TABLE TENNIS STATUS

Taranaki Daily News, 19 September 1940, Page 10

TABLE TENNIS STATUS

NO LEAVE FOR A TEACHER PROTEST TO THE BOARD Football, hockey, cricket and basketball had an advantage over table tennis in that they were played in the open air, whereas table tennis was played inside in' a dusty atmosphere, said Dr. W. M. Thomson at the meeting of the Taranaki Education Board yesterday during . a brief discussion on some letters received by the board as the . result of remarks made at the previous meeting when a teacher .was refused leave to attend a table tennis championship tournament. , He was surprised to notice in the Taranaki Daily News a reference made to table tennis by one or two members of the board; wrote Mr. R. W. Owen, honorary secretary of the Taranaki Table Tennis .Association. He pointed out that Mr. Webster occupied No. 1 position on the Taranaki table tennis ladder and was therefore one of the province's best players. He had paid his entry fees, 11s, expecting that leave would be granted as for football. His travelling expenses were to be paid by a special grant from the Government centennial sports fund. Reply to Remarks. The main object of the letter jwas to clear ■ up a misunderstanding that some members of the board appeared to have with regard to the game, which required skill and endurance to a considerable der gree. "The remarks that 'we shall be having a snakes and ladder championship next,' is certainly a ludicrous comparison and the statement that 'football is different' is only correct as far as the actuai game is concerned," the writer said. "The game of table tennis is controlled, as football is. There are 15 associations, of which one is the Taranaki association, with 26 clubs representing approximately 750 players in Taranaki alone. "Inter-club competitions are held and; it could therefore be seen that there is no '.'difference' between table tennis and football in that players must be as fit as footballers and co-ordination between head and eye is equally necessary." In asking that the letter be read at the board table, Mr. Owen expressed the hope that what was no doubt a misunderstanding, rriight be clear ed up and': that table tennis would in future be placed " on the same basis as football in regard to leave for players. A letfer- was also received .from • Invercargili signed "Yours in disgust, F. J. Brearley." No exception whatever could. be taken tc 'Mr. Owen's letter, which wgs most courteous, but he thought exception should be taken to the Invercargill .letter, said'tbe chairman, Mr. J. A. Valentine. ■ The .board decided to take no action, it. being pointed out that teachers gave up a good deal of their private time iri' coaching ihe schoolboys' football, cricket, hockey, etc., and that any leave granted the . teachers for those aames was in the nature of reciprocal gtreatment. With! table tennis, however, it was different, for no such reciprocity was necessary.