AIMS TT 2014
Welcome to the inaugural AIMS Table Tennis Event, held at QEYC, 11th Avenue Tauranga from 8th to 12th September 2014.
Information releases, draws and results will be posted here, along with a photo gallery from the event. Access documents by clicking on the bold blue hyperlinks.
Day 5: FINALS DAY
Result Schedule: All Medals/Events
Teams Event: Results & Placings
Day 4 Doubles Event: Review
The boys, girls and mixed doubles events were played out to semi-finals, with results running very close to seedings. The remaining pairs played out plate events. Final rankings are now posted for all those outside semi-finalists:
Day 3 Singles Event: Review
All twelve Stag tables, and the tournament controllers Shona Cudby and Ron Garrett were kept busy on day 3 by 44 boys in 12 pools and 16 girls in 4 pools.
The top seeds in both events progressed to the quarter-finals in the knockout phase, where the in-form fifth seed Mikey Malik from Pinehurst School upset fourth seeded Jason Chak from Bucklands Beach Intermediate. Mikey will face Xavier Lea in the semi-finals on Friday, while the gold medal favourite, Jim Sha from Somerville Intermediate takes on Cobham Intermediate's Sang Yong Park.
Jason took out fifth placing as the remaining players battled out consolation knockouts to find their individual placings. Hanbin Chung from Berkley Normal School made a great impression after missing the teams event, finishing sixth. Earlier, in pool play, he battled out a dazzling five-set cliff-hanger with eighth seed Alvin Huang from Bucklands Beach - the match of the day.
Another dramatic match was fought out between promising newcomer, Max German from Somerville, and Matt Slade from Papamoa College. In the end the smaller Matt used his experience and guile to clinch the fifth set and seventh place.
The plate final was another nail-biting affair, fought out by two of the most improved players of the tournament. For the third day running Jack Hitchfield from Mount Intermediate saved his best to last, defeating Miah McDonald from Matahui Rd School in a tight fifth set.
In the girls event Jiayi Zhou from Cobham appeared to be a class above, and more of a match for the leading boys. Joining her in the semi-finals on Friday will be second seeded Sophia Ying from Bucklands Beach, Amy Earles from Tauranga Intermediate and Sophie Low from Farm Cove Intermediate.
Day 4 comprises Boys, Girls and Mixed Doubles.
Day 2 Teams Event: Review
Semi-finalists were found and minor placings were decided on day 2 of the AIMS table tennis teams event.
The results played out largely as expected, but not without a lot of tense moments. Top seeds Somerville Intermediate had a number of close games with Otumoetai Intermediate, but were relatively untroubled in their top four cross-over match, to reach Friday morning's final.
Jim Sha continued to show his class and experience, leading the way. He was ably supported by Joshua Zhu, Ojas Madaan and Max German.
But, there was a battle royale to find their opponents in the final. Papamoa College went in as slight favourites over Pinehurst School, and seemed happiest when the playing orders were determined.
The respective numbers ones Xavier Lea (Papamoa) and Mikey Malik (Pinehurst) opened up with comfortable victories over Mark Price and Dylan Bass respectively. Papamoa's Matt Slade then fended off the comeback from Callan Walker-Mead to take Papamoa to 2-1.
In the first doubles, Xavier and Dylan were a point away from going 2 sets up, but an inspired comeback by Mikey and Mark saw them level the contest in 4 sets.
Boosted by that comeback Michael Malik proceeded to unleash a withering array of winners in the final match. Each time the experienced pairing of Matt and Xavier threatened to seal the contest, he and Callan played with inspiration to claw their way back.
The spectators were on the edge of their seats when the match went to a fifth and deciding set. But, it became a bit of an anti-climax as the Papamoa pairing had their own purple patch, reeling off 10 consecutive points to ensure a finals match against Somerville on Friday morning.
Pinehurst will play Otumoetai for bronze on finals day.
There were some gripping contests in the playoffs for places 5 to 11, with the match of the day being that between Josh Hamill of Tauranga Intermediate and Jahrone Coles of Pongakawa School. Josh eventually triumphed 11-9 in the fifth set after many fluent rallies, tipping the contest in favour of Tauranga, leaving them fifth placed and Pongakawa sixth.
In the playoff for seventh and eighth placings Jack Hitchfield again inspired Mount Maunganui Intermediate at the death, allowing them to triumph over Bethlehem College, despite continued strong form from the latter's Jackson Whitwell.
The boys from Te Puna hit their best form to take out ninth placing from Mount Maunganui 2, while Papamoa College were left in eleventh place having been left a player short.
While the lower placing playoffs were going on, former New Zealand representatives Jessica Macaskill, from Rotorua, and Sport BOP Coachforce Officer, Kadia Keller-Rice conducted a coaching and mentoring session, with special invitation to the girls who completed their round-robin on Monday.
The session was very well received by an enthusiastic and larger than expected group of young players and a few managers. The Stag robot machine proved a popular drawcard, but the session highlight was a smash and lob demonstration, with the diminutive Jiayi Zhou hitting powerfully against Kadia's clever defensive lobs.
The third day of competition sees boys singles commence at 9am, using all 12 tables, with girls singles following from 10am.
Boys, girls and mixed doubles draws have now been made for Thursday, and are posted on the TTNZ Website.
Day 1
Table tennis was welcomed to AIMS Games in style with 12 teams entered in the boys event and 4 in the girls event,
The girls completed a round-robin, with the Bay of Plenty Secondary Schools champion trio Amy Earles, Eloise Sharpe and Tui Temoku from Tauranga Intermediate clean-sweeping all their matches.
They will play Friday's final against Pongakawa School, who surprisingly upset Otumoetai 5-0, with strong form shown by Acacia Lovell-Dewes, Karma Whare and Renee Sale. Otumoetai will play Tauranga 2 in the bronze final on Friday.
In the boys event four rounds were completed, with three semi-finalists found; Somerville Intermediate, Papamoa College and Pinehurst School who were all unbeaten. The only big surprise was the non-appearance of a strong squad from Berkley Normal, allowing Otumoetai Intermediate the inside running for the final spot from Pongakawa School.
Tuesday will see an early battle between Somerville and Pinehurst for top place in Group A, followed by cross-over matches between the winners and runners-up. The winners of those matches will contest the final on Friday, and the losers the bronze play-off.
The remaining teams will battle it out in the afternoon to find their final placings. Those not playing will be offered coaching and mentoring tips by NZ representatives Kadia Keller-Rice and Jessica Macaskill.
Match of the day for Monday was the opening game of the Pinehurst v Tauranga Intermediate contest. Mark Price and Max Henderson battled out 5 sets, with Max triumphing 11-8 in the fifth to give Tauranga the hint of an upset. Subsequently Mikey Malik and Callan Walker-Mead took out the deciding doubles 3-1 to take Pinehurst to victory.
Another exciting game was the closing match of the day (see photo), with Riley Nordick and Ryan Monk of Te Puna extinguishing a comeback spearheaded by Jack Hitchfield of Mount Intermediate in the fifth set of the final game, where Jack partnered Adam Todd.
Possibly the most entertainining contest of the day was provided by Sang Yong Park of Cobham and Mikey Malik, with Mikey winning 3-1. Jiayi Zhou, also of Cobham, substituted in for Berkley Normal, and amazed a number of admiring spectators with her spectacular array of shots against the boys.
Please endeavour to have all team members assembled 30 minutes prior to the commencement of matches. The tournament committee will conduct a meeting with team Managers at 9am on Monday, where any queries may be resolved.
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