stamp and the resultant Let! that was called. Berner could not
understand the logic of the call: either the foot-stamp was o.k., or it was not; but how could it
be a Let!? And yet from 18-15 down in the 3rd, winging in some beautifully-placed, powerful
forehands, he moved to 20-18 match-point up. But at this critical moment his magic deserted
him, and as Eric did not obligingly give away the match, Berner could not win.
Which put Boggan and Appelgren into at least one expected final.
Mens Quarters
In the quarters of the Mens, Appelgren had no trouble remembering what to do
with Kim Tae Soo. Later, though, at the tournament party, he would leave, forgetting his jeans
jacket with his house key in it. He seems younger, more beatable to you, does he, when you
hear that after he won the Europeans he also left his house key, somewhere in Budapest, so
that on arriving home he had to wait three hours out in the cold because no one was there to
let him in.
Nor did Kosanovic (whose habit it was to have a hotel key always at the ready, for he
wanted to stay away from the playing hall as much as possible) have the slightest problem with
Franklin.
Danny against Nukazuka was not a pleasant story for Danny. With games tied at 1-all, the
Japans Juzo
young Japanese, down 17-16 in the third, paused
Nukazuka
over his serve for an incredible five seconds, just
staring at Seemiller (he wanted Danny, watching
the ball, to look up at him, at which exact moment,
hed give him a rude serve?). Unintimidated,
Danny took a 2-1 lead. But then for the next two
games he couldnt stop Nukazukas attackon
occasion even seemed to encourage it, was back
chopping.
So that left Eric as the lone U.S. hope
against Berner again. Jonas is one of those 25
players in Sweden who on a good day can beat a
world-class competitor. Id heard that he was so
upset by the foot-stamp rule in their Under 21
match that he was telling Eric (after the tournament Jonas and Lars would be Erics house guests)
that he was going to default to him in the Mens.
But Eric, Id heard, urged him not to do thatand
soon Boggan found himself down 2-1 and 3-0 in the fourth. By now the umpires werent
calling any foot-stamps, except on serve, and maybe Jonas was getting less distracted, for he
was smacking in forehand after forehand much in the way he must have been doing last season
at a tournament when he had former World Champion Stellan Bengtsson match-point down.
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But Eric came back in the fourth and up 20-18 got a winning edge. It was becoming
clear to him that in order to prevent Jonas from angling-in forehand winner after forehand
winner he would have to stay closer to the table. In the fifth, up 16-13, Eric had Berner pummeling away at himbut when he instinctively twisted his body and got up his hands to block
back what looked like a sure winner into his middle, Berner not only lost the point, he lost the
match, for that shot broke him.
So, so far, Erics advance had not been stopped by an opponent of any kind.
Mens Semis
In the one semis, the same Appelgrenwhod lost to Brian Masters in the International Club competition, whod played his first three games with Quang Bui, -15, 20, 19, and
whod just eked out that 24-22 second game from Dean Wongdowned Nukuzuka, 15, 17,
12.
In the other semisbut, wait, where the hell was Kosanovic? Surely he knew his
match was scheduled for 4:30 and that Eric and the spectators were at edge in the Arena
waiting for him? No, he was definitely not in the Hall. Maybe he was out looking for some
new golf clubs? I heard sillier suggestions.
Anyway, how could you default him? Then, 10 minutes after the match had been
rescheduled to 6:00 or so and Eric had privately complained about how hed been psyched to
play and now didnt just want to sit there for an hour and 45 minutes, George Jovanov,
Kosanovics father-in-law, on being pressed a little, reached Zoki at his hoteland, oh-oh, he
was so sorry, he hadnt realizedhed be ready to play in half an hour.
Eric, though hed been feeling really burnt out the last month and a half, was the
favorite. Hed beaten Zoki easily in the Teams, and, before that, three straight in Jamaica.
Moreover, its been said that Kosanovic must be physically perfect to be good, and sometimes
his attacking game is not as strong, not as forceful, as it is at other times.
Their first game is really the decider. Neither player seems to be playing well and at 20all its anybodys guess what will happen. Kosanovic, helped by a spectacular all-out downthe-line loop that catches the edge, turns out to be the winner.
In the second, Eric is immediately buriedor, down 6-0, so it would seem. But,
abruptly, he wins eight straight. Then, from 9-all, almost just stands there as he loses five more
in a row. Angrily, in pent-up disgust, he hurls his racket at the table net but with such force
that it clears it and carries 35 feet or so, coming to rest, as an exasperated official would later
explain to me, just barely inside the court. (Had it been outside)
What is to be done with such a player following such an action irregardless of or
especially considering the fact that hes the (I think it fair to say) respected #1 player in the
country? Years ago, said Erics U.S. Team Captain/Coach Houshang Bozorgzadeh, in his club
in Iran, when someone got mad he used to throw his racket into a special net. And to the day
he left Tehran, said Houshang, there were still paddles that had been there for years because
their owners didnt want to pay the $5 fee to get them back. Perhaps, said Houshang, we
ought to have such a (moveable?) net at our big tournaments.
Referee Collins had more words to say to Eric, and later some to say to me, which
surely were well taken. I could see spectator Bill Steinles point of view (he was upset enough
to write a letter of complaint to the Disciplinary Committee)that such conduct should be
penalized. But I could also see Pat Collinss reluctance to default Eric, especially in the semis
of the Open, for this offense. Ironically, in the recent Norwich Union Masters tournament,
375

Scott Boggan tries to comfort brother Eric

after his loss to Kosanovic

Kosanovic, on finishing in a humiliating

last place, whirled around and threw his
racket 15 feet or so, hard, into a barrier.
Table Tennis ought to have intermeCanadas Zoran Kosanovic serves to Eric Boggan
diate penalties, said Chief Umpire
Chranewycz, which I thought a quite
sensible suggestion. In which case, Eric wouldnt have had to be defaulted, the spectators
deprived of the match. As in other sports, he could have been hit with a fine or, if his previous
record warranted it, a suspension.
On losing his temper and of course the second game, Eric opened the third by serving into
the net. But he got hold of himself enough to win that game. In the fourth, however, way behind at
mid-game, he stopped play and, as Kosanovic threw up his hands in consternation at the delay, then
spoke to the officials, Eric looked as if he was going to say with boxer Duran No mas. But he
continuedand Kosanovic continued playing well to claim his certainly well-deserved victory.
Under 21 Final
The only final that Eric could win now was the one that preceded the Mensthe
Under 21s against Appelgren. This time Eric is intensely ready. But up 1-0 and 9-3 in the
second, he suddenly falters, and while Appelgren plays more like the European Champion and
Eric more like somebody getting progressively more angry with himself, the score is relentlessly adding up: Appelgren 21Boggan 17.
In the third game, Eric is down 5-4, then, again at his snap-cracking best, is streakily
up 12-5then (to an accompanying scream of frustration) 12-11then, unbelievable, wins it,
21-13. In the fourth, hes down 17-6. Its not them, says a spectator, its the Game. Theres
nothing consistent about the Game anymore. But someone else is saying that its a mistake
for Eric to return Mikaels service and then take a step backward. Down 20-13, Eric swipes
absurdly at the ball, walks with his follow-through to change ends. In the fifth, Eric, again
playing brilliantly, is 14-11 up. Then, unaccountably, he makes five errors, and, again excessively hard on himself, continues on, loses in all eight in a rowand eventually the match, 2118. Had he lost six in a row, even seven, he might still have won.
376

Perhaps what Eric needed now after almost a non-stop year of playing was a vacation
from the Gamego off someplace, maybe with the gulls near Boblo Island, and go waterskiingsomething that would ease his frustration.
Mens Final
Perhaps even before playing his semis with Eric, Zoki
Tom
Smart
was having back trouble and had to be worked on and thats
why he was mysteriously late for his match? For sure, though,
according to Jack Carrs Profile of Tom Smart (TTT, Oct.,
1982, 12)Tom being a friend of Jacks, an intercollegiate
wrestler, a martial arts black belt, who, because he likes people
and needs money to help his local Boys and Girls Club,
manned the Robbins Sport booth at this OpenKosanovic
was sure hurtin. After his Saturday night semis with Eric,
Zoran lay on his back in the Press Room in pain and barely
able to move. When Zoran said he needed a chiropractor, Tom smartly drove him to a doctor
friend of his, and after 2-3 hours of work Zoran had no pain and, after being told to follow
specific exercises, walked out of the office normally. The chargeNOTHING, a favor to
Smart because, as Jack says, Toms a winner.
Kosanovic, after his last months Norwich Union
debacle, had gone off to Florida with his wife Darinka for
an R and R period. Now he was back, ready for a replay of,
but with a different ending to, his 1980 U.S. Open match
with Appelgren.
In the first game, Zokis grunting all-his-might topspins and The Apple looks worm-eatenis down 8-11810and gone. In the second, Mikaels down 3-0, up 8-6,
down 11-10 until a vicious sidespin loop around the net
makes it 11-all. Then Kosanovic, topspin countering,
snapping in loop winners, draws ahead. Ive never seen
him this intense, said one interested observer. Up 19-18,
Zoki, lobbing, gets an edge. But Appelgren unhesitatingly
smacks in a serve and follow, deuces it up. Twice more
Darinka Kosanovic
Zoki gets the ad and twice more Mikael deuces it. Nice
Photo by Mal Anderson
shot, grunts Zoki to one of the Swedes perfect placements. Finally, Appelgren prevails, 24-22ties up the match.
In the third, Kosanovic, again grunting heavily shot after shot, point after point (isnt
that as distracting as any foot-stamp?) wins it at 15 after leading all the way. In the 1980 final
he was 2-1 ahead too. In the fourth, Mikael is off to a disastrous startis behind 6-1. Down
10-8 (once Zoki complains that he lost Appelgrens lob in the lights), Mikael serves into the
net and curses himself. Then, from 14-9 down, he plays a steady succession of spirited rallies
that allows him to turn the game around.
In the fifth, its the fifth straight game The Apples been behindthis time its 8-3.
Mikael just cant seem to stroke a forehandis down 12-6 and blocking backhand to backhand. But Zoki goes passiveand its 12-10. Then, working, working topspin-hard against
both Appelgrens block and stubborn spinny resistance, Zoki runs it to 19-14. Zoran played
377

Kosanovic (R) en route to defeating Mikael Appelgren in the U.S. Open Mens Final.
Photo by Mal Anderson

more intelligently this time, Nisse Sandberg,

Appelgrens coach and confidante, was to say later.
He gave Mikael many more short balls and often
Mikael played too far back.
But with the title and the $600 first prize so
near, Zoki goes horrendously slack for a point, trying
even though he knows better, to just wish home a
winner. Whereupon The Apple gets an edge and
follows with a crescendo of dazzling topspins: 19-all.
A quick, absolutely perfect down-the-line placement
by Mikael now catches Zoki going the other way
but, oh, the shot just misses. And in a last replay
moment, its not 1980 but 1982, and the Yugoslav
and Canadian Champion is now also the U.S. Open
Champion.

1982 U.S. Open Mens Champion

Zoran Zoki Kosanovic
Photo by Charlie Maas

378

Chapter Twenty-Seven
1982: Angelita Rosal Sistrunk/Scott Boggan Win National Sports Festival. 1982:
Kathy Gates/Scott Butler Take Junior Olympics.
The unparalleled success of National Sports Festival IV,
held July 23-31 at nearly 20 special venues in and around
Indianapolis (the new $2.5 million velodromethe
new $5.9 million track and field stadiumthe new $21
million University natatorium) and attended by 3400
Levi-outfitted North-East-South-West (NESW) players and support staff representing 33
sports, gave an enormous psychic boost to the table tennis players and officials who
attended it.
Never had our sport received so much attention from the media or from an uninitiated
but appreciative audience. On the last night of the tournament, when the Convention Centre
Hall we were playing in was sold out (the Festivals ticket sales totaled over $1,000,000),
spectators were hard-pressed to find even viewable standing room round the perfectly set up
courts with, as Perry Schwartzberg noted, the fine look, the lustre, of the Hardwood Joola
tables.
A Bravo! for everyone connected with this Festivalthe USOC (Executive Director
Colonel F. Don Miller was enjoying himself at the matches); the many sponsors (National
sponsors alone were Miller High Life, Eastman Kodak, United Airlines, Atlantic Richfield Co.,
and Levi Strauss & Co.), the incredibly helpful volunteers assigned us (out of, mgod, a pool
of 7,000!), the USTTA officials responsible for running the tournament (particularly Tournament Director Erich Haring, with an assist from Jimmy McClure; and Referee Manny
Moscowitz (who in Topics thanked Cindy Marcum and Al Grambo for helping to get the many
necessary umpires), and of course the players themselves. All deserved the congratulations of
those who, no matter how individually they might differ from one another, believe in people
working together to achieve a desired end: the recognition of table tennis as a sport to be
taken seriously.
Our Sport Host, volunteer Bill Brennan, I personally want to single out for special
thanks because he was of indispensable help in getting my son Scott a new passport. Awkwardly, what with his Korea/Taiwan trip coming up, Scott had picked a very bad out-of-town
time to lose his passport. It was only through Bills persistent help and the good offices of
Indiana Senator Dan Quayle in Washington that Scott, his new passport, his requisite visas,
and his plane ticket to Korea all finally last-minute got together.
Dick Butler was outstanding on the mike, especially in orienting spectators who knew
very little, if anything, about the recent technological changes in the sport. U.S. Team Captains
Houshang Bozorgzadeh and Yvonne Kronlage helped keep participants on schedule and under
control. National Coaching Chairman Larry Thoman observed and evaluated the athletes, and
was very likely more of a liaison help to Coach Wang Fuzheng and his Interpreter friend Liu
Shiqing than anyone elsethough, as Larry pointed out in Topics, Indianapoliss John Boyle
personally acted as Host to Coach Wang during his stay in the city. Bill Haid, you could see,
loved the Festival and his role in it as Table Tennis Coordinator. He was always there with one
or more of those 150 cars the local Chrysler-Plymouth dealers had provided, and was ready to
help out anyone with a problem.
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Opening Ceremonies Day began with players and officials being bussed from their
dorms into the five-block-long World War I Memorial Plaza in downtown Indianapolis. In
talking about how flower-petal pretty and sparkly clean this Plaza was, one jock said, Its
ridiculous. You cant even spit on the street. The participants all took assembled places
according to the color in which theyd been outfitted Gold for the North, Blue for the East,
Green for the South, and Red for the West. Then the Parade of Champions began...
There was the main Memorial erected to the Great War dead (To vindicate the
principles of peace and justice in the world). It was modeled after the tomb of King Mausolus
of Halicarnassusand was something of not an ancient but a modern wonder as, above, World
War I planes glided to the accompanying whirr of ABC helicopters, while, below, 50,000 flagwaving spectators lined the American Legion Mall as our march moved its way to an Olympic
fanfare of a climax.
Welcome, said Mayor William H. Hudnut III (whod draw a Topics letter of thanks
from Houshang). Welcome to Indianapolis. The All-American City. The Amateur Sports
Capital of the country. The Greatest City in the U.S.with the possible exception of your own
home towns. (Thank God he had a sense of humor.)
The Army band from Fort Benjamin Harrison played Winners. Dancers with spiraling
ribbons leaped about. An ascending balloon floated by an adjacent Cathedral steeple (the entire
Cathedral laid out in Masonic multiples of 33 feet to symbolize Christs 33 years on earth). Ahead
was the American Legions National Headquarters. This was a very patriotic city in a very patriotic
state. During World War II the teaching of German was banned in all Indiana schools.
To the theme of Chariots of Fire (a movie Id twice seen, twice cried infor how
many real-life times in watching my sons had I punched through the metaphor of my own
straw hat), the Olympic torch arrived. It had been carried from Pikes Peak, the aerie home of
the USOC, by 28 Indiana relay runners. It was brought the last several hundred yards by two
local competitors (one black, a man; one white, a woman) up to the 30-foot-tall ceremonial
replica. Seeing that set aflame to the backdrop of a huge American flag, USOC President
William Simon officially declared the Festival open.
Whereuponwhoosh!out flew to everyones delight, including those grasping
cameras on nearby rooftops, 60,000 multi-colored balloonsno sooner set loose than swept
away like dying fireworks heavenward. And now the official hats-off theme of the NSF,
America the Beautiful, as sung by the Christ Church Cathedral Choir. Hearing that song
(America, America) I always think, I always feel, It is beautiful. It is. It is.
Whoosh! Out flew, if not doves, wave after wave of homing pigeons (God shed his
grace on thee). Now The Stars and Stripes Foreverand, its chow time, the athletes are
marched away.
The Ceremonies continue under MC Chris Schenkel. Trumpeters and twirlers do their
thing. The Festival Oath is sworn out. And then (Thanks for the Memories) the 79-year-old
legend himself, Bob Hope, comes in, all very respectable, if slightly raunchy. Dean Martin,
Phyllis Diller, Liberace, Truman Capoteno matter what Hope says about them, he helps to
keep them household names. Ah, yes, he says, poor Phyllis Diller. She was very upset last
night. A peeping tom threw up on her windowsill. Thats a cleaned-up Freudian jokeas old
as burlesque, as Hope himself.
Then Barbara Ward, Miss America, slinks onto the stage. She sings, plays the foil to
Hope or he to her, and says patriotically what she thinks shes supposed to say. Ive been
everywhere, met so many wonderful people. Ive just been to Puerto Rico. The people there
380

were nice. But this country, the United States, is so great Ive no desire ever to go back to
Puerto Rico.
All the spectators have been given these little flashlight-like batons that when later the
Arena is darkened Schenkel will call on them to wave gloriously. Now, as the house lights dim
for another song, some jokesters in the audience jump the gun. These guys, whom Miss A has
tried to shush with a finger at her lips, have not only lit up the lightsticks in their lap, theyve
begun to throw them at her. Hope rescues her. The lights come on. And soon former Olympic
Champion Wilma Rudolph and the Indiana relay runners reappear for more torch ceremonies.
Hope is indefatigable. He sings a medley of NESW songs. Home Again in Indiana
thats a favorite. He jokes some more. And though he quips, D.C. stands for Dirty Congressman, he also comes back to the evenings theme, says, Theres nothing wrong with a little
patriotism. Were very proud of President Reagan.
Moving finally into the show-stopping finale, boy scouts come marching in. Balloons
burst. A gigantic Uncle Sam figure is directionless on stage. Accompanying what still might be
the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is the dynamite blast of a firecracker. NSF stuffed
animal-men prance about. Confetti comes down. Hope, Schenkel, and Miss America hold up
their American flags, then swing away. Lightsticks are being waved by the thousands, are
being lobbed aloft like grenades. Hey, Jack, says this huge guy to my right, I aint had so
much fun since V-J Day!
Later, I arrive back at the not quite suffocating dorm. Yvonne Kronlage had written in
Topics, The people in Indianapolis at the NSF were the most friendly, helpful, and considerate
I have ever known. She thanks, among others, the transportation and medical personnel, and
especially the ticket man that I always seemed to be begging for tickets for other events so
our players could have a chance to see other activities. Luckily, she says, we played in airconditioned facilities. But not so luckily we lived at the dorms. The humidity was terrible.
Sleep was hard to come by because of the heat. After the first day of competition when everyone was playing with half-closed eyes, arrangements were made for fans to be distributed to all
the dorms.
Back in the room I share with Houshang, I find that hed boarded the bus to the
Ceremonies, or rather the wrong bus, fell asleep, and woke up in Bloomington, Indianaa
University town I once took a useless bus ride to, a town that many years ago once, twice,
profoundly changed the direction of my life. Now when I wake tomorrow I will be making my
contribution to the Festival, will be covering the matches of my son, Scott, and the more or
less serious play of other men, women.
On that same page in Topics (Sept., 1982, 9), from which Ive taken a
few NSF comments from Perry Schwartzberg, Manny Moskowitz, Larry
Thoman, and Yvonne Kronlage, there appears Houshangs take, ever
mindful of his role as U.S. Captain/Coach, on the players selected for this
Festival:

Houshang
Bozorgzadeh

Since we do not normally have an opportunity to bring our players

together to establish training regimentation, there tends to be a wide range
in our players practice intensity and training style. It was apparent that
player attitudes and dedication vary greatly. The physical conditioning and
practice preparation of some was either poor or non-existent. There appears to be no plan or know-how in those cases. Fortunately, we also had
381

players who concentrated and put in vast amounts of time and effort. Then, there was the third
group who just came to have fun and clown around.
To be called to a national event of this scope constitutes a considerable honor, which
translates into the fact that each player should go the extra mile to be ready for the outing. We
did have five days practice and preparation time before the tournament, during which Larry
Thoman and I gave each player physical fitness tests. While all passed the tests [sic: how about
those whose physical conditioning was described above as poor or non-existent?], the five
days were too short and eight weeks would have been a more appropriate time period. [Such
nonsense. Eight weeks for, realistically, who? As Scott Boggan said, How can you take off 11
days to play here?] At any rate, we tried to use those few days to get our players bodies
ready for the strenuous tournament demands. Emphasis was on speed, strength, and reserve
energy build-up, so as to assure [sic: make that try, probably hopelessly in some cases, to
assure] that one would be as strong on the last day as the first. [Too much of this is front
talk, not upfront talk.]
Womens Team Ties
Both the Womens and Mens round robin Team ties are played in three rounds, a
morning, afternoon, and evening session. There are four rating-point balanced teams (North,
East, South, Westbut the rating-point balance is more important than geographical location,
and some team members and doubles pairs may be almost strangers to one another). Teams
use the Swaythling Cup formatnine singles, if necessary (no doubles), in order to score the
five matches needed to defeat an opposing team.
The South (Colorados Kasia Gaca, Olga Soltesz, and Californians Kim Gilbert and
Cindy Miller [who was a substitute apparently for the originally selected Elaine Walquist) won
a very big first match from the East (Alice Green, Oregons Judy Hoarfrost, Donna Newell,
and Arizonas Tommey Burke). The East, hoping that Alice could take all three and that two
would come from somewhere else, decided not to play Judy. Perhaps this was a mistake. But
the strategy certainly looked sound when Newell got by the hard-hitting Gilbert in three. And
Tennessean Larry Thoman, whod kept testing Kim, urging her to broad-jump her own height
and then some, until she felt a little sore, wasNO, all
you protestors, NOT COACHING, just cheering the
South on.
But in the third match of the tie, Gaca (pronouncedand dont you forget itGot-suh) surprised Green early and had no problems with her. When
Burke lost to Gilbert who, under Ricky Guillens
tutelage, had learned how to get and keep an advantage
by hitting one in hard, then immediately getting set to
hit in another hard, and, if need be, another hard, and
Soltesz, though pressed by Newell, won her two, the
South was a 5-3 winner.
Wisely, too, the South played Soltesz against
the North (Takako Trenholme, Cheryl Dadian,
Genevieve Hayes, and Ardith Lonnon). Olga won an
important (19, 21) match against Intercollegiate Champ
Hayes who in between rounds was reading (no, it
Kim Gilbert and Ricky Guillen
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wasnt required reading, just her choice) William Styrons Sophies Choice. Kasia then
finished off any thoughts the North might have had about winning when she downed Takao,
19 in the 3rd.
In their earlier morning tie against the West (Angelita Rosal-Sistrunk, Diana Gee, Lisa
Gee, and Jamie Medvene), the North, with Dadian playing in place of Hayes (Ginnys
Choice?), had a chance to win. Takako who, when playing the Gee twins, says she feels, well,
not exactly motherly but thinks of her own kids, Joe 14 and Sumi 10, got her team off to a
great start when she and her Challenger pips outlasted Diana, 26-24 in the 3rd. Smack,
Smack, Smack, said Dianathats what she was doing to me in the second until I slowed
her down. Unfortunately, I also slowed myself down.
But when Angelita easily won her three, and Diana beat Ardith (Diana doesnt have to
think, said one observerAngie does her thinking for her), Dadian was on the spot. Either
she beat Diana or the North was done for.
Cheryl had been practicing, had she? Im not so sure. Certainly shed been learning
things both at Concordia College and the Family Hospitalcombining the technical and the
practical while attending small classes. You want to learn how to take an arteriogram? No
problem. Simply insert a long guide wire into the femoral artery, run it up into the neck, shoot
dye into the guide wire and
Isnt that painful? I ask.
Well, she says, the guy didnt say anything about that, so I presume its painless.
What else do you learn?
Well, next week I watch an autopsy.
An autopsy?
Yes. Sometimes I think they want to scare you out. A couple of times Ive had to back
out of the room. But my father, whos an x-ray technician, says thats normal. On his first
observance some gangrenous fellow died on the table.
In this critical match of the tie, Cheryl said she couldnt read Dianas spin, was missing
her hits, and got flustered. Diana wasnt afraid at the end, said Cheryl. She had very good
concentration.
Finally, then, without Hayes or Lonnon able to win a match from Green or Hoarfrost
(or anybody), the North lost to the East as well.
The most exciting and complicating tie of the day was the afternoon East vs.West one.
Judy, who just before coming here to the NSF, had switched to a carbon blade and who after
those previous practice sessions at the Riverside Rec gym was finding it hard on this concrete
floor to control the ball. She just 23-21-in-the-3rd managed to overcome Lisa Gee, who said
the pips had just fallen out of her racket...well, anyway, a couple. After sitting out that first
tie, said Judy, I was so tight I couldnt bend my wrist on the serve. And then to be down 2016 in the 3rd and still winwell, I was very lucky.
Rosal-Sistrunk was complaining about her knees and on this first day of the tournament was already so stiff she was nursing an ice pack. (How old are you? the doctor asks
26-year-old Angie. Nineteen, she says. Well, says he, your knees sure look a lot older
than that.) But Angie won all three, including two big 23-21 games from Judy.
Jamie Medvene knows all about knee problems In fact, some physical therapists shes
talked to on watching many a normal table tennis stroke say the knees an occupational hazard.
They suggest that the average player pivot not from the hip but the waistwhich is of course
what the Chinese coaches say, except for a different reason: that you cant get your hip around
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fast enough for countering. Jamies had so

much fun learning all about scoliosis (Is that
catching?) from a young doctor at L.A.s
Centinela Hospital (where the Lakers go)
that shes decided to forgo a major in English,
forget Wordsworth, and be a physical therapy
majorbesides, she says, it helps you to
stay in sports.
Earlier, Jamie had scored an absolutely
vital win over 26-year-old Tommey Burke, 17
in the third. In the ninth match, after Alice and
Judy had won their two, it was again up to
Tommeythis time against Lisa who on paper at least was a three-point favorite. But though
Tommey won easily, she said she didnt start feeling comfortable until she was 20-12 matchpoint up. Afterwards, she said, everybody kept coming up to me, saying, I didnt think you
could do it! I really didnt think you could do it! Some congratulations, huh?
The way the Souths Kasia Gotcha was
Kasia Gaca
playing they ought to have given her the gold
medal. She swept all three here for a perfect 7-0
record. Which meant that if both Kim and Cindy
could beat just one of the Wests Gees, the South
was a winner and everyone except Thoman would
be green with envy.
Cindy, in addition to being an art major at
Cal State in Sacramento, had really been into table
tennis, and this summer had gotten an opportunity
to combine business with pleasure. As an art
project, and with the help of Jeff Mason and the
rooftop of a van, she had created a bright-colored
table tennis mural on the wall outside the Sacramento Club luring the eye of such passersby as
could not resist its subtle message.
Perhaps Cindy had no difficulty with either of the Gee girls because they couldnt
handle her combination Friendship Spinny and anti-spin racket, but, as I know from her practicing serves with me one night for 45 minutes, shes a relentlessly serious player.
Final Standings: (1) South, (2) East, (3) West, (4) North.
Jamie Medvene

Mens Team Ties

The most determining Mens Team tie for the gold, as it would turn out, was the firstoff morning one between the West (Quang Bui, Dean Doyle, Ricky Guillen, and Paul Raphel)
and the North (Scott Boggan, Mike Veillette, Scott Butler, and Brandon Olson). The West sat
out Guillen, the North Olson.
Raphel played for the U.S. Team in both the 75 and 77 Worlds, but was thereafter
suspended for a year because of unpredictable or too predictable behavior. (Have you seen, for
instance, his imitation of Ray Guillen? Its a big favorite with Rays brother Ricky.) For years
now Paul had not been playing with the same interest as before, but because of his natural
talent for the Game was still a dangerous player. He proved this right off by downing Scott
384

Butler in two big 19 swing games, by later

Paul Raphel
beating Veillette, and by extending National
Photo by
Mal Anderson
Champion Scott Boggan to three gamesa
match which had he won would have ended
all the Norths hopes, for it was understood
that Scott would have to win all three.
The key
Mike
match
of
the tie
Veillette
would be Dean
Doyles (-14,
23, 19) thriller
over Veillette.
Though Dean
had a torn
cartilage in his right knee that hed been on and off treating with
an ice pack, he was still high over promoting his six-table Paddle
Palace Club opposite that nice Powell Park in Portland and had a
lot of enthusiasm to play. He could be seen taking photos of
playersaiming for all sorts of posesin front of, coincidentally,
Doyle Hall where the men were staying until he ran out of film.
Against Dean, Mike was up 1-0 and 20-19 match point when he
wound up on Deans serve and super-looped it into the
netthen finally lost that game 25-23. And lost the third at 19. Thus, instead of the tie being
4-4, with the steady Scott Butler to play Doyle, the West was a 5-3 winner. As they would win
their other ties 5-2, they would be the Champions.
The North stayed in contention for the silver medal by defeating the South team (Perry
Schwartzberg, Brian Masters, Jerry Thrasher, and, sitting out this tie, Dave Sakai). Veillette
scored an important win here, 18 in the 3rd over Masters, who went on to lose to Boggan and,
in another deciding match to Olson, 16 in the 3rd. Up goes Brians racket 20 feet into the air
and, no, he doesnt catch it coming down. Good thing hes got a sparetwo spares in fact.
Although this loss considerably diminished the Souths chance for the silver, they were not
out of it, for theyd beaten the East (Sean ONeill, Randy Seemiller, Lim Ming Chui, and Bobby
Powell), 5-2. The Easts ONeill had 19-in-the-third been a little too much for the Souths Sakai
who, as teammate Schwartzberg would be the first to admit, tried to be as rude, as anti-spin
tricky, as possible. Dave, However, scored a win over Ming, as did Perry who won all three.
Thrasher, ever the gentleman, split his matcheslosing to Randy but rallying to down Sean.
When the Norths Olson and Butler opened by losing their respective matches to
Powell and ONeill, it may well have been that had not Scott, fast losing interest, won that 2321 second game from Chui, the tie would have been over very quickly. Certainly the North
team seemed to be just going through the motions. Against the Easts Powell, Butler was
much too softwas down 1-0 and 19-13 in the second. At which point, Powellwhos ever
mindful of his morning stocking cap, which after he brushes his hair a couple of thousand
forearms, helps him to keep his cool, his curlforgot his thinking cap.
As many of us, over-confident, have been known to do in such a situation, Bobby very
casually gave up a pointand Butler, though seeming not even to want to play, worked his
way up to 20-16, quadruple-match-point down. Then deuced it. Then eventually won 25-23.
385

So now the Norths Butler and his team that are almost accidentally still in this tie are
inspired? Not quite. In the third against Powell, Scott is down 17-13 before he seems to show
a flicker of interest. Then, though Bobbys not giving him anything this time, he again makes a
fast climb, to 17-all, then slips, is down 19-17, catches hold, gets the momentum, goes ad
upthen stops to towel!... Deuce. But Scott again gets the ad and with a carefully-played,
controlled point wins the match.
Now ONeill vs. Boggan. And just as Im thinking Ive never seen Sean slow-loop so
much and how, down 1-0 and 13-10 that cant be much good against Scott, Sean ties it up and
goes on to win the game. In the third, ONeill, playing well, earning many of his points, is up
11-4, and Scott, soon to be no longer undefeated in Team play, has lost 15 of the last 19
points.
When now in the next match Brandon, doing a lot of foot-stamping, loses two straight
to Chui, the North with four losses is in danger of dropping this tie and finishing last.
As Boggan lost to ONeill, now hell lose to Powell? He wins the first, but, 17-12
down in the second, he literally just gives up the game, and in the third is down 4-0has lost
nine in a row. But from there Bobby does not play as well as Sean did, and Scott, concentrating better, is never really threatened at the end. The match assures him and his team of a
bronze medal. But, if I may say so, how big a deal is that? To come home with a bronze medal
in the Teams. Ones home-town neighbors, hearing or reading of this, might be in awe. But
with 12 of the 16 players assured of getting medals, what to a high-rated regular tournamentgoer, selected as expected, does it mean? Can even Houshang think theres much satisfaction
to the experienced player in being given such an award?
So the East team comes lastbut I dont
Scott
think a one of them knows or cares. As for the
Butler
North, its only when Olson, not seeming the least
perturbed about wearing (sorry, its all weve got)
extra large womens shorts, beats ONeill in straight
games that their bench comes alive. And now Scott
Butler, being cheered on point by point with halfserious, half-ironic fervor, downs the helpless Chui
two straight, and the North wins not a bronze but a
silver.
Final Standings: (1) West, (2) North, (3)
South, (4) East.
Mixed Doubles
The entire second day of the tournament was
devoted to Mixed Doubles. The #1 and #4 members
on each team were (but what else could you do?)
grab-bag paired together so as to make a kind of draw doubles event.
Since the men were more closely rated than the women, if a good male player got a
relatively weak female partner there was little he could door, importantly, so hed been
conditioned to think. One male player waited patiently, impassively, while his partner missed
nine straight serves. Ironically, though, if, as former three-time World Doubles Champ
McClure, watching, observed, this male player had not lost interest in the match, if hed not
tried recklessly to go for some bad percentage shots rather than risk letting his partner try to
386

keep the ball in play, the partnership might still have been a favorite to advance to the
quartersthough certainly no further. Of course the male player was overtly polite, but had
no loyalty to his pick-up partner, and didnt care enough to expend energy to win what was a
meaningless match to him, and one that did not provide even a remote chance for a medal to
his partner.
This particular male player also raised the interesting point if it was legal for him to
help his partner set her racket just before the opponent served and then grab her arm (the
racket of course is in her hand) and guide her through to at least a playable return? (Rules
Chairman Mal Anderson, what sayest thou?)
Not surprisingly, since almost all the partnerships were strange to one another, Angelita
Rosal-Sistrunk and Paul Raphel were the gold medal winners. We used to win on the West
Coast all the time, said Angie. But today wed go into a lot of our matches saying:
You feel like playing?
I dunno.You feel like playing?
I dunno.
Paul and Angie didnt win a straight-game match until their final against Soltesz and
Thrasher (who may also have had an edge over other pairs for having played some together).
One passionate moment of interest did occur in another preliminary. Scott Boggan,
playing with Ardith Lonnon against Dean Doyle and Lisa Gee, had a Let! called on him on
his first or one of his first serves. The umpire, unquestionably a well-meaning fellow, had been
calling repeated Lets on serves the day beforesometimes, Id heard, as many as 8-10 on a
player. No Faults but Lets. Scott, on being called, said humorously to the umpire, If I serve
that serve again, are you going to call a Let? Yes, said the umpire. Scott squatted, served
the same serve againand the umpire said, Fault! and awarded the point to Dean and Lisa.
This of course prompted a discussion between Boggan and the umpire, and then
Boggan and Doyle who said hed have to abide by the umpires decision.
At this point Scott should have called for the Referee, but he didnt. And now, being
extra careful he went into the same squat and served again. Fault! said the umpire. And now
Scott really screamed. No chance! he said. And Sean ONeill, who, after beating Scott in the
Teams, was there coaching him, screamed a little too, at least inwardly. (The last umpire I
had, he said, saw a little piece of thread on the table, but three times my opponent served
out of court and he didnt see that!)
This time Boggan, a 21-year-old rebel type, flowing golden locks anchored by a
colorful headband, wrote an Indianapolis News reporter, did call for the Referee. Manny
Moskowitz came patiently, inquiringly out, listened, thought it prudent to replace the umpire,
keeping, however, that gentlemans version of the score, and play proceeded rather uneventfullythough Scott and Ardith did lose the game at deuce.
The umpire was now raising another point off court. The player is not supposed to
argue with the umpire, he said. This is the National Sports Festival, and it doesnt matter if
the player is right or wrong, its not befitting the Image of Table Tennis for a player to carry on
such a discussion.
In that of course I think hes unequivocally wrong. For umpires must be as accountable
as players for their actions; must be as accountable to right reason as those they judge. Generally speaking, the person who wants to be an umpire is psychically on the side of sameness and
conformity, while the person who wants to be a very good player is on the side of variety and
individuality. So I think it fair to say that its quite rare for one to be both a very good umpire
387

and a very good player. So, consciously or unconsciously, theres a built-in tension between a
serious umpire and a serious player from the moment theyre out at the table together. And yet
this tension is good for the Game. The good umpire will not let the player go temperamentally
crazy; the good player will not let the umpire program away his individual emotional and
judgmental responses. Consider, too, an accompanying Image argumentthat the emotional
or argumentative player sets a bad example for the young. I think it works the other way
toothat if one doesnt stand up for his rights, doesnt show he damn well passionately cares,
even to the point of being (o.k., o.k., there are limits) being mildly disruptive, he sets a bad
example for the young. Indeed, I see a casualness, a passivity, an agreeable docility in
players even here at the Sports Festival, and I think to myself, There is a sameness about
them. A blandness. Where are their personalities? How can they ever be good?
I know what Scott Boggan, whom Coach Houshang had lead the others in warm-up
drills, is talking about when in a newspaper interview here he was being matter-of-fact critical
of the attitude of some of his peers. You dont laugh and talk when youre practicing. You do
footwork drills. You workdo all kinds of work. You sweat in five minutes. Its strict discipline training. Here at the Festival nobody does it except for me and maybe a couple of others.
The rest just dont know how and you cant tell them.
Of course Scott himself, who often differentiates between those matches that are
important and those that are not and so tries or does not try accordingly, and who often,
despite his proven self-discipline, likes to party (Hey, as long as I do my job, dont tell me
what to do on my free time) is himself vulnerable to purist criticism.
Nevertheless, Scott is clearly one of our very best player-coaches and ought to be
listened to (as independent-minded brother Eric listened to him all the way to the finals at the
recent Seoul Open). Ought to be listened to, as with Referee Moskowitz he was when, with
his reputation for blunt honesty, he, an experienced internationalist, says an inexperienced local
umpire (who doesnt want to discuss the matter) is wrong.
Womens Doubles
There was an excellent Womens Doubles
finalbetween Rosal-Sistrunk/Medvene and Green/
Burkethat kept its audience more than any other
such match Ive seen in North America.
The second, fourth, and fifth games were key.
Down 1-0, but up 20-18 in the second, Green and
Burke looked like they might not hold strong when
Burke pushed Medvenes spinny topspin serve off. But
Tommey kept her Easterners head and the match was
all tied up. Down 2-1, but up 20-19 in the fourth. Green
and Burke got a break when Angie didnt follow Jamies
spinny serve that Tommey was forced to handle passively; instead, Angie merely pushed it back, and Alice,
seeing the opening, hit in the game winner.
In the fifth, Alice and Tommey are complementing each other beautifully, are up 19-14. But
Alice makes two errors, and the West rallies when
Womens Doubles Winners Tommey Burke
Medvene unhesitatingly hits in a marvelous all-out
and Alice Green
388

forehand and its 19-all. Then Angie misses and Alice misses. Deuce. Now Jamie slow loops
into the net, then slow loops a winner. Deuce. Fearlessly, Alice half rolls, half hits-in a low ball.
But then, ad up, she doesnt swing at a putaway hard enough, Jamie is able to block it back
and then get into position for a killwhich, oh, she misses to end the match. This time, with
the spectators applause rising in her ears, maybe nobody says to Tommey, I really didnt
think you could do it! Instead,Yvonne says, much more welcoming, Its getting late. Lets
go for a few beers.
Mens Doubles
Despite the fact that Scott Boggan was hurting a little, he
and Brandon Olson won the Mens Doubles. Why was Scott hurting? Because the night before hed gone to the local night spot,
Piccadillys, and had ridden the Electric Bull. Mercifully, since he
didnt have a spcial cup or codpiece handy, he was finally thrown
from the thingbut not onto knee pads. God, he said later, if I
could be a bull rider, itd be so much fun! Yeah? Well, anyway, he
wasnt throwing any bull when later, just a little ruefully, he said, I
Scotts not throwing
guess it was a stupid thing to dobut it was fun.
any bull
Scott had irritated me a little in the morning, not so much
about getting hurt at Piccadillys but because after he and Brandon had won the two matches
that would qualify them, he hadnt cared about winning the third against Masters and
Thrasher. It doesnt mean anything, he said, getting just a little on me because I didnt seem
to understand that he did what henot always what Ifelt was important.
Captain Bozorgzadeh also had a little talk with Scott. Was it good to tell a reporter
(see Bill Benners article in the July 29th, 1982 issue of the Indianapolis Star) that internationally he, Scott, was a bozoa total nobody? What kind of an image was this to project, to
create? Was there virtue in one so young assessing his limitations so? In the last 40 years were
there more than a dozen U.S. players with his record? Was he not being idealistically,
impractically negative? Was he, in all the countries hed been tofrom China to the Caribbeana nobody? Such talk was not worthy of him, did not do him or the Sport justice.
Meanwhile, over on the other side of the draw, Scott Butler and Mike Veillette had
surprised everybody by going undefeated. Surprised even more were Schwartzberg and Sakai
who simply by winning one match had made the criss-cross semis.
Boggan/Olson won rather routinely from Butler/Veillette. But the Schwartzberg/Sakai
vs. Masters/Thrasher match would be a struggle. Up 8-3 in the first, Perry and Dave suddenly
seemed to have gone off to play Chinese Poker with Coach Wang: they couldnt find any
sequence at alllost 11 in a row. And yet they barely got beat out, 23-21. The next three
games, though, Perry and Dave won at 19 (and Brian was down to his last racket?).
Before the final, Houshang tried hard to relieve Boggan of a slight cramp hed gotten.
It worked out well enoughfor Scott and Brandonfor though they lost their aggressiveness
in the third, they just got by, 19 in the fourth. Brandons point-winning poise and steadiness,
particularly at the end of the fourth, was a decisive factor.
Womens Singles
In the Womens Singles, seven of the eight seeds made the quarters. Only Olga was
upsetby Jamie.
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The best of the early-round matches saw Alice just outlast Diana, 22-20 in the third.
Down 13-720-15 in a push-push/pick-hit match, Alice made a beautiful counter to stay
alivewhich seemed to unnerve Diana, for she now made a series of errors that allowed Alice
to walk out the game. Whats this? Diana, having just finished shaking hands, still warm out
there at the table, is smiling?
Kim Gilbert also played Alice well in taking a game from her. And Ardith Lonnon ,
who took a bronze with Takako in the Womens Doubles, won a clutch 19-in-the-3rd match
over Kim. (Someonethough not her father Merle, not Coach Wangsaid Ardith misses so
many high balls because she starts her racket way too low.)
Before the evenings quarters are to start, Angie prevails on Bill Haid to take her to
the closest thing the NSF has to a hospital. As it happens, Scott Boggan, whos still hurting a
little, is along, as am I. Leaning on Bills shoulders, hobbling in, Angie looks at Scott, and he
at her. You cant walk, he says. How are you gonna play tonight?
One orthopedist says Angies got bilateral patellar tendonitis and probably a torn
cartilage in her left knee. Another says her right knee-caps not on rightthat its always
moving whimsically to the left. Some incision is surely necessary. When she gets back to
Cardiff theyll have to make some little holes in her, give her a dye test.
That evening, before Rosal-Sistrunk goes out to play her quarters against Medvene,
her knees packed in ice. But after she loses the first, she herself unthaws and things seem back
to normalits Jamie whos in need of physical therapy.
Alice was telling me how she was recently up in a hot-air balloon floating peacefully over
New York State. So seemingly it was for her in her three-straight quarters match with Cheryl?
Judy, who by this time had blisters on her feet and so was baring her sole in the bus
bringing her to the Convention Center, said she was feeling the need to get into self-hypnosis.
(Nothing major, though, she added, just the basics.). Faster than she cared to try to count,
she was down 2-0 and 19-11 in the third to Takako.
In the remaining and most interesting quarters, Kasia, in spite of hanging tough in two
deuce games (one of which she saved with a gutsy serve and follow), could not advance by Diana
who was killing her with counter-drives. Nervous, flustered even, in the fourth, Kasia made the Gee girl. Up 209, Diana lost 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 in a row. But, as Kasia said at
the end of the fifth, I did everything right those last two
gamesthe ball just wouldnt go in.
The Angie-Alice semis might have gone either
way. After losing the second at 19 to even the match at
1-1, Angie was knee-deep in trouble in the thirdjust
won it at deuce with strong aggressive play. In the
fourth, no sooner had Rosal-Sistrunk reached 20-17
triple-match-point than the Expedite Rule was called
whereupon Angie served and Alice pushed her return
into the net.
In the other semis, against Takako (at 38 the
oldest competitor), who in her vision-world would
soon be practicing like Kjell Johansson for the Worlds
Veteran Championships, Diana had to take her turn at
Diana Gee
winning two deuce gamesand losing the match.
Photo by Robert Compton
390

But, gee, back she came for the bronze against Alice, whom youll recall Diana had 2015 match-point down in the Teams. And damned if this match for Third-Place isnt the best of
the event. Green is very good at opening with her backhand then putting the forehand away.
But (because of Gees Phantom?) she often keeps chopping her backhand short, into the net.
Up 20-18 match point, Alice cant stop Diana from deucing it. At 21-all, Diana gets a forehand
in, but then cant return serve. Up 23-22, Diana pushes off. Alice, down 24-23, gets in a onetwo, backhand-forehand winner. Now at 24-all, Gee makes a bad mistakegives Green a
slow topspin serve which Alice I-dont-care-what-the-score-is instinctively hits in. Then Alice
follows with another match-winning forehand.
In the final, Angie shows she deserves to be in
the Hall of Fame. You didnt know? The Indian Hall of
Fame. Angie was the first Indian woman to be admitted.
Imagine, she says, they used to call me Bongo Lips.
Wonder what theyre gonna call my kid? But its not
Suco (Sioux-co) shes thinking of as she goes out to the
table, nor Takako Sumi.
When, however, Trenholme cant win the first
game at deuce, the match is soon over. I go over to
Angie, whos now sitting alone in a corner of the court,
and offer my congratulations. You played pretty damn
wellfor a cripple, I say. Youre a fighter.
The new National Sports Festival Champion
reaches up, shakes my hand, and with a tired but happy
smile, replies, I have some Boggan in me.
Mens Singles
Womens Singles Winner
Angelita Rosal Sistrunk
In the Mens Singles, six of the eight seeds made
the quarters. But, strangely, last years two finalists in
Syracuse, Perry Schwartzberg, the Defending Champion, and Jerry Thrasher, the Runner-up,
were upset.
In their four-player round robin preliminary bracket, Schwartzberg and Chui started off
pretty much as expectedwith Perry downing Raphel and Ming stopping Veillette.
Schwartzberg had no sooner started to think about who he might play in the semis (the draw
positions shouldnt have been posted until after preliminary play had decided the two advancing to the quarters) than he was stunned into repeated paralysis by Veillette. And Chui? Down
20-16 in the third to Raphel he couldnt quite rallyespecially when at 20-19 Pauls matchending serve caught the edge.
So now everybody in the bracket had one loss. It was simple: the winners of the
remaining matches would qualify, the losers wouldnt.
Down 19-13 in the third to Mike, Paul prepared to break his racket.
Perry gave it something of a 19 second-game try against Mingbut on losing that and
his title he couldnt have been very enthusiastic about early-morning flying off to Oil City, PA
for the tournament there. However, because 10 days earlier Perry (like Randy) had voluntarily
bumped himself from his Pittsburgh to Indianapolis flight and had waited four hours for another, U.S. Air would delight in giving him free round-trip tickets to U.S. anywhere. Who
says, said Perry, you cant make money at these amateur events?
391

