Mackay Table Tennis Association

The 2026 North Queensland Veterans & Mackay Open Tournament brought together players from across Queensland for two and a half days of outstanding competition, sportsmanship, and friendship.

With competitors travelling from near and far — from the Gold Coast to Far North Queensland — our hall was buzzing from the very first serve to the final point.

This year’s tournament showcased the true spirit of our sport, with our youngest competitor just 7 years old and our oldest competitor an incredible 85 years young.

Over 100 players took part across a huge range of rated and age events, producing countless competitive matches, thrilling rallies, and memorable moments throughout the weekend. The standard of play on display was exceptional, and the atmosphere inside the hall reflected exactly what makes the table tennis community so special.

And when it came to the Open Singles events, the champions were not prepared to share the spotlight! Congratulations to Paola Lovera and Alan Walsh from Townsville Table Tennis Club on taking out the Women’s and Men’s Open Singles titles respectively — a tremendous achievement against strong fields of competitors.

On behalf of Mackay Table Tennis Association, thank you to every player, official, volunteer, supporter, and spectator who made the journey to Mackay and helped make the event such a success. We look forward to welcoming everyone back again in the future!

**Tuesday Morning Fixtures – Round 3 Wrap-Up**

Round 3 served up a little bit of everything: dominant team wins, five-game cliffhangers, doubles drama, and several players apparently deciding that three games simply wasn’t enough entertainment for one morning.

**Division 1**

The headline team results saw Orion Orbiters and Eclipse Spin both take 8–4 victories, but there was no shortage of resistance along the way.

**Match of the Division contender:**

Peter Goodson d. John McGee (9, 4, -9, -9, 4)
Peter looked in control, John stormed back to force a fifth, and then Peter steadied the ship to take it. Just a casual emotional rollercoaster before morning tea.

**Also worth a spotlight:**

Kevin Abbott d. Veronica Needham (-9, 11, -7, 5, 6)
Kevin had to recover from dropping two of the first three games before finding the finish line in five. A match that politely refused to be straightforward.

**Division 2**

Division 2 produced both a commanding team performance and a genuine arm wrestle.

Spartan Spin powered to a 10–2 win over Ninja Strikes, while Viking Raiders edged Samurai Swords 7–5 in a contest that stayed close all the way.

**Comeback of the round:**

Helen Ware d. Chris Collins (-8, -8, 1, 10, 7)
Two games down? Apparently, Helen saw that as a warm-up. She turned the match completely on its head and claimed one of the gutsiest wins of the morning.

Division 2 doing Division 2 things

Kim Daffy d. John Hamelink (16, -5, -9, 11, 10)
This one had a marathon opening game, momentum swings, and a fifth-game finish. Kim eventually snuck home, presumably after everyone nearby had forgotten what time it was.

**Division 3**

Division 3 gave us a tight 7–5 win to Celtic Smash over Gladiator Grip, while Aztec Warriors arrived with the subtlety of a freight train in an 11–1 victory over Mongol Power.

**Five-game doubles chaos:**
Trish Zamparutti / Myles Dutton d. Allison Day / Madge Saunders (-7, -8, 6, 6, 11). After losing the first two games, Trish and Myles flipped the script completely and pinched it in five. Somewhere between Game 3 and Game 5, they clearly found the “refuse to lose” button.

**Refusing to let it end quietly:**
Gerry Synnott d. Janelle Keune (-5, -8, 4, 7, 9)
With Aztec Warriors flying, Gerry produced a determined fightback to claim Mongol Power’s lone rubber - and did it the hard way, coming from two games down. That is what we call earning the scoreboard entry.

Congratulations to all players, and especially to those who turned a simple Tuesday morning hit into a full sporting saga.

📋 **Full results are available on the website:**
https://www.revolutionise.com.au/mackaytta/fixtures-results

Interested in playing Tuesday Morning Fixtures?
Contact **Steve Mathieson** on 0418 700 236.

Thank you to the following businesses who provided sponsorship and prizes for our raffles during our 2026 Mackay Open held over the weekend 8 – 10 May. The competition was fierce and was a marathon two and a half day event where over 100 players battled it out in varying age and rated events. Without local businesses, supporting grassroots sports within our region, we would struggle to get players from outside the region to travel to Northern Queensland to compete so we very much appreciate your ongoing connection to Mackay Table Tennis Association.

Thank you: John & Helen Ware, Jesse Knight and Amizon Hair & Beauty