| Background to the Association As in most
parts of the country table tennis became popular in Wellington region during the
1930’s as an indoor social game with clubs formed in many small centres at schools
and community halls. The Wellington Table Tennis Assn was formed in 1933 and its
counterpart in the Hutt Valley established one year later to administer the thriving club
activities. Also, to cater for the games development in the Tawa, Porirua basin, a Kapiti
sub association was created in 1949 which was later upgraded to a full association in
1970. However with the games reduced popularity some years later, the Kapiti Association
de-affiliated and was absorbed by Wellington Assn in 2001.
Over the years many players from the region have been successful at National, North
Island and South Island Championships as individuals and in their association’s
representative teams. Some have also won at international and tournaments, and in 2002,
Tracey McLauchlan was a member of the N.Z. Women’s table tennis team that won a
bronze medal at the Manchester Commonwealth Games.
The region has produced the following men’s open champions;
Murray Dunn (Wellington Assn) – 1961,62 & 63
Gary Murphy (representing Otago) – 1970
Richard Lee (Wellington Assn but ex Auckland) - 1973
Andrew Hubbard (Hutt Valley Assn) - 1994
Shane Laugesen (representing Auckland)
Since the arrival of television and more recently, computers; and the appearance of
many new sports, table tennis clubs and player numbers have declined . As a consequence
the two associations amalgamated in 2002 to form Table Tennis Wellington with a catchment
area encompassing Wellington city, Hutt and Kapiti.
TTW has its own stadium at Alexander Road Newtown featuring eight tables and out in the
Valley utilises the stadium facilities of Empire Table Tennis Club at Marine Parade,
Petone, with 12 available tables.
Look at them
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