Majestic Marom clinches MGB Table Tennis crown

Top seed Rafi Marom won the Maccabi GB Men's Open title at the London Academy in Edgware.

Competing in the largest event of the day at the MGB Table Tennis Championships, sponsored by Teacher Stern Solicitors, Marom was the outstanding performer in a field of 32 players.

Marom did not have things all his own way in the semi-final against Maccabiah stalwart Dov Katz, but he progressed to set up a final against Jeremy Banks.

Banks had seen off Michael Gerrard, who had claimed an excellent win over Jack Josephs, but Marom stepped up a gear in the final to win the final 3-0.

Jack Josephs, the red-hot favourite in the Junior Boys Singles, progressed to the Final without dropping a game. Meanwhile, in the bottom half of the draw, Matthew Gold was also staking a claim where he saw off a spirited performance by Joe Kaye in the semi-final.

The final match did not disappoint, with Josephs showing his class to win the fifth game 11-9 in one of the closest contests of the day.

Benjamin Mencer dominated the Boys U12 Singles event. A final meeting against Jacob Sobel, who had beaten Jake Grayson in the semis, saw Mencer maintain his record of not dropping a set.

The Over 50’s event was a highly competitive, with the two top seeds – Jeremy Banks and Ivan Lewis - reaching the final. The showpiece match did not disappoint with some truly excellent rallies, and it was ultimately won 11-8 in the fifth game by Banks.

Jessica Abrahams proved too strong for Alicia Shiner on her way to a 3-0 victory in the final of the Junior Girls tournament.

Top seed Ivan Lewis secured the Veterans (Over 40’s). Having seen off Jason Tendler at the last four stage, he registered a 3-0 success over Dov Katz in the final.

There was a surprise package in the Cadets section, as Benjamin Mencer, who had already secured victory in the U12 event surprising no.1 seed Judah Jackson in a closely fought semi-final. This set up a final meeting against second seed Jamie Rosen and young Benjamin proved what an excellent prospect he is with a 3-0 triumph.

Top seeds Rafi Marom and Jeremy Banks overcame second seeds Dov Katz and Ivan Lewis in a four-set final in the Men’s Doubles, while Wayne Levy beat Andrew Gold 3-1 in the Novice Singles.

Sandy Nash claimed gold in the Ladies Singles. A round-robin tournament culminated in victory over Jessica Abrahams in what was an incredibly close competition.

Judah Jackson and Joe Kaye registered a victory over Freddie Coverman and Sammy Kaye in the Junior Boys Doubles final. This match saw four rising stars in Jewish Table Tennis and the spectators knew they were seeing something special as all four boys put on a real show.

There were some excellent rallies in the Mixed Doubles Final as Jeremy Banks and Sandy Nash overcame Dov Katz and Sally Proven. It took four games for Banks and Nash to cement victory, as they clinched the match 11-7.

Event organiser and Maccabi GB Table Tennis Chair Jeremy Banks said: "The most eagerly anticipated event of MGB’s Table Tennis calendar did not disappoint. Fourteen competitions including Singles and Doubles, from novice level to top-ranked England players - it was a highly charged, yet family friendly atmosphere which enthralled players and spectators alike.

"Most notable was the strength and depth of our Junior players [10-15 years old], suggesting a very bright future for Jewish Table Tennis. In particular, young kids new to the game develop into decent standard players within a year of hard training, commitment and support from their parents.

"At the other end of the age spectrum, there was a significant group of very experienced players still at the top of their game. Overall this event provided a magnificent boost to our preparations for the European Maccabi Games 2015 in Berlin."

"My thanks go to Dov Katz and Teacher Stern Solicitors for helping host this event and Steve Pound for ensuring the day ran smoothly."

ROLL OF HONOUR

Yoram and Sylvia Katz Award for Most Promising Young Player
Sammy Kaye

Milly Supperstein Cup for Outstanding Achievement
Rafi Marom

Men’s singles
Winner: Rafi Marom
Runner-up: Jeremy Banks

Women’s singles
Winner: Sandy Nash
Runner-up: Jessica Abrahams

U12 Singles
Winner: Benjamin Mercer
Runner-up: Jacob Sobel

Cadet (U15) Boys Singles
Winner: Benjamin Mercer
Runner-up: Jamie Rosen

Junior (U17) Boys Singles
Winner: Jack Josephs
Runner-up: Matthew Gold

Junior Girls Singles
Winner: Jessica Abrahams
Runner-up: Alicia Shiner

Vets (O40) Singles
Winner: Ivan Lewis
Runner-up: Dov Katz

O50 Singles
Winner: Jeremy Banks
Runner-up: Ivan Lewis