Meanwhile, over in his bracket, Thrasher lost an all-deciding match to Doyle that he
didnt want to talk about any more than I do.
Elsewhere, Boggan, up 1-0 but down 9-0 in the second, had a momentary problem
with Masters (I cant read anti-spin he said to himself at one pointbut I didnt believe him
and I dont think he did either). Down 8-4 in the third, he won it at 13.
Scott also had a 15-2 opening streak, including some very effective stamp-and-pick
returns of serve, against Powell, who with flat backhand winners had taken a game from Scott
in the Teams.
Brians learned how to grunt very well when he fakes a loopand Powell, fooled,
blocked a number of balls into the net. Still, Bobby uses that Wallie on the backhand pretty
well. Its like anti, he says, but not so slow. You really have to spin the ball though. You
cant go over and forward, for then the ball goes right into the net. You really have to lift it.
Ricky Guillen played well against Brianand even better in beating Powell. So, no
wonder Kim Gilbert listens to him, huh?
In the remaining bracket, Sakai, who earlier had been quite concerned with a plumbing
problem in our dorm, was at his overspill rudenessthat is, craftiest. In playing (and losing to)
Randy, hed put inverted on both sides of his racket, but then against Butler had switched to
that new anti hes generally very happy with.. In beating Scott two straight, Dave created a
three-way tie that allowed Randy to advance to the quarters and kept Scott out. Had Butler
gotten just two more points from Dave hed have been in the quarters, not Randy.
From the Mens quarters on, Boggan, preparatory to playing, was applying ice-packs
both to his upper thighs and his upper right side area. Said the orthopedic who looked at him,
Youve probably pulled or over-pushed the infra spinatus muscle. Uh-huh. Anyway, though
it hurt him to hit a forehand, he still beat Randy in straight games.
Chui downed Doyle rather easily in fourbut in the second game was made to feel a
little foolish when Dean with the ad ducked down to stretch for a ball in front of him and
brought up a high little twister which Chui, poised for the kill, missed. In the fourth, though,
Doyle, behind 14-1, wasnt quite at his flamboyant best.
Sean ONeill was celebrating his 15th birthday, and right now the nicest present he
could receive was the Festival Championship. But Veillette, though compared to the other
good players here didnt play much of a circuit, was not about to make this match a piece of
cake for Sean. After losing the second at deuce and rebounding 8-0 up in the third, ONeill,
now 2-1 up but down 13-8 in the fourth, returned six lobs before he could finally win the
point. Down 20-17, Sean got to 1819then scored on a serve and follow, and eventually
won the game and match.
As for Brian, no matter how much he grunted he could not fool Bui. Match three
straight to Quang.
In the semis, Chui won the first game from Boggan. Said Scott, When Lim gives you
those pips to the backhand, you have to concentrate on getting that ball up and over the net. But
the next two games Ming couldnt cope with Scotts flashing forehands. In the second, he was
down 10-3; in the third, 14-2. However, in the fourth, Ming jumped off to a 6-0, 10-4 lead. But he
couldnt hold it, and at 14-all, he said later, he made a wrong decision; he refused to place any ball
to Scotts forehand, for he remembered how Scott had been smacking them in that third game. On
Scott went then, winning 14 out of 18 to move to 18-14. And Chuis late rally just fell 19 short.
Against Bui, Sean had his chances. Up 2-1 but down 18-16 in the fourth, Quang
proceeded to play some marvelous topspins and ran out the match.
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Again, for the bronze,

Sean played well, but Ming,
NSF Singles Winner
Scott Boggan
whod had a 1-4 record in the
Photo by
Teams, just put enough together
Marie Marthe Monast
to 24-22-in-the-fourth ice his
own cake.
In the final, Scott
chooses to serve first, says his
serves are initially very effective
against an opponent, and feels
with a lead hell play better.
Ninety percent of games are in
your head, hed told that Star
reporter, who promptly told it to quite a few thousand others.
Scott opens with a 5-0 lead, is then down 9-6. (Is there any other player at this Festival
who again and again has such hot and cold streaks of play?) But from 16-all he breaks it open.
Up 2-0 and 8-3 in the third, keeping Quang backed into his backhand, Scott is nevertheless
pressed to try and stretch a dwindling lead. He survives an 18-17 distraction at courtside
(someones trying to coach Bui?), and just prevails at 19.
That night Scott and Mike Veillette walk off to Piccadillys for some beers. Scott is so
tired he falls asleep over themso, yes, its time to leave. He and Mike take a short cut across
the adjacent carnival grounds and suddenly Scott sees two men appear in front of him. You
cant walk here, says one of the menand thats all Scott remembers. Hes hit from behind,
and since Mike sees what Scott, unconscious, cant see, that (Hey, Rube!) theres about eight
men, he runs for his life. But then, seeing hes not pursued, he watches from afar as one man
tries to revive Scott. As Scott comes to, the last of the men leave, one of them having lifted
Scotts wallet with $60 in it. Scott also had $20 stolen from his dorm room.
Mike and Scott continue walking back to Doyle Hall. Its another five minutes before
Scotts even aware hes bleeding from a head wound. When they get back to the dorm, the
security police take one look at him and immediately call for an ambulance. Eventually Scott is
taken to two hospitals for tests, x-rays, and stitches. Finally, some time after the dawns early
light hes released to catch his plane home.
Ever since then of course people have been asking me, Hows Scotts head?
Junior Olympics
Dick Butler, USTTA Junior Olympic Chair, reports (TTT, Sept., 1982,
17) on the 1982 National Junior Olympic Table Tennis Championships held at
Memphis State University, Aug. 5-6 as part of the XVI National AAU/USA
Junior Olympic Games. Billed as Americas #1 Youth Multi-Sport Program
and nationally sponsored by Sears Roebuck and Co., the Games attracted over
3400 athletes to compete in Basketball, Boxing, Decathlon/Heptathlon, Field Hockey, Gymnastics, Judo, Swimming, Table Tennis, Track and Field, Water Polo, Weightlifting, and Wrestling. The 64 table tennis players attending these championships represented 16 of the 20
states that listed over 40 qualifying tournaments. Sound impressive? Actually, this years table
tennis event lost some of the strong male players it had last year, and the female players were
almost non-existent.
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The USTTA (TTT, Mar., 1981, cover) urges

volunteers to help foster this Junior play by cooperating with the YMCAs Youth Sports Development
(office at Colorado Springs). If you run local-level
tournaments at Ys for a nominal sum, the USTTA
will provide organizers with all materials and instructions to run a tournament: draw sheets, report sheets,
balls, posters, rules governing the tournament, certificates and awards.
The amateur hype is that this grass roots play in quite a few sports involving millions
of kids will help develop champions for the U.S. Olympic National Festivals, Pan Am Games
1983, World Championships, and eventually the Olympics. Of course as far as table tennis is
concerned, theres overstatement here aplenty. This competition will give kids, particularly
those who participate only in the local preliminary rounds, some fun and something to talk
about. But its not any annual Junior Olympic tournament, considered prestigious or not, thats
going to produce champions; its all those week-in, week-out USTTA tournaments that, in a
foregone conclusion, bring their already proven best to the finals of this Junior Olympic competition. Better yet [better than developing champions], continues the Y hype, help your
own YMCA develop more youth participation, good will and good sportsmanship.
A bit much all this.
Dick gives us the following Results: Girls Open Singles (must
be Under 17): Final: Kathy Gates over Laura Biondolino (from down
2-0), -20, -19, 15, 19, 14. Laura is an excellent hitter, but in the final
Kathy just kept returning the ball with patient pips-out pushes and
chops until Laura was no longer sure if she should hit, and faltered.
Semis: Gates over Stephanie Fox; Biondolino over Lien Luong, 2-1.
Girls Under 17 (one entry): Winner: Phyllis Trivett. Girls Under 17
Doubles: Winners: Biondolino/Fox. Girls Under 15 (one entry):
Winner: K. Gates. Girls U-13 (three entries): Winner: Lien Luong
over Linda Gates and Michelle Mantel. Girls Under 11: Winner
Bandolino over Fox, -21, 14, 21 (Laura had beaten Stephanie in five
at the recent U.S. Open).
Boys
Team:
Junior Olympic Chair Final:
Dick Butler
Brian
Thomas/Trent Le Force over
Scott/Jim Butler in five (Jim
lost two singles; Butlers lost
the doubles). Boys Open
Singles (must be Under 17):
Two upsets in the round robin
preliminaries: Tony Thomason
over David Engel; and Jay
LeForce over Jim Butler when
Jim couldnt stop Jays attack.

Junior Boys Champion Scott Butler

Photo by Mal Anderson

394

Final: Scott Butler

over Ed Poon, 3-0.
Semis: Butler over ?;
Poon (attacker) over
Brian Thomas (defender), 15, 17.
Brian was playing
good defensive table
tennis and making
adept use of his twosurfaced racket. Even
though Brian was
tired, he was still
making many of the
Boys Under 17 Winner Brian Thomas
Junior Boys Runner-up Ed Poon
shots he likes. The
Photo by Terry Canup
problem seemed to
be that Ed was also liking
Brians shots and attacking them with unerring power and
accuracy. Against Scott in the final, though, Ed seemed to
lose his intensity. Boys Under 17: Winner: Brian Thomas.
Boys Under 17 Doubles: Winners: Butlers over LeForces,
3-0. Boys Under 15: Winner: S. Butler. Boys Under 13:
Winner: Spencer Wang. Boys Under 13 Doubles: Winners:
Wang/Luong over Trey Adams/Joey Smith, 18, -16, 9, -15,
8. Boys Under 11: Winner: J. Butler. Boys Under 9:
Winner: Quang Leong.
Dick thanks Tournament Director Ron Shirley and
helpers Lyn Johnson and Peter Antkowiak. He gives
special praise to Mrs. Jane Hooker of Memphis State
University. She was solely responsible for locating a
playing site, obtaining tables and equipment, and contacting the Memphis TTC for help from Allen Barth and
friends for score-keeping, umpiring, supplying barriers,
etc. Jane also completely took over the record-keeping and
Boys Under 9 Winner Quang Leong organization for the various award ceremonies.
Photo by Mal Anderson

395

Chapter Twenty-Eight
1982: June/July/August Tournaments.
Ill go back now and pick up a number of the summers round-the-country local
tournaments which, though not as prestigious as those weve recently been following, are of
course quite significant, especially to those who did well in them.
Harold Kopper (TTT, Sept., 1982, 22) reports on the $2,820 Korean
Open, played the week after the Nationals, July 10-11, in Los Angeles.
Kwang Jae Kim, President of the Korean TTA in the U.S., hosted the U.S.
and Korean teams, as well as USTTA President Sol Schiff, at an excellent
dinner and exhibition played at the Los Angeles Athletic Club the day before
the tournament. The Open itself was held to celebrate 100 years of U.S.-South
Korea relationships. Harold ran the tournament, assisted by Mas Hashimoto, Dal Sun Lee, Phil
Moon, and Young H. Kim. Peter Antkowiak brought tables and barriers. Rudy Kovin, Charles
Childers, Leon Ruderman, and Tony Tapia served as volunteer umpires.
Results: Mens Team: 1. U.S.A. (Danny Seemiller, Eric and Scott Boggan) defeated
Korea, 7-2; defeated Korean TTA in U.S., 7-2. The winners received a lovely, engraved bowl.
Both Danny and Eric were undefeated. 2. Korea defeated Korean TTA in U.S., 7-2. Womens
Team: 1. Korea defeated U.S.A. (Angie Sistrunk, Carol Davidson, and Jamie Medvene), 8-1;
defeated Korean TTA in U.S., 9-0. 2. U.S.A. defeated Korean TTA in U.S., 5-4. Mens
Doubles: Seemiller/E. Boggan defeated Swedens Jonas Berner/Lars Franklin, 18, 19 (two
games only because of time constraints). Semis: Seemiller/Boggan d. Ji Young Ok/Kim Tae
Soo [Kim Taek Soo?]; Berner/Franklin (who in the quarters had just gotten by Jim Lane and
former Vietnamese coach Duc Luu, 19 in the fifth) d. Son Sung Soon/Park Chang Ikboth
semis were 16 in the fourth.
Mens Singles: Final: Seemiller
over E. Boggan, 9, 23, 6. Semis:
Seemiller over Son, 20, 10, 8; E. Boggan
over Berner, 14, 15, 15. Quarters:
Seemiller over Franklin, 19, 21, 18; Son
over S. Boggan, 19, -16, 14, 11; E.
Boggan over Song Jae Ho, 18, -16, 14,
17; Berner over Kim Tae Soo, 16, 12,
16. Womens Singles: Final: Jang Kim
Ok over Shin Deuk Hwa, 15, 17, 19.
Semis: Jang over Jung Kyung Ja, 6, 13;
Shin over Park Mal Bin, 20, 13, 16.
Quarters: Jang over Kim Myung Sim,
LA Korean Open Mens Singles Winner Danny Seemiller
15, 17, 16; Jung over Angelita RosalFrom 1982 Seoul Open Program
Sistrunk, 16, 16, 16; Shin over S.K.
Kyung, 19, 18, 17; Park over Han Mi Ok, 15, -19, -16, 17, 16.
Kopper also covers (TTT, Sept., 1982, 22) the High Desert Open, played at Victor
Valley Jr. High School in Victorville, CA, a small city 130 miles from Los Angeles. The 25member High Desert TTCs President Tony Tapia and his wife Pearl were the chief organizers
of the tournament and helped Kopper work the Control Desk Pearl also checked in the
396

players and collected entry fees, while Tony was responsible for all the
necessary physical operations. Peter Antkowiak brought Harvard
barriers, and his sons Stevan and Filemon Rodriguez helped set them
up. Tonys mother, Mary Tapia, assisted by Ev Freeman and Mark
Medlock, ran the concessions. Bill Freeman, Sr., Mike Edgar, Joel
Placnic, Tony Dodge, Charley Gallegos, and Prince Carpenter helped
set up and transport tables, and umpired matches. Steve Krell acted as
Tournament Referee. With this kind of cooperation, no surprise that
Club members could put on a Kiwanis Fourth of July exhibition at the
San Bernardino County Fairgrounds that raised money for new tables
at the Club.
The highlight of the
tournament was the Open
final featuring Eric and
Scott Boggan. They were
in L.A. the previous week
for the Korean Open and

High Desert TTC

President Tony Tapia

Millard, Pam, and David Charles Phillips

decided to spend the next week in San

Diego. It was during this time that
Millard and Pam Ramsey Phillips announced the July 14th birth of their son
David Charles. Angie Sistrunk then
persuaded the Boggans to come to
Victorville. Since the Sunday Open final
was played at 3:30 p.m., a good crowd
Scott and Eric Boggan with Miss Victorville, Fatima Lopez
was on hand. Miss Victorville, Fatima
Lopez, was there to award trophies, and her presence added a touch of class to the proceedings.
Results: Open Singles: Final: Eric Boggan over Scott Boggan, -16, 19, 12, -20, 18
(after being down 18-16 in the 5th). Semis: Eric over the Korean USA Clubs #1, Song Jae
Ho, 19, 12, -16, -19, 8; Scott over Jim Lane, 13, 15, 18. Womens R.R.: 1. Kyong Mee Choi,
4-1 (9-2). 2. Angelita Rosal-Sistrunk, 4-1 (8-3). Although Sistrunk beat Choi, 2-1, shed been
upset earlier by Jamie Medvene. Rufford Harrison has pointed out that the U.S. is the only
ITTF country that in Singles breaks ties according to results against the entire field, whereas in
Team competition theyre in step with the rest of the world, breaking ties by using only the
results of those tied. So in this Womens Singles event, the winner and runner-up were not
determined using head-to-head results. Open Doubles: Kevin Choes/Song over Se-Kwan Oh/
397

Phil Moon, 15, 16, -18, 16. Semis: Choes/Song over

Charles Childers/Jim Lane, 13, 14, 20; Oh/Moon over
Choi/Kim, 19, 16, 16, -19, 15.
U-2100s: Nicolae Danielis, formerly a member of the
No. 1 Club team in Romania, over Kil Kim, 6, -10, -13, 9,
18. Semis: Danielis over little Chi Ngo whod scored
the tournaments biggest upset when he beat Phil Moon,
a 2000-level player; Kim over Oh, 18, 16. U-1900: Sabin
Tripa over Krell U-1800: Edi Joesoff over Lyn Smith in
five. U-1700: Thanh Tran over Bobby Fields, 15, -19, 24, 15, 19. U-1600: John Yee over Rudy Kovin. U-1500:
M. Tagavi over Tad Nakawaki whod outlasted Tapia, 2422 in the 3rd. U-1400: Kerry Vandaveer over M. Dalirifar.
U-1300: Dalirifar over
Wilfredo Escobar. U1200: Tony Dodge
over Tom Ballard in
five. Unrated: T. Tran
over Quoc Tran who
survived H. Nguyen,
Chi Ngo
19, 21. Hard Rubber
R.R.: Kopper, 4-1
(10-3) over Dave Rogers, 4-1 (9-4). Draw Doubles:
Charlie Gallegos/Q. Tran over Rodriguez/Carpenter.
Seniors: Bernie Bukiet over Tripa. Juniors: S. Rodriguez
over C. Ngo.
Results of the Cleveland Open, played June
26-27 just before the U.S.
Open: Final R.R. 1.
Mikael Appelgren, 3-0 (d.
Kerry Vandaveer
E. Boggan, 15, 22, 17; d.
D. Seemiller, 19, 12, 14; d. R. Seemiller, -19, 16, 18, 11). 2.
Eric Boggan, 2-1 (d. D. Seemiller, 20, -9, -18, 8, 12; d. R.
Seemiller, 12, 16, 14). 3.-4. Danny and Ricky didnt play.
Quarters: Appelgren d. Perry Schwartzberg, 5, 18, 11; R.
Seemiller d. Scott Boggan, 13, -18, 18, -11, 15; D. Seemiller
d. Rey Domingo, -4, , 11, 15, 12; E. Boggan d. Quang Bui,
18, 9, 10. Doubles: Seemiller/Seemiller (-20, 13, 13, -19, 14)
over Appelgren/Lars Mattsson, whod eliminated E. Boggan/
Schwartzberg, 13, -21, 19, 16.
As: Steve Mo over Steve Lowry, 24-22 in the 5th, then
over Tim Boggan, 19, -11, 15, 17 Bs: Jerry Denno over
Doug Hardy, 14, 18, -16, 20, 15, then over Brian Baldwin, 13, 17, 21, -20, 20. Cs: Ken Stanfield over Bill Hornyak, 21,
Nisse Sandberg
14, -18, -17, 18, then over Mark Allen, -16, 18, -17, 14, 18.
Photo by Mal Anderson
398

Ds: Neil Myers over Nisse Sandberg in five, then over Mike Mohan, 19 in the 4th, after Mike
had gotten by Jerome Abbott in five. Es: Don Mellott over Michael Hugh-Sam in five, then
over Tom Arcaro (from down 2-1 and at deuce in the 4th). Unrated: Scott Pinkney over Ray
Szymanski. Two-Man Team: Alt-Dean Yeotis over Osualdo Veitia/Ken Stanfield. Seniors:
Doon Wong over Hsiang-Shou Cheng, 16, -17, 21, 16. U-21: Mattsson over Brandon Olson, 21, 16, 15, -24, 22, then over Anders Thulin in five. U-17: Mattsson over Thulin whod
eliminated Olson, 20, -17, 14. U-15: Thulin over Mattson, -13, 22, -18, 22, 21.
Ron Schull (TTT, July, 1982, 22), in giving us the Results of the June 5th Columbus Sweepstakes, gets more than
a little excited over a couple of the matches. Open Singles
R.R.: 1. Ricky Seemiller, 3-0 (d. Simon Shtofmahker, Bobby
Powell, and brother Randy, all 3-0). A death struggle went
on in the fifth between Randy and Bobby with Randy suddenly breaking it open 13-7. Then just as relentless as the
Yul Brenner robot in the Westworld movie, Bobby came
charging back. Randy, serving at 16-15, got an opening for a
forehand kill and had Bobby back to the barrier lobbing,
lobbinguntil he opened up with a forehand counterkilland now Randy was back to the barrier lobbing,
lobbinguntil he countered with a forehand killwhich
Powell killed backforcing Seemiller to chopwhereupon
Powell stepped in and finished the point with a slashing
forehand loop kill! 16-all! Then, just as it looked like a
thriller to the end, Powell apparently being too careful
pushed the next two serves off Seemillers backhand
sideand the robot was stopped dead in its tracks. RunRandy Seemiller
ner-up Randy had another 20, 16, -17, -16, 16 marathon
match with Simon who (-10, 22, -19, -15) also lost to Powell.
The Open Doubles final between the Seemiller brothers and Powell/Shtofmahker was
another crowd-pleaser. This tense match went all the way to deuce in the fifth. Up 21-20
Powell serves to Ricky who spins it inthen Simon backhand-spins it back crosscourtRandy blocks it very hard cross-courtand Powell dives through the air and hits a
loop forehand kill for the matchthen somersaults on the floorand finishes flat on his back,
feet straight in the air resting on the barrier!
Womens: Final: Irina Shtofmahker over Phyllis Trivett. Esquires: Aaron Edwards
over James Lawrence. Seniors: Jay Wright over Orville Greve. U-17: Brad Hudson over
Trivett, 17, 20, -21, 15. As: Dave Strang over Hudson. Bs: Strang over Schull, 25-23 in the
4th. Cs: Brian Baldwin over Hudson. U-3800 Doubles: Baldwin/Bob Cordell over Jim Repasy/
Steve Miller. Ds: Ken Stanfield over Jim Coombe. U-3400 Doubles: Miller/Schull over
Stanfield/OsualdoVeitia. Es: 1. Greve, 3-1 (7-3). 2. Bill Trivett, 3-1 (6-3). U-2800 Doubles:
Trivett/Jay Elting, Jr. over Hudson/Hudson.
Before turning up at the Aug. 21st Scioto Open in Columbus, Perry Schwartzberg had
hurried out of this years classy Sports Festival in time to make the July 31-Aug. 1 $3,200 Oil
City, PA Open. Strange, but with all that advertised prize money, there were no results of the
tournament in Topics. Moreover, as were about to see (TTT, Sept., 1982, 9), Perry sure was
disappointed. He begins his article by making a comparison:
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Saturday, July 31
The hall fell to a quiet hush .Scott Boggan deftly made a high-toss well over his
head, stood poised for a moment, then lashed out at the ball, which, with a light, easy motion,
fell softly short on his opponents side. Quang Bui, Boggans opponent, treated the spinning
ball with the utmost care, tossing it this time into one corner, next time into the other. Soon, an
extended rally began. Quang initiated a looping backhand, a looping forehand, met by Scott
blocking this way, that way, then bingoScott off the bounce, a loop down the line for an
outright winner. The crowd roared. Many a spectator leapt out of his hard-to-find seat to offer
a short but well-deserved ovation. It had been a fine final, a fine day, the summer light lasting
long into the evening.
Sunday, August 1
The YMCA was quiet. Dan Seemiller served his mercilessly wicked backhand sidespin
serve towards his opponent, B.K. Arunkumar, the brilliant defensive star from India. Kumar
very thoughtfully placed the ball back, trying to keep Seemiller from unleashing the dreaded
monster. But unleash the monster Danny did. But time and time again Kumar brought back
shot after shot until the power, the force against him was just too strong, and he had to succumb. The crowd quietly rose to leavethe final was over. It had been a long day, now the
dark night had come.
The Oil City tournament had for two previous years been a standard local tournament
with good prize money. Playing conditions, though, were poor, and getting poorer. There were
numerous 10-15-year-old Detroiter tables with homemade legs and repainted surfaces. Certainly not enjoyable to play on, simply aggravating, in fact. Unforced errors and rising tempers
brought forth black moods. The once bountiful prize money had dwindled, dwindled, until
what had started as a $500 first prize for the Mens Singles winner had been snitch-snitchsnitched to a paltry $175. Whimsically, other class events kept their prize moneyone lucky
1700 player won more that Mens runner-up Arunkumar did. U.S. Senior Champ, George
The Chief Brathwaite, defaulted in disgust to Rick Seemiller in the quarters, thereby losing
his chance for $50 semifinal money. Playing just wasnt any fun anyway.
Indeed, no oneincluding the directors, sponsors, players, and spectators (more than
a few of whom clearly couldnt see the point of it all)no one, left with a smile on his or her
face. There was nothing to smile about. Nary
a soul had enjoyed the event. [No wonder,
then, no one wanted to write up the results.]

Ping-Pong Diplomat John Tannehill in China

a quarter-century later...still retired.

At the Scioto tournament, in the Open

Singles, Perry Schwartzberg finished first
over runner-up John Tannehill who, at 1-1
and deuce in the third, had been pressured by
3rd-place finisher Bobby Powell. Gunter
Pawlowski, whod upset Tannehill in an
earlier tournament, had made the final four
with a five-game quarters win over Brian
Baldwin. In commenting on Perry and Johns
final, Ron Schull said (TTT, Nov., 1982, 18),
Tannehills strokes were sharp. His physical
400

condition readily evidentJohn runs everyplace that most of us drive. Everything was there
except tournament hardness. That was quite apparent as Perrys intimidating serves and strong
follow-up kills broke the first game open at 21-15. John, though, is a master at making tactical
adjustments in his game, and regained his confidence to pull out the thrilling second game at
23-21. The third game, however, would tell the tale as Perry 22-20 squeaked it out. In the
fourth, John made a couple of early errors on Perrys serves, and could no longer contest. In
talking to John after the match, Perry said to him, Im glad to see that youve come out of
retirement. John softly replied, Im still retired.
Other results: As: Gary Martin over Jim Repasy, 18, 20, -13, 18. Bs: Mark Weber
over Ray Stewart. Cs: Max Salisbury over Alex Weichey. U-3400 Doubles: Martin/Hardy
over Dwain Kitchell/Kamiar Shahidi. Ds: Richard Badessa over Steve Miller. Es: Miller over
Vince Turner. Novice: Ron Arcaro over John Pletikapich. Hard Rubber: Tannehill over
Schwartzberg. Esquires: Salisbury over Aaron Edmonds. Seniors: Badessa over Charles
Robbins. Juniors: Eric McMullen over Greg Gayer.
Ted Friedman provides us with the results of the June 12th Lexington, KY Spring
Open, held in the spacious Seaton Center gym of the University of Kentucky. Teds one of the
many long-serving club officials that Affiliates Chair Richard Feuerstein recognized in a Give
Them Their Due article (TTT, Mar., 1982, 22). For their help in this Spring Open,
Lexingtons largest tournament to date, Ted praises Spring and Jeff Riley for their planning
and hard work, and thanks Thoi Nguyen, Henri Leveillard, and Anto Yawanta for ably assisting them.
Results: Open Singles: Bob Powell over Ricky Hicks. Open Doubles: Hicks/Jeff Riley
by default over Festus Mead/Greg Waldbieser whod survived Jordan Michaelson/Roy Alter,
24-22 in the 3rd. Womens: Cindy Marcum over Connie Warren. Mixed Doubles: Jerry/Cindy
Marcum over Andy Gad/Warren, 19 in the 5th. Esquires: John White over Valdes Daskevics.
Seniors: John Dichiaro over Mead. U-17s: Brad Hudson over Karen Mayrwieser, -15, 21,
17. U-15s: Mayrieser over Shawn Sabharwal. U-11s: Mike Mayer over Jonathan Coleman.
As: Hicks over Michaelson, def. Bs: Michaelson over Waldbieser. B Doubles: Bob
Gilbert/Richard Badessa over Mike Robinson/Hudson, 19 in the 5th. Cs: Riley over Ken
Stanfield. C Doubles: Mike Ethridge/C. Marcum over Mike Pfau-Joe Shumaker, 30-28 in the
5th. Ds: Jim Coombe over Robinson. Es: Ray Spann over Friedman in five. Fs: Tom Bryant
over Ethridge. Gs: Tom Kanouse over Joe Linville. Novice: Gary Compton over Lloyd Rice.
Mike Bortner in covering the June 6th Tennessee
State Closed at Memphis thanks the Memphis Park
Homer Brown
Commission that supplied the gym and the refreshments. Results: Championship Singles: Scott Leamon
in five over Homer Brown and his crowd-pleasing
antics, including the famous pre-serve Homer
Shuffle. Best quarters matches: Clay Dunn over
Larry Bartley (from down 2-0), -17, -15, 12, 20, 19;
and Homer over Jim Flannagan in five. Womens: Rita
Thomas over Marcia Prince. Championship Doubles:
Scott Leamon/Brown over Dunn/Denis Fritchie.
Seniors: Hugh Lax over Bartley. As: Bartley over
Henry Chan whod eliminated Robert Chamoun, 19 in
the 4th. A Doubles: Lax/Bortner over Fritchie/Jerry
401

Harris, 19, -19, 20, -20, 21. Bs: Fritchie over Lax. Cs: Rainer Davis over Bortner. Ds: Ben
Adler over Charles Gary. Novice: Thomas d. Al Marthin, Sr., deuce in the 3rd.
Rick Mundy covers the June 19th Charlotte Summer Open. The Charlotte Parks and
Recreation TTA, he says, will try to fill the void created after the Butterfly Club at Wilson,
N.C. shut its doors. The Tournament Director deliberately set up seven classes here for players
rated 1350-1700and Charlotte Club players won all seven. Rick thanks Tom and Jean
Poston (Tom had directed a number of tournaments at the Bowie Martin Butterfly Club), says
their advice and assistance were greatly needed and appreciated.
Results: Open: Winston-Salems Billy James, North Carolinas #2 player, who uses a hard
bat, over Danny Hill. As: James over Hill whod advanced over My Van Dinh, 18 in the 3rd. Bs:
Dinh over Mundy. Cs: Mundy over Al Herr. Ds: T.P. Lee over Eckehard Mecklenburg. Es: Dan
Sinski over Bill Steinle. Fs: Wayne Moody over Sinski, 19 in the 3rd, then over Elliott Worthy. Gs:
Anil Jain over James Herndon. Unrated: Mecklenberg over Sinski.
Bard Brenner, in
reporting on the Florida
Summer Open, held
June 12-13 at Joe
Newgardens Club in
Miami, tells us (TTT,
Sept., 1982, 25) that
three stars in the Championship Singles, part of
the Wednesday Night
Crowd at Newgys, Joe
Sokoloff, former U.S.
#9 and Maccabean
Games silver medalist;
one-time U.S. Doubles
#3 Brenner; and former
Florida State Champion
Marv Leff are all 40-ish
and go all the way back
to the Coliseum Bowl 25
years ago. Bard says,
The table tennis tables and now even the bowling pins have long since given way to this
countrys newest rage in racquet sportsracquetballand the Coliseum has already been the
site of two $25,000 tournaments attracting the likes of World Champion Marty Hogan. As an
aside, Bard adds that a racquetball court is an excellent potential site for many table tennis
tournaments, the pro courts being 20 by 40 with a 20-foot ceiling, each court completely
separated from the others, and all glass-enclosed and surrounded by seats for a few hundred
spectators. Tournament promoters, take note!
The Championship Singles here featured several international players, headed by
Swedens Jonas Berner who was staying with the Jeerapaet family in Tampa prior to playing in
the U.S. Open. (Dr. Jeerapaet, I hasten to add, made a very generous donation toward the
prize money for this tournament.) Championship Singles Results: Final R.R.: 1. Berner, 3-0 (d.
Jerry Thrasher, 10, 11, 17; d. Greg Gingold, 15, 17, 10; d. Leff, 12, 11, 7). We enjoyed having
402

Berner here, said Bard. But at the moment hes just in another table tennis world from ours. 2.
Jerry Thrasher, 2-1 (d. Gingold, 15, 17, 10; d. Leff, 5, 17, 8). Jerry, wholl be playing in league
play in Germany this fall in an effort to make the U.S. World Team, is just too strong for 3rd-place
finisher Gingold or any of our other area players. In earlier matches, Berner d. Sokoloff, Thrasher
d. Arubas #2 Mario Croes, Gingold d. Brenner, and Leff d. John Shaun Hoyes.
In the absence of Judy Tun and Linda Chong, who were on vacation in Asia, the
Womens Singles round robin was won by former Jamaican Champion Nadine Yuen over Olga
Soltesz, 24-22 in the 3rd. Loh Sou Chan, University of Florida runner-up in this years ACU-I
National Intercollegiates was third; Kate Vlahakis fourth; Sylvia Rosenthal fifth; and Joyce
Story sixth. Mens Doubles went to Berner/Kit Jeerapaet over Sokoloff/Roberto Garcia, 18, 18, 20, -20, 19, then over Arubas Croes/Elgin Nicolaas.
Other results: As: Steve Federico over Russ Wyatt. A Doubles: Federico/Harry McFarland
over Jerry Glass/Croes, 20, 17. Bs: Gary Harbeck over Cameron Phipps. Cs: Steve Farrell over
Frank Hanley. Ds: Chan over Sean Hanley. Open Singles: Wayne Stultz over Emmanuel Okpala.
Championship Consolation: Winner: George Bluhm. Novice Women: Story over Alice Newgarden.
Seniors: Gil Welsh over Jim Leggett, 16, -19, 17, then over Joe Newgarden, 18 in the 3rd. College
Men: Jeerapaet over Brian Miezejewski, 18 in the 3rd. College Women: Yuen over Chan, 18 in the
3rd. High School Boys: Steve McLaren over Jeerapaet, 18 in the 3rd.
Brenner (TTT, Oct., 1982, 24) also reports on the Aug. 28-29 Orlando Summer Open, held
in picturesque Lock Haven Park. In previous years, the lakefront glare through the Neighborhood
Centers facility was so bad I thought I was playing outdoors and would wear my tennis sun-glasses
to play a match. This time Tournament Director Olga Soltesz, who had so much work because of
the large number of entries that she didnt feel like playing, was able to obtain black-out material
and allow us to play under more decent, if still slippery conditions.
The Championship Singles final was a very edgy contest. Ron Rigo won the first
game on an edge at deuce. Then Greg Gingold did the same to take the second game. The
third kept everyone on the edge of their seatswith Rigo finally coming out on top, again 2119. More exciting points followed until Ron ended the match at 18onyou guessed itan
edge. Joe Sokoloff had returned to Orlando after a long absence. Hed warmed up on Saturday by winning the State Othello
Championship and so qualified for an
all-expense-paid trip to the Nationals
in New York. He lost in the semis to
Rigo in four, as did Steve Federico in
the quarters to Gingold. The Womens
Singles went to Sangeeta Dosi over
Malai Jeerapaet, Kits mother, then
over Katy Vlahakis. In the Championship Doubles, Ron Rigo/John Elliott
easily won the first two games over the
inexperienced pair of Conrad Flash
Fisher and Douglas Hit Man Wilcock,
but then overconfidence set in and they
blew the third. In the fourth and fifth
games, the Tampa team got hot and in a
Surprise doubles champs: Conrad Flash Fisher and
surprise turnabout won the event.
Douglas Hit Man Wilcock
403

Other Results: As: Lance Rosemore over Gary Harbeck, -22, 14, 17, 20. Bs:
Rosemore over Kit Jeerapaet, 19 in the 3rd, then over Harbeck, 18 in the 4th. B Doubles:
Rosemore/Brian Miezejewski over White/An Hoai Tran. Cs: K. Jeerapaet over Tran in five.
Ds: Miezejewski over Nirmal Dosi, def. Es: N. Dosi over Kazukiko Fujioka whod squeaked
by Hugh Babcock, deuce in the 3rd. Seniors: Randy Hess over Bill Godshalk. U-17: K.
Jeeerapaet over Rajiv Dosi, 19 in the 3rd, then over Ariel Urgait in five.
Results of the July 31-Aug. 1 Florence, MA Southern Open: Open Singles: Fu-lap Lee
over Andy Diaz whod advanced over Suguru Araki, deuce in the 4th. Womens: Melissa Yu
over Tahnya Percy. U-2000: Jim Hayford over John Beauvais. U-1900: Rich DeWitt over
Hayford. U-1800: DeWitt over Warren Rasmussen, 17 in the 5th. U-1700: Dave Hager over
Steve Hochman in five. U-1600: Hochman over Kent Abbott. U-1500: Bill Maisonet over
Barry Scott, 18, 18, -10, -21, 19. U-3000 Doubles: Hayford/Yu over Rob Wincapaw/Percy. U1400: Peter Johnson over Scott in five. U-1300: Dave Marcus over T. Percy. U-2600 Doubles:
Wolke/Maisonet over Bill Percy/T. Percy. U-1200: Yu over T. Percy. U-1100: Mikel Kardamis
over Mike Fitzpatrick. U-17: T. Percy over Kardamis.
Jim Williams tells us (TTT, Oct., 1982,
24) that the USTTA had asked him (1) What
help my Western Maryland Club would like?
and (2) What suggestions do I have for the
USTTA? So, here goes:
Some concrete way to acquire a
building of our own! We are always looking for
a place to play.
Also, a dream of mine is for the
USTTA to have its own site for the Open and
Closed, built just for T.T. I feel this could be
accomplished by the membership in a bootstrap
operationthat is, surely among our 5-7,000
members there are architects, bulldozer operaHarriet and Jim (C.J.) Williams
tors, brick and block layers, electricians, etc.
who could bring it about. Perhaps $10 from each member could make a sum to buy a piece of
land. {Where? I dont care, Id come.) Also, I, for one, would gladly donate my labor (on
summer or winter vacations to work on such a projectunder expert direction of course.
Perhaps near the site of this great work, tables could be set up and top players would offer free
evening instruction to the workers in return for this labor of love. Volunteers in this country
achieve so much every day that surely we Table Tennis nuts could do the same.
The rent we have paid out to various sites (Detroits Cobo, Oklahomas Myriad, etc.)
would probably have paid for our own place by now. Yes, I like to travel to different cities, but
this would not need to stop. Regional tournaments could still be made larger, more popular.
But to have our own national tournament in a permanent spot, designed just to showcase our
sport. Wow!
Is it possible for 7,000 people to agree on a single dream? This thought of our own
site, I suspect, has crossed every ping-pongers demented mind at one time or another. Cant
we make I happen?
There, Ive put my dream in writing!
404

As she did last year,Yvonne Kronlage ran another Eastern Region Training Camp,
sponsored by the USTTA Olympic Committee. It was held July 5-17 at the McDonogh School
in McDonogh, MD. Ricky Seemiller was back to coach, and this time was accompanied by
U.S. Touring Coach from China, Wang Fuzheng, who, since he didnt speak English, was
accompanied by a translator. It was uncomfortably hot at the school and dorms, for there was
no air-conditioning, but the play and the training proceeded as plannedthough it was disappointing to have only four girls attend.
First Week Results: A Singles: Spencer Wang over Rocky Cheng. A Doubles:
Dan Walk/Kit Jeerapaet. B Singles:Benjamin Ebert
over Peter Pazaris. B Doubles: Ebert/Melinda Su.
Most Improved Player: Mark Lessing. Best Sportsman: Dennis Hwang. Best Footwork: Larry Johnson.
Best All-Around Athlete: Kilsoo Yim. Most Congenial: Ty Hoff. Second Week Results: A Singles: Kit
Jeerapaet over
Joe Billups. B
Singles: Dave
Ferraro over
Peter Pazaris.
Most Improved
Player: Scott
Simmons. Best
Sportsman:
Edwin Su. Best
Footwork:
Billy Lipton with Coach Wang Fuzheng
Rich Sosis.
Rich Sosis
Best AllAround Athlete: Joe Billups. Most Congenial: Billy Lipton.
Ricky and Brian Masters put on an exhibition for those Don Budge tennis trainees and
the Red Eagle campers who shared the school grounds and facilities with us (tennis courts,
swimming pool, and fantastic fieldhouse
to practice in). Special thanks go to our
two coaches, Brian, Doreen Bieber who
chaperoned the second week; Jo
Splistiser, our pick-up person for those
coming in by plane, train, and bus; the
McDonogh School, the USOC, and my
family who helped me along the way.
Results of the July 31-Aug. 1
Florence, MA Southern Open: Open
Singles: Fu-lap Lee over Andy Diaz
whod advanced over Suguru Araki,
deuce in the 4th. Womens: Melissa Yu
over Tahnya Percy. U-2000: Jim Hayford
over John Beauvais. U-1900: Rich
Fu-lap Lee
DeWitt over Hayford. U-1800: DeWitt
Andy Diaz
Photo by Mal Anderson
405

over Warren Rasmussen, 17

in the 5th. U-1700: Dave
Hager over Steve Hochman
in five. U-1600: Hochman
over Kent Abbott. U-1500:
Bill Maisonet over Barry
Scott, 18, 18, -10, -21, 19.
U-3000 Doubles: Hayford/
Yu over Rob Wincapaw/
Percy. U-1400: Peter
Johnson over Scott in five.
U-1300: Dave Marcus over
T. Percy. U-1100: Mike
Kardamis over Mike
David Marcus
Fitzpatrick. U-17: T. Percy
Photo by Mal Anderson
over Kardamis..
Tahnya Percy
Winners at the Southern New England Championships played
July 17-18 at Webster, MA. Open Singles: Lim Ming Chui over Ben
Nisbet, 19 in the 4th. The only other late-round contested match was Chuis 17-in-the-4th semis
win over Sparky James. Sparky, whod won the Pioneer Valley Open the month before, would
avenge his loss to Chui with his first win over him the month after. Womens: Hee Lee over
Tahnya Percy. U-2200: Nisbet split the prize money with Dave Gold who got by James, 22, 19, 17. U-2100: Lee Ross and Wes Daley split. Semis: Ross over Jay Rogers, 21, 19; Daley
over Andy Diaz, 18, -19, 17. U-2000: Ross over John Beauvais in five.
U-1900: Lee over Beauvais. U-1800: Jay
Rogers over Rob Wincapaw. U-1700: Beauvais over
Don Najarian. U-1600: Chris Kalagher over Beauvais,
deuce in the 5th. U-1500: Bill Percy over Peter Bosco
whod outlasted Jeff Courville, 23-21 in the 3rd. U-3000
Doubles: Kalagher/Peter Johnson over Beauvais/B.
Percy. U-1400: B. Percy over Johnson. U-1300: Barry
Berlinski over Gunnar Johnson. U-2600 Doubles:
Percy/Percy over Berlinski/Wolke, def. U-1100: Russ
Person over T. Percy. U-1000: Mike Kardamis over
Scott Norton, 19 in the 4th. U-900: Mike Mahoney over
Norton. U-17: Chi Sun Chui over Chi Ming Chui, 19 in
the 5th. U-15: Chi Sun Chui over Chi Ming Chui. U-13:
Chi Sun Chui over Chi Ming Chui.
Chris Kalagher
Photo
by Mal Anderson
Mel Eisner (TTT, Sept., 1982, 28) waxes exuberantly about an unusual tournament that occurred
at the New Jersey Westfield Club. On the cool summer night of July 29, 1982, there occurred
a gathering of forces, a focusing of power, a confluence of stars. On that night they came to
play. That was it. They came to play for $2 per person. Four separate round robins were set
up, and the winners of each one would then meet in their own round robin to divide up the
$46 put up by the 23 playersa $2 round robin. So it would be $22 for the winner, $12 for
second, $8 for third, and $4 for fourth.
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It was Danny and Ricky from Pittsburgh, Eric from

Long Island, and George Brathwaite from New York. And all
those others! Nine players with ratings from 1950 to 2200
plus, an average over 2100. Another eleven players had an
average rating over 1800.
Compare that with the competitors at the National
Sports Festival going on in Indianapolis at the same time.
Certainly we had a fine group representing the Sport there, and
they were necessarily restricted as amateurs. But one can
wonder if this Westfield pick-up set of players wouldnt win in
a head-to-head team competition with those at the Festival.
Now this was no sanctioned tournament. Merely a Club
fun-event that they conjured up among themselves to get some
serious practice. That they surely did get. And there were
Mel Eisner
plenty of spectators, even though it was a Thursday night.
Yes, theres lots of interest in Table Tennis. If we can have our finest players meet
without the attraction generated by a major tournament, then theres nothing but hope and
expectation that the sport will go forward, and that it will scale new heights [sic].
Well, now! you may ask. Who won? My reply is that we were witnessing the
brilliant stars of a summer night, and we dont have to know their precise configurations or
interstellar interactions to appreciate them. So you see, it really doesnt matter who won
does it?
Well, speaking for myself, this Westfield practice session reminds me of what its not, a
charity outing where stars give of their time to raise money for a worthy causewhich is sort
of what happens at the Sports Festival, where all amateur-minded concerned have reason to
hope that the Image of Table Tennis will be improved. There, $1,000,000 worth of tickets are
sold; people willingly pay to see our Sport being given staturewhich is encouraging. But at
Westfield, second-floor up, where plenty of spectators are watching, no money is being
raised for the players or for any cause that will enhance the Image of our Sport. One would
have to be dreamily on some other planet, in some other world, to seriously think that repeat
practice sessions like this among the stars suggests that Table Tennis is going to scale the
heights.

