Irish Table Tennis Umpires Association

Six more Internation Umpires have joined the elite group of Blue Badge Umpires in December 2010.
see list...

Tom Mitchell, International Table Tennis Umpire, of the Irish Table Tennis Umpires Association has successfully conducted a County Umpire’s Course recently. County Umpire’s Badges and the Certificates were presented by the ITTA.

The newly qualified County Umpires are :

Brien Finn, Georgi Hubenov, Aisling Healy, Ted Mahaffy, Arnold Morgan, Jamie McConkey, Jay McAllister and Roy Coard.

Welcome aboard. Happy Umpiring.

ITTF announced the Qualification of 6 new International Referees.

Newly qualified Referees are printed in Green.

NSW, Australia
100 Years Young and More to Come! Dorothy (Dot, Doris, Dottie) De Low, Table Tennis player extraordinaire, turned 100 years of age on Tuesday 5th October 2010.
Attend the Veterans World Championships and there is always one player who attracts the limelight.

It is Australia’s Dorothy de Low.

Players who have enjoyed a celebrated status in the sport of table tennis and enjoyed international stardom are upstaged by the lady who proves that age is no barrier.

NZ Open Championships - Auckland - 5-10 October 2010
Roger Rao (Auckland) created history at the TTNZ National Senior Championships when he became the youngest ever winner of the men's singles at 13 years and 337 days, breaking a record previously held by TTNZ Hall of Fame inductee Richard Lee...........

8 more International Umpires have qualified in the prestigious group of Blue Badge Umpires in October 2010.

read more:

Congratulation India. You have the largest number of International Umpire qualified in 2010.

The total number of IU qualified in 2010 is 412; out of which 311 male and 101 female.

A small increase in the total number of IUs over 2006 and 2008. However, there is a significant grouth in the number of IUs in Asia over 2006 and 2008. read more:

If you are a table tennis player you have an added advantages to become a Table Tennis Umpire. Of course, you don't have to be a player to become an Umpire.

There is a lady still playing at the age of 99.

There is a lady playing table tennis without arms.

see below.
read: about Umpire read: Role of Umpire

The Irish Table Tennis Association has approved Umpiring Development Plan submitted by the Umpires Association.

read more:

Three International Umpires achieved the status of Blue Badge at the end of March 2010.
read more:

Kathleen Renalds, John Finn, John Dampsey, Ronan Rooney and Rena McCarron Rooney have recently qualified as Irish County Umpires.

They received their Certificates and Badges from the ITTA Secretary Kenneth Strong.

Welcome aboard - Happy Umpiring from your fellow umpires.

The Irish Umpires Association is pleased to announce that Terri McKeon & Brenda Munroe have qualified as National Umpire of Ireland.

Joe Hickey, the Chairperson of the Irish Table Tennis Association is with the newly qualified National Umpires.

Congratulation Terri, Brenda. Welcome aboard.

From your Colleague at Irish Table Tennis Umpires Association.

ITTF has just published the September 09 list of Blue Badge Umpires. Only 3 umpires managed to get the blue badge status.

At a tender age of 99 Dorothy De Low is playing Table Tennis in the World Masters, Penshurst, NSW, Australia on 15th Oct 2009.

By the way, Dorothy has passed her driving test recently and that would allow her to drive when she is 101.

read more:

The Senior 6 Nations Table tennis Championships got off to an explosive start at DCU on Friday (2nd Oct 2009) night following an Opening Ceremony led by Dublin’s Lord Mayor Emer Costello. Ireland's men couldn't have asked for a tougher start, coming up first against one of the tournament favourites Wales.

International Referee Karen Tonge, MBE, took charge of the event, assisted by Tony Martin. The countries took part in the competetion are Wales, Scotland, England, Ireland, Isle of Man and Guernsey.

read more:

We wish you a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year - 2010

Irish Table Tennis Umpires Association
Kiron, Joe, Tom, Terri, Vivienne, Brenda,
Con, Cecilia, Tommy and Ian.

AGM of the Irish Table Tennis Umpires Association (ITTUA) will be held on Wednesday, the 19th August 2009 at 7.30pm in Irish Wheelchair Assocition (IWA), Clontarf, Dublin 3.

Members of the public are invited to attend the meeting.

Greetings from Ireland.
Thank you Japan for your hospitality and wonderful time in Yokohama.

Mr. Adham SHARARA is elected for next four years.
Germany host of 2012 World Championship.

Tom Mitchell, Irish International Umpire, has been selected for training as Racket Controller in Bremen, Germany. ITTA and ITTUA wish to extend gook luck to Tom and wish him success in Germany.

"Racket Controllers could be selected for duty at ITTF events anywhere in the world".

ITTF has issued very strong directives in regard to Racket Control with effect from 1st January 2009.

Directives are aimed at Manufacturers, Coaches, Players and Umpires. ITTF Racket Control policy is to check :

Presence of Volatile Compound (VOC) using E-nez,
Flatness of rubbers,
Colours of rubbers,
The maximum thickness of rubber and sponge is 4mm, not a cm over.
read more:

In recent Erke German Open, Berlin one of the top Romania's player Adrian Crisan was disqualified due to playing with a racket that did not conform with regulation. The thickness of the rubber and sponge were over the limit of 4mm. It was due to a misunderstanding. Please read the attached.

