Veterans triumph by a single point in annual Inverness Table Tennis Club match pitting juniors against elder statesmen
Inverness Table Tennis Club hosted it’s annual match between the club’s veterans and juniors last weekend.
It has become one of the highlights of the club calendar, being fiercely contested over recent years with a victory for each side.
Once again, it was an enthralling contest in 2025, with both teams being bolstered by some fresh blood.
The juniors were boosted by the inclusion of two current Scottish international players, Connor Cadden and Alexander Stepney.
In fact, both boys are currently preparing to represent their country in Guernsey next month when they compete in the Home Internationals.
Cadden and Stepney were joined by Strahil Stefanov and Aidan Laws, fresh from competing in the North Confined Championships in Aberdeen.
Inverness Dalneigh Boys’ Brigade team captain Maddex Reid was also in the squad, making his debut for the juniors.
Similarly, a veterans squad who made up for their lesser number of international caps and championship pedigree with a wealth of experience welcomed Stoil Stepanov and World Indoor Bowling Pairs champion Michael Stepney to the line-up for the first time.
Lukasz Chudek, part of the Inverness National League set-up, joined established names Arthur Laws and Mike Dow to complete the line-up – with the latter two outstripping the entire combined age of the junior teams on their own.
It was a closely-fought battle between the two teams, with the veterans just about coming out on top by recording a 27-26 victory to claim back the annual trophy.
The showcase match is an example of the resurgence that table tennis in Inverness has gone through in recent years thanks to the efforts of club coach and former Wales International player Stephen Gertsen, ably assisted by former Scotland player Rae Jack.
The club meets every Friday at Inverness Leisure Centre and is open to players of all abilities.