407

Chapter Twenty-Nine
1982: Eric Boggan Reaches Final of Seoul Open. 1982: Scott Boggan Precipitates
Firestorm. Eric Qualifies as North American Champion for the $45,000 World CupFinishes 7th (Wins $2,300). 1982: U.S. Teams in $7,500 Canadian Open.
In getting to
the final of the 40country, 150-entry
Mens Singles at
the Aug. 25-31,
1982 Seoul Open,
Eric Boggan
continued to take
his place among
the worlds best
players.
Although
the Chinese and a
number of top
Europeans did not
play in this tournament, and although
Jan-Ove Waldner
Eric was beaten, 19, 21, 19, in the final by16-year-old
From 82 Seoul Open Results Program
Swedish sensation Jan-Ove Waldner (the 19-in-the-5th
finalist to Mikael Appelgren in the European Championships), Erics success here, as well as in
the English and German Opens last season, show that hes become our top internationalist, our
best American hope to win the World Championship since Miles reached the semis in
Dortmund in 1959.
Not so strangely, Eric started off badly in the Team tieslost to two decent but not exceptional Koreans, Jung Mook Kim and Jae Hyung Ah (who also beat the other strong American
player Danny Seemiller, and, later in the Teams, Masahiro Maehara, the Japanese Champion).
After the U.S. Open and before coming to Seoul, Eric had taken a much-needed
vacation from the sport and had gone with brother Scott (also participating here in Seoul) to
coach and play at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Camp. Unfortunately, the Camp was
over-crowded (not always with serious or talented players) and Scott and Eric did not get the
practice they anticipated and needed. Danny, meanwhile, was putting on clinics and exhibitionsnot the best preparation for a tournament either, but of course he had to make a living.
Scott, particularly, whose record shows he improves dramatically the more matches he
plays, and who did not have the benefit of playing in the Team ties, suffered severe early-round
losses. In the 13 days he was in Seoul, though he watched a lot of matches, he played in only
three. He lost his first round in the Singles to the #1 Malaysian, 19 in the 4th; lost his first
qualifying round of Mens Doubles with his #3 Swiss pick-up partner deuce in the 3rd, and lost
his first qualifying round of Mixed Doubles with Linda Chong, 19, -23, -14.
Had one of the three USTTA officials accompanying the Team been (what they were
not) an encouraging, respected Team Captain (the lot fell to Danny who did the best he could
408

but who privately didnt want the burden, felt he had enough to do to get himself together to
play), perhaps Scott, for one, would have had a more positive attitude?
Or perhaps not. If you dont practice much, said Scott laterand in the U.S. its
almost geographically impossible for a player of my level to practice meaningfully under good
conditions with good partnersyouve got to think more. I can see that I need a Chinese
patience to work on what outside-the-U.S. would be considered my weak serves and serve
returns. But I was never very much of a thinker, never had much success listening to coaches,
even if they were better players than me and I thought I ought to listen to them. In fact,
coachings messed up my game lots of times. Its amazing how many people talk, talk, talk and
say the dumbest things. Its taken me all these years to realize Im much better when I rely on
my own instinct, my own intuition. Once I get into my rhythms, Im good, but if I dont have
the play to do that I dont perform anything close to my capabilities.
What might be said about Judy Tun and Linda Chongs play here, or the Los Angelesbased Korean TTA in the U.S. Club players, Choi Song Eui, Choe Kyung Wuk, and Kil Su
Kim might also be interestingbut, score-wise, they too could do little. In qualifying rounds,
the two West Coast women played well. Kyong Mi Choi had a gutsy 23-in-the-3rd win over the
Swiss #2, Carmen Witte, before losing to a Korean; and Jin Na beat Shailaja Salokhe of India,
still #2 after all these years, before finding Mixed Doubles winner Nam Sook Hwang too
strong.
Insook Bhushan,
who usually wore
street clothes and
saw her friends at
night, did as much as
she could in the
Teamsbeat the
two Austrians in a
losing cause; then in
the Singles downed a
Mexican, 2, 7, 4, and
a Korean, also in
straight games,
before falling in the
8ths to the #2 Korean
An Hae Sook. Insook
Insook Bhushan
An Hae Sook
looked good at the
Photo by Mal Anderson
From 82 Seoul Open Results Program
table, made many
nice shots, but against An was just too weak.
In the Womens Doubles, Insook and Judy had no chance against the formidable
Japanese team of Wada (U.S. Open runner-up) and Fukuda (who took U.S. Open winner
Kawahigashis place here). In the Mixed, both Danny and Insook, and Eric and Judy were
knocked out in the first round, 17 in the 3rd.
Only in the Mens Singles and Doubles then could the U.S. hope to make any forceful
impression.
In the first round, Eric destroyed the Australian #2, Gary Haberl, who in the Teams
had Swedens Ulf Bengtsson down 19-16 in the 3rd before losing five in a row. The Aussie
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played with super-antibut like in slow motion. I looked at the ball and could see the spin,
Eric said. Haberl seemed very uncomfortablelike he didnt even want to be out thereand
this gave Eric, after his losses in the Teams, the beginning confidence that was to grow and
grow as the tournament progressed. In the second round, Yeung Hin Choong, the Singapore
#2 whod taken out Canadas Joe Ng in a close four-game match, averaged 12 points a game
against Eric.
Danny drew Korean Yoong Ok Gi, that very same Gi hed so convincingly played in
the eighths of the U.S. Openand again won in four. Then, though, after being up 2-0 on
Japans Koji Oribe, Danny almost saw the match slip away. But he held on to win it, 19 in the
5th. Eric remembered Oribe from playing him in Sweden, where he was also a slow starter.
Dannys blocks were very sharp those first two games, said Eric, and he forced Oribe into
errors. But in the third and fourth games, Oribes timing and footwork were solid, his anticipation fast-improving. In the end, though the match could have gone either way, Danny fought
hard and deserved to win.
Coming into the eighths matches there were five Koreansheaded by 1-2 Park Lee
Hee and Kim Wan, all four Swedes (ages 16-21), three top Japanese, the two best Americans,
the German Champion, and the Indian #1all in all, pretty much the crme de la crme.
Changrashekar was no match for Norwich Union Masters runner-up Parkbut earlier
the Indian had beaten Englands Graham Sandley, 17 in the 5th. Young Sandley, you nay remember, had downed Eric in the Teams in the English Open last season and had lost the
English Closed, deuce in the 5th, to Des Douglas.
Waldner, whod not been having an easy time of it (19 in the 4th against Dong Won
Cho of Korea III in the first round, 15 in the 5th against Satoru Ishitani of Japan in the second),
now had something of a three-game breather opposite Koreas Dong Hyun Shin whod finished off Giovanni Bisi and Vong Iu Veng, the Italian and Hong Kong #2s.
George Bohm, the expatriate Rumanian, whos now playing out of Germany, took out
Yoon Kwan Ro (Korea II), after Yoon had stopped Patrick Birocheau, the French #2, 25-23 in
the 5th.
Maehara had 19-in-the-4th troubles with Ulf Bengtsson, conqueror of Koreas Oh Taik
Kwan and Germanys Ralf Wosik. Swedens Erik Lindh had a furious battle with Kil Jung
Yoon. Eric said Kil had a killer backhandhitting or loopingand a good high-toss that was
followed by a powerful
forehand loop. Lindh,
however, was able to loop
more than Yoon and his
steadier offense gave him
the edge in what was one of
the best matches of the
tournament. Clearly the
Koreans have got 20 or so
players who can play.
Appelgren, who
seems to delight in going
deuce games, finally (-19,
20, 23, 15) forced out
Mikael Appelgren
Takehiro Inoue, whod been
Photo by Fred Toulmin
410

quick and steady enough to beat Korea Is Kim Ki Taek and Englands
tenacious Douggie Johnson.
Against Kim Wan, the Korean #2, whom both Danny and Eric
have lost to in the past, Danny got off to a great 2-0 start. But if
Dannys worldly opponents begin to handle his serves so he
cant loop follow, hes in trouble. Here their fast-drive overthe-table play was five-game decided by Kim Wans quick
handsand Danny whod fought so well could fight no
further.
Against one of the tournament favorites,
Japans Kiyoshi Saito (pronounced SIGHT-o),
whod given Waldner his only loss in the
Teams, Eric knew what he had to do. It was
like in the German Open, said Eric. I felt
there if I could get by Abe, the Europeans
would be easier. If I could get by Saito here,
one of the best players in Asia, I could go all
the way.
Saito, Eric said, had such a short fast
strokehis loop came so quickthat he never
had to react faster in his life. The straight-game
scores, he felt, did not suggest at all how threateningly close the match seemed to him. Although
Kiyoshi Saito
Eric
was up 2-0, he still fought crazily for the
From Butterfly Table Tennis Report, Jan., 1984
third. I was so fired up, he said, I just played
perfect. My serves were super-effective. When I wanted one long in the corner, there on the diamond-point it was; and I never missed a forehand. I knew how good this guy was, and I never
played better in my life.
Up 22-21 in the 3rd, Eric said, Im hitting ball after ball for the match, and pretty soon
Im thinking, God, how many times do I have to hit it in to win? Finally, I do it. And, wow,
am I wired. I begin running and jumping like a maniac. I run to my bench, run back to shake
hands with the umpire. Run around some moreinto people, away from them, over to them. I
was so excited I even hugged John Read.
Said Butterflys Dick Yamaoka, Eric is a player who has all
the strokes. He mixes the play so beautifully that he really does
make many of his opponents feel pitiful. He is the McEnroe of
table tennisthat is, he has McEnroes technique: he can hit,
block, and loop drive. Most of all, he can use anti skillfully.
Outside of China, I consider him, without exaggeration, the
best anti player in the world.
In the quarters, Eric got off to a bad beginning against
Lindhwas too tentative, perhaps because hed lost a couple
of close matches to him last season in Sweden. But after
letting Lindh take control in the first, Eric began countering
and punchingand (16, 12, 18) Lindh could never get it all
together again.
Dick Yamaoka
411

Against George
Bohm, Appelgren in
losing seemed soft. The
German Champion never
hit that hard but always
with good pace. Sometimes Bohm would kill
the ball a dozen times
while, to the oohs of the
crowd, the bruised Apple
George Bohm
would get softer and
From 1982 Seoul Open Results Program
softer.
Although Kim Wan took Waldner to five, Eric said
that J-O changed the pace too much for the Korean, and
that Since Waldner just loves pressure it was an easy
match. Really? Well who am I to argue with Eric?
Maehara won a big 24-22 game from the independentminded Park who this year is again playing in the Bundesliga,
and this allowed the Japanese to prevail in five
So now it was down to Boggan and Bohm, Waldner and
Maehara.
Helping Eric along from day to day, offering him repeated
words of encouragement (Dont pay any attention to Americans
talking around youDont even look to your benchYes, Eric, I
can see youre playing better every day) was Yamaoka, his
head sometimes bowed, his hands sometimes together as if in
prayer. Like anyone else, Eric needs a coach, said Dick. But
Eric is a unique player who is not best served by looking for advice
when hes out there at the table. He thinks for himself and comes
up with the right moves himself.
Individual as
Eric may be though,
he and Danny
played
damn well
South Koreas Kim Wan
Photo by Charlie Maas
together in the
Doublesbeating,
first, Charlie Wuvanichs team (and you
thought maybe hed be managing not a Thai
team but a Bangkok factory?), then two of the
ubiquitous Koreans, then Lindh and
Bengtsson, before losing in three to the eventual winners Maehara and Saito.
Earlier during his stay in Seoul, Eric
had practiced a couple of times with Bohm, his
semifinal opponent, little thinking that theyd
Eric (stroking) and Danny in doubles
meet each other in the Singles. After winning
From 1982 Seoul Open Results Program
412

the important first game at 19, Eric mostly just continued to backhand out-counter the expatriate German. Bohm would step around, said Eric, but I had a good touch and, if I wanted
to, I could move him wide to his forehand. So I was pretty much in control.
Against Maehara, Waldner didnt win too much on his blocking, more when he spun
the ball to the corners. The last point in their (-20, 14, 19, -11, 20) cliffhanger was a classic.
Waldner went with his famous serve, one of the best in the world: a high-toss that, falling, was
met by a long wind-around strokechop, it said this timewhich Maehara read and rolled. JO responded immediatelyspun to the forehand, putting the Japanese 100% on the defensive.
Eight spins Maehara must have brought back. Finally, after looping wide and deep to the
forehand, Waldner again loopedno, droppedfor a winner, and then, bent over holding his
knees, showed he was exhausted.
About the final against Waldner, Boggan had this to say: Usually I move people
around. But Waldner starts the ball to my forehand, then goes to my backhandmoves me
with his excellent touch to the corners. Hes also very, very good at changing his almost casual
pace, and so unexpectedly makes some surprisingly powerful shots. Its like very often Im
playing in his very private sector or zone because Im never sure just what hes going to do.
Still, our games were 19, 21, 19 closeand had I been a little more aggressive and won a
game, especially an early game, the results might have been different.
Both of us were tired on this last day. I napped up until about ten minutes before I was
to play himwhich may or may not have been a good thing. It took Waldner 25 games to win
this Open, and, in addition to the Mens Singles final, hed almost gotten to both the Mens
Team and the Mens Doubles final. In fact, hed played a total of eight matches that very day
before taking me on. And these were not easy matches, so you can see what kind of endurance
he has. But maybe youve read my account [in an earlier volume] of what a Swedish training
camp is like?
Yamaoka, too, had nothing but praise for the young Swede who a few months ago was
so nearly the European Champion. He read Erics variations in spin well, was driving steadily,
placing the ball beautifully, keeping it low. Since Waldner could attack either Boggans anti or
inverted side, Eric himself needed to keep hitting the ball hardnot just once but consecutively. Eric lacked power, said Yamaoka
thats why Waldner won. Still, just one or
two points at the right timeand Eric not
Waldner could have been the Champion.
As it was, Boggans performance
was an outstanding one for the U.S.the
best in decades. Sol Schiff, Gus Kennedy,
Rufford Harrison, and John Read, our
ambassadors of good will, should be
pleased.
On the whole, our players were
quite satisfied with the tournament (though
perhaps every Team member, man or
woman, thought the trip afterwards to
Taiwan just too much). Unfortunately, in
August there was no air-conditioning in the
Eric on singles podium, waving
Seoul Sports Complex, but the playing
From 1982 Seoul Open Results Program
413

conditionsthe wooden floor, the good lightingwere appreciated. Also, there was a great
party at the endwith live dancing girls.
One sour note (at least one were going to mention). This Seoul Open was billed as a
$50,000 tournament. Eric came second in the Singleswon $600. What on Mt. Olympus happened? Has the ITTF President (who for his efforts was given the Honorary Citizenship of Seoul
City) or any President anything to say about the sudden disappearance of the prize money?
Scott Boggan: Firestorm
The following correspondence was never shown in Topics, but it has very significant
historical value, for it forms part of a mosaic that centers on the conflict that has been going
on, is going on, and will continue to go on between the Sol Schiff administration and Tim
Boggan, both as the controversial father of Scott and Eric and as the Editor of Topics. As
youll see in the next volume, this conflict will culminate in a very angry Tim being secretly
fired as Topics Editor and replaced by Tom Wintrich; in Tim starting a rival publication to
Topics (called Timmys), and Tim successfully challenging Sol for the USTTA Presidency.
Central to a summary of the charges brought to Dr. Michael Scotts Disciplinary Committeeagainst Scott Boggan by Rufford Harrison, and against Harrison by Tim Bogganare Tims
15 (single-spaced typewritten) pages, dated Nov. 3, 1982, that are addressed to Michael Scott
with copies to members of the USTTA E.C., John Read, Danny Robbins, and other interested
parties. Ill select as judiciously as I can the most pertinent passages that I think History would
want readers to follow and understand. Ill then finish with selections from a Mel Eisner letter to
me, dated Nov. 16, 1982, the only written response from my 15 pages I received, and from Dr.
Scotts Nov. 13, 1982 letter to USTTA President Sol Schiff.
The charges brought against Scott Boggan, per USTTA Disciplinary Chair Dr. Scotts Oct.
st
21 , 1982 letter seeking a reply from him (a reply delegated to Tim to speak for him) are these: that
Scott gave away a trophy awarded to the USTTA, and that he refused to wear the authorized
playing uniform while in Korea. The charges brought against Rufford Harrison are: that in
attempting to be an Authoritative Disciplinary Agent for the USTTA E.C., he violated the USTTA
Bylaws, specifically the Disciplinary Bylaws he as an E.C. member swore to uphold, and, worse for
a person in USTTA power, violated them in a disgracefully unethical way.
Of initial importance is Ruffords Sept. 9th letter to the E.C. (written just hours before the
Woodbridge, NJ Eastern Open when Rufford had only to call Scotts home to talk to Scott, his
brother Eric, and the visiting Danny Seemiller to try to corroborate his facts and get Scotts side of
the story). Its quite clear that without any documentation in hand at all, without a telegram or
signed authorization from President Schiff, Harrison began with as much energy as he could muster
to set about trying to prevent Scott from playing in the Sept. 18-19 North American Singles Championship in suburban Montreal that would decide the North American qualifier for the $45,000
World Cup. From the very beginning Harrison didnt want to talk to Scott, he wanted to have his
head, and it didnt matter to Rufford if he was doing that legally or not.
So what now, among other things, do the E.C. members read in this Sept. 9th letter of
Harrisons?
That Scott is accused of three things:
That on being given a trophy he promptly took it to the side of the arena and in full
view of a crowded hall gave it to a child among the spectators.
That at the award ceremony in Seoul after the Seoul Open he refused to wear the
official team uniform.
414

That evidently Scott won a plaque in Hong Kong and had to be restrained from giving
it away during the rest of the trip.
Armed with the ammunition in this letter, the E.C. was then asked by Harrison to vote
an immediate punishment on Scott.
Off with his head! But, uh, what about due process?
8.8.8.2 Requests [for disciplinary action] must include fully documented evidence that
there is alleged violation
8.8.8.3 The Disciplinary Committee will report its findings and recommendations to
the E.C. Based thereon and on any investigation of its own, the E.C. will determine what, if
any, disciplinary action will be taken.
8.8.8.4 The procedure herein described will entitle the alleged offender to normal and
reasonable opportunity for a hearing before the Disciplinary Committee and before the
E.C.and will permit his appearance in person or by attorney
8.8.8.6 It takes 2/3 of the E.C. (6 out of 8) to mete out disciplinary action
All the more, then, if youre going to consider suspending the current National Champion, to be aware of: Can you legally do it? And do the facts warrant it?
The facts:.
(1) Assuming Scott did give away the trophy, why did he do it? And did he do it with
at least some discretion? That is, Harrisons wording itself suggests some ambiguity (took it to
the side of the arena yet in full view of the hall). And if he did use some discretion, why
did he? Scott would say later that when he gave away the trophy most of the audience had
gone and that unquestionably he thought the little girl and her father were leaving the hall. As
were othersso how much of a full-view focus would there be on this handover? Ironically,
at the very time Scott was being taken to task by Schiff, TV was catching Isaiah Thomas,
NBA Rookie of the Year, giving his trophy to a kid.
Im sure Scott didnt think of this trophy as being the property of the USTTA. It was
inconceivable to him that anyone would want this 3rd-Place Team Trophy, a taped-on-thebottom plastic piece of junk, let alone would want to
preserve it in a non-existent USTTA Trophy Room.
True, Scott might consciously or unconsciously have
been showing his contempt for such an award. But the
players were unanimous in their appraisal of the
thinga lousy trophy, said Danny, really shoddy.
Team Manager John Read was very disturbed about the
giveawayhe would have liked the trophy? Schiff of
course didnt want the trophy. But the giveaway was
an embarrassment to him, for he had a special relationship with the Taiwanese that kept him in Taiwan for
two weeks more than the others.
(2) At the award ceremony in Seoul after the
Seoul Open. There was no award ceremony in
Seoul after the Seoul Open. Yet it was supposedly on
this occasion that Scott refused to wear the Team
uniform? Four days later, on the 13th, Rufford will call
our home and when Im not there will say to my wife
Rufford Harrison and Hikosuke Tamasu
Sally almost jauntily, Well, I guess I might as well tell
Photo by Mal Anderson
415

you the bad news. Sick at heart, she dutifully writes down the charges he repeats from his
letter to the E.C. of the 7th. But the second charge is now modified. It becomes Scott refused
to wear the bottoms of his team uniform, despite being asked repeatedly to do so, and
Tamasu was pissed.
As weve seen repeatedly, appearance is very important to Harrison and so is his
relationship with Butterflys President Tamasuso hes apt to exaggerate this offense? Scott
didnt wear the bottoms of his uniform. But he wasnt supposed to when he played, right?
But he was supposed to when he didnt play and thats his offense? Later the charge changes
again: On the matter of the uniformthis, incidentally, was not at the final ceremony [since
there wasnt any] but before a match. He didnt wear the bottoms of his uniform before a
match? But of how much significance is this, really? Notice, too, Harrison dismisses his
clarification with the rhetorical Incidentally. Oh, incidentally, its of minor consequence, but
the original charge against Scott wasnt accurate. And then he adds: It turns out this matter of
uniform was not part of Sols complaint. He referred only to the matter of the trophy. (It
turns out?)
So why has Harrison taken it upon
himself to bring an (Off with his head!) extra
charge against my son? Now, despite
Ruffords bad-mouthing Scott, theres only
one official charge against him? And where
is this new information coming from? Later,
when Schiff came back to the States, I got a
Sept. 27th letter from him. He said that
both Mr. H. Tamasu and Mr. Dick
Yamaoka of the Butterfly Company came
up to me and in particular Yamaoka bitterly
complained to me that Scott was on the
floor playing without the official uniform. I
Hikosuke Tamasu and Sol Schiff
apologized to them. But I covered up for
From Butterfly TT Report, Oct., 82
Scott [is that a pun?] and took no action
either at that time or later. Why not?
(3) Evidently Scott won a plaque in Hong Kong, and had to be restrained from
giving it away during the rest of the trip. Thats Harrisons devious Evidently for of
course Scott never won a plaque in Hong Kong. Does Harrison, so preoccupied with
punishment, not even realize the Team was in Seoul, then Taiwan. Evidently? What
prompted such a word? Whered he get the idea? Who conveyed it to him? But the confusion must be Harrisons.
.
When I got home on the 13th, I read what Sally had written down on talking with
Harrison. I read, Tell Scott: You have been withdrawn from the U.S. Team to the Montreal
World Cup and the Canadian Open. A majority of E.C. members have voted to do this. So far
the vote is unanimous. I cant believe this is true. Are their heads on?
I make some phone calls. Bowie Martin is out of town. Stan Robens isnt home. But
both C.F. Liu and Lyle Thiem say theyve certainly not voted and really dont have much
information about the charges against Scott. Next morning I call CTTA Technical Director
Adham Sharara in Canada. I want to know if Scott has been officially withdrawn from the
Canadian tournaments. Adham assures me that he has not. Without a USTTA directive to the
416

contrary Scott will be playing. I call Harrison and confront him with the fact that Scott has not
been withdrawn, is on hold. Well, we have him on hold too, says Rufford. Which of course
is not what he told Sally the day before.

CTTA Technical Director Adham Sharara (far right) leading the Canadian Team at the Worlds.
Photo from Butterfly TT Report

I have a pointed talk with Eric, then

Careful, dont spill it.
Scott. I hear about the one Sally had with
Hikosuke Tamasu and
Danny. Much dissatisfaction with the Far
John Read.
East trip. Meanwhile, much dissatisfaction
with the Parker Brothers exhibition Schiffs
left me with. Scott was to get $1,000 for
that exhibitionwith Schiff gone, it fell
through. I hear stories about Schiff,
Kennedy, and Reads actions on the trip.
Read was getting some vanity payment, but
he would have liked to be treated as importantly as Schiff and Kennedy. At the Seoul
Open, John wanted to head the U.S. contingent in the Opening Ceremoniesbut so did Gus.
Who then could the least absurdly convince the appropriate Korean of his official USTTA
claim? For some, the little spectacle might be as interesting to watch as Scott giving away a
3rd-Place Team trophy.
Later, John would wonder, Why werent Sol and Gus with the Team? What were they
doing? On and on, as if(What was John missing?) any abandoned player wanted to hear
that, gave a shit.
No, Scott is not blameless. And he did have some resentment at having to sit around
day after day in an uncomfortable uniform. In fact, he thought he ought to be paid to wear it.
Nor, says Eric, is Eric blameless. Nor Danny. He didnt approve of Scotts trophy-giveaway
move. Scott was dumb, said Danny. But so was everyone else on this trip.
I send a telegram to the E.C. and other interested parties. It reads: Scott is willing to
testify that most of the undocumented charges against him are extremely inexact or even lies.
On the advice of my lawyer the United States Champion leaves Thursday to play in Montreal.
That Tuesday night, the 14th, Harrison calls and says he doesnt have enough E.C. votes to
417

stop Scott from going to Montreal. In a communiqu to Disciplinary Chair Scott about this
time, Harrison says, I had given Scott permission to play. I let Scott go to Montreal. Ah,
yes, this is a man who loves power.
Soon Harrison is back writing the E.C. In his letter of the 16th, he says, I canvassed
you with 5 in favor of the suspension, 1 against, 1 abstaining without telling me he was abstaining, and another 1 silent because he was out of town. I then called the Boggan residence
and was able to speak only with Sally.
Thats when of course he delighted in telling her the results of his canvass (in his
interpretation vote). You remember how he put it to her: Tell Scott: You have been withdrawn from the Montreal World Cupa majority of E.C. members have voted to do this. So
far the vote is unanimous. Yeah? How then explain the conversations I had with Liu and
Thiem after Harrison had called Sally. They said theyd never voted, didnt really have much
information about the charges against Scott. If you had to choose, and you do, who do you
thinks not telling the truth?
Who, reading Harrisons changing accounts can tell what, deceptively, has been going
on with Schiff, Harrison, Read, and Kennedy? Here is what the E.C. jury is to believe: Schiff
was supposed to have written a letter, have given it to Read to read to Harrison (The uniform
problem was mentioned by John, says Rufford. Mentioned? Mentioned as in casual conversation? But John on the phone was reading Schiffs letter of accusationwasnt he?). And then
armed with this information Harrison was supposed to mindlessly bully the E.C. into illegal
action against Scott. And yet, amazingly, over and over again nobody seems to know exactly
what this letter says. The error-filled contents of it continues to change daily. Unbelievable. It
doesnt take a lawyer to realize there never was a Schiff letter read to Harrison by Read.
Harrison himself goes on in his letter of the 16th to wonder why Sol didnt mail this
mysterious letter from Taiwan. I understand, says Rufford, that Sol kept no copy. Neither
did John. And the original may be lost in the mail. Mail? So Sol did mail the letter that
Rufford couldnt understand why he didnt? Such bunglers. Such liars. Sol mailed it from
where? When? Its absurd.
Harrison goes on to say, Ive had a very nasty taste in my mouth as a result of these
three days.
Oh, yes, indeed, Rufford. Its called GUILT.
But youll notice he cant resist the defensive rhetoric. Its as if, too late, he sees whats
comingthat Schiffs made him the accused, the victim. My work suffered and my family
suffered. I know that others had similar experiences, What sick bullshit.
On he goessquirming away. I am left with more questions that I have answers for.
Although I know the facts
Sure you do.
I dont know them all. As an example, Gus Kennedy adds that Scott refused to
have his photograph taken in uniform with the Team. John Read disagrees with that.
Can anyone doubt that these officials who are supposed to be responsible leaders are
themselves highly suspect. Surely this contamination has to infect the players.
Why were Schiff, Kennedy, and Read leading this coachless, captainless team to Korea
and Taiwan? What were their reasons for going?...And what were Scotts?
And now its as if Harrison, caught up in all this corruption, begins to resent his hatchetman role. Why was Scott not disciplined at the time of his offense? If his behavior was bad enough
for expulsion from two events in North America, why was he not sent home from the Far East?
418

And would you believe this? Our Bylaws state that matters of discipline will first go
to the Disciplinary Committee. Sol clearly did not want that done and in fact there was no time
for it to be done. No time to give Scott due process? Harrison now begins to shift the onus
on to Sol. It was in fact an emergency. Nocheck that. Why then did Sol not invoke his
emergency power to remove Scott? As Harrison well knows, There is nothing in the Bylaws
permitting the E.C. to do that.
So, Michael Scott, how could any Disciplinary Committee be indifferent to my outrage
at Ruffords unconscionable actions? I tell you, Michael, Im two months angry. But only
stupid people could delude themselves that in me emotion and reason are incompatible.
Oh, why, Harrison goes on, did all this fall to me? Why, when Gus, the #2 man in the
Association, was with Sol on the Tour and he returned with John Read, why did Sol not ask
him to pursue this matter? Why instead did he ask John to phone me and ask me to do it?
Can anyone guess the hatchet-man answer?
Still, I think John and I both can be forgiven if the communication was less than perfect.
Can be forgiven, Rufford? You? Not until theres the little matter of justice for you
who so enjoyed troubling my wife and bullying my son.
Really, how are Eric, Scott, and Danny to have respect for these so-called leaders.
And yet such people are not to be chastised? Just Scott. And you know why? Because
Scotts stupidities are innocently open and their secrets hidden. Scotts are irregularcatching
them by surprise. Their stupidities, their deceptions are all perfectly normal operating procedures. {As will be borne out also in my next volume.] When Scott or any other individualminded player violates their team front, the appearance of respectability, he had better be
immediately punished, and the less inquiry the better, for his real crime is not playing the game
(and I dont mean table tennis). Im more trained than Scott to handle his defensebut
whether he can verbalize or pen an argument or not, he knows, consciously or unconsciously,
that unmistakable smell: Schiffs letters.
The first ones to the E.C. Problems have
occurred in both Korea and Taiwan concerning both players and officials No kidding.
Though he doesnt name the problems, who could doubt theyd be there.
Sol takes a swing at Scott, says he isnt a Team player. So I have to point out in his
defense that he makes a large part of his living being a Team player and then cite instances
where in Team matches hes caringly come through. I remind Sol how repeatedly compatible
Scotts been with his U.S. teammates, and how Scott had helped Eric, coached him to his
Mens final. I suggested that it was Schiff himself who might not be much of a Team player.
How many matches did you watch the Team play, Sol? How much support did you give the
players? How much respect do you think they have for you?
I note, Sol, you say that the other two male playerstheir names are Danny and
Ericwere not much better than Scott. Oh, why was that? Because they resented being
used? Wanted to get their payment? Like you got yourswhatever it was. But though
you gave $200 under the table money to both Danny and Eric, you didnt give it to the other
man on the Team, Scottas if an amateur the world over doesnt get under the table money.
Time passes, Michael, and then I receive a letter from Schiff dated Sept. 27 which I in
turn respond to on Oct. 7th with copies to those hed sent his letter to. Clearly Sol, I wrote,
you dont begin to understand the iceberg of my outrageits grazing your ship of state at
this moment.
Though Ive toned down my anger in this summary [as long ago Mel Eisner thought I
should with the original], I continued to be furious. Why was I the more upset?
419

Because Schiff says in this Sept. 27th letter the most remarkable things:
(1) I have been bothering and harassing Harrison. Its as if Sol has no idea what
Rufford has been writing and saying.
(2) Scott has been partially and temporarily suspended. Without of course any
proper bylaw procedures for justice. All perfectly acceptable to SchiffIF he, unilaterally, is
making the rules. But he isnt.
(3) Harrison was only following the instructions I gave him by mail [in that lost
letter] and the information he received by phone [from John Read]. Such nonsense.
(4) I could have, but did not make a presidential decision to penalize Scott. What has
Harrison been doing but trying to penalize Scott? Has he been doing that unilaterally? Or on
Schiffs at-a-remove instructions? Neither Schiff, nor Kennedy, nor Team Manager Read, nor
the nominal Team Captain Seemiller had indicated to Scott that they intended to take disciplinary action against him. This seems strange.
(5) This proposal [what proposal?] regarding Scott was voted on and passed by the
E.C. Again, Sols absolutely out of touch with rules and reality.
(6) Outside of compiling the votes of the E.C., Rufford had absolutely nothing to do
with this matter. Also, as Ive detailed over and over again, ridiculous.
(7) Sol thinks Rufford one of the most fair-minded and impartial USTTA
Officials hes ever seen. He deserves, at the very least, a letter of apology from you.
Such a man, writing such crazy things is:
(1) Really dumb to the point of senilityand/or
(2) Under the delusion that he can cover upwell, more than Im uncovering here.
Clearly something is rotten in the USTTA. So rotten that its difficult for me to charge
only Harrison and not Schiff for harboring Harrison. Like me, Scott has very strong feelings,
strong opinions, and a strong sense of justice. If hes at odds with someone, either (1) that
person deserves Scotts lack of respect, or (2) Scotts innocence prevents him from being
sufficiently aware of that persons problems. When all is said and done, Scotts no more
unreasonable than I am.
Ill now summarize Eisners Nov. 16, 1982 reply to mea response to my Nov. 5th
letter to Michael Scott [Eisner was on the Disciplinary Committee?].
While your 15-page tome may be of some literary value [?] as a legalistic defense it
almost totally collapses of its own sheer weight. The verbiage simply torrents forth to the point
that the point is lost, or becomes confused. [Of course I was very angry at the way Scott was
treated, not as careful to be so sequential as I am here 30 years later. Still, Mel himself was
certainly able to follow my decidedly non-legalistic defense.]
Your major concession is that, yes, Scott is Guilty With Explanation
(1) Disciplinary charges were not applied properly, either on-site or subsequently.
(2) Some of the charges were simply untrue or inaccurate.
(3) Bad judgment was demonstrated, but bad intent did not exist.
(4) Scott is a team player, and should not be singled out when others have also acted
poorly at times.
To me, argument (a) is easily the most powerful. Argument (b) is really part of (a) and
the other two represent reasons for those that decide to forgive and forget.
I agree that Scott should not be suspendedas an on-balance conclusion in a difficult
420

situation. I believe the series of telephone calls, letters, and other communications has impressed upon him the kind of responsibility which he, as a player representing this country, is
asked to assume. Therefore, the case can be closed.
Your vitriolic barrage at a number of people really does not constitute a rational responsedespite your claim. The words cowardly, contemptible, ineffectual, incapable,
confused, liar, secret, hidden, stupidities, corrupt, bunglers, plus others indicative of similar
qualities become an elaborate smokescreen of (at least) verbal hate, which does little to promote yours or Scotts viewpoint. [Mgod, Mel, I was very angry, and my intent (almost 30
years ago) was to show as honestly as I could that anger. I tried to make the readers feel my
justifiable outrage, as well as present a reasonable argument. Call my charged words a
smokescreen if you want, but my aim was to convince readers emotionally as well as rationally. Perhaps thats what you mean by my tome having some literary value.]
Finally, you used a few nice words: Sols not a mean man, and his job is not easy. Stick
and carrot? [Yes, and now Im not proud of that conciliatory balancing attempt.]
As to whether Rufford is deserving of censure or disciplinary action, that, too, should
be presented in a measured atmosphere, similar to that you so carefully ask for, for Scott.
I sincerely hope that the Disciplinary Committee and the EC can see fit to act well
towards someone who has indeed given a great deal to table tennis. So, on balance I am on
Scotts side.
Dr. Michael Scott, Chair of the Disciplinary Committee, in
his Nov. 13, 1982 letter to Sol Schiff, brings this case to a close
though the repercussions will be far-reaching.
On the charge against Scott Boggan for not wearing
the complete uniform I will accept Tims statement that Scott
claimed it was very uncomfortable.I also believe Scott should
have made the fact known to those in charge that his uniform did
not fit properly.[Scott didnt specifically say his uniform didnt fit].
Now to the second charge of giving away a USTTA
trophy.Tim should be commended for frankly volunteering
comments of his and others that: it was a stupid thing to do;
others, including Danny, would not look upon this trophy giveDr. Michael Scott
away favorably; Scott was dumb. Tim was also exceptionally
honest to further comment that Scotts conscious aim was clearly not to be openly contemptuous of the Taiwanese, though admittedly some show of contempt might have been consciously or unconsciously in his mind. Therefore I believe all agree it was exceptionally
poor judgment to do as Scott did. Yet what would be suitable chastisement for this act? If I
read between the lines correctly I believe Scott is apologizing and admitting his error through
his father. In fact, Tim mentioned that Scott would be willing to take steps to replace the
trophy he gave away. Therefore Im perfectly willing to drop this incident at this point and
accept the implied apology.
Im fully cognizant that I may be accused of being too lenient in this matter but I
believe we can all learn from it.
I hereby recommend to Tim that his request for possible disciplinary action against
Rufford Harrison not be pursued. [I did not pursue it.] I believe that Tim, in the heat of battle,
421

made some irrelevant comments (as in Irishman is apt to do), that even he will later agree
should be deleted. [Years later, I who well know Harrisons decades of service to Table Tennis
urged that be given the U.S. Hall of Fames Lifetime Achievement Award. But in this History
Im not deleting anything of consequence. What happened happened.]
It would be advantageous if everyone, despite their own personal involvement or
opinions, could look upon this as sort of an in-family argument in which certain members got
off their chest some repressed feelings and even hostility. In other words, a healthy catharsis
that, once the air clears, will actually bring everyone a little closer together with a better
understanding of the others viewpoints.
Did I say repercussions would follow?
Schiff promptly fired Dr. Scott without telling
himreplaced him with Wendell Dillon.
As for Scott Boggan, though he was
committed to League Play in Germany during
a number of months in 1982, here, when he
wasnt abroad, are his best efforts from the
1981 Nationals through the 1982 Nationals:
Dec. 17-20:

WON: U.S. Closed Mens

Singles. In four other events:
FINALIST Mens Doubles,
FINALIST Mixed Doubles,
FINALIST U-21, and
FINALIST Hard Rubber
Dec. 21-23: U.S. #2 at World Team Trials
June 30-July 4: WON: U.S. Open Hard Rubber.
FINALIST Mens Doubles
July 21-23:
WON National Sports Festival Singles.
WON Mens Doubles
Dec. 16-19: WON National Amateur at U.S. Closed.
WON Hard Rubber.
FINALIST in the Mixed
Dec. 20-22: U.S. #2 at World Team Trials

Scott Boggan
Photo by
Mal Anderson

In addition:
In Singles: FINALIST at High Desert Open, FINALIST at Nissen Open, FINALIST at
Nittaku Open, FINALIST at Montclair Open
In Open/Mens Doubles: FINALIST at U.S. Korean Open, WON at Harvard Open,
FINALIST at Duneland, WON at Nissen, FINALIST at Nittaku
In Mixed Doubles: WON at Harvard Open, FINALIST at Duneland, WON at Nissen,
WON at Nittaku
In Hard Rubber: WON at Harvard Open, CO-WINNER at Duneland
Despite this record, Scott was NOT named Player of the Year by Schiffs E.C. So, if
they couldnt suspend him, they suspended his record.
422

Eric Boggan Takes North American Singles Qualifier

The first North American Singles Championships for men and women were held Sept.
18-19 at the Sani-Sport Racquet Club in Brossard, Quebec, just outside Montreal.
At stake for the eight menfour Canadians (Zoran Zoki Kosanovic, Errol Caetano,
Joe Ng, and Alain Bourbonnais) and four U.S. (Eric and Scott Boggan, Danny and Ricky
Seemiller) was the sole North American qualifying spot for the 16-player $45,000 World Cup
(the richest purse so far in the history of table tennis) to be played in Hong Kong, Oct. 6-10.
Play was divided into two (2/3 game) round robins with the winners and runner-ups to
meet in single elimination (3/5) criss-cross matches in the semis to determine the finalists. Not
unexpectedly it was Kosanovic and Ricky in one semis, Eric and Danny in the other.
In the preliminaries, Zoran came right at Danny, wanted to blow him off the table. Danny
fought back of course, but kept trying to roll the ball with his forehand. This wasnt effective
against Zoki, and in the future Danny will have to work on his forehand drive to beat him.
In the semis, Kosanovic didnt have much trouble with Ricky, whose prize for losing
was identical to that of every other finisher, be he second or eighth (and so what were the later
play-off matches for?)two very nice hand-crafted pottery mugs.
The five-game Eric-Danny match, though, was reminiscent of the one theyd played in
Cleveland before the U.S. Open. Both professionals knew the prestige and eventual prize
money a win here and in the final would bring themand both were tight, especially Eric. As
play progressed, it was apparent that whoever got the lead was totally dominant. Again, as in
Cleveland before the U.S. Open, Danny had Eric two games to one. But again Eric rallied to
convincingly win the fourth and fifth.
In the final, against Kosanovic, Eric, after
four lop-sided games, was down 14-12 in the
fifth. But then, as if mindful of the little chat
Butterflys Dick Yamaoka had given him in Seoul,
he played, as he said, coolly, methodicallyand
21-15 almost ran out the game.
Six womenthree Canadians (Mariann
Domonkos Shararayes, she recently married
AdhamGloria Hsu, and Adel Karim) and three
U.S. (Takako Trenholme, Alice Green, and Judy
Tun) also played. But since there is no $45,000
World Cup for womenno World Cup at all
their prize more or less was an
Zoki Kosanovic attacking Eric Boggan.
unspendable title. Alice, after
Umpire: Harry Stern.
losing two straight (the second
at 25-23) to Mariann in the preliminary matches, came back to down, first,
Gloria in the semis three straight (the second game after being down 2013), then Mariann in the final in four games.
I was comfortable with my control blocking, said Alice afterward
especially since I could mix my defense with offense. Though Marianns loop
was at times severe, I could often counter-hit it and this kept me feeling strong.
Thirty-one-year-old Alice went on to say that she thought she was entering
a new mental stage in her career. I know its happening, she saidbut (and
this with a little laugh) it may be five or six years yet before I reach my peak.
Alice Green
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Takako and Judy, the other U.S. Team members who played heredid they think this way
too? Since it would seem sowowwhat a long way our (so few) junior women have to go.
Eric Plays in the Hong Kong World
Cup (Wins $2,300)
World Champion Guo Yuehua,
26, won the State Express of
London-sponsored $45,000 World Cup 3 tournament, held
in teeming Hong Kong, in the hot, hot MacPherson Stadium,
Oct. 5-9 and, from the richest purse in t.t. history, took home
to China the $15,000 first prize. Swedens Mikael
Appelgren, the European Champion, was the four-game
Chinas World
losing finalist.
Cup Winner
Eric Boggan, the Apples roommate at the comfortGuo Yuehua
able Lee Gardens Hotel, said, Mikaels picking up my New
York accentfor ball he says bawl; for call he says
cawlsee what I mean? Eric finished 7th, for which he
received $2,300, less a new Hong Kong (table tennis prize
money?) taxor $2,070. Worth, Im sure, the fatigue of
even 40 hours back-and-forth traveling time.
The 16 players were divided into four groups, with the top two from each group
qualifying for the quarters and positions 1-4 and 5-8, and the bottom two for positions 9-12
and 13-16.
In Group A, Guo started off against former Japanese World Champion Ono, who was
controlling play in the first. Guos serves kept him alive though, and he deuced it. But then
Ono got the ad and looped in a winner. Game tobut as he finished his stroke, he hit the big
heavy tablebut didnt move it. However, the Chinese umpire, a woman, gave Guo the point,
said Ono had moved the tablethough all the close-up players agreed he didnt. Only one
tables in use, so everyone always watched just the one match. Ono then lost that game and the
second close too. Afterwards, he sat with his coach all through the
next seven matches, looking as if he were gonna cry. Grubba, too,
was having his troubleslost two straight to Hong Kongs Vong Iu
Veng.
In Group B, a somewhat overweight Gergely looked pretty
bad against Xie Saikeand this gave Eric more confidence against
The Gypsy, whom he fancied seemed a bit scared of him. Said
Eric, I beat Gergely by blocking him down, moving him around. I
hit well in building up a 15-5 lead in the third, then tensed up. The
net saved meI hit it twice and the ball rolled over. Erics win
over the mustachioed Hungarian was a big one, for, though he was
not in the match against Xie (Boy, is his rubber weird), he easily
beat Juan Vila, the South American qualifier, and advanced with
Xie, one of the best players in the world, to the quarters.
In Group C, Appelgren beat a rusty-looking Douglas two
straight. (Oh, is Englishman Des tired of flyingevery other day, he
says, hes on a plane somewhere.) And when Nigerias Sunday Eboh Hungarys Gabor Gergely
424

didnt show, Chiu Man Kuen, the Mainland Chinese-trained stalwart of the Hong Kong team,
made it to the big bucks by downing both the Black Flash and Czech Champ Orlowski.
Milans obligated to turn over half his winnings at tournaments to his Association, so if, as in
the German Open, he wins a small car, how divide that? (He gets the half with the engine?)
In Group D, former Hungarian World Champion Jonyer and Korean #1 Park Lee Hee
advanced to the quarters, while the always entertaining Frenchman Secretin (whos been
cutting down on his playing schedule) did not. Ditto for the equally playful Oceania Champ
Pinkewich.
In the quarters, Guo, playing like a machine, defeated Park. And Eric, who in a pretournament article and pic in the Hong Kong Standard, was hyped as the Swedish-based
McEnroe capable of giving the audience the finger, again faced Xie Saikewith the same
result. Jonyer advanced into the semis with a win over Ono. And Appelgren? Well, said
Eric, he played beautifully this tournament. He was on his toes and pounding his topspins.
People dont see the polished Apple when he vacations in the U.S. And yet Mikael had to go
five to beat hometown hero Chiu Man Kuen.
In the semis, it was Guo over Jonyer, 19 in the 4th; and Appelgren over Xie in straight
games. In the final, after Guo survived Appelgrens 22-20 challenge in the first, he 5, 9
stopped him cold thereafter. The best placement matches in the sixth and last session saw Xie
beat Jonyer, 19 in the 3rd, Park beat Chiu, 22, 21, and Vong beat Secretin, -14, 19, 9.
Eric did not come fifth. He said that, after he got killed by Xie, he just couldnt get
himself psyched up. He lost in three to Chiu, whom hed beaten two years ago in this tournament. I was on a radio show at 7:00 a.m., had gotten only five hours of sleep, felt I was
starting to get sick from a mix of the hot hall, the hot city, and the cold bus, the cold room.
And if those excuses arent enough, this Chinese Chiu, as you can tell from his match with
Appelgren, plays damn well now.
But on the last day, Eric, who on returning to Sweden intends to practice receiving
serves with his sponge more and to follow up brother Scotts advice to combine blocking with
more flat-hitting, did beat Norwich Union Masters Champ Ono for 7th-Place, and so wrap up,
as he said, a very successful tournament.
$7,500 Canadian Open
This years Canadian Open, held more sensibly, more seasonably, Sept. 22-25 in Toronto, again got the European-based Norwich
Union Grand Prix circuit off to a successful start.
Winning the Mens Team event was Japan I (Kenichi Sakamoto,
Giroyuki Ogino) over Canada I (Zoran Zoki Kosanovic, Errol Caetano), 3-1. U.S. Open
Champ Kosanovic, who from Park Lee Hee to Horace Roberts, has had his troubles with
choppers, could not quite get through Ogino, and could not win the second game against
Sakamoto. This latter Japanese had finished 10th here in early June in the $27,000 Norwich
Union Masters before considerably more spectators than this $7,500 Open poorly drew, and so
was as comfortable with this Etobicoke venue as Zoki. Only in the doubles could the Canadians score, partly because Caetano often plays better doubles than he does singles.
And where was the U.S. (Danny and Ricky Seemiller and Scott Boggan)? Well, in their
preliminary round robin bracket, theyd straight-game finished off Jamaica II (Randy Fagan,
Ernest Virgo) and had then to play Japan II to advance to the semis. We got blitzed? No,
because Danny just spirited himself by Takumi Hagiwara, 23-21 in the 3rd to keep us alive.
425

Then against Kasuva Kasahara he (-15, 19, 15) rallied again. Are these challenges, these close
matches, unchanging day after unchanging day, what keep Dannys sometimes flickering
interest in the sport aflame?
With the tie tied at 2-all, its Scott against Hagiwara. And now heres Mal Anderson,
USTTA Rules Committee Chair, whos compiling the results and some commentary for both
the English Table Tennis News and Topics, to tell you about this U.S.-Japan II quarters
decider. Boggans shotmaking in this fifth match was so outstanding that the crowd, the
umpires, and the Japanese coach were all shaking their heads in disbelief. So, o.k., while
people were shaking their heads at Scott, now he and his teammates were right in there for the
$850 1st-Place/the $500 2nd-Place money.
Canada I, meanwhile, was having its death-door troubles with Czechoslovakia (Jindrich
Pansky and Vladimir Vlado Miko). Pansky, Europe #14, won both his singles matches against
Kosanovic and Caetano, but his 40-year-old pick-up partner Miko (whom of course youll remember from New Yorker Geza Gazdags Vanderbilt Athletic Clubs International Invitational back in
May of 68) could not be expected to do much. Or could he? First, he went 19 that second game
with Kosanovic, then, in the fifth match of the tie, had hustled his way up to deuce in the 3rd with
Caetano before losing. So, exit Pansky, the top European here, from the Teams.
In the one semis, then, its the U.S. and Canada I. And this time, with Scott sitting out
after playing singles matches against Jamaica and Japan, its not Danny and Eric, as in the 82
U.S. Open (since Eric was now in Sweden playing matches for his Angby Club), but Danny
and Rickya team in the absence of Houshang, or Coach Wang, languishing deep in a back
room in New Yorks Chinatown, the players themselves agreed on.
Ricky, moreover, seemed a good choice for these semis, for in Montreal the week
before hed beaten Caetanoand, presuming Danny and Ricky could win the doubles, it was
Caetano they absolutely needed two from. For openers, Ricky did well in going three with
Zoki. After which, Danny appropriately destroyed Errol. But in the doubles, the swing match,
Danny and Ricky got off to a horrible startand the match was quickly gone. What now? In
Montreal, Danny had lost to Kosanovicbut here he just (16, 8) annihilated him. So, it was all
up to Ricky. Andhooray!he won the first from Errol at deuce. And was up 10-7 in the
secondwhen, try as he might, as he always does, he just couldnt win it. His undoing? When
he served long, Errol would roll highand Ricky didnt know what to do.
In the other semis, although Japan zipped England (John Hilton, Paul Day), the tie
was really so close (Ogino over Day, -18, 19, 23; Sakamoto over Hilton, -15, 21, 16; Ogino/
Sakamoto over Hilton/Day, -13, 21, 18) that, but for a point here or there, the English could
have won 3-0. Hilton, the flip-minded (bat twirler, twiddlercall this 1980 European Champ,
now in his mid-thirties, what you may) was still a strong player. And Day was an experienced
internationalist among the top 30 in Europe..
As there was no prize money for 3rd-Place, the play-off tie between England and the
U.S. was meaningless. Danny beat Day, but lost to Hilton in three, and Scott, though winning
the first from Paul, ended by losing to both Englishmen. Danny and Scott together, though,
teamed for whatever reason, crushed their European-ranked opponents in doubles, 11 and 13.
The Womens Team ties were dominated by Korea I and II over Japan I and II who didnt
even bother to go through the motions for 3rd-Place. The prize money for the event, as indeed for
all the events, was identical to that received by the men. Which certainly must have pleased Mariann
Domonkos for one. I say Domonkos, not Sharara, because, as Mal Anderson pointed out to me,
since the two were married in Quebec, Mariann keeps her maiden nameI think.
426

