Paddles at the ready!

Friday 30 March 2018

50 competitors from all over the UK and as far as Hungary will be battling it out this weekend at the Geoff Reed Table Tennis Centre at FB Fields, as Jersey hosts its 12th Table Tennis Open, as part of the UK Grand Prix circuit.

Jersey Open defending champion and current leader of the circuit, Chris Doran, will be competing as well as triple Paralympian David Wetherill.

More than three fifths of the players registered for the event come from outside of Jersey and include former Commonwealth Games Internationals Darius Knight, Hannah Hicks, Niall Cameron will also take part.

The open will kick off at 09:00 on Good Friday with the Team Events, which is unique to Jersey and sees teams of two players play against the best five, including a double. This will include Junior and Veteran Teams. In the evening, the visiting players will be hosted to a Vin d’Honneur.

Banded events will take place on Saturday from 09:00. For those players compete in divisions according to their ranking and rating points. There will be female and male games throughout the day. 

Pictured: The open kicks off today at 09:00 with team events.

The main event will then take place on Sunday with the Open Singles, including under 21, Veteran and "the jewels in the crown," the Men’s and Women’s Singles. The semi finals and finals will start around 12:30.

The event is free to watch and organisers have promised a full canteen service and plenty of parking to accommodated visitors. 

Last year saw former UK champion Chris Doran, a three-time winner between 2012 and 2014 beat fellow international Darius Knight to regain his Jersey Table Tennis Open.

Pictured: Chris Band, Darius Knight and Chris Doran, last year's Open champion.