Table tennis juniors join state team for Nationals

TOWNSVILLE Table Tennis juniors Lavenia Bradshaw, Ashmith Sivayoganathan and Michael Bowler are ready to take on Australia’s best.

They are in Queensland’s junior team for the upcoming National Junior Table Tennis Championship after dominating the Queensland junior championships in Mackay.

All three won medals at the state championships, with Lavenia, 15, playing in the under- 18 girls division, and Ashmith and Michael ( pictured) joining forces in the under- 13 boys division after winning gold.

Townsville talent Kevin Wang won gold in the under- 11 boys bracket, but will have to wait for nationals given there is no under- 11 boys competition.

“We’ve over the moon with the whole team, but those boys and girls in particular played very well,” Townsville Table Tennis coach Mike Summers said.

“Lavenia played some very determined table tennis in Mackay, as did all our juniors, and she just turned 15.

“Ash played in his third state titles and he just turned 11, so he gets to play at nation- als and he will go as Queensland’s No. 1 ranked under- 13s player.

“Michael has only been playing for 18 months and now he’s ranked No. 2 for his age group in Queensland and he’s also going to nationals, so he deserves to be very proud.”

Townsville won two gold, four silver and one bronze from the state championships, and Wang took home the Allan Clarke Incentive Shield.

The Queensland team will be coached by former Townsville Table Tennis mentor Gary Walmsley.

Summers said Townsville’s Queensland success proved local table tennis was growing.

“The juniors have become the life of our club,” he said.

The National Junior Table Championships will be held in Tasmania from July 8- 15.