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Press Report: Basingstoke -
Alencon Table Tennis Exchange 2010
Basingstoke Table
Tennis welcomed the Alencon Table tennis Club L’Etoile
Alenconaisse for the 42nd
year of a sporting twinning with the club representing
Basingstoke’s French Twin Town
The exchange is in the
legacy of the Festival of Sports that was in its heyday
throughout the 1970’s and 80’s. The Festival of Sports which
over the years saw 31 different sports participate such as
Rugby, Athletics, Swimming, Cycling, Basketball, Gymnastics,
Fencing, Karate ,Archery, Bridge and Fishing etc is still
remembered by many people in Basingstoke .In 1978 the French
sent over 180 sportsmen and women and in 1983 nearly 300
competitors ventured over to Alencon in a competition covering
13 events.
The two Table Tennis
teams from Alencon arrived to a champagne welcome ready to
compete against Basingstoke. The competition was won by
Basingstoke with the A team winning 7-3 and the B team winning
10-0. Basingstoke’s Alan Palaczky had a nail-biting crucial 3rd
set against Arnaud Riviere winning 19-17 before the Frenchman
hit back only for Palaczky to take the decider. Despite the win
the star of the match was Jeremy , the Alencon club player
ranked number 5 in his club, who won both his singles matches
including a straight sets win over Basingstoke Open champion
Sean Pickin. Jeremy did not have it all his own way with
Palaczky and Pickin winning the doubles in a 5 set thriller.
Exchange debutant , Tony Amies enjoyed an unbeaten display and
young Louis Webb recorded a notable win over the experienced
Phillipe Devaux
The B team represented
by Steve Armstrong, Sarah Whithorn, Celia Hooker and Terri
Allison were taken to 5 sets 3 times by the French opposition
fighting to avoid the whitewash. Laurent Gautier came close
against Allison but fell in 5 sets
Alencon’s visit was
not all about defeat as they beat Basingstoke in an Archery
competition courtesy of the Overton Blacks Arrows. The French
team also defeated Basingstoke in an outdoor lawn bowls
competition in Arundel.
The Basingstoke now
look forward to travelling to Alencon in May 2011 to continue
the sporting exchange and maintain the friendship.
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