Actually, Korea I, the 3-0 winner of the event, was beaten by Japan II in the preliminaries, but still made the criss-cross semis. The key match in this early 3-2 tie was Hitomi
Fukudas deuce-in-the-3rd win over Kim Sook. In the companion preliminary bracket, after
Takakono, not Takaka TrenholmeTakako Tagagi, downed Kim Mi Jung, 26-24 in the 3rd,
Japan I had no difficulty with Korea II
All nice and symmetrical then in the semis. Korea I over Japan I, 3-1, and Korea II
over Japan II, 3-1.
And what of the U.S. women (Takako Trenholme and Judy Tun)? They were konked
gameless by Korea I and Japan II So could they take out some of their frustration on Canada II
(Adel Karim and and Than Mach)? They could not. Though Trenholme killed Karim, Tun lost an
all-deciding 19, 21 match to the Vietnamese newly arrived in Canada CNE Champ Mach.
In the Womens Singles, all but one of the U.S. and Canadian women got beat in the
rounds before the quarters. In general, they havent learned to read spin and so are helpless.
Becky McKnight did take a game from Kim Sook, but lost the two others 9 and 5. Gloria Hsu
had the unique experience of playing Rumi Lohara in both the Teams and Singles and winning
one game at what could only have been a red-hot 12 while losing the others at 14, 7, 10, 7, 4.
The quarters werent that much more interesting. Yumiko Miyaki defeated former
European Champ Marie Hrachova of Czechoslovakia three straight. Miko had come along to
chaperone heror Pansky? Anyway, the young Czechs won the Mixed Doubles$200 for the
Association, $100 apiece for them. And what for mischievous Miko? Kim ho-humed through
Kohara, Takagi beat Kye Sun Lee in four. And Domonkos, though dropping a 19 game, easily
downed Fukuda in four. Fukuda, though, paired with Miyaki, would pick up a quick $200 for
playing three Womens Doubles matches.
In the one Singles semis, it was another
$150 to Miyaki for just (10, 8, 12) getting out
there against Kim Sook Ah. But in the other
semis, finally, finally, a couldnt-be-moreexciting match between Mariann and Takagi.
They ought to have gotten a bonus.
Domonkos, particularly, for her marvelous (22, -16, 16, 13, 21) rally. After that match,
Marianns winning final over Kim was a (17,
17, 13) piece of wedding cake.
As expected, the Mens Singles started
off, like the Womens, kind of slow. Only one
five-gamer: when Steve Hylton, Jamaican TTA
President Roy Hyltons son, whod beaten
Canadian Open Womens Winner
Caetano in the Teams, scored a stirring comeMariann Domonkos
from-behind five-game win over Koreas Hong
Eui Pyo. And only one four-gamer: when Englands Day finished Horatio Pintea, a Rumanian
defector who, after living a year in Greece, is now not paying but being paid $385 a month to be
coached by a Peoples Republic Chinese at the Canadian National Training Center in Ottawa.
In the eighths, Danny got a default from Miko (who was feeling sick?). But Scott was
totally baffled by Joo Jung Ham and his antian anti you couldnt hear. I couldnt loop to the
guy, said Scott, and if Id push hed push too but close up at the table, quick. To beat him
you had to be prepared to take a step back from the table and be a good spinner. As for
427

Ricky, he lost in five to Day, after failing to take the third with a 12-6 lead. At least he won
somethinga $100 (Danny too)for coming second in the Mens Doubles behind Kosanovic/
Caetano.
The big surprise in the eighths was Joe Ngs five-game victory over Kasahara. The
Japanese had a sponge bubble just before the match, which forced him to switch sheetsbut
Joe, after winning that first game at deuce, played great. Against Sakamoto, though, Ngs
teammate Alain Bourbonnais was soon gone. Sakamoto served bullets out of his backhand
cross-court, or, if his opponent started to run around his forehand, craftily passed him down
the line.
Pansky, Ogino, and Hilton all lost games (to Hagiwara, Kosanovic, and Hylton respectively), but none were really extended.
Three of the four quarters matches were three-game routine. Pansky so (7, 9, 8) went
through Joo that not only his anti but he himself would be unheard for quite a while. Of course
there was nothing magical about that routPansky had just watched the ball carefully and
read the spin. Clearly the U.S. is technically far behind the forefront of the rest of the world.
Hilton, always thinking, always trying little psych moves, had much too much control for
young Ng. And Sakamoto, extended to deuce that first game by Day, quickly turned the
Englishmans thoughts to darkest night.
Only Dannys match with Ogino was a crowd-pleaser. But, up 2-1, Danny found it
harder and harder to get through this chopper; in the end, Ogino just brought everything back.
Also, like Takashima, this Japanese had a startling one-ball backhand kill.
How then in the semis did Hilton, who cant zing in a ball, sneak by Ogino? Well,
Johns a very scrappy ping-pong player. He pit-pats his anything but classic strokes up there at
the table, reads the ball exceptionally well, and constantly changes his pace and spin. In this
match he was often aggressively spinning, alternately pushing, and his anti variation was as
good if not better than Oginosthough after being way up in the fifth he almost blew it.
Against Pansky in the other semis, Sakamoto and his serves were too four-game
much. The Czech was up 19-16 in the first game, but didnt win it. Sakamoto repeatedly gave
him this long dead serve (Its a lot like mine, said
Scott) and Pansky couldnt aggressively return it.
The final was just no contest. Clever though
Hilton might be, Sakamotos technique was just too
good. In addition to being steady, hes also capable
of surprising you by occasionally hitting a forehand
as hard as he can. So Japan came first in the Mens
Teams and first in the Mens Singles.
After the matches there was a banquet, and
the party atmosphere was so mellow, so loving, that
(as in Taiwan) damned if Scott didnt again acceptwell, not a questionable trophy, but a
present: a bottle opener made of History, an old
Canadian railroad spike. This were sure he didnt
give away but found a very practical use for.
Canadian Open Mens Winner
Kenichi Sakamoto
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Chapter Thirty
1982: E.C., Coaching, Equipment, and Other Matters.
Much to Executive Director Bill Haids delight, the USTTAs
July 16-17 Summer Meeting was held at Colorado Springs, and was
facilitated by having the services of both Bills wife, Sarah, USTTA
Membership Chair, and Bills Secretary, Emily Hix. The Meeting,
said Bill, was jammed full of the best, most productive, and most
decisive E.C. Meeting in years.The depth of work, of research,
toward decisions that would develop positive procedures for reaching the goal of Win the Gold at the Pan Am was everywhere
evident. As the principal subject of the Meeting, this Pan Am
emphasis drew Jack Carrs attention (TTT, Dec., 1982, 10). Sure,
we all hope the U.S. wins the Pan Am Games, he says, but were
expected to do that, arent we? What about, at this Best Ever
Jack Carr
Meeting, Long Range Planning? What of the jobs Jack had assigned
the E.C. members back in the spring? Here was his list (TTT, May-June, 1982, 6):
(1) Stan Robens to fund raise for long-range planning and to control fund expenditures. (2) Bill Haid to produce in addition to normal Advertising and Membership USTTA
incomeincome to cover expenses of Headquarters, salaries, and all international teams. (3)
Lyle Thiem to produce and enforce a realistic budget. [This hes apparently done.] (4) C.F. Liu
to develop an Olympic Champion. (5) Gus Kennedy to achieve neighborhood and recreation
department teams, leagues and clinics. (6) Sol Schiff to obtain
frequent national television. [In one of his Upbeat columns, Mel
Eisner points out that a hoped-for sponsor will say in response to
Schiff or anyone else, My job depends on how well I advertise my
company. How many people will see or hear of my product because
of your tournament? Hell close bluntly by saying, You havent a
track record thats trustworthy. Come back when you have a reputation for honesty and productivity.]
(7) Fred Danner to form school and college teams and
leagues. [Fred is about to retireI dont know whyand will be
replaced by Pat ONeill. Mel Eisners the one whos interested in
Leagues. Following up on Bob Tretheways How to Start and
Maintain a Table Tennis Club, Mel devotes two of his Upbeat
columns (TTT, Nov., 1982, 10, and Feb., 1983, 8) to a very similar
How to Start and Maintain a Table Tennis League. He stresses a
Fred Danner
Photo by Mal Anderson
way of selecting teams, a schedule, dissemination of results, trophies, team dues, and an annual dinner. Further, he emphasizes the
need for a Constitution, a Set of By-Laws, and Teams and Team Captains. For those interested he gives a contact number for Andy Diaz, the Secretary of the Greater New York Table
Tennis League that plays regularly at different sites.]
(8) Bowie Martin to conduct basketball halftime shows. (9) Rufford Harrison to
improve benefits to and increase the number of affiliated clubs. [Affiliate Club Chair Richard
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Feuerstein reports that The number of USTTA affiliated clubs is not increasing in proportion
to our increase in individual USTTA memberships. As of Nov. 22, the Association had a 179
affiliated clubs and 3 District Affiliates. For whatever reasons, there were 31 Delinquent Clubs
(Expiration Date: Oct. 1, 1982).
Why, almost to a man, dont the E.C. members do what Carr tells them to do? Meanwhile, Jacks job is?...
As I read, re-read, and re-read again the Minutes within the past year or so [TTT,
Dec., 1982, 10], I see nit-picking items which should have been delegated. I see Presidential
decisions which should have been decided by the E.C. I see lack of knowledge and violation of
its own rules. I see items which should have been decided by mail and not needed to consume
valuable E.C. Meeting time. I see unjust criticism of committee chairmen who give their time
willingly, voluntarily. I see inefficiency and informality. I see a top-player-oriented E.C. either
not interested or incapable of promoting the sport for the average player, the average member,
and the general public. [But, Jack, top-player orientation has produced results. Should we
not, at least in some way, have extricated ourselves from that pedestrian, parochial mire where
grass roots were not growing and still arent?]
George Rocker (TTT, Dec., 1982, 12), armed with a number of players signatures supporting him, complains about increasingly excessive entry fees, and small prize money being given
to the less than top players. Of course the top players, mindful of
their work ethic and the strength of their play, mindful, too, of their
travel expenses, have the same complaints. And more. Perry
Schwartzberg asks (TTT, Oct., 1982, 11), Why do the top players
always have to finish last at a tournament, and often at such a late
hour? Why sometimes do they have such lousy tables to play on?
American tables sprayed on the surface with polyurethane; American tables with homemade legs that were probably not the correct
height, with repainted tops, using a brush and paint can; and
American tables that (I still cant believe it!) had 2 to 4 inches of
support underneath the uncut leg, to balance the table on the
sloping floor.
Top players feel, and I agree, they deserve the lions share
of the prize money. George also complains that the finals of the
lesser events are not given central court attention, maybe not much
court attention at all. There are too many forgotten players at
George Rocker
tournaments. Of course the less than top players shouldnt be
ignored or treated badly, but, cmon, who is it the spectators want to see play; in fact, who is it
the less than top players themselves want to see play?]
.
Recording Secretary Rufford Harrison, in speaking of the recent Auditors Report
(TTT, Sept., 1982, 19), noted that the Association lost $40,000 in the last two years, but only
partly because of poor internal controlsleaving us with current assets of less than
$2,000.(See Treasurer Lyle Thiems Fund Balance Data for year ended May 31, 1982 Ive
included here.) Rufford said the Auditors opinion was not that we had been wasting funds,
but rather that we should concentrate more on income. (Other National Governing Bodies
430

evidently do more fund-raising than we

do)something for Executive Director
Bill Haid to look intoand of course
Carr too.)
Jack had a barrage of questions
concerning this Auditors Reportfor
example: Did we give the Auditors the
right documents?...Is it true we didnt
waste funds? With Jack, questions beget
questionsso much so that if one tried to
state them all, state the patient answers
given to them all, and the many questions
those answers would then raise with Jack,
neither pages of Topics or chapters of this
History would possibly have room for
them. And all the unseen would be confined to little bureaucratic cubicles in like a
giant USTTA Handbook Building.
Jack asks, as he always asks,
exasperatingly but often with point. What
did this or that (in this case the Summer
E.C. Meeting) produce for the promotion
of the sport? He never tires of his problem-identifying, never seems to realize that
his whole psyches worth of energy and
dissatisfaction is subject to the exact same
question he perpetually asks: What, Jack,
does your constant criticism produce for
the promotion of the sport? Here he is, in
that Dec., 82 column, emptying his quiver at me:
On July 17 [1982], the E.C. ruled, The Editor of the National Publication was to be
informed that no issue could have more than 24 pages. Informed when and by whom? The
September and October Topics contained 28 pages. How about that, Tim? What is the story?
Typographical error? Control? Communications? Issue ready for printer? Should the Minutes
have stated with which issue this new rule is effective? Was the rule overruled? Should Topics
return to six issues until the USTTA regains financial stability?
Do I respond to such questions? I lose patience with Carr as I frequently do. I reply,
Jack, why should I answer such questions? Say what you like, but, as the Sport irrationally
staggers on, my accountability cannot be to you, to where you sitlike impotent Reason at
the 1,000-question remove. No, Jack does not bring out the best in me. But, like it or not,
read it or dont, theres our hostility for History.
And speaking of accountability, I try as Editor to get along with Bill Haidits de
rigueur of course for those you work with to at least occasionally say nice things about them.
But in a Dammit, Bill letter of Nov. 8, 1982, I was quite pissed at Haid. Hed written to the
431

E.C., without checking with me, that in the most recent issue of Topics Id left out four adsa
chastisement I didnt deserve, for those advertisers had specifically told me NOT to put their
ads in. I wrote in that Dammit letter to Bill, Id told you upfront in a phone call that I
resented your letter, and you said on that particular day you were upset, that, yeah, you were
sorry, and that youd write a note to the E.C. with a copy to me clarifying the situation. That
was two weeks ago. Well, since I havent received a copy of such a letter, Im clarifying the
situation myself for the E.C. Turns out the very next day he would finally write that clarifying
letter, but there was no apology to me included.
National Coaching Chair Larry Thoman, whod send
out a Coachs Questionnaire to 93 persons he believed interested in coaching to help him determine future policies, projects,
goals and priorities, wrote in his Sept. Coaching Corner
column in Topics (17) what our new :temporary National Coach
Wang Fuzheng talked about in his U.S. Open Seminar. Coach
Wang spoke primarily on our juniors, especially those hed seen
play in China. He began with their strengths: (1) Theyre very
confident; (2) they possess true fighting spirit; (3) they have
shots of explosive power; and (4) they are very fast-learning.
He then devoted himself to a discussion of their weaknesses:
The major point that keeps American players from progressing to truly world-class
levels is the lack of a systematic training program. In China, each player has a training program
worked out for him by his coach. This schedule emphasizes working on one or two problems
at a time. The schedule changes as weaknesses are strengthened and problems disappear. At
this point in his talk, Mr. Wang made an interesting comparison between American and Chinese players. An American player, upon seeing an easy put-away, will attempt to kill the ball
with all his might in an effort to assert himself and cream his opponent. A Chinese player, on
the other hand, upon seeing the same easy high ball, concentrates on using a good technique.
He is prepared to take as many shots as necessary to win the point. He is concerned primarily
with maintaining his attack, and he does not rush.
Another imperfection in the American way of thinking is a lack of spontaneity. Chinese
players train to select the best stroke
according to the strokers position and
his opponents position, and the balls
spin, speed, and line of flight. American players all too often only think, I
want to loop, I want to hit, etc.
regardless of what type of ball is
returned to him.
Additional weaknesses that
Mr. Wang had noticed in the majority
of American players were certain serve
and receive habits. Mr. Wang believes
it is not necessary to have many types
This fellas got a big first serve, but, in the course
of serve. Instead, he feels it is best to
of the evening can he keep his balance?
have only one or two series of serves.
Modified from CartoonJazz.com (2005)
432

Each series of serves should look basically the same at the start but each individual serve
within that series will vary with spin, speed, and placement. Players should know how confidently to follow up the initiative of their serves. In receiving serve, the primary objective
should be to attack if possible. If not possible, return the serve in a way to keep the opponent
from attacking.
Prior to Coach Wangs arrival, Thoman had tried to solicit hosts for Coach Wangs
Tour of America, but wasnt as successful as hed hoped to be. After Wang had left the U.S.,
Larry said (TTT, Dec., 1982, 8) he had mixed feelings about how the project went. Heres his
assessment:
I was disappointed that more clubs did not host Coach Wang. They missed a golden
opportunity to have one of the finest coaches in the world in their own town.
There was everywhere a distinct lack of planning to the entire tour. The USTTA did
not have any concrete plans for making use of the coach while he was here. This was a big
mistake, because when something was arranged, it was done on short notice and in a haphazard manner. The coach would have best been used by our best players. It was a major failure
of the project not to get our top players together for a super-coaching camp.
I was also quite frustrated by the lack of coherence in the USTTA in getting and
keeping the project going. I was forever in doubt as to whether the project was going to
continue or whether it would be stopped. In-fighting among various members of the E.C. and
the Committees was atrocious. If anything positive ever got started, it seemed to be soon
undone by someone else. If any project is to be successful, we must work in harmony with one
another.
Another big stumbling block in the success of the project was Wangs inability to speak
English. The only solution to this problem was to have an interpreter accompany Wang. This
doubled expenses and made it more difficult for Wang to get across his vast knowledge to our
players. Our next visiting coach must be able to speak English.
However on the plus side, Wangs
visits to the various clubs he did get to
were most successful, with only one or
two exceptions. Indianapolis, Baton
Rouge, and Los Angeles were particularly ecstatic about the clinics he gave.
Bright spots in the otherwise bleak
setting glistened because of John Boyle,
Pat Hodgins, C.F. Liu, Pat and Kathy
ONeill, Power Poon, Liu Shiqing, and
George Szeto. Without these people the
project would have been a complete
disaster. [Larry doesnt mention the
names of those who were obstructionistTopics isnt the proper forum for
mud-slinging. But he does name those
who havent yet paid all the fees for
U.S. Traveling Coach Wang Fuzheng and
hosting Coach Wang, including some hes
Tour Chauffeur Californian Bart Lawson
just praised.]
Photo courtesy of Tom/Patti Hodgins
433

Larrys very serious about his coaching articles,

but he cant always do as many as hed like to because
hed started a new club in Nashville. However, in his
Oct., 82 Coaching Corner he offers advice on how
to play the Pusher-Blocker. For example, he has weaknesses. He must depend largely on his opponents
mistakes for his points. He usually does not have a
good forehand loop or kill. He is often very poor
against strong shots to the forehand corner or when he
is backed away from the table.
Because Larry does care so much about coaching he was stunned and disappointed when he found out
that the Coaches Clinic in Colorado Springs, originally
scheduled for Oct. 7-11, had been cancelled. Why? he
asked Bill Haid. Because Sol Schiff and I felt it wasnt
organized enough, said Haid. Larry had made all kinds
of plans for this Clinic, which he details (TTT, Oct.,
Cartoon by Sam Chinnici
1982, 13), and so, though his position as National
Coaching Chair almost requires this article not be
meant as a put down of Bill or Sol, he cant conceal his displeasure from the public:
This decision to cancel is obviously a concern of the Coaching Committee. I feel as
if I cannot function at my best when decisions that affect the Committee are made without my
knowledge or without consulting me. Had I not heard of the rumor that the Clinic had been
cancelled and called Bill for confirmation or denial of that rumor, I probably still would not
know. This is not the first time this has occurred. [Nor the last, for it foreshadows my own
treatment, as seen in my next volume.] I have also heard from other committeemen that they
are irritated by this same problem. I believe this is definitely one area that is a thorn in the side
of making the USTTA a more effective organization. I do not know how much longer I will be
willing to serve as the Coaching Committee Chairman if this problem continues.
Horst Zodrow (TTT, May-June, 1982, 9) questions the USTTAs Equipment Approval
rules. He wonders why The E.C. unanimously eliminated the use of homemade rackets.
Thus only USTTA-approved equipment may be used in any sanctioned tournament, and
players entering 3, 4, or 5-star tournaments are required to indicate the manufacturer of the
racket theyll be using.
So, o.k., Horst wanted to play in a five-star tournament, had his homemade blade
checked outyes, itd be o.k., yes, he himself would be the designated manufacturer, so what
did he have to do to get it USTTA approved? Answer from Haid: Sign an Equipment Approval Contract. This asked for: a $100 annual USTTA Approval Fee plus a Testing and
Inspection Fee for the racket of $35 for each model, plus 3 rackets of each style or model as
samples. In other words, said Horst, I would have to pay $135, make 4 rackets or blades
[Is a blank blade considered a racket? Horst asks], and surrender 3 of the 4 to the USTTA!
Horst wonders, Can this be a good Approval practice? Also, he wants to know if there
are limitations to racket modifications, or if theyre allowed at all. And he has other related
questions that need clarification, to which he never does get any answers, either from USTTA
Equipment Chair Haid, or anyone else.
434

In a survey he sent out, Mel Eisner asked, Why is the Game often not very interesting
to watch? Is it the rubber? All the junk out there. Is it the ball? Should the weight be increased or decreased? Should the ball be harder or softer? Is it the net? Should it be raised or
lowered? Is it the table? Should it be longer or shorter? Is it the scoring? Should we have 15
or 11-point games, with more games per match?
Does Mel expect the players to be any more definitive about these things than he is?
Alright, I, for one, will give you my response to an Aug., 1982 Butterfly survey on rubbers.
Keeping in mind the Game has to be made attractive to spectators, do I favor restrictions on
rubbers? Heres what I said:
Variety should be encouragedin the sphere of Table Tennis as in life. Table Tennis is
an intellectual game: adaptation is a mark of intelligence. That one cannot always be prepared
makes life, makes sport interesting. Deception is not necessarily treachery. All civilized people
have to be tricksters, must on occasion lie, pretend. Science makes the rubber. But magic,
mystery appeals to every indefinable man. Be he warrior or writer, its always he, his unseen
spirit, you must come to grips with, not merely his hand-held sword, his penhis racket. Or
so, even in this age of new and ever dangerous weapons, I want stubbornly to imagine.
Mels safe in concluding that the Game is not as simple as it used to benot when,
say, Footstamping is drawing serious attention. And of course theres the continued hellabaloo
about Serves.
Jack Carr and Buddy Melamed (TTT, Nov., 1982, 10).have
some things to say about serves. After receiving a thorough description of a legal serve at Andy Gads U.S. Open Umpire Clinic,
said Carr, I then looked at the illegal serves being used by the top
players in the arena. I recalled previously how, on being asked to
umpire some international team matches, I had declined because all
were serving illegally and Id cause an international incident by
faulting all serves. However, I acquiesced later after a national
umpire told me I shouldnt call a fault unless the serve was objected
to by the receiver or his coach, and I remembered a letter from an
New serve rule?
international umpire in which he stated he didnt call a serve fault
Photo by Mal Anderson
unless he felt the server was benefiting by this rule violation. Is that
right though? Is that the way it should be? [Maybeif a lot of involved players feel that way.]
Melamed doesnt understand why ITTF and USTTA umpires dont enforce the service
rules enough. A common response to a request for a legal serve is, Nobody serves according to those rules: look at the top world players or even our best U.S. players. If they dont
have to serve that way, why do I? But the fact that Nobody serves legal is invalid and even if
it were true is a poor excuse for allowing it to happen. The umpire should control the game,
not the players or the crowd. If a player is called for service violation, his demand for another
umpire should be refused. [I think ideally the players, if theyre sportsmen, should control the
game, not the umpire whos an adjunct. I also think if a player objects to an umpires call he
should ask for an official to observe both player and umpire, and if the umpires in the wrong
he should be removed.]
For the Rules-minded, Harrison reported that the E.C. at their Summer Meeting made
two changes affecting tournament play. (1) We deleted the requirement that an interrupted
435

match should be started from the beginning. Henceforth, regardless of the length of an interruption, all points scored will count, and the match will start again where it left off. (2) In
round robin individual events, the tie-breaking system will now be identical to that in team
eventsthe tie-break will be decided not by a compilation of games won and lost among the
entire field but only among those tied. This brings the U.S. in line with the rest of the world.
Harrison also reports this ITTF Rule: Replacement players in an International draw must be
redrawn, not merely substituted for the absent player.
For those concerned about the appearance of our Sport,
now, at all 3, 4, and 5-star events, anyone on a tournament table
must comply with the dress code, except that in practice warm-up
suits, which may not be white [even if yellow balls are used?] may
be worn.(1) Players must wear solid-colored outfits, from
pastel to black; however, players may NOT wear solid white
clothing. (2) Players must wear socks and soft-sole shoes. (3)
Absolutely no playing without a shirt, no cut-offs, no jeans, no
tank shirts, but women may wear sleeveless blouses. (4) Certain
advertisement restrictions apply. (5) Slacks may be worn but
This just looks absurd.
shorts are preferred.
Photo by Tommey Burke
Racket Standardization remains a hot topic. Greg Sawin in
back-to-back articles (TTT, April, 1982, 6, and May-June, 1982, 15) says that Rufford Harrisons
How To Improve Table Tennis in the Japanese Table Tennis Reports Dec., 81 issue is the best
article Ive read so far on the subject of standardizing equipment. Question: How can table tennis
compete with other sports for the attention of potential spectators and players? Answer: It
cant. Heres Gregs take on the question:
Imagine the reaction of a person who has been a
tennis, racquetball, or handball player when he gets into
table tennis and is developing enthusiasm for competitive
play and then finds out about the bag of tricks in the
game. To be an effective competitor, he should be experienced against many types of rubber. But how can he get
sufficient practice against all the various types of rubber he
can expect to encounter in tournament play? And even if
he could somehow practice against all the varied types of
rubber, why should he bother? [To pay his/her necessary
dues in order to get goodthat took years, even in standardized play, for some of our old Hard Rubber Champions like Leah Neuberger. Why should anyone bother to
work for what might be unattainable? But people do,
Champions do.] Especially since the rewards for victory in
table tennis are meager. Wouldnt this person be inclined
to forget it, drop table tennis and go back to tennis,
racquetball, or handball? [And accomplish what there?
What drove him/her to a new sport?]
I believe that before table tennis can go anywhere
in the U.S. it has to look good, especially when com436

pared to other sports. Standardizing the racket would make for longer rallies and greater
interest among knowledgeable as well as nave spectators. Greg urges four variations of
racket-covering material to provide considerable standardization: wood, hard rubber, all-round
thin sponge short pimples out, and all-round thin sponge inverted. Even greater restrictions
could be achieved by requiring that the racket blade be a particular number of plies in thickness, or in some other way control the amount of variation between fast and slow blades.
Sawin believes that the makers of the racket/rubber rules were concerned about the
possibility of non-standard rackets. Its ironic that although the blade must be of wood only,
you can put any combination of the wide-ranging types of rubber on the blade that can affect
play to a much greater extent than only variations in the blade would.Since the weird rubber
doesnt promote long or understandable rallies, Sawin thinks that the use of these rackets
undermine our promotional efforts.
An important aspect of any plan to standardize rackets is how this would affect the
makers and sellers of equipment. Initially, one might think that racket standardization would
hurt the makers and sellers of equipment. But wouldnt standardization help make table tennis
more popular, and wouldnt that result in increased equipment sales and greater profit for the
equipment makers and sellers? I would like to know what the equipment sellers think would be
the effects on them of racket standardization.
In an article Anti Anti-Topspin (TTT, May-June, 1982, 25), Apple Valley, CAs Dr.
Robert Gellen says his feelings toward the use of junk rubber were reflected in Greg
Sawins Racket Standardization piece. Gellen laments the fact that the increasing use of antitopspin rubber has enabled a less skillful player to advance. I suppose, he says, the use of
this material will continue and I therefore propose a separate class for these table tennis deviants. I may point out that in most tournaments we have a Hard Rubber Only division. I can
just imagine all those players driving themselves crazy in the Junk Rubber division.
Table Tennis deviants? An article by Tim Lee (TTT, July-August, 1982, 11) is called
Junkies Beware. He thinks anti and long pips might soon be banned from the international
table tennis scene. Theyre becoming too popularcombination-bat players are proliferating.
Buddy Melamed would like someone to make a survey as to what players are using what type
of bat and rubber? A Yasaka ad does this in part for well-known Yasaka players. For example,
B. K. Arunkumar, whom many say is the best defensive player in the country, plays with a
Yasaka Cougar (1-ply) Cypress racket, 2.5 mm Black Power Maximum, and Phantom.
Carole Davidson plays with Mark V red 2.0 mm and Phantom 007 (no sponge). And Bobby
Powell plays with Mark V 2.0 mm and Anti-Power 1.5 on a Technique Racket.
Lee continues in his article to say, It seems now that anyone with any kind of game is
trying to use this bat twiddling to gain an advantage.
Drug Abuse in Athletesthats Sports Medicine Committeeman Dr. Michael Scotts topic (TTT, July-Aug., 1982, 11).
Drug and alcohol abuse permeate all levels of society and athletes
are not spared. The use of drugs to supposedly enhance physical or mental
performance is not new. The Greek physician Galen (130 AD) recorded the
use of reputed stimulants by ancient competitors in the third century B.C. This problem still exists
today. The particular drugs in vogue vary from time to time but are becoming more sophisticated
and are also being used in more combinations of late [just like table tennis rubbers].
437

Asses hooves ground and boiled in oil with roses was a favorite potion of ancient
Greek athletes. Mexican Aztecs utilized a cactus-base stimulant resembling strychnine. In the
1800s Dutch and French athletes preferred sugar cubes dipped in ether. In the 1994 Olympics,
a marathoner was barely revived after using strychnine. Anabolic steroids, marijuana, methaqualone, and amphetamines are still popular, but at the present time alcohol and cocaine are
probably most popular.
Between 1977 and 1980 cocaine use by young adults leaped by 40%. Drugs therefore
vary quite often in cyclic popularity. In the past few years alcohol combined with other drugs
ranks number one for drug-related deaths in hospital emergency rooms. The greater the
number of drugs taken, the more complicated it is to detoxify the patient and the more difficult
the recovery. Some drugs have crossover lethal effects.
I agree with Dr. Allen J. Ryan that most athletes who take drugs to improve performance are probably intelligent enough to know that the drugs will not help them directly.
There is no drug that can convert a poor or mediocre athlete into a good one. Some drugabusing athletes are smart enough to realize that drugs for social or recreational purposes may
impede their athletic performance, yet they make rationalizations to justify their use. They
plead a necessity to relax or a need to free themselves from the tensions associated with
tournament competition. They use drugs to alter their mental attitude or to reinforce their
beliefs in themselves. Peer pressure is a major contributor to drug use, especially in pre-college
athletes.
In most athletic endeavors effective drug testing to detect abusers is difficult, timeconsuming, expensive, and a burden to everyone. Athletes must ultimately accept personal
responsibility for their behavior toward themselves and their competitors. Recently education
of athletes to prevent them from starting drug abuse has been successful to some degree.
Television spots on drug addiction are undoubtedly very beneficial. Although abusers may
stubbornly resist or conceal their problem for a time, the truth that drugs do not help athletes
[how about steroids?] and ultimately
can be very detrimental will eventually be self-evident. The advantages
to the athlete who is drug-free are
becoming more apparent.
Cokethats what
Olympic athletes like?
Well, it has its uses:
Want our
players to be in an
Olympic Hall of
Fame museum? (Which reminds
mewhy this year werent there the
usual U.S. Hall of Fame inductions?) Our Colorado Springs
Headquarters is looking for a
Physical Fitness Chairman. Meanwhile, players do what they can.
438

Septuagenarian Dr. Stan Morest says he downs Pure

Imported Chewable Golden Cal FRUCTOSE, 2-gram
tablets, to get a pickup after 3 to 6 hard games. Fructose crosses the brain barrier faster than cane sugar but
lasts only 20 minutes. Then, he says, I eat 6 HiProtein carob-flavored tablets which contain no sugar
or preservatives.
Tom Wintrich (TTT, Apr., 1982, 10), isnt
thinking about concentrating on the physicalconditioning, or what tablets hes takingits the mental
that interests himthe undeviating focus on the ball,
so that in a match the player floats free from distraction in a suspended continuum of non-tense table time:

Dr. Stan
Morest

I used to call it travel time, an expression I coined to evoke the liberated feeling
associated with being on vacation. Whether it be a two-week cross-country tour, a journey
overseas, or an afternoon drive into the mountains, is irrelevant. The term relates to a state of
mind rather than a specific event.
When youre on travel time, youre immersed in a suspended reality. Energy normally
used maintaining a daily routine is eagerly redirected toward more hedonistic adventure.
Grabbing your attention instead is the act of escapethe joyous feeling of getting away from
it all.
Inevitably, I had to call travel time table tennis time. The thousands of miles Ive journeyed
chasing tournaments and coaching clinics I came to think of as purposeful abandonment. Ill give
you two examples. One is my 1979 27-day odyssey to China and North Korea. Boarding and deboarding jets, standing courtside at world championship matches, and visiting one of the most
xenophobic countries on earth created the sensation of stopping the world. Nothing else mattered
except the moment in progress. The other example is when I had a six-month residency in Pittsburgh. Traveling regularly to tournaments with the Seemillers and Perry Schwartzberg, Iwe all
welcomed the countless hours on the road. Driving along to a destination, entranced by the passing
scenery, we would glance at one another, shrug our shoulders and say,
If this is Friday, we must be somewhere.
So in a sense, travel time and table tennis time come
together, for every road on the tour leads to the same destinationyour next match, the lifeblood of table tennis. And as one
loses himself in the suspended reality of a scenic romance, so that
liberating abandonment of travel time should merge into table time
while purposeful action continues.
For the serious player, time at the table is the end goal of
his dedication, and each new match inherently grants forgiveness
of all past performances. Life starts anew at love-all and thered
better be no other place you would rather be, no other reality
taking precedence. Commitment to the momentthats the
primary challenge of table time, and exceptional competitors like
Danny Seemiller will flat tell you its a state of mind difficult to
Tom Wintrich
reach and even harder to maintain.
Photo by Mal Anderson
439

Unnecessary thoughts have to stop. Intense calmness must prevail. Value judgments,
negative and positive, need to be suspended. Even concern about winning and losing should be
abandoned. Instead, focus your energy on the moment in progress. Reduce your attention span
to playing one point at a time and try not to let go of the concentration needed to maintain that
precise channeling of power.
One common method is the vocal-admonishment approach in which outbursts like
CONCENTRATE!THATS IT!or NO! are utilized to maintain the competitive
psych-up. Still such outbursts can undermine the state of calm thats wanted. Best, I think, is
to adopt the viewpoint of a detached observer, as if youre a spectator watching yourself play.
The objective is to separate mind from body so you dont send mental messages that interfere
with physical execution (the choke syndrome). The paradox of this separation is that you are
concerned with concentrating on not concentrating.
A practical way to help you reach this contradictory state is a technique I call Playing
the ballwhich is a variation of Watch the ball! You follow the flight path of that ball
throughout the entire rally, while your body does what its been trained to domove into
position and execute the proper strokes. And then you keep moving, keep executing those
strokes, because table timea free-spirited joyous timeis your opportunity to play the best
you can. To help yourself, watch the players and learn from their behavior. Consider Scott
Boggans masterful play and exemplary behavior in winning the U.S. Mens Championship. Or,
better yet, pay close attention to Insook Bhushan, the proven master of table time.
If you can handle your mental and physical needs, if youre already fit, and the points in
modern table tennis arent fast enough for you, Zing Pong Inc. is about to go national with its
new kit that converts Table Tennis into Zing Pong. Heres the scoop (TTT, Oct., 1982, 21):
The $39.95 kit consists of a pair of sturdy clear acrylic panels that clamp to the sides
of the table. This converts the playing area into a miniature handball court where players can
ricochet the ball off the walls as well as over the net. The result is a lightning-fast game, with
shots coming at a player from all angles. An even faster game can be played using new Zing
bats, the company says, which are clear acrylic paddles that give the ball increased velocity
over the standard wooden ones.
Its hip to play with this kit? Maybe notdepends where you play. Steve Isaacson,
USTTA Hall of Fame founder, in an article called Where Unhip Men Hang Out (TTT, MayJune, 1982, 19), quotes from advice given in Playgirl, Mar., 1982:
Tired of wasting your time on fast-movers who want to shake you off a few hours after
theyve picked you up? Had it with being put down by the groovy elite? You may be ready to look
for an unhip man. Were talking merely unhip herenot truly creepyso steer clear of wrestling
matches and horseracing tracks in your search. Here are some likely hunting grounds for unhip
men: Offbeat Musical RecitalsChess ClubsAny LibraryRare-Book ShopsPing-Pong Parlors.
No, not video Pong (you risk attracting an underage crowd in video-game hangouts),
regular old table tennis. Hes not out to prove something if hes stuck with Ping Pong while
everyone else has gone crazy over jogging, tennis, rock-climbing, and white-water rafting.
440

Does Stan Morests interest in the game suggest hes unhip? Here in New Rubber is
a little story he has to tell (TTT, Dec., 1982, 12):
Last spring while playing in a tournament at The Community Recreation Center in
Irving, adjacent to Dallas, I lost to a young player by 5 points due to his tricky serves. After
shaking his hand, I was making my exit from the court when suddenly an elderly woman called
out loudly to me, You need SCREW!
Amidst snickering, I remained silent for once, but my thoughts included, Madam, with
my 77 years, you cannot count on me doing very much.
Then, to my amazement, she held up her racket and exclaimed, You see, I have
SCREW on both sides.
Later, at an equipment booth, I was told that SCREW was a fairly new rubber, much
like Phantom, which could turn drives into chops, and chops into drives.
What the hell, I thought, Ill try a piece.
Want to know where hip men hang out? And where they watch a robot, sort of, but
dont play with it? Here, from the Feb., 82 Canadian TTT (reprinted in neighborly fashion in
TTT, Apr., 1982, 4) is an article called Stripper Busted:
Kamloops, B.C. (UPC)A Los Angeles exotic dancer named Mitzi whose show at a
local neighborhood pub includes the use of a flute, cigarettes, and ping-pong balls was charged
yesterday with committing an indecent act.
Local RCNP officers served the dancer with a notice to appear in provincial court
tomorrow after watching her afternoon act at the Bar-K pub, said Staff Sgt. Ted Jones.
Meanwhile, police told Mitzi she could continue dancing and strippingher act had
been running every 30 minutes from noon to 6:30 p.m. for a weekbut they didnt want her
to use any props, said Bar-K pub manager Ron Thompson.
I get the impression they just wanted to calm it down, he said. Thompson was not
charged.
Thompson said he had brought Mitzi in as an experimental thing to help boost his
daytime business during the current high-interest rate crunch.
Its certainly done that, he said. The dancer, whom Thompson said was 22 years olf,
has been playing to a packed house.
Some of her stunts included smoking a cigarette, playing a flute, and popping pingpong balls out into the audiencenot with her mouth.
It was an incredible performance, said one patron. That lady should truly be on [the
television program] Thats Incredible.
I thought it was great, said another customer, a local lawyer. I bet if you asked every
single person in here, you wouldnt get one to say it was a lewd performance.
When asked how she performed her stunts, Mitzi said, Id rather not get into that.
She said she had been performing the act for seven years in the United States, Japan, and now
British Columbia.
441

Think this is a strange story? Heres Larry Hodges

Real People (TTT, Dec., 1982, 12):
In an International sport such as Table Tennis, you
meet a wide variety of characterssome good, some bad;
some who never stop smiling, some who have hot tempers.
Occasionally, if youre exceptionally lucky, you come up
against a real whacko or two.
Im walking along the University of Maryland Campus when I see this Chinese fellow carrying a table tennis
racket. After asking him the obvious questions, I find hes the
Larry Hodges
National Champion of Taiwan! Just last year, in fact. We stop
off at the Campus snack bar for pizza and start talking. It
seems the National Taiwanese Team is touring the U.S.the rest of the Team is back at the
hotel. We talk table tennis for a bit, then I invite him to play me over at the table in my dorm.
Sure, he says, but Ill beat you pretty bad. Nobody in the U.S. is any good. So I get set to
play one of the top players in the world.
I beat him 21-2.
Im in a sports store, looking at the table tennis rackets, when an older fellow comes
up, wants to be helpful. Here, he says, let me show you how. He teaches me the forehand
stroke and (15 minutes later) is well into the backhand when I start wondering, Who is this
guy? On asking, I find I am speaking to the current U.S. Senior Champion, a former U.S.
Mens Champion. Beat the World Champion once, he says to me. Well, theres a display
table set up, so we start to hit some.
He cant score a point.
I meet a guy from the University of Maryland who says hes a tournament player
over 1700and claims to have beaten me in a tournament. Dont you remember? he asks.
No, I say. Well, he starts playing me for moneyliterally forces $20 on me. I get his name
and later find his rating in Topics.
1097.
Then theres a certain guy in a certain large city I met who says hes the best player in
the world. Says hes beaten the Seemillers, the Boggans, the Chineseeverybody in fact.
Gee, I say, whats your rating?
100,000, he says.
Wacko, huh? But lest you think I made up these stories, let me assure you, theyre all
truefactually true.
Oh, yeah, there are plenty of weirdos in U.S. Table Tennisand, let out, they manage
to find their way into Topics.

442

Chapter Thirty-One
1982: Canadians Star in $6,100 CNE Open. 1982: Eric Boggan/Alice Green Take
$4,000 Easterns. 1982: September Tournaments. 1982: First World Championships for the
DisabledMike Dempsey World Champion.
The 36-event $6,100 CNE Open was played in Toronto, Sept. 2-5, a
few days after the Seoul Open and the week before our Eastern Open.
Results: Mens Team: Canada 5U.S. 2 (Danny Seemiller, Scott and Eric
Boggan were in Taiwan): Errol Caetano over Perry Schwartzberg, 20, -20,
11; Rick Seemiller over Joe Ng, 18, -20, 11; Zoran Kosanovic over
George Brathwaite, 13, -19, 9; Caetano over Seemiller, -15, 19, 3;
Kosanovic over Schwartzberg, -18, 21, 10; Brathwaite over Ng, -9, 15,
17; Kosanovic over Seemiller, 7, -15, 14. Womens Team: Canada 3U.S.
2: Julia Johnson over Olga Soltesz, 17, 15. Connie Sweeris over Becky McKnight, 17, -18,
17. Soltesz/Sweeris over Johnson/McKnight, 17, 15; McKnight over Soltesz, 7, 12; Johnson
over Sweeris, 17, 20.
Junior Mens Team: U.S. 5Canada 2: Robert Chin over Joe Billups (U.S.), 21, 26;
Fu-lap Lee (U.S.) over Peter Johnson, 9, 16; Tarek Zhodi (U.S.) over Vaibhav Kamble, 12, 19;
Lee over Chin, -18, 16, 14; Kamble over Billups, 18, 16; Zohdi over Johnson, 14, 14; Lee
over Kamble, 16, 13. Mens Doubles: Kosanovic/Caetano over Ng/Ming Yuan. Womens
Doubles: Julia/Colleen Johnson over McKnight/Suzanna Kavallierou. Mixed Doubles: Ng/
McKnight over Mitch Rothfleisch/J. Johnson whod advanced over Francine Larente/Lim
Ming Chui in five.
Mens Championship: Kosanovic in five over Caetano. Best matches: Chui over
Brathwaite, -18, 21, 18, 20; Schwartzberg over Dave Sakai, -15, 20, 17, -14, 14; David
Mahabir over Rick Seemiller, from 2-0 down. Womens Championship: Than Mach over
Soltesz whod escaped McKnight, -17, -12, 14, 20, 11. U-2100: Torsten Pawlowski over
Stephane Charbonneau, 19 in the 3rd. U-1900: Billups over Wayne Chan. Mens U-1800:
Neville Brabrook over Kam Bhatia, 18, -19, 22, then over Jim Montgomery, deuce in the 3rd.
Womens U-1800: Diane Bourdages over Sangita Kamble. U-1700: Kwang How Lee over
Andrew Giblon. Mens U-1600: P.M. Lee over Giblon. Womens U1600: Kamble over Gloria Amoury. U-1400: Alan Chun over John Yu,
after John had stopped Gin Yee Ng, -21, 18, 17. U-1200: Ray Hui over
Richard Ng. U-2000 Doubles [sic: individual not combined rating]:
Chester Yen/Denis Vigeant over Mickey Peattie/John Brayford. U1800 Doubles [sic]: K.H. and P.H. Lee over Shalil Bose/ R. Gabb.
Senior Mens: Brathwaite over Houshang Bozorgzadeh. Senior
Womens: Marie Kerr over Valentina Subatnikas, def. Senior Doubles:
Brathwaite/Bozorgzadeh over George Rocker/Bill Sharpe. Mens U21: Yuan over Joe Ng. Womens U-21: Mach over McKnight. Boys U17: Chin over Billups. Girls U-17: Daiva Koperski over Aline Tse
whod advanced by Renata Crhak, 19, -18, 17. Boys U-15: Phong
Mach over V. Kamble. Girls U-15: Michelle Qurrey over Tse. Boys U13: Ben Chiu over Peter Ng. Girls U-13: Crystal Daniel over Michelle
Mantel. Boys U-11: Chi-ming Chui over Chi-sun Chui, deuce in the 3rd,
Michelle Qurrey
443

after Chi-sun had eliminated Chiu, 19, 22. Girls U11: Nicole Mantel over
Jane Chui. Junior Doubles:
Billups/Natale over
Kamble/P. Ng. Junior
Mixed Doubles: Mark
Nordby/Neena Patel over
Yu/Tse, deuce in the 3rd.
Eastern Open
Mel Eisners
very successful
Eastern Open
Neena Patel and Mark Nordby: well, they were juniors.
offered more
than $4,000 in prize money,
and under the capable direction of Warren Searles, nothing less than all of the 3,500-member
Woodbridge, NJ Racquet Clubs spacious lounge-to-locker-room facilities. Mels thanks (TTT,
Oct., 1982, 3) go to Tournament Director Barry Dattel; to Neal Fox (Scheduling went o.k.
after all, Neal; you did a good job and neednt have worried so long as Dennis Masters was
following through); to Frank Hrobak, Peter Johnson and their New England group at the
Control Desk, to the New Jersey TTC group, also at the Control Desk and offering help
elsewhere as wellamong them, Andy Diaz,, Colin Mallows, Chris Lehman, Joan Fu, George
Hellerman, Alan Fendrick, Dennis Pedicini, Harry Stern, and with Dan Dickel and Ben Dattel
at Registration, and George Chranewycz as Referee. Thanks, too, to all those other hardworking helpers from far and near Mel so rightly mentions in his article. With the.players
organized and their (perhaps too many round robin?) matches run off with scarcely an incident,
there couldnt have been much to complain of, could there?
This Sept. 10-12 tournament drew 320 entriesbut it wasnt clear until the tournament got underway how many of the best U.S. and Canadian players were going to attend.
Would the Boggan brothers be back from their Korea/Taiwan trip in time to play, and with
their jet-lag would they want to? Yes, they wouldwould fly in, stay up all night talking with
Danny Seemiller as their house guest, and then, after Mom took Danny to the airport at 5:30
a.m., would drive over to Woodbridge in time for their opening matches. Turns out Danny
(and brother Ricky) had prior commitments, so they werent playing.
How about B.K. Arunkumar, whos quietly tiptoed up to #3 on the U.S. Ratings
ladderwas he coming? Nopenever mind why. Robert Earle? He was rumored to be arriving on Sundaywhich of course was not when the opening rounds began. Brathwaite? Understanding that he could show a little late, he got there as play was well into the second or
perhaps even had begun in the third roundanyway, too late, hed been defaulted. Bui and
Chui? Neither showed. Canadas Joe Ng? On returning from Korea, hed managed to get to
the Sept. 2-5 Toronto CNE, had played in the Teams, Doubles, and 21s, but, after defaulting
in the Mens there, decided not to play here. Canadians Becky McKnight, Gloria Hsu, Julia
and Colleen Johnson? Sorrythey entered, but couldnt make it. Still, Zoran Zoki
Kosanovic, Errol Caetano, and Alain Bourbonnais didnt back out, and George Jovanov,
Zokis father-in-law, must have brought 15 juniors from his Central Ontario region alone.
444

