On Wednesday, 6th September the Wales Table Tennis Association director of competitions, Phil Avery, organised the inaugural U3A National Championships at the Welsh Institute of Sport, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.
The Pembrokeshire U3A entered six teams in the event competing against teams from Porthmadog, Cowbridge and Bridgend. In the morning session the teams were allocated to four groups, and played a best-of-three match against the other teams in the group.

Pembrokeshire U3A Table Tennis Team
In the afternoon the teams were allocated to further groups depending on their position in the morning. So, Pembrokeshire players Gaynor Evans and Graham George, and Penny Tighe and Chris Harris, having won their group were in the first-place play-off.
Sylvie Lloyd and Tony Tiffen, Wendy George and Chris Clark, and Wendy Perrott and Jane Dunbar were in the fifth-place play-off. The afternoon session was played in a similar round-robin format.
There was a fine demonstration of table tennis skill throughout the day despite a few creaking joints and aching bones. Pembrokeshire’s Gaynor Evans and Graham George were declared 2017 champions and Pembrokeshire took 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th places to make it a very successful and worthwhile day.
We look forward to meeting again in 2018, and hope that more Welsh U3A groups will enter teams. Certainly, Pembrokeshire U3A Table Tennis has made friends with the other teams represented and will pursue contacts during the coming months.
Jim Lloyd