(Sorry, this did not appear until the Friday after a phone call. It had apparently got lost in the Easter Sports and articles on Bolton Wanderers.)

Early last week, the remaining Cup Finals were contested in the Bolton & District Table Tennis League and the prizes presented. It was soon to be renamed as the Charles Musa and Kyan Chin show. Both players are from Nomads.

The Handicap Singles event started off the night, with Charles Musa having one point advantage over Kyan, who was in unstoppable form beating Charles Musa 11 – 4,  11 – 3,  11 – 4. Whether one player got tired or the other got himself more in the groove is a bit of a mystery, but fortunes were to be reversed as the night went on.

Charles Musa and Kyan Chin teamed up together in the Handicap Doubles. Starting on minus two for each game, they went on to beat Dave Jones from Hilton and Brian Hallsworth from Radcliffe Cricket Club 11 – 9,  11 – 8,  6 – 11,  11 – 7. Charles and Kyan also teamed up again in the Level Doubles, this time beating Lucas Serdiuk & Dawid Kakol from Polonia Club 11 – 2, 11 – 6, 11 – 9.

Then it was time for Kyan Chin to face Charles Musa again in the Level Vets Singles for the over forties. Charles Musa took it 6 – 11, 11 – 8, 11 – 6, 11 – 8.

The night traditionally ends with the Level Singles and so it was that after a break, it was Charles Musa in a virtual action replay, beating Kyan Chin 11 – 8, 5 – 11, 11 – 7, 11 – 2.

The presentations were then made by guest presenter Christine Crumblehulme who was General Secretary of the League many years ago when the Hilton Centre was first established as a prime table tennis centre. The Individual Championships, the Divisional winners, runners up and Cup Championships have been previously reported on in previous weeks. In addition, special prizes were given out. The Ralph Palmer Trophy for the most promising junior of the season went to Sandy Choong from Ramsbottom Town. The Albert Howcroft Trophy for the most improved player of the season had Elena Cecelia Tepelus from Farnworth Social Circle coming close, but the prize went to Wes Jones from Hilton who had clearly shown the most overall improvement over the season. The Rupert De Riggs Plate for outstanding help given to juniors went to Geoff Hall of the Hilton Centre.

The Top Ten Medals went to David Yates of Irlam Steel in Division Three, Lee Devenport of Saint Paul’s Peel in Division Two, Daniel Watkinson of Wigan TTC in Division One and Michael Moir of Ramsbottom Town for the Premier Division.

Thanks were given to the Hilton Centre for hosting the event, for Match Secretary John Barker acting as Tournament Secretary for organising and scoring the event, with welcome scoring assistance from David Jones.