Table tennis tournament success

National veteran no.3 Ritchie Venner (Saints TTC) justified his top seeding in the men's singles, but had to come from 2-0 down to defeat fourth seed and national veteran no.43 Peter Bartram (Lancing) 3-2 in the final.

Bartram got his own back in the men's doubles, however, by teaming up with Paul Barry (Civil Service TTC) to overcome Venner and Neil Wright (Wales).

Chelsea Furnival continued her fine form having reached the semi-finals of the Butterfly Schools' Individual Championships the previous weekend with a victory double in the women's events.

The 15-year-old got the better of Hollington TTC clubmate and national senior woman no.31 Rose Rainton 3-1 in a very good singles final.

She also teamed up with Rainton to land the doubles, played as a round-robin, with Teresa Bennett (Hollington) and Sheila King (Tigers TTC) runners-up.

Perhaps the result of the day, though, came in the final of the consolation singles where Joshua Bennett, of primary school age, stunned the vastly experienced national no.8 veteran woman King 3-0.

The annual event, played at the Hollington Community Centre, attracted 31 entries - 24 men and seven women - of which there were two withdrawals.