The Worthing & District Table Tennis Closed Tournament took place on Saturday 18 April at Bohunt School, bringing together the area’s top players for a day of high-quality and competitive table tennis. With an entry of 39 players – over half representing Worthing Table Tennis Club – the event underlined the club’s growing strength in depth and the success of its coaching programme.
A standout for the club was the number of players who have only taken up the sport in recent years, yet are already competing and winning. This reflects the impact of Worthing TTC’s structured coaching pathway, which continues to develop players of all ages and abilities.
Leading the way was Brandon Bennett, who produced a dominant display to win the Men’s Singles title, defeating Joe Watkins (Woodlands TTC) in the final. Bennett’s consistency and class were evident throughout the day as he also secured Division 1 and Handicap Singles titles. He added two doubles titles to his tally, partnering Isaac Burgess to win the Men’s Doubles and teaming up with Sally Hughes to claim the Mixed Doubles, overcoming fellow Worthing pair Lew Hodges and Donna Hammond in the final.
Sally Hughes also had an enjoyable tournament, underlining both her experience and ability. She claimed the Women’s Singles title and added two further titles in the Women’s Doubles, alongside Sammy Samsone, and in the Mixed Doubles with Bennett.
The club’s commitment to youth development was clearly evident in the Junior Singles event, which featured an all-Worthing podium. Hoy Wen Leung took the title ahead of Matthew Dyche, with Ava Muggeridge securing third place – a strong indication of the club’s investment in nurturing the next generation of players.
Worthing TTC’s depth was further demonstrated across the divisional competitions, where the club secured a clean sweep of titles. Behind Bennett in Division 1, Division 2 saw an all-Worthing final with Lew Hodges overcoming teammate Pak Wan. Rapidly improving Matthew Dyche claimed Division 3, while Division 4 featured a tightly contested three-way finish between Worthing players, with Tyler Paul taking gold and Adrian Head securing silver with Keith Goodson coming in third..
In the veterans’ events, Lewis Mayhew added to the club’s success by winning the Veteran Men’s Singles title, while Donna Hammond delivered a strong performance to take silver in the Veteran Women’s event.
Overall, Worthing TTC dominated the tournament, winning the majority of titles and showcasing a blend of experienced competitors and emerging talent. The performances across all categories highlight the effectiveness of the club’s coaching programme, which continues to attract new players and rapidly develop them into competitive performers within a short space of time.
we look forward to the presentation event on Thursday at the invitation cup at Woodlands at 7.15
