Southland table tennis stars for NZ trials
Southland’s leading table tennis players have shown they are up with the country’s best. Shelley Smith (women’s), Maia Cavanagh (under-18 girls), Finn Holden (under-18 boys) and Zoe Gray (under-12 girls) attended national training camps and competed in New Zealand trials in Christchurch or Auckland recently. Cavanagh and Gray had trials to remember, both finishing third in their respective age-groups. Cavanagh produced a crucial, and first ever, upset win over Manawatu’s Abbey Webb to finish third in the junior girls’ trial that attracted five players. Gray upset predictions to also finish third in the youngest under-12 years Hopes division. Gray won three of her five matches in the top six playoffs to confirm her standing as a future star. Holden had a tough under-18 boys’ trial in Auckland. He won two matches but four of his losses went right down to the wire, being five-game defeats, including close losses to the current national under-15 boys’ singles champions Gavin Ding and under-18 boys’ singles champions Jason Sivilay, both of Auckland. No trials were held for the senior women’s camp in which Smith took part and now the Southland quartet will await possible New Zealand team selection later in the year to attend Oceania championships. Table Tennis Southland operations manager Wayne McEwan said it was great to see all four players proving they deserved to be ranked among New Zealand’s best. ‘‘They’ve all worked hard and deserve their success,’’ he said.