Senior Corner

September/October 2005
By Olga & Stan Kahan,

Co-Chairs, USATT Senior Committee

949-830-6699 (ph) · 949-240-7167 (fax)

Hot summer days are slowly fading away, leaving memories of the World Master’s Games last July, attended by senior athletes from all over the globe. The table tennis enthusiasts came to Edmonton, Alberta, located on Canada’s western prairies; they came to compete for the fun of the game and social interaction.

Meanwhile, the 2005 Stiga North American Tour (Stiga Open, Eastern Open and Southern California Open) included Senior Events – Over 40, 50 and 60 – which awarded checks and trophies, given in memory of Sol Feingold.

The Meiklejohn North American Senior Championships (June 2-5, 2005) opened its doors to neighboring countries and left a memorable place in the history of Senior Table Tennis in the U.S.  (See article in this issue by Tim Boggan.)

NBC showed an interest in the Meiklejohn Seniors and televised an interview with Olga Kahan, USATT Senior Committee Co-Chair and Meiklejohn Seniors Chair, and with one of the Meiklejohn Committee members, Herb Gilbert, on the 5PM News (Friday, June 3, 2005). This telecast emphasized the positive affect of table tennis on senior players’ physical and mental well-being. 86-year-old Herb Gilbert graciously permitted the TV interviewer to win a televised match, thus ensuring its inclusion in the News.

The Over 90 event missed one member who decided to go on a romantic cruise rather than go for the gold. (Perhaps he won gold, anyway.) At any rate, Romo (that’s not spelled Romeo) Chernoff has no regrets and at last reports is still cruising. This left the Over 90 event to indefatigable 92-year-old Harry Bloom.

During the Meiklejohn tournament, the USATT Senior Committee members met together to discuss and evaluate its activities, which were steadily spreading during the last twelve months. The members were satisfied with current developments and also agreed that it would be desirable to arrange continental or international senior table tennis championships in 2006 or 2007, possibly in Las Vegas, in order to bring U.S. senior table tennis onto the world map of this sport for seniors.

The 18th Annual San Diego Senior Olympic Games, including table tennis, will be held in the Activities Center, Balboa Park, on Sunday, Sept. 25. For more details, please contact the commissioner, Neil Smyth, at 619-421-3984.

Another great event, the Huntsman World Senior Games, is in October, 2005, in St. George, Utah. The table tennis competition will be held Oct. 3-7, in the Dixie Center and will be directed by Grant Misbach (a USATT Senior Committee member) and Shonie Aki (a former USATT Vice President).

We hope to see you senior players actively take part in these events!

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