Disciplines · Table Tennis Fact Sheet

Table Tennis as with the majority of other sports disciplines was already being played in Malta within the Services’ quarters in the late twenties but it was the Royal University Sports Club that introduced the games to local enthusiast and soon became a popular indoor sport. With St. Gaetan Band Club in Hamrun being the first to purchase a table tennis table in 1936, this venue soon became the cradle of this sport in the Maltese Islands.

In 1948 a group of enthusiasts formed the Malta Amateur table Tennis Association (MATTA). However, this association’s existence was short-lived. In fact the Malta Table Tennis Association was officially formed in January 1953 with Joseph M. Cassar Naudi being elected as its first President. During that season there were a total of thirty clubs enrolled within the MTTA. A. Pellegrini Petit became the first Malta Champion while St. Gaetan Band Club won the team event. Many foreign servicemen gave sterling service to the Game without any remuneration.

In season 1956/7 Malta gained affiliation with the International Table tennis Federation and the European Table tennis Union a year later. In 1959 Malta made its debut at the World Championships in Dortmund Germany. In 1966 Malta sent a representative side to the European Championships, which were held in London a feat, which was repeated in 1968 in Lyon. During the same year and in 1974 Malta organized the Mediterranean Division for the European League. During the following years Malta also figured in the Common wealth Championships as well as in the Third Division European League.

In 1989 Malta organised the Mediterranean top 12 while three years later the MTTA hosted the second edition of the Promotion Cup. In 1994 Malta organized the European Mixed Teams League in Gozo with the Maltese side finishing in second position. Over the years the Chinese national teams visited the islands on three occasions.

Undoubtedly whilst John Bonavia should be remembered as the pioneer of Maltese table tennis, Mario Genovese must be regarded as the most successful player ever. In fact since 1982 he managed to win no less than 15 national championships. In the female field Mora Pullicino managed a creditable ten national championships in the 70s while Joanna Grech followed suit in the followings years as she was acclaimed Malta champion on no less than eleven occasions. As regards the team event St. Gaetan Band Club, Civil Services Sports Club Banks and Melita FC have always managed to win the title for a number of consecutive years.

Nowadays the MTTA regularly participates in the World and European Table tennis Championships as well as the Games for the Small States of Europe. The association embraces within it around 405 members spread across its fourteen member clubs. In fact the MTTA organizes the First and Second Division Teams Leagues, four ranking tournaments, the National Championships, the International Open Tournament as well as the Olympic Youth Fest.

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