The mistake is due to handing over the faulty racket to the player who borrowed another racket from his colleague which passed the test. The player put both rackets in his bag. While playing, he played the match with the one that failed. This was discovered after the match.

The mistake could have been avoided if the racket retained by the 'racket testing team' and given it back to the player after the match.

On a separate note, another batch of 12 International Umpires have been awarded BB status at the end of March 2008. The latest additions are printed in Green. The total number of BB umpires are 165. The list is printed by country.

A new batch 4 International Umpires gained the status of Blue Badge. Blue Badge is the Highest umpiring status awarded by the International Table Tennis Federation to those who excelled in their field of sport.

Playing Table Tennis in an International event for over 2 hours for a single point?

Yes – it is true – to be precise - 2 hrs 12 minutes for 1 point.

“Poland’s most celebrated player, Alex Ehrich. It was Ehrich who gained notoriety for his match in the Swaythling Cup at the World Championship in Prague in 1936 when the first point against Farkas Paneth lasted two hours twelve minutes, the ball crossing over the net some nine thousand times. Ehrich eventually won that match.”

Ref : ITTF Illustrated #57, 2005

Agm of the Leinster Umpires Association (LUA) will be held on Wednesday, the 13th August 08 at 7.30pm in IWA, Clontarf, Dublin. Following the Agm, LUA will no longer be in operation. At the same time, the inaugural meeting of the Irish Table Tennis Umpires Association (ITTUA) will be held. The new association will be set up independent of any provincial branches, but, directly under the auspices of Irish Table Tennis Association. The purpose of the association is to provide umpiring services to ITTA events in Ireland. Initially, the ITTUA will be formed by existing members of defunct LUA. It is, therefore, in the interest of the ITTUA that all existing members of LUA are present in this meeting. All members of LUA are urged to attend the Agm.

Members of public are invited to attend the meeting as well.

Secretary, Leinster Umpires Association.

Kiron Choudhury (IU) and Joe Finnegan (IU) were invited for umpiring during the Junior British League held in Wolverhampton, England on 12th & 13th February 2008.

Sincere thanks to Ken Eliot, Andrew Joyce, Mike Payne, Steve Welch (Referee) and others for their hospitality extended to Kiron and Joe over the weekend.
15^th Feb, 2008.

Leinster Umpires
Kiron, Joe, Tom, Terri, Vivienne, Brenda,
Con, Cecilia, Tommy, Ian & Paddy

New - Coach - archived on 8^th Nov 07
Congratulation to:
Kiron Choudhury has qualified as level 1 Coach from Irish Table Tennis Association.
30^th Dec, 2006

New - Umpire - - archived on 8^th Nov 07
Congratulation to:
Brenda Munroe, our latest County Umpire of the Irish Table Tennis Association.
4^th Nov, 2006

Kiron Choudhury (IU) and Joe Finnegan (IU) have been invited for umpiring for the forthcoming Junior British League being held in Wolverhampton, England on 10th & 11th February 2007.

The Leinster Umpires Association wish to thank Ken Eliot & Andrew Joyce, Organisers of the 2nd weekend of Junior British League on 10th & 11th Feb 2007 in Wolverhampton, England. The Association would like to thank Steve Welch (Referee), Mike Payne (Deputy Referee) and Andy Seward for their hospitality extended to Joe Finnegan and Kiron Choudhury over the weekend.
13^th Feb 2007.

Joe Finnegan & Kiron Choudhury have been invited for umpiring during the Portuguese Youth Open being held in Tavira, Portugal from 1^st to 3^rd Dec 2006.

We would like to thank Purtuguese TT Officials for their kind invitation.

Ireland Vs Scotland (archived on 31^st May 2007)
The 2nd Round of the men's play off of European Qualifying match between Ireland and Scotland will be played in Ireland on 13th February 2007.

We welcome Andy Seward (Blue badge IU) & Margot Fraser (IU) to Ireland. They are representatives of the English Table Tennis Association officiating over the the match.

Junior British league: (archived on 12.12.06)

Joe Finnegan and Kiron Choudhury were invited for umpiring in the Junior British League on 13th and 14th May 2006 held in Wolverhampton, England. Thanks to Ken Eliot, Organiser, Steve Welch, Referee, Mike Payne Deputy Referee and Andy Seward for their hospitality.

Joe Finnegan and Kiron Choudhury have attended the Advance Umpires Training Seminar in Luxembourg. They are International Table Tennis Umpires.

Congratulation to :(archived on 12.12.06)
Vivienne Barry, our latest National Umpire;

Tom Mitchell & Cecilia Armelin.
They are all National Umpires of the Irish Table Tennis Association.

Tommy Keenan, Kiron Choudhury, Tom Mitchell and Joe Finnegan have volunteered to umpire on 10th September 2006 at the 6 Nations Verterans Championships in Valley Leisure Centre in Belfast.

30th Aug 2006

Thank you very much for attending the Agm of Leinster Umpires Association on 24th August, 2006. Agm details are available under Agm Reports on the menu bar.

Volunteers: (archived on 30th Oct 2006)

Leinster Umpires Association is seeking new volunteers for Umpiring. Formal training will be provided. If you are interested please ring Kiron at (00353) 0402 31019, or Joe at (00353) 1 2829297, or click on Secretary (or Contact) to send an email.
Thank you.

Player profile of Kathleen is available at http://www.ipttc.org/players/women/kathleen_reynolds/

A Very Happy & Peaceful Christmas

Seasonal Greetings