Some early-round Mens Singles matches are worth

mentioning. Mitchell Rothfleisch (who with his zestful papa,
Eric, won the U-4000 Doubles over Mike Kuklakis/George
Nahass) played the most exciting 1st-round match of the event.
Mitch just beat out, deuce in the 5th, 2125. Yes, its a strange
name withwho but Fox could tell from the drawsheet
perhaps an even stranger game.
Rey Domingo, meanwhile, down 2-1 to 1692-rated Alan
Fendrick, pulled off a Reisman-like rally to win in five; then in the
second round triumphed over Woodbridge Racquet Club favorite
Barry Dattel, again in five. A great showman, one of the mimeoMitch Rothfleisch
graphed Program sheets said of the former Philippine Champion.
More serious was 2190 George Camerons wins over Minnesotas Chuck Turchik, first
in the Mens (16, 15, -22, 18), then in the Mens Amateur (-18, 20, 12). As for Torontos
CameronCameron Scotthe did in Larry Hodges, whos still not recovered from his West
Coast experience this summer.
Larry understood that he was maybe going to make a worthwhile amount of money by door-to-door selling something called the
two-volume Webster Student Handbook. His manager showed him
how easy it was. Yes? said the first working housewife he and Larry
approached. She was just on her way out, but, alright, here was the
money, shed buy a set. Off then she went to work, and shortly after
her husband came home. Of course the manager thought nothing of
knocking on the same door again, and this time the husband listened to
the pitch and he too bought a set, cash on the line. Nothing to it, said
the managerLarry will make a fortune.
So Larry memorized 19 pages of Suzy, do you ever have
trouble with commas and things?look right here on page 2And
Larry Hodges
back here are the rules of capitalizationand here spelling aidsand
heres a dictionary of synonyms and antonyms. And getting people
out of bed in the morning or interrupting them from their afternoon soaps, he worked hard and
soldone set a day. So soon it was time to do something else. Im a lousy salesman, said
Larry, but a good lima bean picker.
All that bending though, I think at affected his game. He lost to New Jerseys Don
Garlanger in the U-2150, and in the Amateurs to Harvey Gutman who for 10 years now has
been almost as semi-retired as his dad.
The only five-game match in the second round was Sean ONeills come-from-behind
win over Brandon Olson, who wasnt entry-interested enough to want to play Sean or anyone
else in the U-17s. Sean of course was an easy winner in both the 17s (over Peter Johnson)
and 15s (over Vaibhav Kamble). Boys U-13 went to Steve Fishbach over Ed Su who was also
runner-up in the U-11s to Elisa Kelly.
Brandon, though escaping Igor Fraiman in the U-2300s, couldnt get by Brian Masters. Earlier in that event, Brian had beaten Bill Sharpe, U-2000 winner over another Westfield
worker, Bob Holland. Sharpe Under 2000? Hows that possible? Because, he says, though
hes still working out three times a week, hes been Jekyll and Hyde experimenting with all
kinds of different rubbers and hasnt yet found the weirdest winning combination.
445

Although Brandon lost to Sean, he did team with him in the Mens Doubles to get to
the final, knocking off the Boggan brothers before losing to Kosanovic and Caetano. Scott,
who couldnt help but fall asleep in the lounge for an hour before this 9:00 p.m. match, was,
on being awakened, far from his best. Tom Wintrich said, Scott Boggan wins when he wants
to and when hes serious, but he seldom combines the desire and attitude. Scott himself said,
Danny and Eric win because they have toI dont. Sean and Brandon, in out-playing the
Boggans, had a snappy 1-2 punch in Brandons backhand and Seans forehand.
Brandon also surprised an almost at times disinterested-looking Scott in the Hard Bat
final, winning the important close games on low-ball backhand flicks that seemed to say,
What the hell, why not try them? Maybe theyll go in.
In the Mens, Scott downed Canadian Team hopeful Derrick Black who in the 2150s
had lost a tough 19-in-the-3rd match to Pennsylvanias Hank McCoullum. Scott then had no
trouble in the eighths with Brian Masters who was just getting over a (two-weeks-in-a-cast)
twisted left ankle hed suffered in tennis practice. Oh, how that must have hurt, huh?
Yet it had to be nothing compared to the
howl Brian must have set up in the final of the
Under 2300s when George Cameron, whos
greatly improved hi short game, -18, -16, 18, 19,
19 began coming back to take the $200 first prize
away from him. I tell you, said one observer
shaking his head, Brians languageitsits a
G shame!
In another eighths match, George, whos
interested in computer science and is going to
Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn when hes not
taking on all comers five times a week at the NYC
Chinatown Club, destroyed Massachusetts young
Kurt Douty. Alain Bourbonnais, who plays out of
the Deserables Club in Montreal, had more difficulty in his eighths match than he expected with
George Cameron
fellow Canadian Cameron Scott. But of course this
Photo by Mal Anderson
was 23-year-old Scotts best tournament to date.
Why? Because, after leaving the game for a couple of years, hed come back and was now into
training and fighting hard. Before, he said, I was too worried about losing. Now I just keep
thinking about hitting in the shots.
In winning the 2150s here, Cameron beat in succession Pandit Dean, 19 in the 3rd; Tim
Boggan, from 15-all in the 3rd; Don Garlanger, deuce in the 3rd (Don said his lack of experience
showed: at 19-all he should have gone for his towel, instead he served off; then at deuce Cameron
served an edge and went on to win); and Steven Mo, 24-22 in the 5th. After Steven had rallied from
two down and seemingly had the momentum to prevail, I asked Cameron how hed won. I started
backhand top-spinning Mos serves. It was the only thing that saved me, he said.
Steven was still going strong in the Mens eighths thoughbeating Jim Doney wholl soon
be in Germany training at Englebert Hugings club and playing for TTC Alsdorf, a Third Division
Club making a strong challenge to advance into the Second. Mo also had a big win in the Amateur
event. Before losing in the deciding 3rd to Sean ONeill in the semis, Steven toppled Alain
Bourbonnais, a member of the Canadian Team at the 1981 Novi Sad Worlds. Sean looked in
446

danger of dropping that semis match, for he was too

often pushing the ball back softwhich, since Mos an
all-out attacker, was point by point punishing. You dont
just push soft, said an interested spectatorSean
didnt learn that in China. You JAM the ball into the
guys backhand. And he poked me hard in the ribs to
make his point
Dave Sakai, someone said, played his eighths as
well as he could against Boggan, but Eric, still flying
high from his six-round play in the Seoul Open, was
unstoppable. In the Amateur event here, though, Dave
did beat Brandon before dropping the final to Sean.
Against Domingo, Sean had no chancenot this
time. In Vegas hed beaten the wily Filipino by pounding away at his lobs. But now Rey forgot about his
Bergmann-like badminton defense and came right at
Seangot off to big starts and didnt risk playfully
letting him back in the match.
Dave Sakai
Not so
Photo by Neal Fox
playful either
was the encounter between Kosanovic and Horace
Roberts. After Zoki had lots of 21-19 first-game trouble
with Robbies defense, he began to make comments
questioning whether his opponents bat was legalwhich
Horace did not take kindly to. Turns out it was not
cement Robbie had around the circular edge of his racket
that, upset as he was, might turn it into a heavy weapon
no, it was putty, and not silly putty at that. I hit the
ground when I chop, Horace saidand here, knee-deep,
he demonstratedand so to save my blade I put the
putty around it.
As play progressed, Zoki was really quite impatiently hitting some horrible shots into the bottom of the
net. Which must have brought forth some more questionHorace Roberts
able commentsso that after Zoki had won the match
Photo by Mal Anderson
Robbies voice was shaking. He claimed my bat was
illegal, Timmy he said, his West Indian accent on the hysterical rise. Well, I dont like his serves.
What kind of a good player is he that he has to complain about someone like me? You know his
problem? He taut it was an easy match. But none of these guys can spin through me. If I get my
picks on I beat him. He taut it was an easy matchthats why he was complaining.
Perry Schwartzberg , in losing to Errol Caetano in four, wasnt as loud or excited as
Horacebut he wasnt happy either. All these indistinguishable matches forever going on, all
these tennis nets or heavy drapes to raise or pull away to dash past players to get to your
cramped table spaceit wasnt his idea of a class tournament. But the tournament organizers
needed to use all 32 tables all the timeand at least Perry didnt complain about the lighting
or the tables themselves.
447

Before going on to the Mens quarters, I want to give you the results from the Rating
and Age events I otherwise dont mention in this article: U-1875: Hing Sing Wong over Neil
Ackerman in five. U-3400 Doubles: Art Brunelle/Neil Golub over Frank Hrobak/Jay Rogers.
U-1625: Rich Sosis over Jonathan Wong. U-1500: Tim Kwan over Rich Martin. U-1375:
Keith Lewandowski over Horst Zodrow, 23, 19, then over Peter Johnson. U-2600 Doubles:
Jeff Greenberg/Denny over James Ram/Bob Canup. U-1250: Ov Nazarbechian over
Greenberg. U-1125: Steve Fishbach over Richard Ritz, from down 2-0. U-1000: Ritz over
Dale Weiss. Unrated: Chun-Jum Shih over George Aitkin. Novice: Andy Pelsh over Nick
Gangi. Beginners: Aston Brisset over Bobby Agrawal, 19, -14, 23, 22.
Senior Esquires: John Kilpatrick over George Rocker. Esquires: Tim Boggan over Lenny
Klein. Seniors: George Brathwaite over Boggan. Senior Doubles: Horace Roberts/Tomas
Nazarbechian over Boggan/Bill Steinle. Seniors U-1750: Ned McLennan over Mort Zakarin.
Senior Doubles U-3400: Steinle/Tomas Nazarbechian over Franks/Tony Gegelys. U-3400 Senior
Doubles: Bill Steinle/T. Nazarbechian. Seniors U-1500: Hrobak over Ty Kaus.in five.
The Mens quarters provided no drama at allfour-straight straight-game matches.
Caetano was extended by the still inexperienced Mo only in the 19 third game. Coach
Domingo has Steven swinginggood, but sometimes hes still quite wild. George Cameron,
for all the 2300-looping that had gotten him by Fu-lap Lee and Bourbonnais, could not begin
to overpower Eric. Alain, who at last years USOTCs gave Danny Seemiller his only loss, and
who for $385 a month now spends his days under a Chinese coach at the National Training
Center in Ottawa, beat a tired and listless Scott Boggan. Its so depressing, said Scott, to
see the shots I ought to take and makeand not even have them come close. But what good
would it have done not to have played this weekend. He couldnt have been worse and still
took home $150. Amateur or not, he had to make a living.
The Kosanovic-Domingo match was the most entertaining of the quarterswith two
of the games going to deuce. One circuit regular, however, couldnt understand how, while
this was being played, all those table tennis players up there in the TV lounge could be watching the U.S. Open womens tennis matches. The difference is three zeroes and a comma,
said one guy. To watch someone play for a $100,000 is a thousand times more interesting than
to watch someone play for $100.
Speaking of womenand Ill follow their play now before coming back to the Mens
semis and finalexactly 16 of the fair sex, but not enough for a full eighths draw, showed up
at the 3,500-member Woodbridge Racquet Club to play table tennis.
In the first round, 1554-rated Sangita Kamble, Womens A runner-up in the Canadian
Closed, -12, 16, -13, 19, 22, upset 1762-rated Jasmine Wang. Jasmine also lost to Canadian
Davia Koperski in the semis of the 17s, and to U.S. Open U-13 Champ Vicky Wong in the
final of the 15s. Vicky, who won the 17s, for some
Vicky Wong and
reason didnt play in the Womens. But she entered
mentor Rey Domingo
the Womens Amateur and was beaten by 17-year-old
Taru Bhargava, the #2 Junior Miss in India, who,
because her uncle knows President Schiff, has been in
the U.S. for the past two months.
Though Vicky has been playing only about 30
months, with the help of patron Bill Salvelson,
President of Datum Industries, and Coach Rey
Domingo (also being helped by Bill), she is fast
448

becoming a threat to make the U.S. Womens Team. Here she teamed with Rey to take the
Mixed from, first, Schwartzberg and Alice Green, then Scott Boggan and Bhargava in the 17,
19, 18 final. Vicky showed great poise and high seriousness for one so young, and never
choked away a shot.
If she wants to be the best player in the country, said Coach Rey (which drew a nod
from Chinese Coach Wang Fuzheng unemployed on the sidelines), she has to be serious.
Vicky already plays, at least a little, six days a week, but, like my other students she needs
more practiceespecially footwork drills. He wont let me rest, Vicky only half-complainedas if, really, she agreed that footwork diagrams, moves, were definitely as important
as studying 9 Pattern Plays for Winning at Pac-Man.
Another non-entry in the Womens Singles was Gloria Amoury who for more than a
moment was the talk of the tournament because of her entertaining Apologia article in the
Program, and also because, with the tenacity of Agatha Christies Miss Marple, she came
relentlessly to a winning conclusionthat is, in an unexpedited two-hour marathon match (in
an event I still havent detected) she won out over our 74-year-old Veterans Champion
Ulpiano Santo.
The best match in the Womens quarters was Flora Ngs five-game upset of Bhargava.
Winning in four over Natasha Zadinova was Californias Jamie Medvene, who after the tournament would be off to Sweden to play (along with Quang Bui, New Jerseyites Brian Eisner
and Jeff Steif, and only Nisse Sandberg knows how many more). Jamie said shed hurt her
back in her quarters match with Angie Sistrunk at the National Sports Festival, but that under
the soothing treatment of her doctorhis ultrasonic thing that gently massaged, his cortisone
cream that seeped deepshe would be ready for extended bending play, would perhaps spend
her Thanksgiving at the USOTCs.
So how come in the Amateurs Jamie lost to Shazzi Felstein?
Because shes the new Shazzithats why. Ive been going to
Weight Watchers and it really works, said the enthusiastic Ms.
Felstein. I should have done it 20 years ago.
Kalavathi Seetharam Panda beat both Felstein in the quarters
and Medvene in the semis. Her name appears opposite B.K.
Arunkumars on the Indian roster in the Program for the 1975
Calcutta Worlds. Later, on moving to the U.S., Kalavathi won the
New York State Womens Closed
while her husband Parkash was
studying for his Ph.D. in Materials
Shazzi Felstein
Research at Cornell.
Coming out to meet Kalavathi in the final was threetime U.S. World Team member Alice Green who, in winning the
Amateur over Bhargava (also off to train for a couple of weeks
in Sweden) had lost only one gamethat to Donna Newell, U1750 runner-up to Mark Gilson. Twice Alice defeated Flora Ng,
who had some consolation in 23, 13, -16, 19 edging out
Felstein for 3rd Place. No hard feelings though, for she and
Shazzi came second in the Womens Doubles to Bhargava/
Panda. Also, Flora and Lyn Smith won the U-3400 Mixed
Alice Green
Doubles from Dennis Kaminsky/Kate Vlahakis.
Photo by Don Gunn
449

Panda, a longtime internationalist who back in 71 represented India in the Asian

School Games at Singapore, tried to open and follow against Green, even though she knew
Alice preferred to work off her counter rather than institute the attack. In receiving her $150
winners check, perhaps Alice had some high-flying thoughts of ballooning over Mrs. Pandas
Ithacaor even India?
Returning to the Mens semis, were just in time to catch a fleeting glimpse of
Kosanovics 15, 9, 17 thunder-in-the-distance thumping of Bourbonnais.
Accompanying this electric show of force was Erics loud 15, 18, 15 fast-moving finish
of seven-time Canadian Champ Caetano. I say loud because quite contrary to the letter of
the law put forward in the Program, the spirit prevailed and (The Rules really quite
arbitraryquite arbitrary, mused Referee George Charnewycz), no attempt was made to stop
Eric from foot-stamping on his serve or at any other time.

Eric Boggan defeats Zoki Kosanovic to win the Easterns

Photo of Boggan by Robert Compton

The first game of the $600 final between Eric and Zoki seemed a replay of their tight
U.S. Open semis match. Except that at 20-all, the umpire suddenly decided to call a Let! on
Erics foot-stamp serve. This exasperated not only Eric but me, and as I found out later, even
Referee Chranewycz. After Eric lost the game I went over to him and asked him if he wanted
to make any protest. He put his hand over my mouth and, after Id wagged a finger at the
umpire, screamed out that hed just like me to be quiet and let him play. Which of course I
didI mean, Im not crazy.
After that, all was consistent. Chranewycz had a little chat with the umpire (who said
he didnt think he was allowed to use his own judgment) and there was no more absurd talk of
distraction. (The last final Kosanovic had played was in the Sheep and Swine Building at the
CNEwhere in the background rabbits were loudly being auctioned off.)
In the second game, Eric, again as in this summers Nationals, was down. But this
time he wasnt showing any signs of temperperhaps because Kosanovic had not disturbed
him, as he had at Detroit, by delaying the match, or because hed learned something in Seoul,
or because he was just playing better. Down 15-10, he ran the score to 20-17 his favor, then
450

just held on to win at 19.

In the third game, from 8-all, he moved out in front to stay and as he vocally began to
encourage himself Kosanovic got a little steamed. It was as if Zoki already knew that, behind,
he wouldnt be able to catch Boggan in the fourth.
With his win here, Eric had beaten Kosanovic in three of their last four meetings and
would be ready for him the following weekend at the World Cup Qualifier in Montreal.
September Tournaments
Jay Crystal opens his (TTT, Nov., 1982, 16) article on the Sept. 18-19
Portland Summer Open with a nod of appreciation to the new Paddle Palace.
It has nice wood floorsbare, clean, sanded wood, not wood coated with
that sticky, shiny varathane stuff. And it has perfect fluorescent lighting hung
high enough to lob and low enough so that if you lob one just right it can pass
between the ceiling and the lights, can disappear, then fall to the table. The
owner received a financial contribution from the late Mark Viducich, a local booster of the
Sport like his son Bob. The Palaces hours are great, and so are the dues. The competition
isnt bad either.
Regarding his Mens round robin preliminary group, Jay says, I grumbled a little,
wondering why Dean, the Tournament Director and #2 seed, had placed last-minute entry Ron
Carver, #5, with #3 me, but thenthough none of the other seeds
were playing anyone within 200 points of them in their groupsI
figured it wasnt worth the hassle to argue.
What I did do was unleash the results of my new training
program. Id just started a teaching job in a small-town high school
out in the Oregon wilderness, about 25 miles from where I live. I
hadnt had time to really practice at the club so I did the next best
thing. I got hold of the schools heavy, indestructo ping-pong table,
found the schools collection of ping-pong balls, about 100, and
spent the week before the tourney practicing my high-toss serve and
getting struggling students to pitch balls at me so I could smash
forehands.
So, o.k., Jays ready nowintros over and hes reporting on
the Mens matches, but, alas, only on them. There were four round
robin groupstwo players from each group would advance to form
quarters matches. Who came first out of Jays group? Answer:
Against Ron at 16-all in the second, I threw up three high-toss lefthanded twisters, Ron missed all three, and I won the match.
For some reason Dean Doyle tried to lob down a hot-hitting
Bill Popp whose rating has increased about 200 points in the last six
months or so. Dean kept backing up and, down 11-8 in the third, had
a moist ball slide off his racket, leaving no wet spot, and lost all
ability to hit a forehand.
Quarters matches: Crystal over Mike Walsh three straight;
Popp over resident defender Bob Ho in four; Tung Phan over Carver
Jay Crystal:
in four; and Apichart Sears over Doyle, 19 in the 5th (after being
small-town boy becomes
down 16-8).
small-town teacher
451

In the one semis, it was Crystal against Popp. Why cant I play against you? said
Bill to Jay. As a reply, Jay reports, Serving the backhand short, mixing the high toss, and
trying to burn everything that came to my forehand, I played a controlled, winning match
against Bill. In the other semis, Sears, tired as he was after that exhausting finish with Doyle,
convinced friend and practice partner Tung to play 2/3. Tung prevailedthat same Tung
whod beaten me two straight easily the Sunday before in a $2 round robin.
But in the final I just kept doing the same old thingexcept the serves were better, the
forehand faster and spinnier. I also had the karma on my side. Although I was up 20-18 double
match point in the fourth, Tung deuced it. But then he missed a kill, and with the ad, I served
and snapped in an edge-of-the-racket, knuckleball, fast loop down the line and won my first
tournament in almost two years. How sweet it is!
Results of the Popcorn Festival Open, played
Sept. 4-5 at the Valparaiso, IN High School Gym, codirected by Yoshio Fushimi and Bill Hornyak, and
sponsored by the local paper, the Vidette-Messenger.
Results: Open Championship: Scott Butler over
Richard Hicks. Scott told reporter Mark Kavanaugh
that in Japan he trained a .lot, working mostly on leg
strength and footwork. As for training at home, the
14-year-old ninth-grader said, First, I have to get my
homework done, then my dad and I practice. We try
to have a lot of fun but still get in some hard work.
Womens Championship: Grace Wasielewsli over
Connie Evans. Open Doubles: Scott/Jim Butler over
Wayne Wasielewski/Joe Yoon. Mixed Doubles:
Wasielewskis over Richard/Norma Hicks.
As: W. Wasieleski over Yoon. Bs: Clyde Cauthen over Ross Sanders in five. Cs:
Guenther Schroeder over Gary Blakely. Ds: Yat Eng over Hank Poppe. Es: Kim Farrow over
Burke ONeill. Beginners: Leon Volk over Marshall Whalley.
Handicap: J. Butler over S. Butler. U-3000 Doubles: Poppe/Chris
Bonesteel over Brewer/Terry Elkins in five. Esquires: Hugh
Shorey over Hornyak, Seniors: Hicks over Shorey. Boys U-17:
J. Butler over David Keep. Girls U-17: Kathy Ann Gates over
Valerie Stiller. Boys U-15: J. Butler over Jim Uddin, def. Girls U15: Gates over
Janine Schroeder.
Boys U-13: Uddin
over Dennis Hwang.
Girls U-13:
Schroeder over
Christine Stiller.
Boys U-11: John
Christine Stiller
Elwood over
Photo by Mal Anderson
Hwang. Girls U-11:
Schroeder over Lori
Janine Schneider
Somaty.
Photo by Mal Anderson
452

Congratulations to Louisiana Open Tournament DirectorsPower Poon, Tom Baudry,

Charles Hoyt, and Mel Douglas. Their 90-entry tournament, played Sept. 25-26 at Baton
Rouge, offered $900 in prize money and 46 beautiful plaques. Results: Open Singles: Roberto
Byles ($200) over 15-year-old Ed Poon in a -13, 22, -21, 19, 19 quarters match, then over
runner-up Chinese Coach Wang Fuzheng, 19, -19, -14, 19, 17. Power tells us (TTT, Dec.,
1982, 16) that Wang, who was in town to coach the Baton Rouge Club, hadnt entered a
tournament in more than 10 years. He plays a traditional Chinese penholder style with a
controlled block and a powerful forehand. He was leading 2-1 in games and 16-13 in the
fourth. But his lack of tournament stamina got him into trouble toward the end of that fourth
game when his shoulder started to tightenand he eventually lost the match in five. Homer
Brown finished third after ousting 4th seed Tarek Zohdi. Homer, playing his usual lob and chop
game, was not only exciting to watch, but he also aroused the crowd with his sometimes funny
motions and humorous but not offensive remarks. Mark Morris, 4th-Place finisher, was a
$100 richer by defeating Allen Cornelius who had upset 3rd-seed Ernie Byles in an early
round.
Results: Open Doubles: Byles brothers, -15, 14, 16, -20, 19, over E. Poon/Zohdi
whod advanced over Brown/Wang, -18, 20, 19. Womens: Pigool Kulcharnpises (later Peggy
Rosen) over Rita Thomas. Mixed Doubles: E. Byles/Kulcharnpises over R. Byles/Sarka Dura.
As: E. Poon over Allen Barth whod won the Arkansas Razorback Mens event two weeks
before over Randy Levy. A Doubles:
Roland Schilhab/Levy over R. Byles/
Bob Canup. Bs: Barth over Levy. B
Doubles: Levy/Canup over Kelly/
Moghrabi whod escaped Ricky Bellow/
Shanks, 20, 19. Cs: Mel Evans, deuce
in the 3rd, over Don Geese whod
eliminated Malcolm Latour. Es: Bud
Caughman over Teah Duncan. Novice:
Frank Richard over Terry Canup, 18 in
the 3rd. Handicap: James Schiro over
Brian Zoppe, 19 in the 3rd. Seniors:
Poon over Hoyt. U-17: E. Poon over
Alex Poon. U-13: Eric Owens over S.
Wen.
Eric Owens
At the Sept. 25-26 Northern
Photo by
Virginia Open in McLean, Larry Hodges
Mal Anderson
said that the most dynamic match in the
Championship event saw the rackettwirling, anti-toting Dave Sakai up 20-16 quadruple-match-point on Sean ONeill. But
thenBang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!...Sean looped in six straight winners! Seans
final with Kumar started just minutes after his comeback against Dave, and he was still hot.
Taking an 11-1 first-game lead, Sean simply over-powered the ex-Indian National. Keeping it
up, he built a 20-16 lead in the second, only to have Kumar deuce it. But a serve and loop-kill
gave Sean the ad, and one last smash won him the match, the title and $150 in cash. Tom
Wintrich says, Sean shows the most promise of our players and should probably live in
Sweden for at least six months of the year.
453

Heres Ty Kauss coverage (TTT, Dec.,

1982, 4) of the First World Championships
for the Disabled:
Mike Dempsey of Saratoga, CA spearheaded the U.S. Team of 14 men and women to the First World Wheelchair Table
Tennis Tournament in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England in late Sept.-early Oct.
Dempsey won the gold medal in his Division (Class 4: the least disabled group),
then topped that by winning the World Championship in the Open event.
With over half of the U.S. Team never having competed internationally, this tournament, with 200 competitors from 15 nations, was an enormously useful
learning experience, especially for our Teams novice members. Heres
the complete roster of the 1982 Team: MENKen Brooks (NJ), Mike
Dempsey (CA), Stuart Jacobs (NY), Tyler Kaus (NY), Bart McNichol
(NY), Ed Morrison (NY), Elliott Schloss (NY), and Skip Wilkins (VA).
WOMENJan Elix (CA), Jackie DiLorenzo (NY), Diane Kobilca
(NY), Ruth Rosenbaum (NJ), Deborah Schwab (NY), and Pam Stewart
(NJ). CAPTAINSy Bloom (NY). HEAD COACHJim Beckford
(NY). ASST. COACHChris Lehman (NJ). ESCORTSSharon
Brooks (NJ), Daphne Wilkins (VA).
In addition to Dempseys two golds, we managed to win five
other medals. Jan Elix took a silver in Womens Class 1A Quadriplegic
Singles. Jan and Ruth Rosenbaum won silvers in Womens Class 1B
Quadriplegic Teams. And Bart McNichol and Ken Brooks received
bronzes in Mens Class IB Quadriplegic Teams.
Competition was universally fierce and many of us were imTy Kaus
pressed with the extremely high level of play exhibited by the European
Photo by
William Scheltema
players. We all returned to the States with renewed enthusiasm and
determination to improve our techniques to prepare for the next world
competition at the 1984 Olympics in Illinois (first time ever in the U.S.) and the Second World
Wheelchair Table Tennis Tournament in 1986 in Australia.
The Open final pitted Dempsey against Austrias Altendorfer, the Class 2 World Champion. The first game was largely a pushing duel with the Austrian pushing a little bit better than
Mike for a 21-19 win.
The second game was almost a carbon copy of the first, was again close at 17-all.
Altendorfer had been pointing his racket defiantly at Dempsey after winning several of the
hardest-fought points. But Mikes characteristic intensity, determination, and consummate skill
won out, as he took four of the next six points to even the match.
The third and final game was a different story altogether. Mike came alive and buried the
Austrian with a succession of beautifully executed and deceptive angled pushes. He constantly
flipped and twirled his Mark V/Sriver Killer combination bat, forcing Altendorfer into error after
error. Suddenly, amazingly, the score was 20-3. Then Dempsey uncorked three of his awesome
forehand kills that had helped him win dozens of National and International Championships. He
missed the first two, but the third went rocketing in, a tremendous smash that sailed far into the
spectator seats. And now Mike Dempsey, the worlds premier wheelchair table tennis player for
nearly ten years, has gotten even more recognition as being the one and only Number One.
454

Chapter Thirty-Two
1982: October Tournaments.
In covering the Oct.16-17 Paddle Palace Fall Open, Jay Crystal (TTT, Dec., 1982, 14)
writes only of the Open Singles, and he begins by covering the quarters. First up: Apichart
Sears vs. Bob Mandel. Bob hadnt been playing much, as his opening score of 7 would attest
to. But then, mixing up the pace, he began floating in super-dead chops that Sears couldnt put
awaythus, 22-20 Mandel. Third game: Sears again, 21-17. Fourth game, shouting and
stomping, Mandel, 21-16. In the fifth, its Sears turn? Yep, he remains calm while Bobs
bouncing around the clubwins 21-11 and advances to the semis.
The last time Alaska-based
Errol Resek, 1982 Arctic Games
Singles and Doubles Champion,
came to Portland for a tournament
he lost three straight to Judy Hoarfrost. It looked like Errol could
Errol Resek
counter backhands all day, so, like
Photo by
last time, Judy tried hard to step
Mal Anderson
around to kill her forehand. But
Errol was too steady, too containing
for her, and won 21-12 in the 4th.
Mark Walsh took the first from Kita Saburo, but the well-disciplined Japanese continued to spin his left-handed loops across the table for an easy win.
Last quarters: Bryan Wright vs. Adnan Alawami, a University of Oregon student in
Eugene. Adnan has a good left-handed spin and kill gameso good, in fact, that he beat
Bryan deuce in the 3rd in the Friday night money tournament. On Saturday, though, in the U2100s, Bryan won over Alawami, 19 in the 3rd. And, no surprise, it was that close in their
quarters match toodeuce in the 5th. Bryan looked like the only one in the tournament who
could convincingly put the ball away, but he always tries such unreal shots that his percentage
is always low. This time he finished just over .500 with a quick cross-court block and an all but
invisible loop kill that skidded in for the winner. He then did an exhausted Borg-like drop-tohis-knees, hands-raised-in-triumph finish.
In the one semis, a refreshed Sears put his steady block to work against Saburo Kita.
In the other, Resek served fast dead balls that Wright too often missed. Down 2-0 and behind
18-17 in the third, Bryan suddenly let loose a burp that rattled the windows. The crowd went
wildonly Bryan couldnt win another point. He should have held it in.
In the first game of the final, the backhand exchanges between Resek and Sears
looked like a drill. Sears won it at 18. In the second, Sears quickly found out there was no way
he could lob down Errols off-the-bounce kills. So, more up-to-the-table countering, and,
though Sears was down 20-18, he won that game too. In the third, Resek changed tactics.
Instead of waiting for Sears to loop the first ball, he started turning and spinning one or two
soft loops then stepped over and killed to the corners. This produced a change of momentumgame to Errol, 21-16. In the fourth, it looked to be all overSears was up 16-7. But
Errol, with a great comeback, won that game, 21-19. And, hey, if 16-7 wasnt a big enough
lead, how could Sears win the fifth up 17-12? Thats righthe couldnt.
455

Peter Antkowiaks (3rd annual) $2,170 Harvard Open, held Oct. 22-24 in the Corona,
CA High School Gym, drew 160 players. Womens Singles winner was the Los Angeles-based
Korean star Jin Na, -20, 20, 11, 16, over Angelita Rosal Sistrunk, who at least had the consolation of teaming with Scott Boggan for a come-from-behind win in the Mixed Doubles.
(Down 19-10 in the 3rd to a-not-too-serious Danny Seemiller and Sheila ODougherty, they
rallied to win 10 in a row.) As a house guest, the Freudian story goes, Scott sleep-walked not
into mother Angies but Angies mothers bed.
The Mens Singles went to Dannythough hed been down 2-0 to pips-out penholder
Jae Ho Song of the Korean TTA in the U.S. Club. In fact, Danny, whose discomfort from a
recent pulled groin-muscle comes and goes, twice looked all but finished. Down 6-2 in the 3rd,
he was fortunate to get those off-and-running points back early. Then, after winning that stayalive game, he was down 15-8 in the 4that which point he relentlessly began scoring, again
and again looping in six or seven balls until he produced a winner that delighted the spectators
and turned the match around for him.
In the Mens semis, oh, what a prize-money drop there was for 3rd and 4th Place. No
wonder Marty Doss, sporting a paunch, and the aging Bernie Bukiet were still battling it outwhat
need had Marty to even think of being a Mens semifinalist if, incredible, he could win more money
in the Seniors. On one side of the draw, Song had Boggan down 20-17 in the firstonly to see
Scott get five in a row. But, after that, Boggan seemed to rely solely on his flat-hitting, refused to
loop a ball, and Song stayed in strong control. On the other side of the draw, Seemiller, up 2-0 on
Attila Malek, got too passive and lost the third. I just played dumb, said Danny. You cant win
unless you do something. But although Danny didnt think Attila was as steady as he was a couple
of years ago when he was playing in more tournaments, he was down 19-17 in the fourth to him.
Good thing for Seemiller he had the serve at the end.
But it was in the final against the 24-year-old Song that Danny was really extended.
One thing that helped him quite a bit, though, was a third-game change in strategy. Since the
Korean-Americans pips-out serves had a lot of spin on them, and since he had an excellent
follow-up put-away, Danny decided to chop back Songs serves. Chop non-defensively high
(like a tennis chisel shot), then exercise the option of chopping again or immediately come
table-ward (as in tennis one would come to the net). This slowed Song up a bit, for he began
rolling the chop and so gave Danny more maneuvering time.
Actually, said 28-year-old Danny, Ive been working on my defense more. I want to
become an all-around player. If I chop correctlythat is, not merely passivelyIll get more
opportunities to loop when my opponents not ready to. Meantime, he said, rightfully pleased
with his gutsy $600 win, hed worked as hard in that match against Song as hed ever
workedwhich Im sure Id heard him say before, and was sure Id hear him say again.
Other Results: Mens Doubles: Seemiller/Boggan over Choi/ Song, -19, 14, 16, 18.
U-2200: Doss over Ching Shyne Wu, 10, -20, -15, 20, 15. U-2100: V. Hoa Nguyen over Se
Kwan Oh. U-2000: Phil Moon over Loc Ngo. U-1900: Tom McEvoy over Leon Ruderman in
five. U-1850: Rudy Kennedy over Stevan Rodriguez. U-1800: Ed Hu over Mohammad
Tagavi, from down 2-0, 19 in the 5th. U-1750: Hanna Butler over Chi Ngo. U-1700: Mark
Wedred over Jim Yee, 16, 25, -19, 11. U-1650: El Bakhit over Jackie Chui. U-1600: Tagavi
over Kevin Blatchford in five. U-1500: Blatchford over Allen Blyth. U-1400: Steven Slaback
over Wilfredo Escobar. U-1300: Slaback over Escobar. U-1200: Gary Prideax over Stan
Frisbee. U-1100: A. Abeyta over Frisbee. Novice: Abeyta over Sam Farah. Hard Rubber:
Boggan over Ricky Guillen. (Ricky, Ray, and Ruben Guillens father recently passed away.
456

Hed helped his wife Ruth run the Hollywood Club for many years and his friendly presence
will be missed.) Esquires: Richard Badger over Rudy Hartman. Juniors: Vitaly Glozman
over Chi Ngo. (Rudy Kovin was given a beautiful plaque for his outstanding service as a
volunteer umpire at many tournaments.)

The $2,870 (7th

annual) Nissen Open,
under the ever-watchful eye of U.S. Team
Captain Houshang
Bozorgzadeh, continues to be one of the
mainstays keeping the
L-R: U.S. Team Captain and Nissen Open Tournament Director Houshang
mid-west fall tournaBozorgzadeh; third-place finisher Rey Domingo; Champion Danny Seemiller,
ment ship afloat. But
holding the John Stillions Memorial Trophy; Runner-up Scott Boggan;
whats thisheavy
Fourth-place Finisher Brandon Olson; and Sponsor George Nissen.
seas in inland Cedar
Photo by Ellie Bozorgzadeh
Rapidsunrealonly
76 entries (down an unexplainable 50 from last year). Despite the weekend date being accidentally omitted in Topics, since 2,500 entry blanks were sent out, everyone knew about the
tournament, knew too that Houshang always did his best to please the players. But whatever
the explanation (the Toronto CNE Open the month before also had a big drop in entries), the
quality of the Nissen Open traditionally remained.
Working hard to set up the Coe College Gym, and to (much too leisurely) run off the
matches, were George Bovis, John Hinde, Paul Lewis, and Dean Cardand naturally they deserve
everyones thanks, as does Mal Anderson for helping to
make the draws and for umpiring key matches. Most
importantly, Houshang saw to it that the final round robin
Open matches, and the Womens Singles and the Mens
Doubles finals were all run off, as mid-afternoon scheduled, for representatives of the three TV channels and five
major newspapers covering the tournament.
No surprise of course that in the Open Danny
Seemiller, Scott Boggan, and Rey Domingo were
playing for most of the prize money. Nor was it exactly
unexpected that they were joined by (2218-rated)
Brandon Olson, who in the quarters had prevailed over
(2238) Scott Butler in fivethough later in leftover
Sunday afternoon matches young Scott would straightgame Brandon away in both the As and Under 21s.
Olson, however, did split the 1st-Place Hard Bat prize
Scott Butler
money with Boggan and Bozorgzadeh.
Photo by Mal Anderson
457

Certainly, except for that one loss to Brandon, steady Scott righted all in his favor this
tournament by downing a definitely continuing-to-improve Mike Kim, deuce in the fourth in
the semis of the As, and 18 in the 4th in the semis of the Under 21s. Scott, who also beat
Ardith then Gene Lonnon in the U-17s, made $275 in prize money here, while brother Jimmy,
who twice beat fellow Iowan Dhiren Narotam to take home or someplace two more Junior
trophies, made $0.
Among those
hoping to make a buck
were loveable George
Lowi. It was he who
quite successfully, as
opposed to Jimmy, was
doing all the cursing and
yelling in their Class B
quarters money match.
Then, continuing his
advance, George escaped Bob Fox, 15, -17,
Mitch Seidenfeld
George Lowi
-20, 19, 18. Meanwhile,
Photo by Mal Anderson
Photo by Mal Anderson
English major (and
Swinburne expert if ever I saw one) Mitch Seidenfeld more or less hid from and so avoided a
loss to an imposing David Barnes. However, in the final, it was lowering Lowi over the menaced Mitch. Cs went to Derek Dylag who rallied from down 2-0 to defeat Don Dyer. Ds to
Muthiah Nachiappan over Janet Szeto. Mens Novice to Champak Narotam. (The Champ,
Dhirens dad, may not have played a tournament for a while, but he was no novice.). Womens
Novice to Karen Thompson over Linda Wertz.
Though Tim Boggan (2078) couldnt begin to spot Handicap winner Bob Fox (1841) a
mere 9 points, he couldnt much complain. He beat Bill Hornyak in the Seniors, but teamed
with himindefatigable old boys they were, each must have played 25-30 matches this
weekendto take the A Doubles, beating Todd Petersen and Paul
Lykke, 19 in the 3rd, then Wayne and Grace Wasielewski. Ben
Nisbethad he cause for complaint? Just before he was to leave on
the long drive to Cedar Rapids, someone had found his racket hed
left at a local library and he was able to pick it up. But for all the good
it did him, it could have stayed in the library.
Who won the Womens? Though Sheila ODougherty had a
stiff neck from her long car ride here, and though she lost a tough 13,
-20, -19 match to Mark Kennedy in the Open, she did win the $120
first prize in the Womens from Ardith Lonnon. In pairing again with
her National Sports Festival partner Scott Boggan, Ardith astonished
not only Seemiller and ODougherty but everyone watching the final
of the Mixed by outright back-to-back hitting in two of Dannys
serves late in the final game to greatly help her team win the 1st-Place
money.
Prize moneythat naturally was what the four round robin
semifinalists, Danny, Scott, Rey, and Brandon, were after. Perhaps,
Sheila ODougherty
458

after top seeds Danny and Scotts two-car caravan from Pittsburgh had taxed the travelers
for16 hours, in part through the dark and rain that included a nights missed sleep (Thursday
11:00 p.m. to Friday 3:00 p.m.), they (and Ben Nisbet who relieved them with some of the
driving) would not be at their best?
First off was Danny with an easy, unchallenging warm-up match against Brandon.
Then it was Boggan and Domingo. Luckily for Rey, he was being helped by a sponsor or two
whod picked up his air-fare all the way from New York to Cedar Rapids. And since hes in the
habit of playing five days a week at the New York Chinatown Club he was relaxed and ready.
As for Scott, in the
last ten months hed had
the greatest table tennis
success of his life. Hed left
his isolation ward on Long
Island, had gone to Pittsburgh to attend Ricky
Seemillers wedding and to
practice with Dannyfor
Danny trains only with
Ricky or Scott or a comparably strong player. Two
hour-long sessions of hard,
unrelieved practicejust
that each daydoes wonders for my game, said
Scott, who after being
Sheryl Ann and Richard David SeemillerOct. 1, 1982
away from any regimen
Photo by Tom Wintrich
(except for his ten days at
the NSF) since his return from Germany, has more and more felt the need for a course of
action he could see some point to. Here, in Cedar Rapids his course was clear, the point
obvious: he needed the money, so he too was ready.
Against Domingo, after winning the first and having the ad in the second, Scott lost
that game and, along with his momentum, the third as well. (SPIN IT! hed yell on taking
the wrong kill.) However, down 2-1 in games, Boggan began varying his serves and, fist-up,
jogging round the court, got himself winningly back into the (19, -21, -17, 19, 18) match. Said
Rey, the disappointed loser, It wasnt Scotts kills but his slow hits and placements that
bothered me mostthey mixed up my timing.
Far from being discouraged, however, Domingo promptly went out and won the first
two games (19, 19) from Danny. One explanation for this is that three or four months ago Rey
decided on a new stay-up-at-the-table style. Im not going back so much any more, hed said
a little defensivelyas if already he could hear the groans of his fans in the East who, even if
he loses, want to be entertained by his remarkable recoveries.
But though Rey said he wanted to get Danny three straight, and though at one point
in that close-for-a-while third game Danny, back chopping, looked scared, looked as
though he were going to cry, Rey could not put him away. Danny, as he often has in the past,
rallied to come back a winnerand not necessarily because of his strong game but his strong
heart.
459

Meanwhile, Boggan was having what you certainly would not call a routine time with
Olson, who again and again was showing more point-making ability than had been usual for
him. Not only was Brandons backhand flick sharper than ever, but even if his one ball didnt
get through, his forehand was there with a point-winning follow. Scott later said he was
surprised at how well Brandon played in the fifth. I was playing my 2450-2500 game, said
Scottso you can judge for yourself from his 19-in-the-5th loss how deceptive Brandons
2218 rating is.
The final between Boggan and Seemiller was an anticlimax for both players. Danny,
who would soon be going to California for his West Coast Coaching Clinic and (like Scott) to
play in Peter Antkowiaks Harvard Open, began by sloppily letting the first game get away
from him, lost concentration at the error-filled end. But Scott did not use his remaining energy
to just play steadily. As Danny Robbins in Scotts corner pointed out to me, Seemiller hadnt
the strength to zing anything in, but when hed loop the ball to Boggans forehand, Scott
would more often than not miss an undisciplined counter. Down 2-1, Boggan got it to 15-all in
the fourthbut could get no closer. As one longtime observer said, Seemiller won this
tournament on his reputation.
Anyway, $670 for Danny, $422.50 for Scottand westward ho.
Millie Shahian (TTT, Dec., 1982, 18), in covering the Illinois Fall Open, begins by
expressing her gratitude to three players who gave her some money (This is for luck).
Millies not mentioning the names of her benefactors, but, she says, If you take a bus in
Chicago, he may be driving. If you want to buy a used car (youll love it), hes your man. If
you need fine dentures (theyll make you look younger), hes the third sweetheart.
She also has a message for Neal Fox. Neal, I like you a lotyour wife is the
pleasantest around, and no one enjoys your rating system more. But does everyone have
trouble making rating corrections, or is it just me? Thanks, Wayne [Wasielewski], for being so
patient.
Results: Mens: 1. Wayne Wasielewski, 2-1 (d.
Dragozetic, 3-0; d. Cauthen, 3-0; lost toWang, 2-3the
rallies were interminable). 2. Bob Dragozetic, 2-1 (d.
Wang, 3-1 (including two deuce games); d. Cauthen 3-0;
(lost to Wasielewski, 0-3). Bob had eliminated Mark
Kraut. 3. Spencer Wang, 1-2 (d. Wasielewski, 3-2; d.
Cauthen, 3-1; lost to Dragozetic, 1-3). Earlier Spencer
had advanced over Hugh
Wayne
Shorey, 3-2. 4. Clyde
Wasielewski
Cauthen, 0-3. Earlier, Clyde
had upset Joe Yoon. U2100s: Final: Wasielewski
over Shorey. R.R. I: 1.
Wasielewski. 2. Kraut R.R.
II: 1. Shorey, 1-1 (d. Wang, 2-1; lost to Dragozetic, 1-2. 2.
Dragozetic (d. Shorey, 2-1; lost to Wang, 1-2). 3. Wang (d.
Dragozetic, 2-1; lost to Shorey, 1-2. Tie-break of 2-1 match
scores determined by games won and lost.
U-1900: Spencer, having seen a 200-point increase in his
rating
after
taking two lessons from Jim Lazarus, over Grace
Jim Lazarus
460

Wasielewski. U-1750: 1-1 tie-breaker produced the following order: 1. Neena Patel (d. Giblon;
lost to Cauthen) 2. Andrew Giblon (d. Cauthen; lost to Patel). Clyde Cauthen (d. Patel; lost to
Giblon). Giblon, newly arrived from Canada, is studying in Chicago. U-1700: Norm Brown,
most improved player of the year, over Patel. U-1500: 1. C. Bhattal. 2. Giblon. U-1400:
Brad Balmer over Harold Holzer. U-1300: Christian Holzer over Gary Grossman in three
tough games. It was cute to see Gary on losing this heartbreaker consoled on both sideson
one side by his father (who also played in this event), and on the other by his girlfriend.
Handicap: Giblon over Peter Herman.
Mike Bortner in covering the Oct. 2nd Memphis City Championships
(TTT, Dec., 1982, 16) congratulates the new Champion, Robert Chamoun,
who (7-0) ran through the field undefeated. Runner-up was Jerry Harris
(6-1) and for much of his play, No matter where the opponent placed the
ball, Jerry was there to slam it home. Defending Champion Allen Barth
came third. But despite having a lingering cold, Allen still had enough
stamina in our finishing game to outlast me, 28-26. Denis Fritchie, playing his all-out Jimmy
Connors spirited kind of game, was fourth. Fifth: showman Hugh Lax. Whenever Hugh
played, the people at the Memphis Mall momentarily forgot about shopping and watched his
lobbing techniques and acrobatic efforts around the playing area. I was sixth. Kenny Gordon,
the lowest-rated player to advance out of the pre-lims, was seventh. And Rodney Dickman,
his mobility hampered by weak knees, was eighth. Of course Chamoun/Barth won the
Doubles. But Dickman and newcomer Ben Adler pulled the upset of the day, defeating Lax
and Fritchie in the semis.
Time now for Bill and Liz
Bill and Liz
Hornyaks (4th annual) Michigan City,
Hornyak
INs $7,575 Duneland All-American
Pro-Am. Except for the Nationals,
this is the countrys most prestigious
prize-money eventone that did not just
happen, but came about because the
Hornyaks, not content to rest on their laurels,
have at considerable expense year after year,
gradually increased their purse.
The Duneland is both a Closed, in that
only those who live in the U.S. (and not, say,
Canada) are eligible to play in it (hence AllAmerican, and an Open, in that, though there
are only trophies for some of the lower-rated
amateur events, an Olympic-minded amateur, engaging in competition against a professional, could win and accept (though not outright but through the USTTA) the $1,000 Mens
Open 1st Prize (hence Pro-Am).
In a season thats seen some falling off of competition, this 30-table tournament, held
as usual Halloween weekend (Oct. 30-31) in the comfortable Rogers High School gym complex, drew a satisfying 236 entries in 32 events. Thanks should go not only to the Hornyaks
but to Yosh Fushimi (who just recently ran his own very successful Popcorn Festival tourney),
Gene Foltz, Hank and Martine Poppe, and George Lowi (oops, no, sorry, not Georgehe
usually helps as well as he plays, but somehow this year his entry was overlooked, got carried
461

away by a witch on a broomstick, and, when the Tournament Committee decided he couldnt
play, he didnt think he could wear the called for, never-mind-of-course-Ill-help-you mask.
Other helpers: Terry Elins, Phil Skwist, Jim Merrel, Jim Dixon, Richard Hicks,
Houshang Bozorgzadeh, Steve Hornyak, Bruce McGee, and last but not least George Brewer.
George, maybe as a reward from Divine Providence for setting up that downstairs main gym
all by himself, not only won the U-3000 Doubles with regular partner Jim Wiegand (over
Robinson/ Goesle) but saw the both of them get a page-wide headline, pic, and Red Griggs
story in the home-town News-Dispatch the Monday after the tournament.
Mens Open favorites Danny Seemiller and Scott Boggan (who along with Angelita
Rosal Sistrunk had flown in at their own expense from California) were on Pro-Am handbut
North American Champ Eric Boggan had commitments to his Angby Club in Sweden and
couldnt defend his title. Still, the Howard Johnson tournament hotel marquee did say, Welcome Seemillers and Boggans (of course I was there). At the restaurant next door, I got
another little surprisewas startled to find myself about to be questionedMay I help you?
This was a Roman Catholic priestor, oh, the maitre d in disguise.
Alright, Open entries, you all ready to start? Why, oh why, said more than one topseeded player, do I have to go through this devils exercise? Play began at 9:00 Saturday
morning with roughly 85 entries ($15 for an adult, $10 for a junior) seeded and placed into 16
round robins. Players who came in first or second in these 2/3 game matches would advance to
the final 32 of the drawthough that actual draw would considerably minimize upsets, for it
would not be predicated on whether a player came first or second in his or her round robin but
on the rating that player came into the tournament with.
In other words, whether a top player lost a match or not, hed lost nothing in terms of
his position to win prize money. Hed just stood out there and gone through the motions so
that later some weak-to-middlin players could say theyd played the shadow of a champion.
For the players placed 16-32, however, they at least earned $25what I, for example (rated
2082) received for beating not Dell Sweeris but a 1925 player and for not losing to anyone
1703 or under. So what was ordinarily first-round boring became 1-2-3-4 rounds of witchcraft
torture for my son Scott, say, who thought seriously about just defaulting his last match.
Really, did not the format use the U.S.s best players? Where else in the world and in what
other sport could such an undignified thing happen?
Actually, as it turned out, only one of the original 32 seeded and placed players failed
to qualifySheila ODougherty. Sheila beat Homer Brown whod won over $700 on that 24player Southern Mall Circuit this summer, but was upset by Chicagos 1956-rated Minh Quang
Lam, whom hustling Homer had no problem with. So, since Mike Kim was 5-0 in this bracket,
the three-way tie for second was broken, and Homer advanced with Mike.
I just cant conceive how an adult who can keep the ball in play could lose to Jimmy
Butler, said one onlooker. But Jimmy almost won a position in the round of 32. Never mind
that young Butler took a game from taken unawares 2383 Sean ONeill (who in another
surprise would go 19 in the 3rd with recent Atlanta winner 2124 Pandit Dean). What was
important was Jimmys deuce-in-the-3rd win over Dean. Only then, what happened shouldnt
happen to such an 11-year-old. Jimmy lost to Chicagos unrated sleeper, Derek Dylag, both the
Class C winner (over Niloufer Neena Patel) and the Class B runner-up (to Spencer Wang).
So Pandits 8-4 in games gave him the second spot over Jimmys 8-5.
There were three other talked-about upsetsthough in all three he who was upset
advanced. Simon Shtofmahker, who only the week before had returned to the tournament
462

scene after not playing for four months (disc trouble had put him into a hospital), beat 2336 George
Brathwaite, Senior Champ over George Hendry and Dick Hicks. Recently married 2108 Paul
Pashuku did it to Perry Schwartzberg. Said Perry, I look at the prize money here in the Class
events, see that the winner in the Triple As gets more than the semifinalist in the Open, see that the
winner in the Double As gets more than the semifinalist in the Open, calculate that, with all these
matches to run off, the best players will still be here tomorrow night to turn out the lights, and will
again have to suffer the table conditions (Dont you see how the ball sticks, just doesnt bounce
here?), I can only conclude that nothing may ever change in this sport.
Perhaps the biggest upset was registered by 2143 Bobby Powellbless them, his
wifes pregnantover (a what did it really matter?) 2418 Ricky Seemiller who hadnt played a
serious match since returning from his honeymoon in Hawaii. And where, by the way, was
Sheryl? Oh, she was a fast learner. Why should I come to tournaments? shed said to Ricky.
Youre the only one I care about watchingand you play about two matches a day.
So, o.k., now that the 32 qualifiers
were decided, there was only one upset in the
16ths2169 Dick Hicks outlasted 2237
Brandon Olson in five. But though Brandon,
Under 21 runner-up over Scott Butler to Sean
ONeill, may not have been eating his Breakfast of Champions this weekend, he said his
dad had gotten together so many cereal
coupons that Brandon has been able to fly to
Dick Hicks
tournaments here, there, and everywhere
Photo by
from Washington, D.C. to the West Coast.
Mal Anderson
Meanwhile, Hicks rice-crispies himself staying
in Indiana, winning state title after state title.
Challenged in the round of 32 was
Chicagos Mike Kim whod lost the first two games at deuce to me, Tim. Then, after taking a
10-2 lead in the fifth, he was again delayed at 12-all before eventually coasting home. Nice try,
Timold, fat, and slow you may be, but youre still a hell of a player. Came second to that
boyish Over 50 winner, George Hendry, didnt you?
In the eighths, there was only one upset2246 Scott Butler beat Sweeris in straight
games. Dells giving more attention now to his running than to table tennis? Two weeks earlier
hed completed a 26-mile marathon. Just to finish takes a lot out of you, he said. Yeahthe
more so if, after 25 miles, you got a cramp as he did. But with wife Connie driving the car
alongside and Todd and Shellie half out of the window rooting him on, he finished in the very
respectable time of three hours and 50 minutes. In his ending run here at the Rogers gym,
though, he could not 23-21 shake off steady Scott at the third-game finish line.
There were two four-game matches in the round of 16: (1) Scott Boggan over Mike
Kim, and (2) B.K. Arunkumar over the mid-fortyish Hicks. Dick, runner-up to Brathwaite in
the Seniors, gave the former Indian National, whos beaten every good player in the country
hes played, save Danny Seemiller, a 1-1 in games, strong, patient fight, but after losing the
third at 18 could no longer stay in the match.
The quarters of course were for the moneybut before I talk about them and the
semifinal round robin matches that remain, let me say at least a few words about what had or
would be happening in the other events.
463

Dhiren Narotam, Under 1500

runner-up in the Ds, won the Boys
Under 11 over Dennis Hwang and came
second to Jimmy Butler in the Boys
Under 13Jimmy tigerishly ripping
apart, 0 and 2, some forever-unrated kid
in off the street for just this one event.
Since Sean, Scott, and Brandon werent
interested in any more trophies, Jimmy
also won the 17s over Spencer Wang, 8,
6, in the semis and Chris Holzer in the
final. Yet against that same Wang, or
rather the one that won the Bs, Jimmy
lost the Boys Under 15.
Ardith
Lonnon

Dennis Hwang
Photo by Mal Anderson

In the Girls Under 11, Martha Gates had an easy

time with Nicole Mantel. But balancing that match,
Michelle Mantel took down Linda Kay Gates in both
the Under 13s and 15s. The Girls Under 17 went to
Ardith Lonnon who stopped both Kathy Ann and
Linda Kay Gates. Ardith thinks shes got enough
stamina now, and so no longer feels the need to do a
1,000 jump-ropes a day? Also, a deft deuce-in-the3rd win here in the 17s for Tennessees Rita Thomas
over Linda. Maybe, if Larry Thomans got anything
to say about it, well be seeing Rita in the Womens
Team Trials in Vegas?
In the Womens Singles, the seven straight-game
eighths scores were anything but competitive: 7, 7;

17, 15; 13, 11; 9, 13; 10, 14; 4, 6; 8, 6.

