Table Tennis Yukon is on the hunt for young players.
In an effort to recruit players for the 2016 Arctic Winter Games in Greenland, the association will host a school tournament on Saturday at Whitehorse Elementary School.
“I thought I might try to find some new blood,” said Dave Stockdale, president of Table Tennis Yukon. “Some people went to the Canada Games and they’ve gone on to other things, so we’re kind of rebuilding for Arctic Winter Games 2016. So I thought why not get a high school and elementary school event going.”
The Yukon Schools Ping Pong Championships will offer both elementary and high school divisions. It will use a two-player team format, with singles and doubles play.
“I have a few entries so far,” said Stockdale. “I have a full boys team and a full girls team from F.H. (Collins Secondary), I have one entry from Porter Creek (Secondary) – hopefully a get another one. I haven’t anything from (Ecole) Emilie-Tremblay or Christ the King (Elementary) or Vanier (Catholic Secondary).
“Elementary is a bit of a shot in the dark. I just realized this morning some of those kids probably haven’t played much and probably are not too confident about playing in a tournament when they haven’t had a lot of training.”
To enter, players can fill out an entry form at Sport Yukon or sign up in person at Whitehorse Elementary School – through the gymnasium door in the back of the building – Wednesday evening. Schools have also been sent entry forms, said Stockdale, and must be submitted before Thursday.
The tournament will begin Saturday at 1 p.m. and will be followed by the Yukon Table Tennis Championships on Sunday.
For more information contact Stockdale at 668-3358 and stockdale@yknet.ca.
Contact Tom Patrick at tomp@yukon-news.com