‘PING’ Middlesbrough 2014
Karina Le Fevre will open Ping! Middlesbrough, the month long table tennis extravaganza, which is a mix of “Come and Try It” sessions and regular coaching at more than 20 locations across South Teesside.
The opening will take place at Captain Cook Square at 1.00 pm on Thursday 17 July.
Karina, who will also be celebrating her 21st birthday on that day, is taking advantage of a short break in her training before travelling to Glasgow to represent England in the Commonwealth Games next week.
Karina will be playing an exhibition match with the former 6 times English Champion, Denis Neale, who was part of the Ormesby team that were European Champions and dominated English table tennis in the 1970’s. Denis is now one of the team of Ormesby Top Squad coaches.
Also present at the opening of Ping! Middlesbrough will be Danny Reed, the ex-Ormesby player who, with Karina, is part of the England team in Glasgow, and Chloe Whyte, a member of the current Ormesby team, who, with Karina, is part of the Ormesby team that has won the Women’s British League title 3 times in the last 4 years.
The launch of Ping! Middlesbrough is part of Table Tennis England’s National Table Tennis Day on 17 July and Ping! events are going on in many cities across the country, including Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Cornwall, Exeter, Kettering, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, Northampton, Nottingham, Oxford and Sheffield.
Ping! Middlesbrough is organised by Middlesbrough Borough Council in conjunction with Table Tennis England, Sport England, Sing London, Ormesby Table Tennis Club, Tees Valley Sport and Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council. Promotions, coaches and opportunities to play will take place throughout the month at the following venues, with the main hub being Captain Cook Square in Middlesbrough Town Centre:
Centre Square, Albert Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2AY
Easterside Community Hub, Broughton Avenue, Middlesbrough TS4 3PZ
Know Your Money Project, 73-75 Corporation Road, Middlesbrough TS1 1LY
Newport Community Hub, St Paul’s Road, Middlesbrough TS1 5NQ
Stewart Park, The Grove, Marton, Middlesbrough TS7 8AR
Prissick Base/Cycle Circuit, Marton Road, Middlesbrough TS4 3SA
Ormesby Table Tennis Club, Cargo Fleet Lane, Middlesbrough TS3 8PB
Swerve Table Tennis Club, Kirkham Row, Middlesbrough TS4 3EE
West Middlesbrough Centre, Meath Street, Middlesbrough TS4 4RZ
Acklam Green Centre, Stainsby Road, Middlesbrough TS5 4JS
Ormesby Hall (National Trust), Ladgate Lane, Ormesby, Middlesbrough TS3 0SR
Albert Park, Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough TS1 3LB
My Place, Custom House, North Street, Middlesbrough TS2 1JP
Manor Community Centre, Manor Farm Way, Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough TS8 0TJ
TASC, Acklam Road, Middlesbrough TS5 4EG
Neptune Leisure Centre, Ormesby road, Middlesbrough TS3 7RP
Top Corner Sports, Longlands Road, Middlesbrough TS3 8DS
Lakes Club, Westmoreland Road, Redcar TS10 4BB
Eston Leisure Centre, Normanby Road, South Bank, Middlesbrough TS6 9AE
Sasltburn Leisure Centre, Marske Mill Lane, Saltburn by the Sea TS12 1HJ
Loftus Co-op Building, High Street, Loftus TS13 4HW
Redcar Leisure Centre, Majuba Road, Redcar TS10 5BJ
On the final day, Sunday 18 August, a tournament for newcomers will take place with a table tennis table as one of the many prizes at the Ormesby Club with an Open Singles plus separate events for Under 14s, Under 18s and 50+. The only condition is that players who play in the local leagues and are registered with Table Tennis England cannot compete.
For information about Ping! Middlesbrough and to find out further details of the venues and the programme, visit the website www.pingmiddlesbrough.co.uk or contact the organiser, Malcolm Muldoon, on m.j.muldoon@btinternet.com or 07889 937056.
Alan Ransom