And in the quarters, though Neena Patel extended Sheila ODougherty to 19 in the
first, only one match was really in doubt. Ardith Lonnon
Angelita Rosal
eeked out a 20, -21, 19 win over 1971 U.S. Open
Sistrunk
Womens Singles Champ Connie Sweeris. Earlier this
Photo by Neal Fox
year in the U.S. vs. Canada Team Matches at the CNE,
Connie had beaten Becky McKnight, 1982 U.S. Open
Girls Under 17 Champ over Ardith. But although
Lonnon is obviously improving, she was as yet no match
for Angelita Rosal Sistrunk. Nor could Takako
Trenholme throw a Halloween scare into Sheila in the
other semi.
At least the final was a 19, -17, 18, 16 moneysworth of a fight. But while Sheilas playing more forcefully now than she had in the past, Angelitas game is still
a little too strong for her. Said her Mixed Doubles
partner Scott Boggan (they lost in the final to Danny and
Sheila), Angies the only one at this tournament, man or
464

woman, who uses her pips right. She goes down on the ball, cracks it with her backhand, gets
underspin on the exchange. In other words, emphasized Scott, she really knows what shes
doingabsolutely won a game from me in the Open fair and square.
Results of the Lower-Rated events: Wiebke Freube did
what no other woman did: won three events: Class D (Over
Dhiren Narotam), E (over Phil Orcutt) and Womens Novice (over
Shellie Sweeris). Shellies brother Todd won a feisty -19, 23, 10
match from Chicagos Con Cunningham before losing to
Beginners winner Bernie Borah. Bernie, in turn, lost in the first
round of the Mens Novice to Imants Karklis, a name that goes as
far back as Sweeris into the Grand Rapids past. Good to see you
returning after your illness, Imantsbut as the Tournament
Committee rightly decided, since you look and feel your old self,
you aint no novice. Winner in this event was Chris Holzer over
Dennis Hwang. Handicap Champ was Harold Holzer over Eric
Cougill.
Though not faring so well in the Handicap, Ernie Bauer
won a series of close matches in the Over 60s before losing in the
final to George Hendry. And spinning and smashing to a solid
victory in the Senior As was (I dont like Polish jokes) Joe
Bujalski. Joe was just too much for veteran poet Norm Schless,
even after Norm had 34-32 in the 3rd gotten by Fort Waynes Mad
Future Olympian
Max Salisbury and his dreaded brought-to-the-table bat-bag of
Todd Sweeris
whats it gonna be?trick or (let-me-win) treat.
Photo by Mal Anderson
Winning the As with his very aggressive anti-loop play
was Decaturs Jim Schnorf over St. Pauls Gene Lonnon who earlier had prevailed over
Torsten Pawlowski, 23-21 in the 3rd. (Torsten, however, had a nice win over Jim Dixon in the
Triple As.) Two big upsets in the As were Lee Ross over Hugh Shorey, 26-24 in the 3rd, and
Rich DeWitt over Jimmy Butler.
Young Butler capped his play this tournament by defeating both Barry Dattel and Gene
Lonnon in the Double As. The final of this event was one of the most suspenseful matches of
the weekendwith Ben Nisbet finally edging out Bobby Powell, 21, -16, -20, 8, 22. Their
play was characterized by such weak serve returns that Ben didnt block one of Bobbys loops
on the tableuntil the last point. For the first time it seems Bens starting to get the cap-andgown hang of combining his studies at the University of Pittsburgh with his serious table tennis
play. He says hes majoring in business and something else. Engineering and Computer
Science, he feels, are just too impersonal. Meanwhile, hes quite sensibly hoping to get gym
credit for competing in tournaments round the country.
In the semis of the Triple As, Dave Sakai had no tormenting problem with Randy
Seemiller, while Scott Butler downed Perry Schwartzberg. The ball stays low on these
tables, Perry kept insisting, so he always had the unsolvable problem of getting the ball up so
he could get it back down again without repeatedly hitting long. In winning the final, Dave
said he followed a tip given him some months ago by Eric Boggan (the master to his apprentice was the way Dave put it). Eric said that in opening with his anti Dave had to be sure to
keep the ball low to the net. Doesnt sound like much maybe, but against Scott, said Dave, it
made the difference.
465

Now for the Open quarters matches. Against Danny Seemiller, Sean ONeill had, for
an initial moment or two, a very good chance. He wasnt at all uncomfortable with Dannys
anti, for hed played week after week in Virginia and Maryland against Dave and Brian Masters. (In mid-Oct., Sean lost a final in Maryland to Dave, but in mid-Dec. in Virginia just
before the U.S. Closed, hed win a final from him. In late Oct. in Virginia, Sean lost a final to
Arunkumar, but beat Masters. On Nov. 13th in Maryland, though hed come second to Ricky
Seemiller, he would again beat Masters. But then just a week later in Virginia, Sean would lose
a final to Brian.) Against Danny here in the quarters, Sean was at 1-1 in games and up 12-6 in
the 3rd, then up 13-9 in the 4th, but quickly lost both leads and the match. It was clear at the
end of their play, though, that Seans aggressive serves, his fast loops wide to the forehand,
and his competitive temperament had given Danny trouble. Most of all, Sean was almost
shouting that in no way would he ever be intimidated by Danny.
Against Schwartzberg, Scott Boggan, in winning in four, said he played a little too
soft, particularly in the second game; but he also said from under his new James Dean haircut
that it was the safest, most sensible way to obtain his objectiveplay for the money. No sense
risking shots, he said, when he was sure he could beat Perry on the exchange.
Also advancing to the final round robin was the Indian, B.K. Arunkumar, whod
straight-game outsteadied N.Y.s Brathwaite. The Chief too had had a long drive here and
back.
The quarters match between Scott Butler and Ricky Seemiller was by far the most
exciting. Said Ricky at the outset of the tournament, shortly before he was beaten by Powell in
the pre-lims, Six training camps Id been involved in this summer, so it was really getting hard
to keep my mind on playing. I needed that vacation in Hawaii cause I was getting burnt out.
Now Im ready for a fresh start.
Maybe sobut after winning the first, he lost the next two at deuce (first from 20-18
down, then from 20-16 upthe ball goes crazy on these tables; he said, you lose your
confidence). Down 2-1 in games and 6-0 in the fourth, Ricky, looping ball after ball into the
net, looked anything but fresh.
Cmon, Ricky, said Danny, trying to cheer him
Ricky
on from the sidelines, You gotta bring it up now.
Seemiller
But then, when down 10-2 it had begun to look
hopeless, Ricky said he suddenly found a weakness
in Scotts serve return. He began giving Butler
backhand serves to his mid-forehand and Scott
didnt know whether to take them backhand or
forehand. Then, Ricky said, he varied them straight
down the line to Butlers forehand and Scott didnt
seem to know what to do with those either. As a
result, Ricky quickly caught Scott at 15-all and won
it at 18. Then in the fifth with Ricky up 17-11 it
looked to be all overbut Scott, who though he
sometimes appears to have given up really hasnt,
crept up to 17-16 before Ricky got a net and then
secured the match.
Although in the round robin finals Ricky won a game from both Danny and Kumar, it
was clear not only from these final matches but from his earlier ones that two weeks of post466

honeymoon practice had not been enough to get him in shape to be a 1st-Place contender.
However, after his last match with Scott Boggan, where hed been down 20-9 in the fifth and
had won seven points in a row, prompting for a moment smiles from both players, Ricky could
say with at least some seriousness that if he hadnt been hitting the ball over and over again on
the edge of his racket he might have won the tournament.
Actually,
though, it was
Scott (after
15 games, he
was to come
third) who
had much
more of a
chance to win
and was
continually at
the center of
the action.
This was the
first time hed
played
Scott Boggan (with new haircut)
B.K. Arunkumar
Koomie (as
Photo by Mal Anderson
Photo by Mal Anderson
he kept
calling his
pick-up doubles partnerthey were to lose decisively to the Seemillers in the final). But,
though Boggan said he didnt have any problem reading the Indians spin, he admitted too that
he hadnt played a chopper since he was in Germany in February, and was having problems
with his flat hit.
Not only did Boggan lose the first game at deuce, but in the third, with the score tied
at 19-all, Kumar caught Scott off guard with a daring serve and perfect down-the-line follow.
This was the turning point of the match, for Kumar won that close game too. Scott fought
back. But then, up 4-2 in the 5th, he netted a serve return and promptly lost another half-dozen
points in succession. End of match.
Afterwards, Kumar, ever the sportsman, spoke of Scotts unpredictable game, of his
enviable ability to deceptively change the direction of his shots. Most of the time he took me
by surprise, said Kumar. Id never played someone like him. Then, matter-of-factly, he
added, But I knew if I were steady, Id have a good chance.
After losing to Kumar in five, Scott was still in a marvelous position to win the tournament. Why was that? Because against Danny hed won the first two games at deuce and was
now up 16-14 in the third. Should he beat Danny three straight, the standings after two rounds
would be Scott 5-3, Danny 3-4, Kumar 6-3, and Ricky 2-6with Danny yet to play Kumar
(whom hed never lost to) and Scott to play Ricky (whom he was an odds-on favorite to beat).
Assuming, then, that Danny would finish Kumar in three, four, or (highly unlikely) five games,
Dannys record would then be 6-4, 6-5, or 6-6, while Kumars would be 6-6, 7-6, or 8-6all
of which would mean that, so long as Scott beat Ricky, even in five, he was still, at 8-5, a lock
for the $1,000.
467

But did Boggan win that third game from 16-14? He did not. For though he had
Seemiller back from the table in deep trouble, Danny stooped to conquer, managed miraculously to anti-chop a return back around the net postthe single most important shot of the
tournamentand won the point. Scott, shaken, then served off. And now Danny, who earlier
had been telling me how more and more he wanted to incorporate more defense into his game,
survivedat least for the moment.
Why was Danny having such a struggle with Scott? Well, though Danny loops well
against the exchange, if you can spin against him and get him to block or chop passively (for
Danny cant loop a ball against the loop), you should beat him. Moreover, as one would-be
aficionado said, Scott is often a risky, all or nothing player, and so can be very dangerous.
But it wasnt just Scott whod had Danny in trouble recently. This was the third tournament in a row that Seemiller had been down 2-0. The others? Rey Domingo at the Nissen
Open, and Jae Ho Song at the Harvard Open. Could he pull this one out too? In the fourth
game, at 14-12 Danny, the umpire called a Letwhich Scott, who would have won the
point, questioned as a late call. When he stopped play and asked Danny what he thought,
Danny (to a round of appreciative applause from the spectators) agreed that the point should
be Scotts. In a moment then it was 15-all with Seemiller serving. At this point Scott tried to
loop in a succession of Dannys servesmissed them all and lost the game. Whether this
instinct or strategy was right or wrong its perhaps difficult to say, but certainly Scott wasnt
supposed to safely pattern-push returns for Danny to loop.
Now, with this two-game turnabout, the question was, going into the fifth, could Scott,
as well as Danny, still win the tournament? The best Scott could do now, even if he were to
beat Ricky three straight, was 8-5. It would take that and Danny beating Kumar in five for
Scott to win outrightso he still
had a chance. But then Danny, up
5-3, chopped, Scott pushed the
return, and Danny pick-looped it
for the point. After that, it was all
over. And now Seemiller would go
on to beat Kumar in four. So,
though Danny was again all but
knocked out, he again came from
behind to win still another tournamentwhat eventually would be
part of a rosary-bead string of wins
in a row. Clearly, his remarkable
competitiveness, his faith in self,
had not, after 10 years at the
mountain top, deserted himand
very likely it never would.
Duneland All-American Champion Danny Seemiller

468

Chapter Thirty-Three
1982: Nov.-Dec. Tournaments. 1982: USOTCs.
Jake Ristle, a not-too-disguised alias, reports (TTT, Dec., 1982, 14) on the outcome
of the Nov. 6th Northwest Regional Team Trials and the Nov. 7th Richland, WA Open Singles
final, held in concert at the Richland Community Center. Jake, er, Jay and Dean Doyle were a
mite excitable in their Trial matches. After losing the first game to Doyle, Crystal rebounded,
began to yell and leap with each important point, and virtually exploded with jubilation after
taking the match. Against Sears, Dean is lobbing, sliding, diving. At one point, after a drop
shot that will bring Dean in, Sears wipes a bit of sweat off the table with his free hand. Hey!
What are you doing? shouts Dean. Thats my point! Hes right, the ball was still in playbut
an argument ensues. The tension erupts.
To be carried over in next
Richland Open Winner
days Open? Well, not
Apichart Sears
between Doyle and CrysPhoto by Don Gunn
talthey won the Doubles
over Sears/Bahman Hadi,
then over Bob Mandel/
Pham. When Dean beat Jay
three straight in the Singles,
that set up a return SearsDoyle match. Would Dean
win again? After eight
months of running a club,
Doyles defensive game is
Dean Doyle
goodspectacular, ceiling-scraping,
begins to look tired
deep, side-spinning lobsbut not good
Photo by Robert Compton
enough to get through Sears on these
slow-bouncing Richland tables. Dean
begins to look tired after the second
game. He has oozing scabs on both knees
from diving after shots all weekend..This
time Sears wins in four in a tough, clean battle.
At the $1,500 90-entry Nittaku Open, held Nov. 6-7 in Sacramento (TTT, Jan.,
1983, 22), four major TV stations covered the play, and four local newspaper and
magazine representatives were on hand taking interviews and pictures. The Sacramento
Chamber of Commerce presented the Korean Team with friendship awards and guides
to the city. Over 400 spectators were on hand to watch the exciting matches.
Foremost among these was the Open final between Californias best player, Jae Ho
Song, from the Korean TTA in Los Angeles, and the current U.S. Champion Scott Boggan.
With Songs lightning close-to-the-table counter-attacking style, and Boggans mixture of
loops, hits, and blocks, the match progressed to 2-0 Song before Scott really started to score
points. But though the audience wanted Scott to win the third game so the contested play
could continue, he lost it at deuce. Spectators also witnessed a beautiful match for the third
and fourth place Open Singles prizes between Duc Luu and Quang Do (later Richard
469

Doverman). Duc and Quang were

formerly #1 and #2 players in Vietnam.
Quang Dos win over Duc Luu was
impressive, especially since Duc was the
only player to have taken a game from
Open winner Song. Womens Singles
went to Angelita Rosal Sistrunk who,
playing well, beat Kyong Mee Choi in
the semis, 8, -17, -12, 27, 19 (some
fourth game, huh?), and Jin Na in the
Quang Do (a.k.a. Richard Doverman)
final in four.
Photo by Mal Anderson
Winners at the Nov. 13-14
Montclair Fall Open: Open Singles: Final: Jae Ho Song
over Scott Boggan. Semis: Song over Marty Doss;
Boggan over C.S. Wu. Open Doubles: Song/S.K. Oh, 2422 in the 4th, over Jerry Fleischhacker/Mas Hashimoto
whod knocked out Boggan/Stevan Rodriguez in five. U2100: Mark Kennedy over Phil Moon. U-2000: Moon
over Leon Ruderman. U-1900: Harold Kopper over M.
Tagavi. U-1800: Gayle Wickerd, 18 in the 5th, over Tibor
Racz whod stopped Hanna Butler, 19 in the 3rd. U-1700:
Tagavi over Larry Blankenship. U-1600: Tagavi over
Kerry Vandaveer, deuce in the 3rd, then over Jeff Ellis. U1500: Gary Rideaux over Gina Butler. U-1200: Paul E.
Thompson over G. Butler. Draw Doubles: Vitaly Glozman/
Tran over Warren Totten/ Prideaux. Hard Rubber: Mark
Kennedy over Harold Kopper. Seniors: Don Ayers over
Wickerd, -18, 26, 15, then over Ruderman. Juniors:
Gina Butler
Rodriguez over H. Butler.
Photo by Mal Anderson
Results from the Nov. 6 Bethany, OK Y Open: Open
Singles: Trent LeForce over Leroy Land. A: Tony Chan over Jay Herod. B: Richie Crawford
over Randy Kiser. C: Gary Miller over David Johnson. U-1700: A: Crawford over Peter Luna.
B: David Johndrow over Loy Lockwood. C: Tim Hassen over Dung Tri Ngo. U-1100: A:
Hassen over David Welch. B: Rodney Berryhill over Virginia Cheng.
C: William Durham over Herb Pilgrim. Doubles: A: Thomas/
Lockwood over Jamie Skidmore/Herod. B: ? C: Hassen/Trevor
Scantling over Jason Mullenix/Johnson.
Winners at the Nov. 13th Salina/Smoky Hill 600
Closed: Open Singles: 1. Parviz Mojaverian. 2. Brian
Thomas. 3. Roland Rittmaster. (Russell Finley couldnt
defend his Open Championship because of a wrist operation.) Womens: Mrs. Lanny Ko over Angy Hong. As:
Larry Conlon over Don Haskard. A Doubles: Arlen Zimmer/Henry Jin
over Jonathon Paretsky/Khosro Darroudi. Bs: Bob Tretheway over
Dave Libby. B Doubles: K. Moosavi/S.B. Gokhale over Herb Kaplin/
Carl Miller. Cs: Gokhale over Ko. C Doubles: Miller/Philip Miner
Parviz Mojaverian
470

over Rittmaster/Seong Jin. Ds: Ko over Miner. Es: Herschel Herring over Boyd Childers.
Fs: Charles Fredgren over Bob Alumbaugh.
Larry Thoman, in covering (TTT, Jan., 1983,
24) the Turkey Day Open, played Nov. 27th at the
new Fortune Club in Nashville, TN, draws a parallel
between his continuing rivalry with Scott Leamon
and the longtime football rivalry between the
University of Tennessee in Knoxville and
Vanderbilt University in Nashvillea parallel made clear when
you realize that Scotts a UT student and Larrys a Vandy supporter. And, wouldnt you know it, just about the same time the
Vandy fans were tearing down the goalposts in 28-21 triumph,
Thoman was finally, finally, just getting by Leamon in the fifth.
Moreover, in the final of the Open Doubles, fellow Fortune Club
Larry Thoman
members Homer Brown and Henry Chan added insult to injury by
defeating the highly favored team of Leamon and Dave Abbott (another UT student) whod 22, 16, 13, 19 challenged Larry in the Singles semis.
Thomans win did not come easily. He took the first game mostly because of an
incredible number of nets and edges, which seemed to demoralize Leamon and give Thoman
an It must be my day type of confidence. The second game started off with the over-confident Thoman lobbing and chopping Leamon down. However, there were loose balls to be
foundand Scott began hitting them in. In fact, Leamon controlled the last half of the second
game and all of the third to take a 2-1 lead. In the fourth, sensing hed begun playing too much
defense, Larry stayed up to the table and counter-drove his way to a 21-19 win. Then in the
fifth he rallied from 19-16 down to come out a 24-22 winner. To celebrate his victory, Larry
ate a big orange for breakfast the next morning.
Other Results: As: Final R.R.: 1. Homer Brown, 1-1/3-2. 2. Mitch Stephens, 1-1/2-2.
3. Henry Chan, 1-1/2-3. Henry (rated 1781) upset Homer (2025), but lost to triple amputee
Mitch. Bs: Chan over Stephens. Cs: Randy McCracken over Dan Newcomb. Ds: Jerry
Lovern over Steve Hersey. Es: Lovern over Denis Rountree. Novice: Lovern over Rountree.
Beginners: Jerry Lane over Tom McGrath. Esquires: Neil Holloway over Everett Henry.
Seniors: Holloway over Henry. Juniors: Rita Thomas over Jon Priode.
Duke Stogner (TTT, Feb., 1983, 23) covers the Statehouse Invitational, held Nov. 20th
in the main exhibit hall during the Grand Opening weekend of Little Rocks brand new
Excelsior Hotel and statehouse Convention Center. It was a Friday through Sunday open-tothe-public celebration that attracted literally thousands. In the 62,000 sq. ft. Governors
Exhibit Hall there were around 300 exhibitors, and we ran the tournament on Saturday on four
tables right in the middle of it all. Many thanks to all who made the tournament a success. And
a special thanks to my lovely wife Dottie for her continued support; and to the very capable
worker, umpire, and tournament referee Dee Pollan. God bless all.
Results: Winners Bracket: Final: William Hall over John Vancura, 20, -15, 19. Losers
Bracket: 3rd Place: Eric Barlund over Paul Hadfield.
We also learned from Duke (TTT, Feb., 1983, 24) who the years Arkansas State
Champions were. In the first quarters of the Championship Singles, William Hall had unexpected problems with the States #1 junior, Tony Thomason. Thomason felt that the turning
point occurred when he gave some words of encouragement to Hall at one point in their match
471

when Hall seemed to feel down and defeated. Those words brought a smile to Halls face and
eventually he won the five-game match. [Friendship First, Competition Second?]
In the next quarters, even though former #1 Senior in Arkansas, Sammy Peters (rated
1732), hadnt played but maybe once or twice since August, his game against John Vancura
(1805) sure didnt show it. Besides being very good at using his combination Anti Power and
Wallie, Peters is a fighter. He wins in four.
Paul Hadfield, whos playing the third quarters match against League teammate Andy
Bloxom, usually brings three rackets out to the table when he playstwo combis and one
inverted. Bloxom uses only a single combination racket., but that was enough for him, along
with his consistent push-block-chop game, to take the match, 3-0.
In the last quarters, it was Stogner against the 16-year-old lefty, Eric Barland, currently rated 1510 going on 1700. Barland had won the U-17 Mixed Doubles with Pam Bruton,
finished second in the 15s to Jon Self, and second again with K.D. Bruton in the U-17
Doubles to Self and Tony Thomason. With Barlund leading 2-1, I, having won the Hard
Rubber event over Hall, and the Seniors over Peters, got out my Hard Rubber racket which
Eric hates with a passion. However, Barlund didnt show signs of frustration but stayed cool,
kept his confidence and self-control, won the match, 17 in the 5th, and advanced to the final
four.
In the semifinal round robin, Barland finished last, while the other three ended up in a
three-way tie. Hall beat Bloxom; Bloxom beat Peters; and Peters beat Hall. When you counted
the games, though, Hall was at 5-2, Bloxom at 4-2, and Peters at 4-3.
This was Halls third 1st Place finish in our last three tournaments and he
still holds the States #1 ranking. It wasnt too long ago Hall almost
gave up playing. But he came back and has had his best year so far
won the 1982 Arkansas Superstars Championship and so represented
our state at the U.S. Open last June in Detroit, won his first State
Closed Championship, obtained his highest national rating, 1868, which
is the all-time second highest in Arkansas. But, best of all, he became a
William Hall
Born Again Christian.
Also having his best tournament so far was 15-year-old Jon Self. In addition to the
wins Id mentioned before, he won the Student Singles (thats the
overall State Junior title). Even though Self has only been playing
competitively for a year now, his defensive style is improving fast.
Add to that his attacking ability and you have a very versatile competitor.
Duke thanks Referee Dee Pollan, Barbara Thomason, and, as
always, my lovely wife and daughter, Dottie and Malinda, for making
the tournament a success.
Results of the Nov. 20th Mississippi Gulf Coast Open: Open
Singles: Ed Poon, the current Louisiana Closed Singles and (with his
dad Power) Doubles Champion, over Malcolm Latour. Open Doubles:
Herb Bennet/Richard Fung-a-Fat over Will Hunn/Malcolm Strehle.
As: Al Weaver over Bob Guillot. (The 1982 Louisiana Closed A
Champ is Ralph Spratt.) Bs: Guillot over Mike Wetzel whod outlasted
Warren McNeil, -14, 24, 21. Novice: Willard Stafford over Tom Tran.
Keith LaFrance (1992)
Handicap: Stafford over Jaime Mayz. Consolations: Keith LaFrance over Photo by Mike Wetzel
472

Johnny Billy. Seniors: Tom Baudry over Guillot. U-17: Alex Poon
over James Schiro. Juniors: Tran over Bobby Davis.
Yvonne Kronlage has started a $7,000 Howard County Circuit
of 10 tournaments. At every tournament therell be $500 in cash prizes
[sic] plus other awards. Cumulative Circuit points will be given at each
tournament to the first eight finishers in the Open and Handicap
events. At Circuits end, the eight players whove accumulated the
most points will receive prize money, the top point-getter $1,000.
After the Dec. 4-5 Howard County Open at Columbia, MD,
the top contenders in the Circuit point standing were: 1. Sean ONeill
(42 points). 2. Brian Masters (32 points). 3. Dave Sakai (31 points). 4.
Phil Van Dusen (27 points). 5. Ricky Seemiller (24 points). 6. Barry
Dattel (20 points).
In covering this just-prior-to-the-U.S. Closed Circuit stop, Yvonne
Tom Baudry
writes (TTT, Jan., 1983, 25), The fact that money was given for all prizes
was unusual, for generally such awards as silver, watches, clocks, and
other merchandise are given [Yvonne had obviously changed her mind about $500 in cash prizes
every tournament]. But since this tournament was held near Christmas-time I was sure money
would be welcome and over $500 was distributed to the various winners and runner-ups.
Results: Open Singles: Final R.R. 1. Sean ONeill, 3-0 (d.
Seemiller (-18, 15, 10; d. Masters; d. Dattel). 2. Brian Masters, 21 (d. Seemiller; d. Dattel). 3. Ricky Seemiller, 1-2 (d. Dattel). 4.
Barry Dattel, 0-3. U-2200: 1. Don Yabiku, 8-0. 2. Dattel, 7-1. 3.
Alan Fendrick, 5-3. 4. Marty Theil, 4-4/10-8. 5. Yvonne Kronlage,
4-4/8-11). U-1800: John Wetzler. 2. Joe Hall. U-1400: 1. Horst
Zodrow. 2. Frank Lubsey. Handicap: Dattel over Van Dusen. U1800 Handicap: Daris Albright over Selwyn Persaud. Seniors:
Theil over Carl Kronlage.
Marty
Alan Fendrick, writing on the Oct. 16-17 Circuit stop (TTT,
Theil
Nov., 1982, 19), had this little human interest story to tell about
the saga of his and Barry Dattels trip to that Columbia, MD
tournament:
Both of us live in New Jersey, three hours away from Columbia. We were scheduled to meet at a 7/11 store near my house and
then drive down together. However, Barry took a wrong exit on the New Jersey Turnpike and
ended up at another 7/11. He finally made it to the correct 7/11, but by this time I had returned
home to see if hed called and had then myself driven off to Maryland, hoping (no chance) to
meet him along the way. Barry, meanwhile, had called my home and had then himself left for
Maryland, hoping (no chance) to meet me along the way.
Well, surprise, 40 minutes later I found Barry driving down the Turnpike, and seeing
one another we pulled over. As I was getting out of my car I pressed down the lock on my
door. Why I did that Ill never know, because no sooner did I get out to stretch my legs than
Barry closed the door. Locked my keys in there, WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING.
So what happened then?...Oh, never mind. [WHAT! This is the best part.] Enough to say
that this little-scene-in-the-nightmare eventually ended and we continued on our circuitous way.
473

At the Nov. 13th Westfield Open, Fendrick (TTT, Dec., 1982, 21) had another story to tell:
After Id completed a
match in an early afternoon
event, the tournament
Referee, Bob Barns, called
me over. He said,
Footstamping on the serve
is illegal and will not be
Bob Bar
tolerated.
If I see you
ns
footstamp again, Ill default
you. Needless to say, I was quite surprised
and questioned whether he had the right to
do that. He assured me that he did and that
he would. His attitude surprised me since
Ive never had an ounce of trouble and I
know Bob personally as a fellow member of
our Westfield Club. One question that
comes to my mind first is this: Why did Bob
let me conclude that match before warning
me about the footstamp? Anyway, I realized
Alan Fendrick, left (or his partner Jim McQueen?),
that it was useless to argue with Bob, so I
never gave any official an ounce of trouble.
dropped the subject and hoped nothing
would come of it.
Approximately four hours later I was playing a match in the A event. I high-tossed my
serve (the motion I often stamp on)[though Alan doesnt use an anti side that can be detected by the ear]and the point was played out. Immediately after the point ended, Mr.
Barns walked into the court and informed me I was defaulted for footstamping. I was utterly
amazed. For starters I didnt even recall footstamping. My opponent, who had not even heard
the footstamp, argued with Mr. Barns while I went for a brief walk. When I came back, several
people were arguing over the incident and Mr. Barnss defense was as follows. He felt that
footstamping was a detriment to the sport. Therefore he felt he had the right to disqualify me.
He thought he had been very fair in giving me a warning, and, as far as he was concerned, the
matter was closed. Since Ive only been playing a year, I didnt have a thorough enough
knowledge of the rules to argue with him.
The footstamp is a totally unconscious part of my service motion, just like swinging my arm back. However, in a small sense that is irrelevant. The bottom line is, Does
Bob Barns have the right to judge for himself what is detrimental to the sport, and then
act as he sees fit? At this rate, what judgments could he create? Ive always believed that
matches should be won at the table, not in the Referees chair. The function of the Referee
should be to enforce already existing rules, not to create new ones as he sees fit. I still
would like to know what rule I was disqualified under. I think that Bob Barns, though
legally qualified, is not a competent Referee or umpire.My opinion is that his umpire
certification should be revoked. Id also like to request that the New Jersey TTC please
refund me the $5 entry fee that I paid for this event. I do not feel that justice has been
served.
474

I, Tim,
arrived at the Dec.
11-12 Westfield
tournament on
Saturday, the 11th
and was greeted, as
it were, by an
unsigned Position
Paper circulating
round that repeated
Bob Barnss arguments hed used
against Fendrick
the month before.
Eric Boggan
Eric Boggan, a
footstamper, whod entered the Open
event on Sunday was therefore a prime
target. After a discussion with Westfield
officials, I went home and wrote a countering Position Paper for Eric and on
Sunday presented that to these same
officials. Heres what it said:

Englands young international Carl Prean

deception is part of his game

There is no ITTF or USTTA rule against

footstamping per se either on the serve or
during the rally. Footstamping has been used (for at least 11 years, since the 1971 World Championships) by competitor after competitor in the most prestigious tournaments in the world.
In Erics opinion, and in the opinion of other aficionados, it is an integral and morally
defensible part of his gameand is used, in this new age of technology, both strategically and
as part of his complete stroke. He has used it so over a long period of time.
To say that Eric cant footstamp as he would like to (as Referee Bob Barnss unsigned
position paper of yesterday does say) is to unfairly deprive Eric of his full strength as a player.
This is, of course, a very serious matter, for, unlike Bob Barns or anyone else at this tournament, Eric is a professional and makes his living at the sportthe $200 or more he could
reasonably be expected to make here represents a significant days work for him.
Eric disagrees strongly with Referee Bob Barnss subjective interpretation and application of the rules in the USTTAs Referee and Umpires Manual regarding his habit of
footstamping. More, though, he finds completely unreasonable, even unconscionable (as do
others, even some officials responsible for or connected with his appointment as Referee for
this tournament), Mr. Barnss unsigned position paper of yesterday that a player be disqualified
for footstamping. Specifically, Eric argues, that his longtime practice of footstamping has
become both a conscious and an unconscious act, and is thus not totally subject to his control,
even if he wanted to control it.
So, o.k., how resolve amicably, family-like, this huge difference of opinion (which will
be argued at length in the next, and perhaps next after that, issue of Topics as it already has
been argued there and elsewhere round the world)?
Photo by Mal Anderson

475

Bob Barns and some of the officers of the NJTTC and I, representing Eric, met yesterday and worked out a compromise for this tournament only. It is that Eric will try hard not to
footstamp (unless, and Bob Barns agrees), its a natural consequence of moving to make a
shot). Bob, in turn, providing he sees repeated instances of Erics goodwill in this regard, will
not threaten to disqualify him (that is, via his position paper of yesterday, formally warn him)
should Eric on limited occasions forget and footstamp.
As most of you know, Eric is the best internationalist this country has produced in
a quarter of a century and has had far more experience with world-class table tennis than
Bob Barns. But as he is preparing very hard now, both physically and mentally for what
financially is the most important tournament of the year to him or any other U.S. professional, the upcoming U.S. Closed, he does not want to have any hassles. He just wants to
play, and hopes that the players and spectators will enjoy watching him play as they have
all over the world.
In the future, though, he certainly hopes to persuade officials everywhere that Bob
Barnss Position Paper of yesterday is much too extremeis, in fact, both unreasonable and
inhospitable.
This compromise was accepted by all partiesand Eric played without incident.
Results: Open Singles: Eric Boggan over Mike Bush, -21, 16, 13, 17, then over the
Nov. Westfield Champ Rey Domingo whod (playfully?) prevailed over Fu-lap Lee, 10, -21, 7,
-19, 10. Womens: Jasmine Wang over Ai-ju Wu. Open Doubles: Boggan/Domingo split the
prize money with
Bush/Enoch Green.
As: Steven Mo over
Ben Nisbet whod
advanced over Dave
Shapiro. A Doubles:
Bill Sharpe/Barry
Dattel over Mo/
Vicky Wong, deuce
in the 3rd. Bs: Andy
Diaz over Peter
Dunn whod 20, 18,
-20, 18 eliminated
Bruce Hvasta,
reported to be the
first U.S. player to
experiment with
long pips back in the
Dave Shapiro, wife Denise, and son Brian
70s. Cs: Don
Peters over Ai-ju
Wu. C Doubles: Alan Fendrick/Mike Kuklakis over George Holz/George Hellerman. Ds:
Fendrick over Billy Lipton whod prevailed over Mel Maxwell, 19 in the 3rd. Es: ? Fs:
Pat Pierre-Jerome over Dave Perry. Esquires: Tim Boggan over Sharpe. U-21: Brian
Eisner 19 in the 4th over Peters whod eliminated Fendrick, 19 in the 3rd. U-17: Vicky
Wong over Wang.
476

Players, officials, and guests pose for an official photo at NYCs Chinatown Rec Center
Photo by Harry Frazer

Under the sponsorship of the Chase Manhattan Bank, and with the help of Ken Cheng,
Chairman and Patron of the New York City Chinatown Recreation Center (CRC), the $2,020
(1st annual) Chinatown Open was held Nov. 6-7 before perhaps the largest group of spectators
in the CRCs history.
The tournament management team of Doon Wong, Ray Chan, Hing Wong, Andy Diaz,
Pak Lam, Leroy Smith, and a non-playing George Cameron, among others, moved the large
two-day draw as best they could. Following the late Sunday afternoon featured matches and
the picture-taking ceremonies, a number of players, officials, and their guests were treated to a
marvelous banquet at the popular Grand Fortune restaurant on Canal Street. From these tables
everybody came away a winner.
In an early Open eighths match of interest, young Steven Mo, with the home-court
advantage (his favorite practice is playing games for sodas with resident Master Alex Tam),
seemed that he might upset Lim Ming Chui. But he got off to bad start in the fifth and was
down 16-9. Only then, Ming, on missing a snap hit, looked in anguishand perhaps with
divine reason, for though Steven missed an outright hanger he soon brought the score to 1715. Ming steadied, however, and Steven, who seems to me a little slow of foot for one otherwise so good, had to settle for the $50 he got for coming 2nd in the U-2200s to Richard Ling
King Kwong.
Also in the eighths, Fu-lap Lee, U-17 winner over H.S. Cheng (how nice to get $50
instead of a trophy, huh, Fu-lapnot too corrupting, I trust), had Eyal Adini 19-13 in the 3rd,
but then just pushed ball after ball and was himself knocked for a loop. Adinis a very smart
477

player, Fu-lap said. On crucial points, he spins, attacksotherwise, he doesnt. According

to the Israelis computer, his record is now 4-1 over Lee. So, Fu-lap, I said, you think
Adinis a very smart player. What, since your ratings higher and yet you keep losing to him,
does that make you? A very stupid player, said Fu-lap good-humoredly.
In another eighths match of more than routine interest, George The Chief
Brathwaite, Senior Champ over Doon Wong, had a little trouble with unrated Rohit Turkhud
whod downed Adini in an early round in the U-2200s. Rohits recently come from Bombay
to Philadelphia to practice with Enoch Green and to get a Masters in Law at the University of
Pennsylvania (though not necessarily in that order).
Also, in the eighths, Robert Earle came back and forth from Barbados, as it were, to
advance over Richard (King KwongKing Kong?) Ling.
Dominant in the U-2200s Ling was though. He beat K.C. Liangboth the U-2050
winner over Alice Green, and, forget the ratings in Chinatown, U-1900 semifinalist to William
Yeh, runner-up to Man-ling Shum. He beat Turkhud, who used to play in junior tournaments
in India with Arunkumar. And he beat Mo. In the semis, Richards anti-sided serves bothered
Turkhud and allowed Ling to aggressively prevail in five. No, the Indian didnt wear those offcourt gloves when he playedthough perhaps perennial observer Joe Greene, that celebrated
aficionado known the world over as The Phantom, from the vantage point of his very special
chair had, with upraised hand and moist mustache, urged him to do so. In the final, Richard,
having often practiced with Mo, knew exactly what he had to do to winhit more than he did
against Turkhud.. This he did and the extra effort brought him the $100 first prize.
The U-1750s went to Rafael Alcala over Jasmine Wang, U-15 winner over Vicky
Wong and Rajiv Dosi. The U-1500s to Frankie Fong over W.K. Eng. And the U-1350s to
K.C. Chiu over Arvo Hytinnen.
Three of the four Open quarters matches were easily decided: Rey Domingo over Adini;
Ricky Seemiller over Brathwaite; and Danny Seemiller over Chui. Domingo was predictably playful
and acrobatic; Ricky all serious and sportsman-like; and Danny just kind of relaxed.
I try now not to put so much importance on any one point or any one game, Danny
was telling mejust turn it on when I have to. About this time he was readying himself to
play Chui, and when later I asked Ming how itd gone, it turned out that hed had Danny 2016 in the 1st. Id made up my mind to hit in that last point, said Mingthen at the last
minute I changed my strategy. Suddenly it seemed more reasonablea surer way to win,
reallyto block Danny down. But, as Ming has so often discovered, as he keeps telling wife
and family, Reason is not the be-all and end-all. In short, you dont have to have a Ph.D. to
know he lost three straight.
In the one quarters match that was strongly contested, Perry Schwartzbergdown 20 and 14-12 in the 3rd to Robert Earlewas literally bouncing his racket up and down the
court walls in frustration. But then, strange, he went on to play enough controlled points to
eventually get by Robert in five. I couldnt believe after all that racketor racquetballPerry
could win that third game, said Fu-lap, as if, after seeing an example of such a ridiculous
thing, hed learned something.
As for Robert, whos occasionally shown a little temper himself, he took his loss quite
wellno big deal. After all, this was just a warm-up for his Greater New York Table Tennis
League play beginning this coming week.
Before going on to the Open semis, Ill do a little balancing actdevote my attention
to the Womens play. In the one semis, there was just a touch of emotionwell, o.k. a little
478

more than thatbeing shown in the match, or rather after it, between Flora Ng and Vicky
Wong, whod upset Ai-ju Wu in the quarters.
Why the warm words? Because after Flora and Vicky had played (as the match card
had indicated) a 2/3-game match and Flora had won two straight, it was pointed out not only
by former World Mixed Doubles Champion, Chou En-lai intimate, and longtime USTTA
Historian, Miss Ping Neuberger, that Flora had won thanks to her coaching, but by someone
else that in the other semis the players had played (as the entry blank had indicated) the
requisite 3/5-game match.
So now what to do? Should Flora and Vicky continue play or shouldnt they? This
was an even more difficult question to resolve than the proper seeding for the Open. Finally,
after Flora had been adamant with anger at the suggestion she replay a clearly-understoodbetween-the-players 2/3-game match shed already won, and Vicky was tearfully feeling the
burden of self and all those carrying on, someone somewhere made a decision, popular or
unpopular, that the match be replayed
Whereupon Flora, still adamant though being threatened now with a default, became
even more vocally upset; Vicky even more tearful.
Finally, finally, wiser heads did something (cited a Confucian Ode or two?) and got
Flora and Vicky back out to the tablewhere Flora, down 19-16 in what was now the third
game, rallied to indisputably win this match for all recorded time, and the little hysteria of it all
subsided.
And the other, forgotten Womens semis? Alice Green was temperamentally perfect, a
model figure, and beat Ai-wen Wu quite undramatically. Ai-wen was said to be out of practice,
for though she and her sister Ai-ju had spent their fourth-straight summer vacation in Taiwan,
this time they were unchaperoned. Its never as much fun with your parents, they said
smiling, as if now they not only understood but were themselves capable of making up a
nightclub joke. No, I dont think they spent most of their time at a table tennis camp.
Still, in practice or not, Ai-wen had earlier diminished Shazzi Felsteins image of self as
a playerat least as a player before 12 unexpectedly arriving relatives who, dreamy with
anticipation (Weve always heard Shazzi is such a good player), had stayed to see her
through the nightmare of action.
Observing the final between Alice and Flora was 10-time U.S. Open Mens Champion
Dick Miles whod been selling off, via a Topics ad, sheets of top-quality Japanese-factory
rubber hed accumulated. Of course Dick knew that, at this point in time anyway, Alice was
the better player and so was not surprised to see her win in straight games. But he did say that
loser Flora had classic strokesexcept that she kept her non-playing, balancing hand much
too low. In fact, said Dick, the only time she brings that hand up is when nervously she
brushes her hair.
Alright, back now to the semis of the Open where coaches might want to take note of
how in one semis CRC resident Rey Domingo was just too straight-game much for Ricky
Seemiller, who was still not back to playing his normal pre-honeymoon-in-lazy-Hawaii game.
Or of how in the other semis Schwartzberg, his racket-head quite intact, was forcing Danny
into the fifth. Perry, who of course knew the Seemiller game as well as anyone in the country,
had again come up from Texas to share a house in Pittsburgh with Danny and friends.
Speaking of how he likes to alternate going to school with playing serious table tennis,
Perry said, If I get too much of either, I lose respect for my studies or the sport, and I start to
do things by rote. But if I vary my attention I constantly get a new perspective on both. So
479

every time I come back to playing seriously I feel more alive and my game changes. (So does
his major?)
Whether, without such a variable, Dannys game changes, is maybe not so clear. Hed
just flown in from winning a tournament in Columbus, Ohio and now prior to the start of his
final with Domingo had been lying on a bench in the curtained-off locker room. When it came
time to play, though, he was soon grunting and jumping his way to a surprisingly easy victoryas if he, or Rey, had forgotten, or remembered, their recent five-game match at the
Nissen Open.
So, another tournament for Seemiller. In losing games but winning matches this fall,
Danny had consistently shownthis Chase Manhattan-sponsored Chinatown Open was his 7th
straight U.S. victorythat so far it had been a very bankable season.
Competition from afar this
year at the U.S. Open Team
Championships, held Nov. 2628 at Cobo Hall under the able
direction of Bob Beatty and
his Detroit TTC. From the
beginning there was a surprise in store for the Mens field. Heres USTTA International Chair
George Gus Kennedy to explain (TTT, Dec., 1982, 4):
At this years event were glad to welcome the Sky Power Club Team from Nigeria
thats sponsored by Nigerian Airways. We didnt know they were coming until my wife Jean,
in my absence, took a long-distance call at our home and passed it on to me at work. What I
heard over the phone was, This is the U.S. Embassy in Lagos, Nigeria calling. I have ten
individuals whove presented a letter supposedly written by a George Kennedy in the U.S.
inviting them to come to a ping-pong match. Do you know about this letter?
Of course I corrected him about the sports name and confirmed the tournament we
were holding. He really did not believe that such a large group would actually want to go to
the U.S. to play table tennis. He said permission is normally not given on such short notice but
I convinced him that our Team Championship was for real. The clincher took place in New
York when the immigration officials also did not believe that the group was going to Detroit
for table tennis. But a call to Tournament Director Bob Beatty allowed their admittance.
Early-Round Mens Ties
The 9th-seeded Michigan I team (Dell Sweeris, Mike Veillette, Jim Dixon, and Frank
Sexton) won a 5-4 sneaker over the Canadian Central Bears team (Steve Lyons, Chi Chong
Wong, Richard Chin, and Mariusz Czajor). And in another tie, though there was no upset, a
minor casualty occurred when Ohio I (Simon Shtofmahker, Bob Cordell, Bobby Powell, and
Jim Repasy) had unexpected opposition from Westfield I (Dave Babcock, Andy Diaz, Don
Peters, and Lee Ross). Here, theatre-of-the-absurd-like losses to both Babcock and Ross
forced Powell to rip off his anti. The only upset in the qualifying round saw Chicago I (Jim
Davey, Paul Pashuku, and Tim Boggan) rally from 3-0 down to beat the 12th seeded Montreal
International team (Rene Lewandowski, Yvan Dolan, and Stephane Charbonneau), 5-4.
Of the 14 Mens teams that remained in contention, it was always 5-0 to 5-2 clear that
in Group A the #1-seeded Ontario team (Zoran Zoki Kosanovic, Errol Caetano, Joe Ng, and
480

