The Guernsey Table Tennis Association is preparing for the annual La Fratenelle Home Insurance sponsored Island Championships, which gets underway this Friday.
Four days of competition are planned across 20 categories, before the finals night next Wednesday, 22 April.
Just two days after that, the winners of the Island Championships will face visiting Caesarean counterparts in the Inter-Insular singles before the team events next weekend.
The leading player in the Channel Islands, Garry Dodd, returns to headline the showpiece events, in which he is attempting to retain the Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles crowns he won last year.
The GTTA said this weekend will provide an “action-packed finale to the 2025/26 season” with the “most important item on the agenda” being the Men’s Singles event, as Dodd can draw level in 2nd position with the great Mark Pipet on 14 island titles should he emerge victorious from the 36 strong field.
This would then leave him just two shy of the record 16 island titles held by Bert Brenton, who dominated the local game in the 1920’s and 1930’s, including an incredible run of 12 consecutive titles.
Dodd has however been handed a tough draw, said the GTTA.
5th seeded 7-time former winner Phil Ogier is his likely opposition at the Quarter-Finals stage, with 2-time winner Joshua Stacey the player seeded to meet the winner in the Semi-Finals.
There is however all change in the Doubles, with Dodd competing with different players in the Men’s and Mixed competitions.
With Josh Butler absent, Dodd is unable to defend the title they have won for the past three seasons. He is however competing with Robinson, and the top seeds are likely to be very difficult to beat. Their main challenge is expected to come from 2nd seeded twins Joshua and Lawrence Stacey, who won this title in 4 consecutive years, albeit 3rd seeds Ben Foss and Bichard are the likely opposition in the semi-finals, with 4th seeds Hainsworth and Robilliard the duo expected to meet Joshua and Lawrence in the other.
In the Mixed Doubles, Dodd retains his top seeding alongside Juliette Yeaman. Yeaman is yet to win the Mixed Island Crown, however alongside Dodd the Ravenscroft Panthers player will be confident of success. Robinson is combining with the champion from last year, Marli Barker and they are seeded to meet Dodd and Yeaman in the final. Doubles specialist and left-hander Andy Gill and Paula Le Ber are seeded 3rd and due to meet Dodd and Yeaman in the semi-finals, with 4th seeds Lawrence and Vikki Stacey due to meet Robinson and Barker in the other. Another notable entry in the event is 7-time former winner Alice Edwards, who is competing with her father Chris Loveridge.
Kay Chivers is a strong favourite to add to her vast collection of island titles, with a potential 19th Island Women’s Singles crown on the line. Her likely opposition on her path culminates with 3rd seed Marli Barker and 2nd seed Paula Le Ber, although notably 4th seeded form player Keira Eldridge is due to meet Le Ber in what could be a tough semi-final in the bottom half of the draw.
In the Women’s Doubles, Chivers is looking to obtain an incredible 30th title. Already the significant record holder in this event, she is teaming with Barker to attempt to defend their crown. Yeaman and GTTA Development Officer Becks O’Keefe are seeded to meet them in the final.
In the Veterans Events, Ogier is favourite to pick up 3 titles he has had almost perfect success in. In the Over 40’s Open Singles, he has never lost and is looking to make it 13 straight titles. He is likely to need to overcome 3rd seed Jamie Ferbrache in the semi-finals, with either 2nd seed Nye Matthew, or 4th seed Jez Powell in the final.
In the Over 40’s Open Doubles, Ogier has won the event on 11 occasions alongside Powell since 2014, just a single blemish on the record from 2024 when Gill and Ferbrache took a super title. There is however a change here as he is pairing with Matthew for the first time. The top seeds are due to play 4th seeds Andy and Brian Ferbrache in the semi finals, with 2nd seeds Jamie Ferbrache and Steve Ozanne expected in the final.
In the Over 50’s Open Singles, Ogier is looking for his 3rd straight title. He is scheduled to meet 2nd seed Matthew in the final.
Chivers can add a further title to her resume in the Women’s Veterans Singles. She is looking to make it title number 14, with O’Keefe seeded to meet her in the final.
Mark Pipet is the favourite to retain his Over 60’s Open Singles crown. Seeded 1, he is aiming to make it 9 titles in this event and his 7th consecutive. His toughest test is expected to come from 2nd seed Kay Chivers, the winner of the event in 2019.
In the final Veterans Event, 3-time former winner Terry Trustum is seeded first, with Brian Ferbrache seeded to meet Trustum in the final.
In the Restricted Singles, an event open to players aged between 21-40 that have not played in the Green Trophy the prior season, nor current Men’s or Women’s Singles Champions, Robinson is top seed and set to meet 10-time former winner and defending champion Hainsworth in the final. In a tough compact draw containing several strong top-flight players, Robinson is likely to meet 3rd seed Robilliard in the semi-final, whilst Hainsworth has 4th seed Matthew Casey in his half, as well as the dangerous Dan Collenette, the winner of the Under 21 Channel Island title just 3 years back.
From a Junior perspective, Oskar Cleal, Luke Evans, and Keira Eldridge are favourites to bring home most titles.
Cleal is top seed in the Under 18 Open Singles, the Under 18 Open Doubles alongside Barnaby Groves and the Under 18 Open Singles. In the singles events he is likely to need to defeat Groves in both to emerge victorious, with Evans the player seeded to meet him in the final of the Under 21 event. In the doubles event, Cameron Powell and Micah Cohen are seeded to reach the final to compete against Cleal and Groves.
Evans is the clear favourite in both the Under 13 Open and Under 15 Boys events. In the Under 13 category, he is due to meet 2nd seed Thea Cummins in the final, whilst in the Under 15 Boys, last years Under 11 Open Singles champion Morgan Finn is the likely opposition.
Eldridge on the other hand is favourite for both the Under 15 Girls and Under 18 Ladies events. In both she is due to meet 2nd seed Cummins in the final.
The final event to be contested is the Under 11 Open Singles, where some of the most promising young players are looking to obtain their first ever Island crowns. Keil Butt is top seed in this category, and he is due to meet 2nd seed Perran Lomax in the final.
Action kicks off on Friday evening with the Over 60’s Open Singles, the Restricted Singles and the Under 21 Open Singles.
The Men’s and Women’s Singles events are to be contested on Saturday evening from 19:00.
Action from the entire championships is free for spectators to watch at the GTTA centre at Hougue Du Pommier, with Finals night to commence at 18:30 on Wednesday 22 April.