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Derby Table Tennis Association set to open its doors at City of Derby 4* Junior Open

27 January 2012

In this Olympic year, the Derby Table Tennis Association wants to bring the City and County to table tennis, and so it will be ‘open house’ for people and organisations to come and see the tournament. 

Both City and County Associations will highlight the opportunities for coaching and playing for people of all ages and abilities. 

This season the Derby 4* is being staged at Moorways on March 10 and 11, with play starting at 8.45am until 7pm on 17 tables - giving around a 1,000 matches over the two days.  Entrance is free to spectators. 

This year a Derby name could make its way on to one of the trophies, with Abbie Milwain from Chellaston School competing. Abbie is ranked No.5 in England and last month she was runner up at singles and doubles in the English National Championships

The earliest reference to table tennis in the Derby area is in 1907 when the Ping Pong Club played in the Moravian Settlement at Ockbrook and the first records of an organised league are 1935.  It was run by the Derby Institutes Association and had recognisable club names such as Mechanics, YMCA, Railway Institute, Hardie Social Club, St Andrews, R-R, and the Tramways Club.  1948 saw the formation of the Derby & District Table Tennis Association with 16 clubs in three divisions. 

Currently there are two flourishing junior clubs, the league has four divisions and junior players are making their presence felt on the national scene. There is coaching in schools and representative teams. 
The “Derby” is nationally known.  It was started at the Sinfin Community School as a one day 1* event in 1978 and held at Moorways for the first time in 1979. The tournament became a 2* event in 1982 and has continued with increasing success, progressing to Select status in 1986 and gained 4* status in 1997. It is now one of the leading junior events in the country.