Ming Yuan), as well as the #5-seeded Nigerian Sky Power team (Atanda Musa, Titus
Omotara, Yomi Bankole, Fatai Adeyemo, and Fatai Ayinde) were the crisscross-ready survivors. As were in Group B the Defending Champion Butterfly East team (Danny, Ricky, and
Randy Seemiller).and the #3-seeded Yasaka team (Rey Domingo, B.K. Arunkumar, and Scott
Butler).
In Group A, the expected strength of the 4th-seeded Korean TTA in the USA team (Phil
Moon, Jae-ho Song, Si Hung Yoo, Dal-joon Lee, Wuk Kyong Choes, and Se-kwan Oh) failed
to materialize. Yoo, with World Team member Kim Wan, had played for South Korea in the
80 Seoul Open and in the 80 and 81 U.S. Opens (at Fort Worth hed split matches with
Danny Seemiller and won the Mixed). Here he beat Kosanovic, who, being a better blocker
than many people realize, should have stayed at the table more against such a good looper as
Yoo, and, as one close to Zoki confided, should have been less concerned with coaching
Caetano against Song on the adjacent table.
Song whod established himself as the best player on the West Coast by winning five
straight tournaments (all over Scott Boggan), almost caught Caetano after being down 19-11
in the 3rd. But although the Koreans excellent high-speed hitting game gets even better if you
try to out-play him at it, not only Caetano but Ng, realizing that Song blocks well from the
backhand to set up his forehand kill, deliberately spun his serves heavy; slow-topspinned to his
forehand; and watched Song make enough mistakes to lose critical matches to each of them.
Perhaps if the Koreans could have added available U.S. Champion Scott Boggan to
their already oversized team roster, they might have considerable improved their chances? But
perhaps not, for they weredare I risk the word?5-0 cannibalized by the smiling Nigerians.
Actually, the Africans were not always smiling. Earlier, their match with Ontario had
brought on a heated dispute. With the score 2-1 for Nigeria and 82 Commonwealth Champ
Musa up 20-19 match point and serving, Caetano, watching the ball in flight, says, or, though I
was not an eye-witness, knowing Errol as I do, I believe he said, Let, please. He makes an
automatic return, then just stands there as Musa follows through by positioning the ball
crosscourt out of reach for a winner and rounds the table with outstretched hand.
For a moment Errol looks around in appeal, is at a loss what
to saybut then in anger he shakes Musas hand and snaps, If you
want to win by cheating with a net, then its yours.
Which would make the tie 3-1 for Nigeria, right?
Rightand wrong.
For now others in Errols corner, in particular Kosanovic and
Kosanovics father-in-law George Jovanov, make it clear that they
dont consider Errols hot-tempered give-up the proper action.
They officially protest.
To who? The umpire? Of course not, silly. For this all-important (whos-gonna-play-the-Seemillers-in-the-crisscross?) tie, there
isnt any umpire. Theyre so hard to find, you know.
Now with all the Africans protesting the protest to Referee
Andy Gad, and many of the North Americans going back and forth
Errol Caetano
across the customs border of their private feelings and not always
so easily declared judgments, its as if everyone was experiencing a little culture shock.
Rene Lewandowskihes one of the calm ones, is he?says, Look at my videotape.
Will it tell the truth? Along with any number of other people crowding around, I peep repeat481

edly at the sight. It doesnt look to me like the ball hit the net. But of course what difference
does that make? The question, in the absence of an umpire, is, Did Errol call a let or not?
Referee Gad asks Musa if Caetano called a let. Musa of course says, No. But as
Errol says, Yes, what is Andy to do? Hes already seen enough of the videotape blow-up.
After 20 minutes he finally gets the players back to the tablewith an umpire.
Replay: 20-19 match point.
Musa serves, misses his follow. Deuce.
And deuce again.
Now, though Musa forces Caetano into a shoe-string scoop shot, he misses the hanger
of a return. Then he serves into the net to end the match. Instead of the tie being 3-1, its 22and the Sky Power Nigerians, demoralized by the turn of events, are grounded for the
remaining matches of the tie. Ontario wins 5-2.
In Group B, the 7th-seeded Quebec team (Alain Bourbonnais. Pierre Normandin,
Horatio Pintea, and Bao Nguyen) downed the 6th-seeded Stiga-Sportcraft team (Sean ONeill,
Dave Sakai, and Brian Masters) in the only 5-4 tie in the Group. But as theyd both already
lost to Butterfly East and Yasaka, the result was of little (certainly no prize money) consequence.
The Stiga-Butterfly East tie was initially interesting, though, because of the close
Sakai-Randy Seemiller and ONeill-Danny Seemiller matches. Sakai, following Coach Pat
ONeills advice to get closer to the table (Dave, youre back so far, you dont have the
power to take the offense when you want to), began giving up trying to chop his way to a
win, and in the third started to get to Randy with some beautiful block-counters down Randys
forehand line. Finally, at 18-all, Randy served offprompting brother Danny, as Randy went
on to lose, to say without so much as a smile, I can only laugh. Actually, said Danny, I
dont care if Randy loses. Itll take some of that 3rd-man pressure off him in the matches to
comehell fight more.
So, were Sean to beat Danny, thered be an upset in the making.
At the end of their first game, Sean was slow-looping and Danny passively blocking
result: a 21-18 win for ONeill. Danny on losing smiled a littleas if he knew he was gonna
have to work. And work in the second game he didwon it. In the third, Sean, showing a nice
touch in trying to move Danny around, was up 12-9. Then, as in Michigan City, he lost eight in
a row, But then, as he did not do at the Duneland tournament, he stopped the slide and as
Danny with that same little smile yelled casually, nervously, Kill the ball, you fish! Sean was
closing the gapuntil he finally tied it up at 18-all.
But, no, there was to be no upsetDanny steadied and so did his team.
Against the potentially threatening Yasaka team, Danny won three. So in the final
crossover matches it would be Ontario vs. Yasaka, and Butterfly vs. the Sky Power Nigerians.
Coming up now the winners of the other Mens Divisions, then a word or two from the
Mens Most Valuable Player, and finally some coverage of the Women and Juniors.
Mens Divisions B Through G Winners
B: Central Region Bears (Steve Lyons, Chi Chong Wong, Richard Chin, Mariusz
Czajor) over Montreal International (Rene Lewandowski, Yvan Dolan, and Stephane
Charbonneau). C: Minnesota IV (Chuck Turchick, Mitch Seidenfeld, and Gene Lonnon) over
Net & Paddke I (Tony Poulos, Mark Kraut, and Hugh Shorey). D: Chicago III (George Lowi,
482

Norm Schless, Songwon Chong, and Bob Fox) over Mississauga Rattlers (Ned McLennan,
Tony Law, and Siggi Kunz). E. Indiana [?] (Tom Abbinett, Jerry Marcum, Bob Miller, Joe
Shumaker, and Leo Spearman) over Formosans-London (Shih Shin Lin, Luke Hsiao, Tim
Hung, Chao-hsiung Lin). F: Canadian-Chinese (Louis King, Wai-yuen Chu, M.K. Chong, and
Stan Weiner) over Toronto Blues (Lance Moore, Winston Sergeant, Winston Lai, and Doug
Stefanic). G: Kanawa Valley (Norman Kilpatrick, Coy Hughes, Jay Nelson, Jim Fulks, and
Todd Jackson) over M.C.O.T. (Myron Edgerton, Bill Hornyak, Bruce McGee, and Mike
Couch).
Mens Most Valuable Player
Heres a Letter to the Editor (TTT, Jan., 1983, 17) from 1809-rated Daniel Hayes
of Troy, Michigan who was apparently voted Mens Most Valuable Player at these
USOTCs:
A Wagon Load
Having been
overwhelmingly, and I
might add deservedly,
voted the Most Valuable
Player at the recent U.S.
Open Team Championships, and all but
swamped with endorsement opportunities
derived therefrom
(though I am concerned
about endorsing one
product whose brand
name is identical to the
Dan Hayes (rated 1809) Mens Most Valuable Player
nickname of a college
football team from the south of California), I feel compelled to briefly put pen to paper. (Let
me early note my disappointment at Erics absence from the tournament. I expected to beat
Danny and Zoki rather easily for the Award, but Eric might have been a problem. Scott, of
course, wouldnt have stood a chance.) Eric was a guest at my house briefly last summer
during the U.S. Open; is it that he saw the handwriting on the wall?
I have been asked by numerous people to now consider writing a column for your fine
publication, but I must respectfully declineI wanted to let you know so that you might now
reallocate the space. I might consider producing some pre-recorded tapes for sale to USTTA
membership, trading off the sport much like the members of the E.C. who do so with little
apparent conflict of interest, but thats still in the decision-making process.
Isnt it wonderful, Mr. Boggan, to observe how America is still the land of opportunity,
and how a little old country boy armed with nothing more than a wagon load of determination
and an incredible flat hit can rise to the top of a sport almost overnight?
Thank you all who voted for me.
On to the Pan Am Games.
483

Women
There were no first-round
upsets among the 15 Womens
teams (more than half of which
came from Canada). And yet very
upsetting to Connie Sweeris was
the news (Oh, didnt you know?)
that the first tie Michigan (Connie,
Genevieve Hayes, Michelle
McKinstry, and ?) was to play,
with Connie sitting out, would
decide whether or not Michigan
Connie Sweeris
would play Saturday and Sunday
Photo by Mal Anderson
with the seeded teams. What!
Connie hurried over to where her team had already started to play against the Canadian Tees
Sport team (Flora Nesukaitis, Susan Tomkins, Anita Morta, Marie and Yolanda Kerr) and
asked, Please, please, could she be substituted in? Sure, they said, echoing a team playing with
the title For Fun. So 7th-seed Michigan qualified with Connie.
Of course of the seven teams that remained in contention it was pretty well understood
that either the #1-seeded Butterfly team (Insook Bhushan, Kasia Gaca, and Alice Green) or the
#2-seeded Korean TTA in the USA team (Jin Na, Kyong Mee Choi, Kyung Ja Kim, and
Angelita Rosal Sistrunk) would win.
Meanwhile, Quebec I (Mariann Domonkos, Adel Karim, Micheline Aucoin, and Christine
Forgo) lost to Ontario (Gloria Hsu, Becky McKnight, Julia Johnson, and Than Mach). Canada #2
Gloria Hsu beat only Forgo, but both McKnight and Mach, a recent immigrant from Vietnam
whod won the CNE and would win the MVP Award here, did away with Karim and Forgo.
Having suffered such a loss, Quebec was do-or-die up for Butterfly early Saturday evening.
The Bhushan team, sparked by Insooks three wins, was just 5-4 able to hold on
against Quebec I. The key victories for Butterfly (since Canadas Aucoin had upset both Kasia
and Alice) were in the 6th and 9th matches. First, Alice, down 19-17 in the 3rd, just got by Adel
22-20a huge tie swing. Then Kasia prevailed, 18 in the 3rd, against the hapless Karim.
Butterfly would have a 5-4 near horror tie with Ontario Sunday morning. The pattern
of play was exactly the same as in the Quebec I tie. Insook again won all three. But it was
Alice, down 20-17 in the 1st, 20-19 in the 2nd, to McKnight, who won both turn-the-matcharound games at deuce, and Kasia who again came through in the 9th.
Quebec I, having lost both its contending matches 5-4, had to be way down. But its
awful schedule left no time to regroup. In their second match Saturday evening they had to
play the Koreans and were just 5-1 not into it.
The Korea TTA in the USA team was also too strong for Ontariothough the steadily
improving Kyong Mee Choi, who beat the Swiss #2 in the Seoul Open late this summer,
somewhat surprisingly lost all three.
Coming into the penultimate Sunday 12 oclock ties, the four money positions were
still in doubt. Minnesota (Sheila ODougherty, Takako Trenholme, and Ardith Lonnon), whod
lost badly to both Butterfly and the Koreans but whod beaten Ontario 5-2, were a lock for
fourthand managed to come third in a tie-breaker when Quebec I (who had to win 5-2 or
better to edge them out) beat them 5-3.
484

So the final would be between the Butterfly team and the Koreans. Whoever won
WON.
This time, however, Butterfly could not get to the 9th match. Alice and Kasia lost the
close matchesAlice 23-21 (after missing a game-point hanger in the first) and 21-17 to Jin
Na, and Kasia, 21-18, 22-20 to Choi. As for Insook, up to her last match in the tournament,
she was undefeated. But it wasnt enough for her to have been practicing in Bob Burkes
basement or the local rec center on Sundaysshe was beaten by chopper extraordinaire
Kyung Ja Kim, 22 and 17.
Kim, whom the Los Angeles Koreans originally wanted to put not just on their
Womens but on their Mens team, and who was recently World #11, now #16, and the 80
U.S. Open Womens Team and Womens Doubles winner with former World #4, now #7, Soo
Ja Lee, has just taken up residence in this country, has she?
Juniors
Has Junior play in the U.S.at
least in sheer numbersever been at
such a low ebb as it is now? We need
new waves from somewhere. There were
only 10 Junior teams in these Championshipsthree from Canada (where recently in just the Montreal area alone
there were 300 juniors at a tournament)
[ostensibly impressive, but how many of
these players would turn out to be any
Junior MVP Winner
good?], and seven from the U.S. (four of
Mark Letgers
which were Detroit I, Detroit II, Detroit
III, and Detroit IV).
The only contested tie for the title was the last one between the U.S. Hawkeyes
(Jimmy Butler, Spencer Wang, and Mark Letgers) who, in eight ties had not lost a single
match, and Ontario (Vaibhav Kamble, Peter Johnson, Pierre Parulekar, and Mike Ng), who
had lost only one.
With Yucatan-based Letgers winning all his matches and the MVP Award (deservedly
so, too, for he was the lowest-rated of all the players out there in that final tie), and Wang and
Butler at least able to win one each from two of Canadas best young players, Kamble and
Parulekar (strange that Jimmy Butler, whos been beating so many men, should lose to boys
until you remember that hes only 11), the Hawkeyes just did 5-4 bring down their game
opponents.
Mens Crisscross Ties
Jimmys older brother Scott, meanwhile, in the Mens crossover tie between Ontario
and Yasaka gave his team a fighting chance by upsetting Caetano, 19 in the 3rd. But when
Arunkumar could only win two, couldnt chop down Kosanovic (Aruns only other loss in a
well-played tournament was to Danny), and Domingo (ohh, big swing) could only win one, it
was up to Scott in the 9th match against Ng to try to pull out another one, But this was asking
too much, for Scott couldnt open with his backhand and, if he pushed, Joe would spinand
so the Canadians stayed alive.
485

In the other
crossover tie between
Butterfly and Nigeria,
Ricky won a big 24-22
game from Omotara, one
of those springy, marvelously fit-looking Africans,
and the Seemillers seemed
on their way. Butwhats
this?dominating Danny
Nigerian Airways Skypower Team, L-R: Yomi Bankole, Titus
on the first ball, looping
Omotora, Souleman Foudja, Atanda Musa, and Fatai Adeyema.
him 19-6 to death is the
Butterfly East Team, L-R: Danny, Ricky, and Randy Seemiller.
grinning Bankole, the
youngest and most inexperienced of the three Nigerian regulars. Tie all even. And 2-2 all even
again after expected wins by Musa over Randy and Danny over Omotara.
Against Musa, Ricky, returning serves horribly, complains that the ball is just sliding on
him. He can never get into the match.
Randy, though, is 20-17 match-point up on Bankole. Whereupon he fails to return the
Nigerians serve, quickly blocks into the net, and pushes one off. Then, getting the ad, Bankole
goes for his towel, comes back, takes a swing and misses the game point. At 22-all, as Randy
is about to serve, up goes Bankoles handand Randy, if he takes the time to do it, has to get
set all over again. Now the African plays a long, strong point and, winning it, goes yelling and
jumping round the court. When he comes back to the table, Randy gets another reprievebut
cant take advantage, and finally loses the game. Bankole, all aflame, dances out of his own
court and ends up in the adjacent court behind Musa, facing Danny, as, calmly, incredibly,
Danny, Musa, and the umpire continue playing the points.
On into the third they go, and at 18-all Randy serves long and Bankole loops one in.
Down 20-18, Randy again serves long, almost off, but he goes on to win the point. Thena
21-19 net for the Nigerian.
The Seemillers are in deepest, darkest trouble.
Danny of course fights back, gets the better of Musa in three.
And, surprise, Randy, making some marvelous chop-blocks, has Omotara 14-9 in the
rd
3 . Up 15-11 he hears his bench yell, Cmon, Randy, you gotta play! Up 18-13, he loses a
point. Wrong serve, says Danny sotto voce. Four times in a row hes given him that serve!
But soon Randy is at 20-14 match point. No problem now surely?...Yeah. Omotara has pulled
to 20-18. As Randy is passively blocking, someone yells, Youve got to move your feet! But
Omotaras rally falls short, and Randy has redeemed himself with this vitally necessary win.
Question now is, Will Bankole beat Ricky in this 9th match? Up 7-5 in the 1st, Ricky
claims his ball hitbut the umpire doesnt see it, and Bankole is non-commital. So, though the
partisan crowd is yelling, It hit! the Africans are of course not agreeing. What then is the
umpire to do? Referee Gad comes over. No, he acknowledges to the Nigerians, the Referee
cant overrule the umpirebut he can suggest to the umpire that he can voluntarily rule to
play a let. And this is what the umpire does. Replay: 7-5.
As the game continues, Bankole is having problems with Rickys serves, but is
outplaying him otherwise. Up 19-16, the Nigerian is taking his timesome would call it
stalling. Finally, just as Ricky goes into an unstoppable serve motion, Bankole puts his hand
486

uphes not ready. Not ready? Let, says the umpire and gives Bankole an admonishment.
But this meets with such a storm of protest from Danny that the umpire changes his mind and
awards Ricky the point. Still, 17-all is the best Ricky can do.
In the second game, the Nigerian, up 18-15 and smilingup 19-15 and SMILingup
20-15 and SMILINGruns it out, then playfully collapses tableside as, rushing out onto the
courtin a spreading, chanting tribal ritual, hands to heaven, to Sky Powercome his exuberant, dancing teammates to lift him, laughing, up
Final
Going into the final against Toronto, the Nigerians are way, way up. Young Bankole, the
hero against Butterfly whod beaten all three Seemillers, had lost to Ng in the earlier tie. But now,
down 17-13, he rallies to take all five points on Joes serve. At 19-all, Bankole makes a perfect
passing block that snakes down the line. SSSSS, says the African with neither a sneer nor a smile.
And down 20-19 Joe fails to return serve.That game and the next to the Nigerian.
Now when all goes as anticipatedKosanovic defeats Omotara and Bankole, and
Musa does away with CaetanoNg is back struggling. Hes 14-all in the 3rd with World #48
Musa when the African just bounds away from him. Tie 3-3, all tied up.
But now, though Caetanos down 1-0 and 18-12 in the second (after missing five of
Omotaras serves), he starts a late rallyuntil the sky gods, it may be, again smile and the
Nigerian wins it on a match-point edge.
With the Championship on the line, Kosanovic, perhaps remembering he still owes
Musa something for beating him in that Commonwealth final at Bombay, gets through the
Africans sharp-angled blocks and the tie is 4-all, all tied up.
Again Ng is the center of attention. The first game he has a 16-10 leadwhich, no, he
doesnt blow. But in the second from 10-9, Omotara with his beautiful Chinese cover increases
his lead to 14-10, 19-14, and Joe is forced into the all-deciding 3rd. Where (oh) at the turn hes
10-4 down. At 13-914-915-9 the Africans in the stands are standing, arms up, chanting
who-can-take-it-away-from-us-now encouragement. At 17-1119-11theyre smiling and
moving court-wardthen 21-11 bursting out in rightful hoist-him-high triumph.
Continental strangers as they are, theyve set a modern-era precedent. They are the
new U.S. Open Mens Team Champions.
Congratulations to their players, their captains, coaches, and entourage, to their aptlynamed #1 English-speaking liaison
man Soulman Foudja, and to Nigerian
Airlines for sponsoring them. With this
well-organized team effort, these
Africans should be proud not only of
their Clubs athletic abilities but of their
Clubs willingness to risk and adapt to
new surroundings. They were colorful
and even popular winners. With both
these Mens Champions and the Korean
Womens Champions so successful, we
can expect more and more continental
teams in the coming years to be flying
to our cities.
USOTCs Champion Nigerian Skypower Team
487

Chapter Thirty-Four
1982: Americans Abroad.
Before closing up this Volume in the next chapter with the U. S. Closed and World
Team Trials which of course will decide wholl be playing for us in Tokyo, Apr. 20-May 9,
1983, Im going to show you some of the interaction Americans players are having with others
in the t.t. world.
Italian Open
The U.S. partnershop of Mike Bush and
Charles Butler lost a close 3-1 tie to the Yugoslavs
Kalinic, Urh, and Kovacs in the Team ties at the
Italian Open, held in Como, Oct. 30-Nov. 2.
After Kalinic, the long-limbed Yugoslav
National Champion, had beaten Charles in straight
games the first match, Mike came back to even
things up by downing Urh, deuce in the 3rd. In the
all-important doubles against Kalinic and Kovacs,
the Americans, both of whom have been steadily
improving through several years of league play in
Germany, were up 17-13 in the 3rd and an upset
looked very possible. But the Yugoslavs barely
survived, 24-22. In the 4th match, Mike made a
Yugoslavias Italian Open Champion
marvelous though unsuccessful (-19, -17) run at
Zoran Kalinic
Kalinic whod later beat Swedens Erik Lindh to
From Butterfly Report, 5/83
take the Championship.
A disappointing but still very fine showing for Mike and Charles that ought to convince
our officials to continue to support more and more U.S. Teams abroad. Over and over again,
its obvious that if the best U.S. players want monthly to improve, they must monthly play
against the worlds most committed players. At their level, anything else is basement or oncea-week social play.

Mike Bush
From Tischtennis

U.S. Players in Germany

Mike Bush had one of the best records (15-7) in the
Second DivisionWest of the Deutsche Bundesliga. He
had three-game wins over World Over 40 Singles and
Doubles Champion Huebner, as well as his Champion
Doubles partner Gomolla. All seven of Mikes losses
were in close matchesincluding a 19-in-the-3rd
loss to the Iranian Vahabzedeh who played in some
U.S. tournaments in the 1970s. Hard Bat artist
Franz Huermann, who lived in the U.S. in the
mid-70s, had a 13-3 record. Jerry Thrasher
was 8-11 playing in the #3-4 spot. (Franz
beat Jerry in three.)
488

The
Saarbrucken
team (17-1)
leads the
Bundesliga,
and they have
by far the best
attendance for
their home
matches
(1,600 spectators).
Top 10
finishers (1st
position, #1 &
#2 men) in the
Bundesliga: 1.
Charles Butler
Carlsson (SWE), 16-2. 2. Douglas (ENG), 14-1. 3.
Lindh (SWE), 12-6. 4. Appelgren (SWE), 12-6. 5. Bengtsson (SWE), 11-5. 6. Surbek
(YUGO), 11-6. 7. Park Lee Hee (KOR), 10-7. 8. Stellwag (GER), 10-7. 9. Wosik (GER), 8-5.
Huging (GER), 8-7. (Stellwag, well known to U.S. aficionados, was recently immortalized in
the Welsh Open when, leading Jonyer 20-7, heWould you think it possible? Yep, he lost.
From 20-7.)
Top 2 finishers (2nd position, #3 & #4 men): Nieswand, 16-2. 2. Plum, 13-2.
Plum is Scott Boggans (seldom seen) roommate; and Huging, Plums doubles partner,
is Scotts #1 good friend and practice partner. Jim Doney, 20, whos sponsored by Yasaka,
also plays with them. Jim writes, I played in a tournament in Belgium and finished 5th, losing
to Swedens Anders Bylund, a strong defensive player. Hes #15 in Sweden and about 2550.
The other American there, Charles Butler, played fantastic and finished second.
John Allen in Japan
John Allen (TTT, Dec., 1982, 11) thanks
USTTA International Chair Gus Kennedy and
the Japan TTA for their help that he might,
beginning back in May, 1982, study table tennis
in Japan. Also, he says he was fortunate,
through arrangements made by my good
friend T. Fujioka, to train with the team from
Ji-ssen Commercial High School.
During the training, we lived at the
school. We began the day at 6 a.m. with a brief
stretch and a 6 km. jog. After a 7:30 breakfast,
we would begin our t.t. at 9. Without a ball, it
was stroke or shadow practice with a few
hundred forehand strokes from four different
angles, and 50 strokes in a kneeling position so
489

John Allen with Japans 1967 World Champion

Nobuhiko Hasegawa

as to lock our hips in place and stroke from the waist up. Then
move and stroke, move and stroke, both sideways and in and
out. Then it was flick and smash 50 times from each corner
with no ball. After a 10-minute break, it was 10 minutes of
sideways, 10 minutes of in-and-out footwork with a ball, then
another break, then a push and smash drill, 15 times from each
corner. This regular morning workout ended at noon, and we
were free until 3 p.m.
The afternoon training consisted of multi-ball forehand
smashfrom four angles; forehand loop drivefour angles;
forehand loop out of the backhand corner; loop between 2-6
balls to the backhand corner, one to the forehand corner to
move and smash, and one in the middle to move and smash. We
repeated the same drill vice-versa, starting from the forehand
corner. After that, 50 short balls were fed to flick; and, last, a
three-ball sequence: 1. short ball. 2. BH corner. 3. FH corner
from 1) flick, 1) BH, 3) FH, 30 times.
Neil Smyth with Dick Yamaoka
At 4:30 we played gamesuntil 6 or 7 p.m. At the close (top) and with Hikosuke Tamasu
of play, our respected coach, Mr. Kosone, who teaches at Ji-ssen,
would give us advice and encouragement. I went by tone of voice rather than the words which I
didnt understand. One of Mr. Kosones students was World Champion Guo Yuehua.
The group consisted of 26 boys and 15 girls60% shakehands, 40% penholders;
15% choppers, 85% attackers. All are required to study English.
Beginning August 12, for five days we went up the coast for a training camp. We had
three 3-hour sessions each day. But a couple of days we went to the beach.
I study Japanese at Christian University, and our table tennis team won a big match at
a 20-table fabulous sports center where 1500-2000 spectators cheered our victory. Meiji
University with Coach Shibutani and Asst. Coach Maehara, 1981 All-Japan Champion, recently won the First Division. Their players live, play, and study together in a dormitory club.
I got to see some really strong Chinese play. In the highlighted China-Japan tie, the
Chinese won 13 out of 15 matches. The Japanese were the aggressors, but the Chinese controlled the table and the ball. If the Japanese did not miss first, the Chinese would make an
opening, and popa winner. Beautiful T.T.
Neil Smyth was also in Japan (TTT, Feb., 1983, 3)visited Butterfly President
Hikosuke Tamasu and his associate, Hideki Dick Yamaoka. Neil talked to them about the
possibility of bringing the World Championships to Las Vegas. Doubtless after the Tokyo
Worlds, they would have good advice to give him. Neil enjoyed playing some table tennis with
Dick and, as a special treat, with 1967 World Champion Nobuhiko Hasegawa and current All-Japan
Womens Champion Rie Wada. He visited Tamasu in his office where he saw the warm-up suit Sol
Schiff wore when he was on the winning U.S. Mens Team at the 1937 Worlds. Neil toured the
Butterfly Lab and also the new Butterfly Table Tennis Scientific Research Institutethis huge
facility due to have its Grand Opening in April, 1983, just prior to the Worlds.
Neil was most impressed that Tamasu at his own expense had established this Institute and
wanted to share it with the table tennis worldHikosukes repayment for what the Sport has
given him. Neil says, I have yet to meet anyone so unselfishly dedicated to the betterment and
progress of our sport. Mr. Tamasu would receive my vote as Table Tennis Person of the Century.
490

Joe Ng
Photo by Steve Johnson

Mariann Domonkos (L)

and Than Mach

Horatio Pintea
Photo by Mariann Domonkos

Canadian Tournaments
Results of the Canadian Top 12, held Nov. 13-14 at Rexdale, Ontario:
A Group: Mens: 1. Joe Ng, 11-0 (gave up only 2 games). 2. Errol Caetano, 10-1. 3.
Ming Yuan, 8-3 (beat Eddie Lo, 23-21 in the 3rd; beat Adel Wasfi, 22-20 in the 3rd). 4. Alain
Bourbonnais, 7-4 (beat Pierre Normandin, 22-20 in the 3rd; beat Wasfi, 21-19 in the 3rd). 5.
C.C. Wong, 7-4. 6. Peter Joe, 5-6. 7. Larry Lee, 5-6. 8. Adel Wasfi, 3-8. 9. Bao Nguyen, 3-8.
10. Pierre Normandin, 3-8. 11. Eddie Lo, 2-9. 12. Robert Chin, 2-9.
A Group: Womens:1. Mariann Domonkos, 11-0 (lost one game). 2. Thuong Than
Mach, 9-2 (lost to Christine Forgo). 3. Becky McKnight, 8-3 (lost to Micheline Aucoin). 4.
Gloria Hsu, 8-3 (beat Forgo, 19 in the 3rd; lost to Adel Karim, 22-20 in the 3rd). 5. Micheline
Aucoin, 7-4 (beat Diane Bourdages, 22-20 in the 3rd). 6. Adel Karim, 7-4. 7. Julia Johnson, 56. 8. Christine For go, 4-7. 9. Diane Bourdages, 3-8. 10. Cindy Choi, 3-8. 11. Daiva Koperski.
1-10. 12. Kathy Wells, 0-11.
B Group: Mens: 1. Horatio Pintea, 10-0. 2. Mitch Rothfleisch, 7-3. 3. Richard Chin,
7-3. 4. Stephane Charbooneau, 7-3. 5. Steve Lyons, 6-4. 6. Derrick Black, 5-5. 7. Chris Chu,
5-5. 8. Ed Suen, 4-6. 9. Ian Kent, 2-8. 10. Boris Rainer, 2-8. 11. Chris Adams, 0-10.
B Group: Womens: 1. Louise Laroche, 7-0. 2. Guylaine Belanger, 5-2. 3. Sylvie
Leveille, 5-2. 4. Paula Anderson. 5. Michelle Qurrey, 3-4. 6. Gail Dalley, 2-5. 7. Sangita
Kamble, 1-6. 8. Joan Ruppert, 1-6.
Winners at the Nov. 20th Max Marinko Memorial Open: Mens: Zoran Kosanovic over
Errol Caetano whod been pressed to five by Joe Ng. Mens Doubles: Kosanovic/Caetano
over Ng/Ming Yuan. Womens: Becky McKnight over Zuzanna Ziegler. Mixed Doubles: Ng/
McKnight over Lance Moore/Jeanette Camacho Fraser. U-2000: Vaibhav Kamble over Wayne
Chan whod escaped Moore, 19 in the 3rd. U-1850: Warren Tang over John Schenk, 12, 29. U1700: Ming Chong over Bui Tong. U-1550: Ron Johnson over R. Hui. U-1400: Peter Hang
491

over M. Chung. U-1200: R. Lam over John Yu. Seniors: Moore over Bob Jewell, 24-22 in
the 3rd. Boys U-17: V. Kamble over Pierre Parulekar, 19, 19. Girls U-17: Daiva Koperski.
Boys U-15: Kamble over Peter Ng. Girls U-15: Michelle Qurrey. Boys U-13: Ng over Hardy
Diec.
Japan Tournaments
In another article (TTT, Mar., 1983, 3), John Allen reports on two end-of-the year
tournaments in Japanheres the first:
At the Tokyo Open in Dec. of 82, in the one Mens semis,
Kiyoshi Saito, recent Asian Games runner-up to Chinas Xie Saike,
defeated Japans Kasahara in straight games. In the other, Juzo
Nukazuka, controlling the table, beat 1979 World Champion Seiji Ono
in four games. In the final then it was Saito vs. Nukazuka, both of
whom are presently students at Meiji UniversityNukazuka a senior,
Saito a sophomore. This time, Nukazuka, whod ousted Danny
Seemiller in five in the quarters of the 82 U.S. Open, had two years
and too much control (mostly by blocking) for Saito.
The All-Japan Championships, held in late Dec. at
Tokyo Gymnasium was quite a tournament. The 11 events
Japans Juzo Nukazuka
consisted of Mens and Womens Singles, Mens and
Womens Doubles, Mixed Doubles, and six Junior events.
In the Junior Boys, there were 151 qualifying entries; in the Junior Girls 146.
In the 80-entry Mixed Doubles, Saito teamed with Yoshiko Shimauchi, 1978
and 1981 All Japan Womens Champ, to win the title. In the 80-entry Mens Doubles, Saito
teamed with schoolmate Takehiro Watanabe. The two lefties won the title from the 81 Champions, Masahiro Maehara and Hiroyuki Abe.
Of the 185 women who qualified, Emiko Kanda came through seven rounds to finish
first over Rie Wada.
In the Mens Singles, there were 183
who qualified. In the 16ths, Ono, forced away
from the table, lost in four to Watanabe. In the
eighths, Norio Takashima went down to
Nukazuka, and Saito defeated Kenichi
Sakamoto in straight games. Of the final eight
players, five are or were from Meiji, and of
the final four all were. In the semis,
Nukazuka downed Maehara, and Saito
stopped Ishitani..
In the final, Nukazuka took a 2-1 lead
with the help of some more good blocking and
a couple of sharp, quick forehands. But then
Saito pinned Nukazuka to his backhand corner,
and with fast footwork and powerful forehands
Emiko Kanda, All-Japan Womens Champion
overcame his opponents skillful blocks.
Photo by H.Tezuka from Butterfly Report, Mar., 83
492

Saito, then, who lost to Eric Boggan in

the Seoul Open in straight games, was a triple
crown winner at the All Japan Open.
Since this tournament, there have been two
camps, intense Im sure, for the Japanese Team to
the World Championships. Only two of many to
come in the next three months. Theyre pushing
hard and come the latter part of April theyll be
ready for anybody. Saito is the one to keep an
eyehes a great player in a land of many.
Eric Boggan on the Move
The 3,000-pound Norwich Union Trophy Tournament, held Nov.24th in Brighton,
England, was won by Chinas current National
Kiyoshi Saito, All-Japan Mens Champion
Champion Wang Huiyuan over his Chinese
Photo
by H. Tezuka from Butterfly Report, Mar., 83
compatriot [and Dec., 1982 French Open Champion over Swedens Jan-Ove Waldner] Jiang
Jialiang, 10, 16, 18. Semis: Wang over
Chinas Wang Huiyuan
From English TT News,
Swedens Ulf Bengtsson, 7, 9, 27; Jiang over
Mar., 80
Eric Boggan, -15, 14, 9, 18. Quarters: Wang
over Czechoslovakias Milan Orlowski;
Bengtsson over Englands 15-year-old Carl Prean;
Jiang over Andrezj Grubba; and Boggan over
Englands Des Douglas.
In a long Nov. 27th letter home, Eric,
who thought Wang the best player hed ever
seen, relates how hed left, lost, his unique
racket on a Swedish train a day or so before
coming to Brighton. He was shatteredfelt
momentary panic, tears, despairbut, incredibly on such
short notice, Englands Alan Ransome was able to make
him almost a duplicate. With this new racket he went out
with great
trepidation
(the racket
was heavy
and so was
my hand)
to play the
English
Champion
Desmond
Douglas,
World #13.
Englands Des Douglas
Eric got
Eric Boggan
From 1982 Seoul Open Results Program
493

killed the first game, but won the next

two and the match. He then lost to the
eventual winner Jiang Jialiang, but
received 400 pounds for his efforts.
Also, Erics friend and Angby Club
founder, Nisse Sandberg, that cocky
magician, had somehow recovered his
old racket, and now Eric couldnt be
more upbeat.
Near the close of his long letter,
he writes: I think about the U.S. Closed
and kicking asses every day now. I know
in a few weeks Ill be the U.S. Champion. Two years ago, I didnt care, didnt
Chinas Jiang Jialiang
look forward to The Journey. Now I
From 1989 Dortmund Worlds Program
cant wait. Im real confident now, not
cocky or over-confident. I know you gotta fight every point, every ball. I dont think anybody has a
chance to beat me. I think I can go through the Singles and Trials without losing a game. I hope
Scott is training. I really want him to make the Team. I know he has the talent and ability to go
places in t.t. But I wonder about his will and what he thinks about. Hes very intelligent, but loves
to have a good time in life. Thats his story. But Scott has a real good heart.
On Nov. 30th, Eric played in the (10,000 crowns) Danish eight-man Invitational, the
Pondus Cup, celebrating 40 years of organized table tennis in Denmark. He beat World #16
Milan Orlowski of Czechoslovakia two straight; beat European Mens Singles finalist and
Seoul Open winner Jan-Ove Waldner deuce in the 3rd; and beat perennial Danish Champion
Claus Pedersen in straight gamesbefore losing to 17-time French Champion Jacques Secretin in the crisscross semis.
The ageless, acrobatic Secretin,
World #15 , was described by Erics
Angby Club mentor Nisse Sandberg
as one of the greatest artists the sport
of table tennis has ever seen. He then
went on, as if in still another high-priced
nightclub performance, to down young
Waldner in the final.
With his showing here, Eric, who has
overseas opportunities Danny Seemiller cant
avail himself of, continues week by week his
world-class play, unparalleled for a quarter of a
century by any American.
Boggan seems set to expand his career
Frances Jacques Secretin
both at the upcoming U.S. Closed and at the
Worlds in April. Hell be leaving his Angby
Club at the end of the 1982-83 season to play for a club in the German Bundesliga as yet
undetermined. Negotiations continue, not always smoothly. Erics under contract to Schildkrot
and for representing them will receive DM 42,000 per year beginning July 1, 1983.
494

Chapter Thirty-Five
1982: U.S. Closed. 1982: U.S. World Team Trials. 1982: Interview with Danny
Seemiller. 1982: Interview with Eric Boggan.
In a Mens Singles final
that seemed even more intense
and exciting to the spectators
than last years five-game
Boggan-brother-to-brother
thriller, 28-year-old Danny
Seemiller, shouting and topspinning himself into a winning frenzy, twice came almost wildly from behindfrom down 1-0
and 20-15 in the second, down 19-16 in the fifthto defeat the 1978 Champion, the #1 seed,
Eric Boggan, to win his fourth National Mens Championship.
For Danny, his victory here at the Tropicana was perhaps the most inspiriting of his 10year career as a top player and was at the very moment of his win worth a Butterfly sponsorship bonus of $4,000 to him, and of course 1st-Place prize money. For Eric, after a season
crowned with successes that will give him the highest world ranking of any U.S. player in
almost a quarter of a century, this was perhaps the most dispiriting loss he at 19 had ever
experienced. For although Danny, playing marvelously at times, had won seven straight U.S.
tournaments before coming to Vegas, three of them after having been down 2-0, Eric, last
years losing finalist, had still been almost a 2-1 favorite against the field going in.
In addition to winning the Singles, Danny also won the major Doubles titlesthe
Mens for the seventh straight time with brother Ricky (over Eric/ Sean ONeill), and the
Mixed for the fifth time with Insook Bhushan (over Scott Boggan/Angelita Rosal- Sistrunk).
Insook easily won her fourth National Womens Singles Championship (over Angelita), but in
Womens Doubles with Kasia Dawidowicz Gaca she lost a five-game final to Angelita/Jin Na.
Defending Mens Singles Champion Scott Boggan, the 1982 National Sports Festival
gold medal winner in Singles and Doubles, won the National Mens Amateur event, downing
ONeill, U.S. Boys U-17 and U-15 Champion for the second straight year. Sean was also
runner-up to Eric Boggan in the U-21s. The National Womens Amateur event was won by
Korean emigrant Jin Na over Rosal-Sistrunk in a very closely contested five-game match. Tieu
Lan Vuong was the U.S. Girls U-17 and U-15 Champion.
The incredible 58-event tournament, televised under Bill Addisons capable direction
for ESPN (12 half-hour shows beginning in February?), drew 486 entriesnot bad when times
are toughand, as usual, everyone, even the sometimes harried tournament officialsBill
Haid, Andy Gad, Neal Fox, Ed Tracy, Harold Kopper, Dick Evans, Tom McEvoy (a.k.a.
Grand Rapids Tom), and their staffall had a great time, moving easily from one kind of
gaming table to another.
The Tropicana management, however, expressed considerable concern over the fact
that not nearly enough table tennis players were willing to pay an admittedly higher room rate
than they could find elsewhere, or, even were they strangers off the street, in the same hotel.
The management argued that it would hardly pay them to continue holding the tournament
to invest the thousands of dollars in prize money and a free-rent playing areaif rooms so
convenient to the venue were going a-begging.
495

They strongly suggested to a sympathetic USTTA E.C. that in the future a per diem
surcharge should be levied against all players, no matter how disgruntled, who were not
willing to support the tournament by staying at the Tropicana. Would the E.C. remain cool,
stay in there against this testing money-move (a bluff?), or choose to fold and maybe not play
at these Trop tables?
The USTTA was not only playing close to the vest with regard to a decision on this
surcharge question, but also on the question of, Werent we going to keep players who
werent citizens or didnt have Green Cards from entering this Closed? Oh! Yes. So, spur-ofthe-moment-like, the E.C. decided to tighten the loose noose of eligibility understanding.
Figuratively hanged, then, whether theyd already left for Vegas or not, were threat players
B.K. Arunkumar, Rey Domingo, and Jae-ho Song.
Mens Early Rounds
About 100
entries
began play
in the
Mens
Singles
but there
were only
two firstround
upsets.
Marty Doss
Bobby Fields
Homer
Photo by Mal Anderson
Photo by Mal Anderson
Brown
(rated 1967) beat Marty Doss (2195). And Bobby Fields, 1964 U.S. Open Singles and (with Doss)
Doubles finalist, downed Apichart Sears. Said Bobby, Although Im not going to be in any more
U.S. Open finals I can still compete in Rating and Senior events.
The matchesll give me good exercise and, as Ive just found out,
table tennis is still a lot more fun for me than racquetball.
Bobby, with his sticky chop defense, went on to lose a
tense (-25, 15, -14, -21) match to Kyung Wuk (Kevin) Choe,
who was later to upset both Dave Sakai and Perry Schwartzberg
in the Amateur event, and Ricky Seemiller in the Team Trials.
Sakai, in a Mens second-round match he could have won
three straight, lost to flipper Brian Thomas, runner-up to Khoa
Nguyen in the U-2150s. George (The Chief) Brathwaite,
having perhaps his worst tournament in 10-12 years, not only lost
to Thomas in the Amateur event (blew some seemingly invincible
lead), but was quickly knocked out of the Mens by former
Vietnamese player/coach Duc Luu.
Nguyen (pronounced New-WIN?) struggled through a
five-gamer with Jim Lazarusmuch as he was later to
Khoa Nguyen
struggle through the field in the U-2150s. Amazing he can
Photo by Mal Anderson
496

play so well (it took winner Brian Masters to stop him in the semis of the U-2300s), for, though he
has very good hand speed, he practices regularly only with his 1600-rated brother on their Santa
Clara homes patio. New win after new win is whats been happening for him since his return from
China. Though he still needs to work on his table game, he has excellent footwork and a more
consistent forehand with which he tenaciously loops every ball that comes deep to him.
Seven-time Hawaiian Champ, 26-year-old Allen Kaichi, beat Alaskan ace Errol Resek
in five, largely because Errol just couldnt block back Allens double-wing attack. (More of a
surprise, though, was Eric Seilers upset of Errol in the Amateurs). Did you know that before
Kaichis November appendectomy (he stayed only two days in the hospital), he was playing
much better? Does Roberto Byles knowor care? Not after Allen finished him off in the
Amateurs. Or I upset him, and Paul Raphel, in the 2300s.
There was quite a range in the Rating eventsboth in Singles and Doubles. For example, the
U-1800s went to Dal-sun Lee over Jim Scott; the U-1500s to Al Covey over John Schneider,
and the U-1000s to Bill Freeman over Leroy Yoder. The U-4000 Doubles was won by Greg
Plakos/Mike Carr (over Bob Mandel/Carl Danner, deuce in the 5th); the U-3400 Doubles by
Warren Amey/James Therriault (over Steve Schreiner/Dave Rogers); and the U-2600 Doubles
by Vince Mioduszewski/Yoder (over Dan Kessler/Dave Hays in five).
Jose Marin, an Olympic Games marathon runner in former dayswith a double bypass
and slits in his legs to prove itoutlasted Sacramento enthusiast Therriault, 19 in the 5th. Then
Jose, whos rated 1863, started strong with Byles, only to see Roberto just come out a -19, 19, 19, 19, 19 winner. (Would the 1988 Olympics stand for a match-slip score like that?)
Jerry Thrasher, just returned from League play in Germany, was, as he said, all burnt out.
He began a dreadful tournament by losing to Todd Petersen, who says hes about ready to get out
of Nebraska, go someplace out-of-state and coach. Coach? Table Tennis? No, no, no. You mean
just because he took the offense away from Jerry? Hes gonna coach Baseball. Also defeating
Thrasher, and Craig Manoogian, in the Amateurs was D-J Lees kissin cousin Se-kwan Oh.
Lim Ming Chui, whod beaten Loc Ngo, U-2000 winner over Bob Burke, lost to
Bohdan Dawidowicz in four. Why else but because hed made a mistake. Ming changed to a
faster rubber and then, finding himself in trouble, was afraid, for whatever Chui-d-up reason,
to go to Bohdans pips-out forehand.
No wonder Horace Roberts couldnt concentrate, lost
the close onesIm in love, hed say repeatedly whenever Id
see him and his charming companion around the casino. He lost
Jimmy
in the second round of the Mens to Raphel, 25-23 in the 3rd,
Butler
rd
and in the Amateurs to Attila Malek, again deuce in the 3 ,
after being more than a little disturbed by the suggestion that
hed had something to do with a wet ball or two. Wet kisses,
yes. But wet balls? That was going too far.
No doubt the most outrageous line in the early
rounds, though, was Jimmy Butlers opening show of
bravado to an opponent. I think you could have won it all,
he said to Danny Seemiller, but you met me too soon.
Boys/Girls
Jimmy Butler, rated 2005, may not have won the
Mens Singles, but hes getting there. He came first in his U497

2300 round robin with a win over Brian Eisner. And if he can melt away The Ice he can win the
U-13s, right? Right. Over Chi Ngo in four. In the quarters of the 15s, Chi, who has good competition at his Los Angeles Chinatown Club, barely lost to Jimmy, deuce in the 3rd. Hes very aggressive at the table, but off court hes quite pleasant and seems mature
for his age, 12 going on 15.
The U-13 semifinalists battled it out for the U-11 title, with the
already very experienced Dhiren Narotam proving too strong for the
U-9 Champion Chi-sun Chui, victor over a seven-year-old Eric
Eric Owens. Chi-sun also almost won the U-1400s, falling in the
final in five to Joe Tran.
In the Boys U-15, Gene Lonnon surprised Scott Butler,
beat him two straight, before losing, as expected, in the final to
Sean ONeill. Genes into game planshome computer programs
for games, and here in Vegas against Scott he put all his underage
chips gamely behind the sophisticated strategy that allowed his
16, 19 numbers to pop up.
In the U-17s, Scott Butler, though losing a little-contested
final to Sean, did manage to hold on for a win over Brandon Olson in
the semis. Brandon, down 20-18 in the 5th, moved far to his foreDhiren Narotam
hand to loop in a ball that he thought might be a winnerbut Scott
Photo by Mal Anderson
was there to counter it back, and though Olson dove in desperation,
he more tackled than returned it. Coming off court Brandon raised not a victory fist but just one
finger in frustration and then let fly a drop kick at someone.
The Butler boys (Brothers shouldnt play doubles, someone saidnot me) scored a win
over ONeill/Lonnon in the U-15 Doubles, while Sean and Brandon easily took the U-17 Doubles
from Chi Ngo/Stevan Rodriguez.

