At the recent Hastings and District Table Tennis Association AGM, along with the normal business for this meeting we were delighted to identify Oli Matthews as the Most Improved Junior Player in the H&DTTA Senior League for the 2021/22 season. Oli, a 15 year old student at Bexhill Academy, was presented with the award by President of the Association, Mike Funnell.
Oli began playing table tennis at the age of 8 at Little Common Primary school and eventually joined Bexhillians Premier Table Tennis Club in 2019. Following coaching sessions and practice at the club he was picked to play for Bexhillians G team in the senior league for the 2021/22 season and won 51 matches out of 51 assisting his team to win Division 3. Oli also played as a reserve for Bexhillians C team in Division 2 who finished runners up in their league and won the Division 2 Doubles title. In the Hastings Closed Tournament Oli won the Division 3 Singles event and also came runner up in the Junior under 19’s event.
Oli also teamed up with another Bexhill Academy student, Emily Koester, also a junior Bexhillians TTC player, to play for Byng Hall TTC in the National Junior League team event, where they won a Team Silver Medal. Oli and Emily have recently been training with the Sussex County Junior performance squad, and these players plus Leon Hyde, another Bexhillians TTC junior, will represent Hastings and District Table Tennis Association in this year’s National Junior League team event.
Oli’s award was well deserved and we wish him and his fellow team members Emily and Leon every success in the National Competition.
Dave Watters - 12/09/22
