News
The latest news of the SCTTC and the world of table tennis.
If you are a club member and would like to post a table tennis related announcement, please contact Ray.
2021 WTTC in Houston + Top 10 Shots from 2005 WTTC
Great chance to see players from around the world. First time the Finals will be played in the USA. Wish I could go… Tix are selling out, so grab them and get to TX for some pong and BBQ.
Tickets are now on sale for the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships (WTTC). The best table tennis players from around the world will make their way to Houston, TX to compete for a championship title. This year the WTTC will take place at George R. Brown Convention Center from Nov. 23 – Nov. 29.
More info on tickets and more.
More places to play added
I recently updated the list of places to play with a few more Bay Area options I should have added long ago.
Crazy new paddle shape from Stiga
I thought this was a joke at first, but nope. I’d love to try it out, but not for £220. Could this be the future? Would make replacing rubber easier.
More details about Cybershape Carbon.
Update: New video posted of Swedish pro, Truls Moregardh, playing with the paddle.
Street Table Tennis
Though I knew there were many public places to play table tennis around the world, I recently discovered there is a new twist: organized amateur competitions. It started in Barcelona and has spread to London and other European cities and towns. In addition, there is a StreetTT app and website which is helping to organize amateurs who want to compete without all the usual training and stress. Seems like a fun idea though I’m not sure the Santa Cruz area has enough public tables to put us on the map. As of last check, the towns involved were all in Europe, but I can see this spreading throughout the world.
Check out The Street Table Tennis Phenomenon for more information.
Nice short video of a nice short table tennis player
Little Big Shot
Don’t Hesitate, Vaccinate!
No exciting news. Just a reminder for anyone 12 and over: go get vaccinated! Then, go play some table tennis!
2020 Olympic Table Tennis schedule
Not sure why they decided to keep calling it Tokyo 2020, but here we are in 2021. I think the best page to see the TT schedule. I’ll be rooting for USA, but our team will be outmatched most of the time. The Men’s brackets list is here. Looks like the best place to watch online or find out where to watch would be nbcolympics.com. Discovered that Hulu has a week-long free trial which let’s you see a lot of the games without paying (just don’t forget to cancel at the end of the week). If anyone has other options, let me know. I’m hoping that the best games will appear on YouTube, but who knows.
Welcome back Thursdays!
Things are starting to look a bit more normal for the SCTTC! Starting next week, April 22, the club will be open on Thursdays again. This is extra exciting for those of us that might have gained some weight over the pandemic year.
Another bit of normality returns… doubles! Starting next week, doubles is OK for those who are fully-vaccinated only. We won’t be checking, so this is a honor system sort of thing. For those who aren’t vaccinated yet*, get to it and be patient. Doubles players should still stick to physical distancing (when possible) and avoid contact. Until everyone is vaccinated, please read the info board at the entrance to the club and follow the rules.
* My suggestion is go through CVS and look for appointments to show up after midnight (the actual appointments will be during the day).