The Isle of Wight County Table Tennis Association recently held a charity tournament in aid of the Mountbatten Hospice, attracting around 20 of the top table tennis players in Southern England, along with top Island talent.
The Number 1 Seed was George Downing, who, although now living in Bournemouth, was born on the Island and competed here for many years, and now represents the Isle of Wight in the Island Games.
Downing made it to the final where he met top Hungarian player Ferenc Horvath, who now coaches in Cambridge. The 2 players demonstrated the incredible skill and determination necessary for performance at this level, much to the entertainment of the watching crowd of spectators. The match went to 5 sets, with Downing taking control of the decisive set to win and claim the £500 first prize.
With donations from groups and individuals, £1,000 was raised for the Earl Mountbatten Hospice, and a cheque for this sum was presented last week to Charlotte Hornblow and Nicola Seymour from the Hospice Management team by Martin Dove and Tim Giles from the IWCTTA committee.
Staff at the hospice expressed their appreciation to the Table Tennis Association for their fundraising efforts. It is hoped to make this an annual event if sufficient sponsorship can be acquired again.
The Isle of Wight Table Tennis Association wish to thank everyone who supported the tournament this year, especially the local sponsors: Mike Turner, Director, Solent Pools; Balfourkerr Properties.
