Table tennis club hosts tournament

David Landry of Huntsville, Ala., serves Jason Denton of Trinity, Ala. Photo: Courtesy/Northeast Alabama Table Tennis Club

The first annual NEATT Traveling Trophy Tournament, hosted by Northeast Alabama Table Tennis Club, was a big success.

The tournament was held Feb. 18, at the Anniston Army Depot Gym and was a double-elimination “non-sanctioned” tournament. A total of 48 players participated from Georgia, Florida, Germany and Alabama.

It was a different type of atmosphere at the tournament.

You could see the personalities of David Landry and Adam Brown as they approached the finals; they seemed to be more relaxed than at previous tournaments held at the Anniston Army Depot.

At last year’s Alabama State Championship you could cut the air with a knife. It seemed as if there were so much pressure on young Landry as he was trying to become the youngest player ever to win the title of Alabama State Champion.

He was trying to take this title from Brown, a feat which he attempted in 2004.

It seemed as if Landry was ready for the match when they met in the finals.

Landry led 2 games to 0 early in the match. In the third game there was a shift in momentum as Brown started to take control of the match. He won both the third and fourth games. With the fifth and final game at 5-5, Brown turned up the heat and showed once again why he is the reigning Alabama State Champion.

It was an exciting final event with Brown prevailing and winning the First Annual NEATT Traveling Trophy Tournament.

Brown had beaten Landry earlier in the day, but since this was a double-elimination, it was likely they would meet again in the final.

Several players fought very hard trying to take Landry out of the equation for the finals, including Mike Harris (1840), Chuck Outlaw (1980), Werner Schaefer (German Rating) and Jason Denton (1968).

But in his consistent, patient and polished style, Landry outplayed them all on his way to the final.

Our tournament on Feb. 18 seemed to be good timing for most players, with the Alabama State Closed coming up in late March.

As players, we sometimes get caught up in what our rating is and how much that plays a part in a tournament, and we forget how much fun it is to just play this sport we all love.

I am truly happy for those players who took the time to be a part of this tournament, and I hope they will return next year as we continually strive to improve and provide an environment that promotes the sport of table tennis in the state.

It is our sincere desire that this event turns into an annual tournament that can’t be missed!

The concept of an “annual traveling trophy tournament” came from a suggestion by Schaefer, one of the club’s European visitors.

Table tennis is widely played in Europe, and a common practice among neighboring towns is to compete for a single, very special trophy. This trophy is engraved yearly with the new champion’s name.

After many years of play, the trophy may have 20-30 names engraved on it.

The trophy is held by the sponsoring club (in this case, NEATT) until a single individual has won the tournament either three consecutive times or five separate times and is then given to the champion as a symbol of honor and excellence in the sport of table tennis.

Competitors often battle fiercely for many years before an “ultimate champion” arises to claim his just reward.

We would like to extend a special word of thanks to the Anniston Army Depot and Homer Brown at Bumper Nets in the Riverchase Galleria for their continued support of our club and the sport of table tennis statewide.

If you would like more information on table tennis please visit our club Web site at www.neatt.us. If you would like to call us, Jason Stancil can be reached at 256-591-4553 or Mike Harris at 256-238-6453.

Our club plays at the Anniston Army Depot Physical Fitness Center (Bynum Gym) on Tuesdays, 4-9 p.m., and Saturdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.