TABLE TENNIS
By KATRINA BRANDON
WITH the recent release of the table tennis movie, Marty Supreme, there is certainly hype around the table.
From April 11 to April 19, Latrobe Valley will see a whole lot of table tennis activity, with the Table Tennis Victorian Open, Table Tennis Australia National Hopes Tour and the Table Tennis Australia Tour.
Hundreds of table tennis players from all over Australia will converge on Latrobe City, all competing at the Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium. Local players will take the opportunity to play at state and national level over this period.
Latrobe City Mayor, Sharon Gibson said it will be great to host major table tennis events.
“We are delighted to welcome everyone back and host some of Australia’s best up-and-coming table tennis players,” she said.
“These events bring our community together and show our kids what’s possible, the future of table tennis is growing right here in Latrobe City.”
The Table Tennis 2026 Victorian Open will be first up from April 11 to April 12, where Victorian players get to compete against each other, bringing regional and metropolitan players together.
On both days, players will play from 9am to 5pm, with the stadium open to spectators.
Saturday, April 11 will see the Open Veterans tournament, with categories ranging from Over 30s to Over 85s, in both single and double matches.
Sunday, April 12 will see the under 30s (twenty somethings and under nines) play, as well as para-games. Competitors will be able to play gender singles, gender doubles, age-based and ranking-based games.
While the game is no longer what you see in Marty Supreme, the tournament will feature games of five sets and 11 points per set, with the same competitive spirit.
Table Tennis Victoria (TTV) is excited to come back for another year of competition.
“The return of the 2026 Victorian Open to Traralgon marks an exciting moment for table tennis in Victoria,” TTV told the Express.
“Through our fantastic partnership with Latrobe City and Destination Gippsland, we’re expecting a massive turnout at Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium, which will showcase the strength, passion, and growth of our sport across the region.
“This event is not only a celebration of high-performance competition, but also a testament to the power of collaboration in bringing world-class opportunities to regional communities.”
Ones to watch over the weekend, other than local champions, include Paralympian Lin Ma, Croydon’s Dillon Chambers and Loops’ Sanaya Buddhadasa. Other likely high achievers to compete are Greater Dandenong Table Tennis Association’s Connie Psihogios and Hwan Bae.
Some athletes who have previously attended the events in Traralgon are competing in International Table Tennis Foundation tournaments, which are featured through World Table Tennis (WTT).
Following the state competition is a week-long competition and training camp for young players.
On Monday, April 13, the National Hopes Tour commences, providing training and game tips to younger players and helping them become elite athletes.
Lastly, but definitely not least, the TTA Tour is a national competition that brings players to regional Victoria. Like the TTV Open, the tour features hundreds of elite players ranging from all age groups to face the national stage.
Four events are part of the tour, with stops in Perth, Traralgon, Goulburn and Brisbane.
Spectators are more than welcome to attend the event, but are asked to sit only in the seating area, not wear white clothing, not use flash photography, and not enter the courts.