Under 2000 Winner Diana Gee

Girls U-17/U-15 Winner Lan Vuong

Under 1900 Winner Lisa Gee

Photo by Mal Anderson

Photo by Mal Anderson

Photo by Mal Anderson

Challenging, though not successfully, the Girls U-17 and U-15 winner Tieu Lan Vuong
was her twice final opponent Diana Gee, Womens U-2000 winner over Judy Hoarfrost. In the
semis in both events, Vuong, whos very steady then cracks the ball in for a winner, defeated
Dianas sister Lisa, U-1900 winner over Norm Schless. Lan also paired with Ardith Lonnon to
498

take the Girls U-17 Doubles from the Gee twins. In the
quarters of the U-15s, Lisa advanced over Michelle
Mantel, both the U-13 Champion over Stephanie Fox,
and the Womens U-1200 winner over Sheri Soderberg.
In the U-1200s, Stephanie was runner-up to Mark
Menicacci whod escaped Julie Van Kleeck, 28-26 in
the 3rd. Julie was the U-1300 winner over Ralph Babbitt.
The young
LonnonsGene and
Ardithwere like
young lions unexpectedly discovering prey,
forsurprisein the
Michelle Mantel
Mixed they upset Ricky
Photo by Mal Anderson
Seemiller/Sheila
ODougherty.
T.T. harmony
thats what
its all about
in the
Lonnon
household.
FatherCoach
Gene Lonnon
Merle long
ago outlawed all competitive t.t. play between the
Ardith Lonnon
Photos by Mal Anderson
siblings. Instead, practice drills are timetabledoverseen by a Timing Clock thats
set to go off at 10-minute intervals. IT sort of explodes, not the Lonnons who hopefully have
gotten more into it as they train. With Gene particularly, its all very serious businesslog in,
log out, then periodically look back at the logs to see, so to speak, if the fires progressed.
Gene actually sets up a contract with Ardith. Were gonna practice at 3 oclock, right?
Sign. Ardith signsbut then sometimes the clock makes a face, for Ardith breaks the
contract.
What else has Ardith to do in that Arden Hills (St. Paul) suburb? Oh, a little. Shes
second violinist at her Moundsview High School, the tennis coach has her lined up for lessons,
and shes been recruited for the Girls Basketball Team.
Womens
So sing no sad songs for Ardith if occasionallu shes upsetas she was, 19 in the 3rd, in
the first round of the Womens Amateur by Liana Panesko, U-1600 runner-up to Lou
Bochenski. Thats the same Liana (check the log) Ardith had beaten three straight in the Girls
17s. In the Womens U-1500, it was Toni Gresham over Carol Trusa.
499

Another early
upset in the Womens
Amateur saw Tina
Smilkstein, U-1700
winner over Jay Jett,
down Donna Newell
in straight games. In
more interesting
matches, Kim Gilbert 18, 20, 17 got by
Nadine Prather, and
Cindy Cooper rallied
from down 20-16 in
the 3rd to, well, take
Tina Smilkstein
aback Yvonne
Photo by Mal Anderson
Kronlage, Womens
Womens Over 40 Champion
40 Champion over Pat Hodgins.
Yvonne Kronlage
But lest you think Yvonne was the least bit
Photo by Mal Anderson
stunned for long, consider that in her five-game
match in the first round of the Womens she -18, 19, 20, -19, 17 had astonished if not her
opponent Olga Soltesz, whos wearily seen it all, a hell of a lot of other peopleespecially
when they heard Yvonne was down 20-11 in the 3rd and finished with a string of 11 straight.
In the only four-game first-round Womens match, Sheila ODougherty beat Jamie
Medvenethough not without difficulty. Jamie, on occasion, can be an overpowering player,
but after losing an 8-2 lead in the first she began to roll the ball, began playing too tentatively.
Laterand theyd better not hear about this back in Swedenshe lost the Womens U-1800
to Cornelia Tripa.
Sheila, too, was having her difficulties. Against Vuong in the second round she 18, -7, 9, -15 collapsed. Afterwards, she said shed pulled a muscle or thrown out her rib cage or
done something physically dreadful to herself. Against which discomfort I cant resist juxtaposing the panache panacea of that most wonderful line of Sheilasas if it had come straight
from a mystic like Simone WeilSometimes I believe in God so much it hurts.
Sheila did fight valiantly on in the Amateurs though. In the one really contested
quarters match there, she finally lost to Carol Davidson, -19, 21, -10.
The only five-game match in the second round of the Womens was Judy Hoarfrosts
14, -18, 20, -14, 14 win over a sometimes tortured-looking Davidson who earlier had twice
dropped deuce games to Tommey Burke. Nobody uses Phantom or Anti where I play, said
Judy (as if she lived a lot further north than Portland, OR, more like Greenland, say). But just
by playing here in Vegas every year Ive gotten used to junk. I guess I won by flat-hitting to
Carols Phantom, and by trying to be steady. Anyway, in the last game I consistently attacked.
The quarters matches in the Womens were all quickly over. Only Takako Trenholme,
whod had a straight-game win over Diana Gee in the eighths, could even get to deuce
against a generally too aggressive for her Angelita.
In the semis of the Amateurs, Alice Green, U.S. Amateur Athlete of the Year, was
pushing with Jin Na again as in the Womens, and again losing in straight games. This time,
though, it was understandably very difficult for Alice to concentrate, to play carefully, very
500

steadily until she got the right pick {Watch the ball says Father/Coach Hal. Keep quiet,
says Alice), for on the adjacent table against Angie Carol Davidson was unconsciously into her
wild woman act. And yet who could blame her for getting excited. After losing the first at
19, she was up 20-171819 in the second when Angies serve return caught the edge. At
deuce, Carol tried unsuccessfully to attack Angies serve, then got even again after
backhanding one in from her forehand side. Bad shot selection and a final errant backhand did
her in thoughafter which she sent her racket flying.
In the semis of the Womens,
Rosal-Sistrunk won another close one, 18,
-14, 20, 17, over Gaca whod recently lost
weight and was moving well. Kasia
seemed a calmer, though no less intense
opponent for Angie than Carol. Except
why, said an onlooker, did Kasia think she
had to hit the ball so hard? Didnt she lose
accuracy doing that?
In the other semis against Jin
Na, Insook played without any apparent
emotionI almost said interest. In the
final, she accounted for Angelita in the
Kasia Gaca
same way. Methodically. Professionally.
Photo by Tom Slater
Would it help if I gave you all the scores
of Insooks matches? Here: 7, 8, 5; 7, 8, 5 (the
recorder dozed off?); 10, 13, 7; 14, 12, 4; 7, 4,
13. For this she got $800. And the TV people
did or did not get a half-hour show.
Since none of the women could read
U.S. Closed
Insooks spin, it was slightly ironic that in the
Womens Champion
Insook Bhushan
final of the U-2300 Insook had a lot of trouble
Photo by
with Brian Masters anti. While Brian himself,
Mal Anderson
after playing so much against Indian defensive
star Arunkumar, had no problems with Insooks
changing
spin.
Fortunately,
the final of
the
U.S. Womens
Womens Amateurbetween Rosal-Sistrunk and Jin
Amateur
Nawas a very good one. Na, now in her 30s, with a
Champion
family, is a contemporary of Insook and three-time U.S.
Jin Na
Womens Champ He-ja Lee, and like them used to make
Photo by
her living playing for a Seoul Bank Team. Up 1-0 but
Mal Anderson
down 19-18 in the second, Jin cracked in a crosscourt
winner. Whereupon Angie finished lamely by pushing a
serve off and rolling into the net. Still, down 2-0 and at
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20-all in the 3rd, Angie fought backsmacked in a maybe-save-the day winner. Then from 15all in the fourth ran it out. But in the fifth, from being up 10-8 at the turn, she lost 12 of the
next 13 points. Game trybut again shed have to settle for second.
Mens Mid-Round Matches
In the 16ths of the Mens, Brian Masters scored
the biggest upset when he took out Defending Champion Scott Boggan in five. Scott had caught some
sort of virushad been suffering from diarrhea, had
thrown up shortly before playing
Brian, and again afterand was not
at his best. However, he forced
himself to play and from down 2-0
got it into the fifth. But at this point
Brian played as well as hes capable
of playingwhich this weekend was
very well indeedand Scott, missing
Brian Masters
Photo by Robert Compton
backhand after backhand, was soon
out of it. To his credit, though, he
followed this match with four others, continued advancing toward his three finals, beating
Scott Butler along the way in the quarters of the Amateurs.
Quang Do, Duc Luus protg, whose family is still in Vietnam, had earlier beaten Mike
Baber (this despite the fact that, after putting a strip of tape across his hotel room mirror, Mike
was getting a little extra over-the-net shadow play with that strange Secret Sharer of a practice
partner he saw or envisioned opposite him. Now Do, following the basic penholder strategy of
Move and hit the forehand, knocked out Scott Butler in a ding-dong 23, -23, -8, 19, 19
match. Scott still needs to be more forceful on his backhand and to develop a big pointwinning forehand.
Quang Bui, after being down 2-0 to Dean Doyle, who of course knows Quangs game
so well, came back to win in five. Either Bui was awful those first two games or Dean was a
bit high on those go-cart fumes from the race outside that were encircling the venue.
Mike Bush, whod slipped away from Scott Butler last year but who couldnt escape
him that last deuce game in the Amateurs this year, had knocked out Duc Luu three straight.
Duc couldnt read heavy spin? Then howd he beat you later in the Trials, Mike? Your legs
were beginning to bother you? Yeah, that and the junk, Mike might have saidfor, though
hed been playing all fall in Germany, hed been playing on wooden floors against non-junkies,
players who were not flippers, who were not trying to get you to make mistakes against their
rubber.
Maybe thats why, up 1-0 and at 20-all in the second, he was giving Attila Malek plenty
of heathe knew what to expect? Attila had let Mike loop the first gamebut in the second
hed begun to stand his ground, and now, when he absolutely had to, he just plain outfought
Mike, who maybe wasnt as hungry this year as he was two years ago?
Perry Schwartzberg, after losing the first game at 19 to Sean, had a relatively easy time
of it. Sometimes Seans shot selection is suspect and occasionally he cant resist slapping
recklessly at the ball, whereas Perry is generally safe and predictable. Perrys also better when
hes ahead. Its hard to open on these tables, said Perrybut as long as I could keep the
502

ball down, I was o.k. Sean tried to get me with off-speed shotsbut since I didnt want to
battle his hands, I just gave him off-speed back.
Charles Butler came from 2-1 down to defeat Jimmy Lane in five. If Jimmys going to
play with anti, hes got to work more at flipping it, said one longtime observer. Of course
Jimmy had done very well with his flat-hitting against Eric Boggan in the Youth event
winning the first at deuce and coming within a few points of beating him in the second.
Ricky Seemiller found himself perilously close to being 2-0 down to Buithough his
escape here was not as close as it would be in the Team Trials where, match point down, he
would serve an edge. Quang makes some great shots but when he gets ahead he tends to move
back, looks to counter-loop. And then when the match gets close again he sometimes becomes
tentative. Against Ricky his short game wasnt what it needed to be and he pushed a number
of Rickys serves long with disastrous results.
Masters split his first two games with Olson, both at deuce. After that, Brandon, whos
normally got a real sensitive touch but whos carrying around too much weight, got a little
tired?
According to one of the local papers, 42-year-old D-J Lee still lifts weights, jogs
several miles a week, and goes on a special protein diet prior to every tournament. Perhaps it
was because Paul Raphel didnt do these things that he lost to D-J in four? Or were the old
masters shifting shoulder tricks just too deceptive? Take that 19 third game. Why, when D-J
served short, did Paul, with all his experience, pop the ball up and allow Lee to loop it away?
Over 40-70 Play
Obviously, from seeing the
scores in the Over 40 Seniors, D-Js
technique is still quite good. Although he, or the Vegas reporter who
interviewed him, said he hadnt the
Eye of the Tiger anymore, the
passion to win, he had no challenge
from finalist Errol Resek. In the over
40 Doubles, Lee partnered Neil
Smyth but they fell in the semis to
Bohdan Dawidowicz/Tim Boggan,
the winners over Bobby Fields/Ron
D-J Lee, with wife He-ja and daughter Mira Janet
Von Schimmelman. The U-2000
Seniors went to Bob Burke over Leon Ruderman whod outlasted Bill Poy, deuce in the 3rd;
the U-1800 Seniors to Pat ONeill over William Roady; and the U-1600 Seniors to Kent
Leung over Tom Baudry. The U-3400 Senior Doubles was won by Frank Suran/Bill Hodge
over Shonie Aki/Rudi Kovin.
Bernie Bukiet played sensationally for his 63 yearshe beat both Houshang
Bozorgzadeh and Brathwaite in the Seniors. He long and short, long and short, blocked balls
back to The Chief, then stepped around and hit in a forehand. Hed like to come East again,
he said, but cant for financial reasons. But although Bernie played so marvelously in the Over
40s before he lost to Resek, and although he won the Senior Doubles with Mike Blaustein
over Boggan/Dick Evans, 18 in the 5th, he did not do so well in the Over 50s. He was upset
by Mort Finklestein. Was it because Mort had been practicing every day before Vegas with
503

Charles Butler? Anyway, damned if Mort didnt also

have me match point down. Howd Mort beat you,
Bernie? I asked our three-time National Champion.
He do what I do to women, said Bernienothing.
Doing his customary thing in the Over 50s
and 60s was Gentleman George Hendry, though in
the 50s final he did have to come from 2-1 down to
beat me. Bill Hornyak in the 60s final was easier.
While defending their Over 50 Doubles title, Georges
65-year-old partner, USTTA
President Sol
Schiff, going all out
Over 50/Over 60 Champion
for a return,
George Hendry
slipped, threw out
Photo by Mal Anderson
his hand to break
his fall, and in the process broke his wrist in three places. It
had to be set and reset and put into a cast. Poor Solas if
he didnt have enough to worry about. Locking up the 70s
was Wing-Lock Koon over C.H. Dutch McCallister.
Over 70 Winner Wing-Lock Koon Unbelievably, there were more entries in the Over 70s than
in the Boys Under 17.
Photo by Don Gunn
Mens Quarters:
In the Mens Quarters, Danny straight-gamed down Masters whod give him a battle
in the Team Trials. Eric made such short work (5, 12, 13) of D-J that it seemed the old
warriors eyesight might have been failing him. Earlier, Eric had asked me to rub some Tiger
Balsam into him. It generates heat, he said, as I rubbed the stuff into his back and shouldersand makes you less prone to injury. The Chinese use a drop here, a drop there at the
eyes to wake themselves up. Yeah? I said. Sure, Eric said as I looked surprised.
Everybodys got a trick.
Charles Butler, after several years in Germany, had gotten very steady against orthodox
European-trained spinners like Malek whom hed surprise in the Team Trials. Recently, Charles had
beaten Hanno Deutz, a Bundesliga #3, in straight games, and Personne Holm, who last year had the
best individual record in the Second Division. But against Rickys peculiar game Charles was at a
disadvantage, for though Charles has good serves (if not always such good follows), against Ricky
he had no touch, no finessehad just his long strokes.
Said Ricky, As many people know, the key thing is to concentrate hard and break your
opponents service. But Charles couldnt begin to handle my serves. Also, he didnt always read
what I was doing very well. At 10-all in the 3rd, after Id grooved him into thinking I was giving him
the anti, he ups and loops two of my heaviest spin balls right into the bottom of the net.
For the most part, Schwartzberg, whose forehand block is a little weak, got mowed down
by Maleks consistency. But down 20-15 match point in the fourth, Perry spined up for five excellent pointsthe last two of which were killers. But then at deuce Attila looped one in, and, after a
backhand exchange, Perry hit out. Still, it was the farthest hed ever gotten in a Nationals.
504

Mens Amateur
Malek also came through to the semis of
the Amateurs. His success was well-deserved.
Two weeks prior to the Closed hed begun a very
determined efforthad begun lifting weights and
practicing daily with D-J. After just getting by
Horace Roberts, Attila had won a three-game
match from Dean Doyle, whod out-dueled a slothot Bobby Powell deuce in the 3rd in one of the
best matches in the U-2300s. Joining Attila in
these semis were Scott Boggan, Sean, and Quang.
In the Boggan-Malek match, Scott was
content to flip-exchange backhands against Attilas
spin game rather than gamble on rushing his shots,
particularly as the extraordinarily fast conditions at
Vegas were already perfect for his fast-hand
counters. Malek, it turned out, was bothered by
Attila Malek
the new shoes hed put onso much so that,
Photo by Mal Anderson
down 20-14 match point in the third, he ended it
all by hugging the table and returning Scotts serve in shovel-shot, give-up fashion, then,
following it, with a throw-up shoe. Youve heard of throwing in the towel? Well this was
throwing in the shoe.
The Sean-Quang semis was totally wide openas if each were willing to see whod
score first with the forehand (but with Quang complaining that Seans blocks often werent
coming up for him to hit). With games tied at 1-all and Sean up 20-19 match point, Quang
made a great get that forced Sean to side-table scoop a shot almost from the floor which
Quang then powered far over to Seans left for a wiBut wait. Sean somehow had winged
himself crosscourt and blocked back a clean winner! Pressure match to Sean.
For the final between Scott and Sean an umpire was picked that Scott in a previous
Nationals had had a bad experience with, felt hed been wronged by. This choice was just silly,
and if Id have been more alert I would have checked with Scott to see if, per the Referees and
Umpires Manual, which I suddenly find myself becoming more and more familiar with, he
would have preferred, particularly since this was the final, another umpire. (The Manual says,
The Referee should always strive to appoint an individual in whom all players have complete
confidence.)
Right off, there was an incident where the umpire called a paddle point on Scott, which
Scott subjectively said was not a paddle point and which he objectively argued on the grounds
that the ball did not bounce from him as it would have had it hit his racket. But when I asked
Sean what, from his position, he thought, he said he thought it hit Scotts paddle. So, o.k.,
everybody let it pass.
In the third game, Scott, leading 2-0 and 8-5, served a serve hed been using over and
over again throughout the matchand the umpire suddenly called Fault! Which infuriated
Scott, for consciously he again felt hed served correctly. He immediately protested the call,
stopped play, and put on his warm-up jacket.
I too questioned this judgment call on the umpires partand naturally Ill tell you
why. Because Im Scotts father, and Scott is always right. Yeah. I questioned this call as I
505

would question all authority anywhere if I thought that authority wrong. Why, when the
umpires subjective judgment was questioned by Scott the first time, wouldnt he, on balance,
call Let! rather than Fault! on this serve?
Surely, given their already testy relationship, he knows from experience (doesnt he?)
how disrupting a Fault call will be to Scott. Surely he knows that in this context of a final
any experienced internationalist, or for that matter any experienced player is going to argue the
call, will not merely docilely accept the umpires suited authority. Surely he knows hell have
to stop the match and, while the TV cameras wait, go for a ruling. Is this disruption then, this
ATTENTION, necessary? In this, the only umpires test that matters, where he has to independently think, has the umpire demonstrated experience, competence, wisdom? To me his action
is justifiable only if he has reason to believe Scott is, or, alright, might be, deliberately
cheating.
Again the ruling went against Scottand, o.k., again he was angered, but he kept his
head. After the straight-game match was over, though, he went over to the umpire and, as a
person who upfront says what he thinks, and who for 15 years has taken pride in his sense of
honesty and fair play, had a few nasty words to say to this umpire. Which, as someone pointed
out to me, might well have gotten Scott a punch in the nose, were Scott and the umpire
different people.
Anyway, though National Amateur of the
Year award winner Sean didnt win this final, he was
in six othersseven in all of the eight events he
entered. Not bad, huh? Perhaps getting into the
Mens Doubles final with Eric had to the most fun
for himparticularly since in the semis, against D-J
Lee and Mike Bush, thanks to an instinctive, near
miraculous block on Seans part, they survived three
match points.

Sean ONeill, National Amateur of the Year

Photo by Mal Anderson

Scott was in other finals too, the

Mixed with Angelita, which they lost.
Scott Boggan (R) on defeating Dean Doyle for the
And the Bow and Error event as TV
Hard Bat Championship
colorman, former touring pro Jim
McQueen, so colorfully put it, the Hard Bat event. Tom Wintrich had written, Dean Doyle
dominates Hard Bat but that games dead. Tom was mostly rightbut times change. Against
his perennial opponent, three-time Champion Doyle, Boggan, on winning the key first game
26-24 (after being up 20-14), took the title in five. And, as I write, almost 30 years later,
506

Hard Bat is still very much alive, resuscitated in large part

in the late 1990s by Marty Reismans play.
Mens Final Matches
In the Eric-Ricky Mens semis, although Ricky
can (1) often keep his serves short (not easy to do under
these fast-table conditions), (2) is capable of steady, slow
looping, (3) has a forehand that seems to be getting
stronger, and (4) places his backhand well, he just has no
chance against Eric, who can do everything better.
Nor at this moment is Attila much of a warm-up
for Dannythough hell beat him later in the Team Trials.
Down 2-0 but up 18-17 in the 3rd, Malek plays a very bad
point. I cant believe it! he yells. But its true. He has to
face it.Hes lost.
So finally weve come to the match everyones
been waiting forEric vs. Danny.
Eric comes out in his lucky Momm Marabou
maroon shirt, beats Danny the first game as hes beaten
Marty Reisman
everyone elseat 9.
Photo by John Oros
Its gonna be a blow-out, somebody next to me
says, They oughta stop the fight before somebody gets hurt.
Somebody else says, I dont think Danny will get 35 points total.
The second game is not a runaway, but Eric is comfortably up 20-15. Thenit all
happens so fast, Danny, deuces it up, does a turnaboutlooks, with his back to Eric, as if hes
just followed through with a mighty punch. YEAAAH! Hes really in something of a frenzy.
At 20-all, Eric servesoff! Then loses the game. Danny, fist-up is on a triumphant run.
Incredibly, from a three-game rout, the match has totally turned. Eric must now play
against not only a psyched-up opponent, but must play against the crowd whos now switched
over to the tenacious underdog. Most formidable of all, he must now play against himself
that world-class image of his perfectionist self whos just gotten almost unforgivably sloppy.
Immediately Eric is down 3-0 in the third, has lost ten straight! Who, watching the first
65 points of this match, would think such a swing possible? But now instinctively Eric fights
backoutscores Danny 7-1, is up 7-4. But from 14-all Danny wins five in a row, pulls away to
go up two games to one.
He psyches me out! says Eric, angry with himself at the break.
At the beginning of the fourth, Danny continues to play marvelously. His defensehis
stalking of the ball, his positioning of self, his return and loose-ball spring to the attackis
superb; while again and again Eric refuses to try to loop or hit in Dannys returns, prefers to
push, drop, or continue moving Danny from side to side. Eric is down 10-714-12. But
thenas Danny begins missing his backhand off the net cordwhat a crazy, streaky, freaky
game this modern-day table tennis isEric again wins seven in a row, again has the momentum.
Now, though, theres an extraordinarily long delay in the arenaa long count. The TV
people, and therefore of course the ESPN audience, are not ready, may never be ready, it
seems.
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Finally the cameraman gives the signal.

In the fifth, its a trade-off as points continue to mount. Danny is up 15-14, then down
19-16. Isnt it an advantage for either of these players to have the serve? And now Eric,
sensing a knockout, is really hyper, jumping and jogging all around the court. He almost drifts
back to the table, perhaps doesnt quite settle himselfand finds Danny aggressively
crouched, waiting for him. Two quick points and its 19-18. And now Eric again serves off!
Follows that anticlimactically with two errors, one off the table, one into the net.
As Danny screams and throws his racket high into the air, the crowd erupts.
Amazing! says the
guy next to me.
I thought the
way Eric was
continually
moving Danny
around hed get
him so tired.
Best
Closed finals
Ive ever seen,
says another
guy.
I wish I
could agree.
Eric
1982 U.S. Mens Runner-up Eric Boggan
1982 U.S. Mens Champion
retreats off
Danny Seemiller
Photo by Robert Compton
court, disappears, unseeing and unseen, into the deepest
part of the forest. For a moment Danny stands alone in
the clearing, in the lightthen moves and is fallen upon every which way by admirers.
Eric, gone, alone in the dark, says nothing.
Danny, amid all the congratulations, the shouting, the peace, says happily, I had to
play like a tiger cat to win. My only chance was to be strong, to move like a tiger.
U.S. World Team TrialsWomen
Jay Crystal (TTT, January, 1983, 4), in covering
the Team Trials, tells us that no Pre-lims were necessary
in the Womens matches so the players got Monday off.
Tuesdays beginning play established the 12 finalists that
in a complete round robin would compete for the four
spots on the 1983 U.S. World Team to Tokyo. Continuing play in three Groups Tuesday
produced, for the most part without all the hootin and hollerin the men were into, these
results. From Group One came Insook (3-0she wouldnt lose a game through all 11 of her
matches), Takako Trenholme (2-1), Lisa Gee (1-2), and Carol Davidson (0-3). From Group
Two: Angie Rosal-Sistrunk (3-0), Jin Na (2-1), Diana Gee (1-2); and Cornelia Tripa (0-3).
Group Three: Alice Green (2-1/lost to Kasia), Judy Hoarfrost (2-1/lost to Alice), Kasia Gaca
(2-1/lost to Judy from up 1-0 and 18-13), and Jamie Medvene (0-3).
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As play proceeded, the quiet was broken Tuesday

night. Carol and Angie went to 23-all in the 3rd before Carol
triumphed. It got a little noisy and the competitors didnt
look like the best of friends immediately after the match, but
they seemed pretty chummy a few hours later out in the
casino.

Amateur Athlete of the Year

Alice Green

Takako Trenholme

Another close match involved Alice Green and Takako Trenholme. After a dispute
over a Let, then a change of umpires, a dispute over the score, which the ladies seemed to
handle evenly, it was the concerned crowd that was fired up over this match. Alice finally
prevailed 26-24 in the 3rd.
Alice won four out of five matches that went three games. One of these was a crucial
deuce in the 3rd win over Angie. The one she lostafter shed already made the Teamwas
her last match against Diana Gee. Angie lost only to Insook, and to Alice and Carol, both
deuce in the 3rd.
At the end of the competition on Wednesday, Insook, Angie, and Alice were clearly on
the Team, but incredibly there was five-way tie for the fourth position. Heres how it finally
turned out: 4. Kasia Gaca (6-5/13-11). 5. Jin Na (6-5/10-10). 6. Carol Davidson (6-5/12-12).
7. Takako Trenholme (6-5/13-13). 8. Lisa Gee (6-5/11-13). Then Judy, Diana, Jamie, and
Cornelia.
U.S. World Team TrialsMen
Before Jay continues with his write up on the Mens Trials, I,
Tim, share with you a snippet of an article I wrote called Poetic Justice.
Here it is (prefaced by the fact that New Jersey Referee/Umpire Bob
Barns was of the opinion that foot-stamping should be abolished; I that it
should not): As if to point out the accuracy of Bob Barnss statement
that a foot is composed of many small bones held together by tendons
and muscles and is a rather delicate structure and that a players career
could be shortened by exaggerated and frequent foot-stamping, I feel
obligated to call the readers attention to the fact that Eric Boggan,
having exercised his natural foot-stamping motion not on the wooden
floors of Europe as hed been used to but on the indoor tennis-court
509

Eric Boggans
foot-stamp serve

surface at the Tropicana Closed, was, after consulting with a Vegas doctor, unable to play in
the Team Trials because of a severely bruised heel.
Jay begins: The 24-player Mens Trials proper included, along with the 14 seeds, 10
successful rabbits who Monday had advanced from the Pre-lims. These were: Brian Masters,
Roberto Byles, Ben Nisbet, Brandon Olson, Horace Roberts, Quang Do, Mas Hashimoto, Kyong
Wuk Choe, Dean Doyle, and Dave Sakai (though Dave had lost, 18 in the 3rd, to Doyle, he got in as
a substitute for Khoa Nguyen whod suffered a sore shoulder). On hearing the news of Erics
withdrawal, Jay sympathizes: Rest your heel, Eric. We can use you in Tokyo.
The first thing I saw as
I walked into the playing hall on
Tuesday, Jay says, was a
barrier flying. Way down on one
of the last tables Ricky
Seemiller had just lost his
opening match to Choe, a tall
penholder who plays out of Los
Angeles. Then Ricky narrowly
won his next match over Brandon Olson, deuce in the 3rd.
In his third match
against Quang Bui, after losing
Ricky Seemiller
the first game at 11, Ricky was
Photo by Mike Wetzel
no longer looking like a favorite
to make the Team. But Quang, as he was to do in so many second and third games during the
Trials, began backing up and seeing if he could just slow-spin down his adversary, with the
result that he let the second go at 18. The third game was a major turning point for both
players. Ricky already had a lossand Quang was up 2-0 in matches and 11-1 in the 3rd. Yet
somehow Ricky came back. When Quang served off at 11-1, Ricky confided to me a little
later, I told myself to dig in. Heres your chance, I said. And then when it got close, I just
told myself to keep fighting because this guys never beaten you. Good strategy, Rick. This
win changed both Quang and Rickys attitude.
Dave Sakai, though he didnt advance, earned a Michelob Light from Ricky by knocking
out Choe. Now Rickys loss to Choe didnt count, and so, after a loss to Malek, he was 2-1. When
Malek lost to Charles Butler, he was 2-1, and Charles 12. Bui, with losses to Ricky and Attila, was 1-2
Another key match came in the fourth round.
Perry Schwartzberg and Scott Boggan were both 3-0
and faced each other in what seemed to be the toughest
group of the day. (Both still had to play Danny.) Scott
won, deuce in the 3rd, and even though he later lost to
Danny he came in with a 2-1 record. Perry, after his loss
to Scott, dropped his next two matches, and so was 0-3.
Brian Masters advanced (3-0) with a deucein-the-3rd win over Jim Lane (2-1). Also advancing
was Randy Seemiller (1-2) whod been down 1-0 and
Dave Sakai
20-18 to Doyle.
Photo by Mal Anderson
510

In the two rounds of evening matches, only four players were undefeatedprophetically, Danny, Scott, Attila, and Ricky.
The next morning, John Read inspired the players to finish as high as they possibly
could. He said the U.S. Team would be traveling to a lot of places besides the Worlds and the
top 10 finishers would be on the selection list.
Masters won his first two morning matches over Schwartzberg and Butler, and even
with tough matches ahead he looked like the newest member of the Team. Meanwhile, Malek
lost his first two to Lane and Boggan and started looking shaky. However, he did have an
important deuce-in-the-3rd win over Masters. And then an even more important onethe
upset of the Trialsover Danny in three. That win kept him alivein fact, earned him the #3
spot on the Team.
Scott played tough and loud as he went through the
Scott Boggan
last day undefeated, getting looser as the day closed. His
Photo by
Robert Compton
three-game win over Ricky looked like his toughest match.
His last two, over Lane and Duc, had incredible I-cant-miss
strings of forehand and backhand cracks. He tied Dannys
match record at 10-1, finished second by virtue of a couple
of games.
So it was coming down to Ricky and Brian for the
fourth and last spot on the Team and the trip to Tokyo
(since Eric would surely be an automatic pick). It looked as
if Ricky would win by counter-looping Brians slow opening-loop. But Brian fought, began twist-blocking Rickys
loops, and pulled out an 18-in-the-3rd win. That put Brian at
7-3 and Ricky at 6-4 going into the final round. Ricky
played Lane and Brian played, ohh, Danny. We checked the
game scores as the matches began, and since Ricky clearly
had the better record, he would have to lose, or Brian would
have to win, in order for Brian to make the Team. Both
matches went as predicted. Ricky, after being up and down, in and out during play, beat Lane
two straight. Brian lost to Danny, butcheck the scoresat 19 and 19.
The order of finish then was: Eric Boggan, withdrew, injury. 1. Danny Seemiller (10-1/
21-2). 2. Scott Boggan (10-1/20-5). 3. Attila Malek (8-3). 4. Ricky Seemiller (7-4/17-9). 5.
Brian Masters (7-4/17-12). 6. Quang Bui (5-6/12-13). 7. Jim Lane (5-6/12-15). 8. Sean
ONeill (5-6/11-14). 9. Perry Schwartzberg (4-7/10-15). 10. Charles Butler (4-7/10-17). 11.
Randy Seemiller (1-10). 12. Duc Luu (0-11).
Tims Interview with Mens Champion Danny Seemiller
(at the Tropicana, Dec. 21st, the day after hed won the Championship)
INTER: Well, Danny, congratulations. You must be quite pleased with yourself at
winning still another Championship.
DANNY: I am. This was a dream of a Nationalswith the kind of come-from-behind
win you always imagine, always dream of again and again. Of course Im quite pleased with
myself that I held up so strongly under pressure. Actually I was never nervous the whole
match. I always had a plan that I followedeven if it was a momentary onelike chisel into
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the middle. I never thought, Oh, now if I can just get a couple of pointsnever thought
anything like that.
INTER: Was there any other tournament that gave you a high more than this one?
DANNY: Well, Ill never forget that first U.S. Team Tryout in 72. I was just about
Erics agea little youngerand had been training in Grand Rapids. Id gone to those Trials
in that Chicago suburb just hopingand had finished #1.
INTER: But this Championshipsurely its special?
DANNY: Yes, its nice to win my fourth Nationalsbut its the way I won it that
made it so great. Coming back from the dead twice. And then Ricky and Randy were out there
on the court with me. It was just great. Great because in a way you kind of win for the family.
INTER: So it made all those often unrecognizable days of a Table Tennis Champion
worthwhile, huh?
DANNY: Yeah. But Ive never been one much to complain. Ive got a good day-to-day
job. An easy job. Ive always been able to mix up the hard training, the tournaments, the coaching,
the exhibitions, the hanging out. I justify doing what sometimes I dont want to do with the checks I get.
INTER: Of course to continue making a good living you have to keep winning, right?
DANNY: Yes, thats truebut Ive never had any trouble doing that. Not just money
but pride, too, is important. I want to win because Im proud and want to be the best U.S.
player. I didnt want to come second to Eric as Ive sometimes been doing.
INTER: But the money counts?
DANNY: Yeah, the money counts. In that final with Eric I had a rare chance to win a
lot of money. I got a bonus of $4,000 from Butterfly for winning that match, so it was a
$5,400 day. From 19-16 down in
Danny Seemiller
the fifth it was $1,000 a point.
Photo by
And yet strangely I never thought
Robert Compton
of the money out therenever
thought of winning or losing.
INTER: Oh? Why was that, do
you think?
DANNY: Well, my head started
to get good when Brian beat Scott
back in the 16ths. That was very
important for me because it set my
psyche straight for Eric, Scott
might have given me super heat. It
was a nice feeling not to have to
prepare seriously, mentally, for
both Scott and Eric. Problem is,
Scotts better than his rating. He
sometimes fritters away matches
that he doesnt see any point in
playing and so his rating momentarily goes down. But his head is
good against mehe likes it that
he plays me in the quarters. And
last year he beat me.
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INTER: But though Scott was out of the way, you still had Attila to contend with. He
beat you once, too, remember.
DANNY: Yes, Attila can be toughbut his strength is his steadiness and he hadnt
been playing much until just about two weeks before the tournament. So I wasnt worried too
much about him.
INTER: You werent too worried about Eric either? You said before that you werent
nervous your whole match with himthough youd lost the first game at 9 and were down
20-15 in the second.
DANNY: Well, all I can say is that I never fist-up thought, I gotta get a lead cause I
want to win bad. I just thought, Play the ball where its supposed to be played. I always
seemed to have a good plan or strategy. I knew I always had to put on a lot of offensive
pressure. And I thought if I did that it wouldnt matter what Eric did. So, down 20-15, I didnt
serve to the wings, I came down the middle.
INTER: And Eric was just a little over-confident?
DANNY: Maybe. Anyway, he let me ease myself right back into the match.
INTER: Ease? Is that the right word? It looked to me like at 20-15 youd made up
your mind with the serve to be damn aggressive, to go down fighting.
DANNY: Thats true. But ease is still the right word. For whether you can see it or
not, Ive rather recently evolved a new styleand now the games more fun for me. Now I
say to myself, Play smart but have fun. Dont be tense.
INTER: Fun? The fun comes in doing what?
DANNY: In not putting pressure on myself to outthink or overpower Eric. Naturally, Eric and I are constantly playing mind games out there. Basically he has a defensive
style, so despite his early lead in this match, it was still hard for him to blow me away. In
fact, I love it that Eric comes at me. He often loses more points to me on his serve than he
makes.
INTER: So theres always a lot pf maneuvering when you two play?
DANNY: Yes. Thats what real table tennis is all about. If theres a lot of positioning, a
lot of maneuvering, you wont have many bad points. Of course you never know exactly what
Erics going to do. Thats one reason why hes so good.
INTER: Well, there certainly seems to be more variety, more diversity in your game
now.
DANNY: In some ways, though Im more and more looking to be an all-around player,
Erics forced me into that. I knew before we started the match he was gonna move me. But
when, for example, he pushed me wide to the corner, my strong chopping always allowed me
to come right back into the match.
INTER: Its absolutely necessary that you chop some in playing Eric?
DANNY: Yes, because I cant just out-topspin him. I knew that, so Id been devoting
20-25 minutes a day practicing getting a lot of spin on my chops and it paid off. During the
whole match when I was out of position I came back into point after point with an under-spin
shot. When Eric wasnt willing to attack, I realized that I was always chopping for position,
never to outright win the point. Chopping for position was always very clear in my mind.
INTER: So you two managed to maneuver each other right into the fifth, and at
16-15 your favor Eric won four fast points in a row. Do you think he made a mistake then
in jumping round the courtmuch as youd done earlier in catching him in the second
game?
513

DANNY: Well, it was the first time in the fifth game that anyone had had a clear
advantage that would make him look like a winner. So I dont blame him. But when he came
back to the table he was anything but over-confident, he was nervous. And he made a careless
serve that allowed me to be immediately aggressive.
INTER: That long chop serve that Eric served off at 19-18, would that have caught
you by surprise?
DANNY: Partially, because I was moving in, ready to loop whatever serve he was
going to give me. It just missed the linelike that one he served off at deuce in the second
game. Both just missed. Anyway, at 19-all, I wasnt surprised. I knew hed serve short because
hed just served out. So I gave him a heavy push right on the turn between forehand and
backhanda middle ball that I knew wasnt easy to flick. Then I put that second ball exactly
where I wanted toto his wide backhand corner, and because I knew hed flick it I tried to
push heavy.
INTER: You were so clear-headed, so strategic?
DANNY: Im sure I looked very emotionaland I was. But my mind was good. And,
as I say, I was always thinking position. Almost every point Eric and I played ended up with a
position winnernot an early serve and follow.
INTER: So, though youd just won five points in a row from 19-16 down, you werent
surprised on winning the match?
DANNY: Yes, I was genuinely surprised at the precise moment the match ended.
Thirty seconds earlier Id been down 19-16. Then it was all over so quickly I was so elated I
just went wild. I threw the racket way up (usually I throw the racket high when I lose) and I
thought, What the hell. Im not even going to catch it. Actually, I think I was shaking Erics
hand as it landed.
INTER: So for you this is a career-changing win?
DANNY: Hey, Ive just won eight U.S. tournaments in a row. I feel Im playing as well
as I ever did.
INTER: I think youre playing better than you ever did. At least I never saw you play
as well as you did from 20-15 down in the second.
DANNY: Exactly. I cant see any reason why I cant play better till Im 34-35. Its not
true that as you get older you get worseat least not till youre 35. Not if you keep in good
shape. Of course you have to have your head right. When I lost to Eric in the 78 Nationals it
was like a sword went into me. I was unbelievably hurt. When I lost that first game to him, I
thought, I wish hed let me win. I thought, If I just keep looping the ball, hell miss. I
know now that was just nonsense thinking. From now on when Eric comes into crucial
situations hell probably play better. Once youve been hurt very badly youre not as afraid of
being hurt that way again. Because, really, how can you be?
INTER: That sounds almost spiritually comforting. Anyway, since I know youre a
religious-minded person, I wonder if youve ever prayed to God for help in winning a match?
DANNY: I am a religious person, but Id never pray to God to win a match. If I were
having a real bad time in some other way, yes, Id pray. But winning or losing a table tennis
match, even for a Championship? I dont think that would be justified. What about your
opponent? What if Eric would be praying too? Ordinarily the only thing you can ask from God
is to keep your soul happy. That is, to play without nervousness. It gives me a lot of solace if
Im in good with God. For then Im really happy with myself. Then, come what may, Im the
Champion every day.
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Tims Interview with Mens Runner-up Eric Boggan

(at his home in Merrick, N.Y., Jan. 1st, the day he was to return to Sweden)
INTER: I appreciate this interview, Eric, and I wish I didnt have to ask you such
hard questions. But here goes. It seems to me that your loss to Danny at this Closed was the
most disappointing one of your career. Do you agree?
ERIC: It was disappointing enough. Look, I really dont want to talk about this much,
O.K.? I dont know if my loss to Danny was a bad loss, or a very bad loss. I dont know if we
know now just how good Danny is. Well have to wait and see at the Worlds.
INTER: O.K. I understand your feelings and Ill try to keep the questions to a minimum. It seems not just to me but to everyone that the turning point of your match with Danny
came when, after winning the first game at 9, and leading in the second 20-15, you lost seven
in a row and ended up losing that game and the match. Do you think now you were somehow
careless at the end of that second game?
ERIC: I occasionally f___ up when Im leading. Last year in the German Open I had
Appelgren 20-14 and lost the game and later, in the fifth, the match. But, o.k., it happens.
Youve got to win the deuce gameseverybody knows that. Usually Im pretty good at it.
INTER: Somebody said that after your successes this yearyoull undoubtedly be
among the Top 25 on the ITTF World Classification Listthat you werent hungry enough
for this Championship. Do you think thats true?
ERIC: Let people say what they want. I didnt see them out there in the final. But its
true that when Im behind I play much harder. Im turning soft.
INTER: Some say the tension got to you. Do you believe that?
ERIC: Perhaps. Id been tight earlier in my Under 21 match with Jimmy Lane. It
certainly didnt help me though that I didnt have any good practice players or hard matches
on finals day to warm me up.
INTER: In the opinion of many, Dannys chopping won him the match. Do you think
you were aggressive enough when he was back on defense?
ERIC: No, I wasnt. And Ive only myself to blame. I didnt train properly the three
months before the Closed. I spent too much time practicing what I do bestcountering.
INTER: Do you think you just lost concentration in the 5th? I mean, after going up 1916, you were dancing all around the court. Was that wise?
ERIC: I dont know. I did the same thing in Seoul against the very good Japanese
player Saito. Of course that was after Id won the match. I guess maybe with victory so near I
was trying to psych myself up. And probably unconsciously I was just trying to give Danny
back what hed been giving me. You know were each trying to f___ each other up out there.
Anyway, let him do what he wantsbut his 10-step runs, his leaps, his fist-thrusts, his yells
and loud grunts can distract you if you let them. The crowd loves itbut unless you can give
it back it can be intimidating.
INTER: Someone said he thought at the end you were playing to the crowd. Were you?
ERIC: All winners are conscious of the spectators. But I wasnt conscious of playing
to them.
INTER: At 19-16 in the 5th you served off. How, at such a time, did that happen?
ERIC: Well, it wasnt like I wasnt thinking out there. Having just lost two crucial
points, I wasnt ready to serve short and flip, so I thought maybe Danny would be unprepared
for and would maybe even miss a deep, down-the-line chop serve.
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INTER: Do you think Danny

Eric Boggan
psyched you out, or do you think you
Photo by
psyched yourself out?
Robert Compton
ERIC: I psyched myself out after
losing that 20-15 lead and most of the
crowd to Danny.
INTER: Since I collected your
check for you after your loss, I presume
after you left the playing area you went
right to your room. What did you do there?
ERIC: I pouted for a few minutes,
then flipped the TV on and mellowed out.
INTER: Do you think that you
learned anything from this loss?
ERIC: Yeah. I learned that while
Danny was more psyched up that Ive ever
seen him, and though I was nervous and
played badly, I still had about 10 chances to
beat him. That shows how far Ive
come.Enough?
INTER: One last question. It seems
to me that you got over this loss much
better than you
would have, say, two
years ago. Is that true?
ERIC: Well, Im far from over it. Itll affect me for a month or
so until I start winning as I want to again. It used to be fun for me to go
to practiceat this moment its not. Still, I try to look at this Closed as
only one tournament. The Worlds is much more important. There,
instead of getting f_____ up, maybe I can f___ up some good players.
[Not too far into my next Volume well see just how important Eric and
his teammates play at the 83 Tokyo Worlds is to them, and to their
hopes of staying in the Championship Division.]

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To order copies of History of U.S. Table Tennis,

Volumes I through XI, send $40 per book
(or $360 for all eleven) to:
Tim Boggan
12 Lake Avenue
Merrick, NY 11566
www.timboggantabletennis.com

Junior Olympics Nationals

Girls Under 11 Medal Winners:
1. Linda Gates 2. Stephanie Fox
3. Michelle Mantel 4. Laura Biondolino

National Sports Festival

USAs Golden Warriors

ONeill, Butlers, Olson, and Nguyen

U.S. Boys Training in China

Chinese National Team, including World Champion Guo Yuehua (far left), joins young
U.S. Champions and chaperone Sue Butler for training session in Beijing.
Photo by Sue Butler