11 year-old Kevin H. Li, Open & Open Doubles runner-up
Photo by Son Lu

By Phil Schafer, Tournament Director

The Concord Table Tennis Club hosted its nineteenth annual Concord Cup Youth Open Tournament at the Pleasant Hill Adventist Academy gymnasium in Pleasant Hill, CA on October 28, 2012, attracting 57 junior players from the San Francisco Bay Area. The event was blessed with excellent lighting, hardwood flooring, twelve Butterfly Centrefold 25 tables, and pleasant weather. Operations Manager Yau-Man Chan and his staff expertly managed the events, allowing all twelve events to be completed by late afternoon. USATT National Referee Yelena Karshtedt ensured that USATT protocols were followed. Special thanks go also to the people who set up the facility, including Dennis Lui, Ricki Schafer, Ron Caldwell, Yuri Kretov, Sefton Boyars, photographer Son Lu, and entry distribution manager Anil Dhupelia. The tournament continued its tradition of offering multiple events for a low cost: $35 covered three singles events, one doubles event and the rating fee!

The Alameda Table Tennis Club entered 19 players, followed by Fremont's 12, ITT-Albany 9, Pong Planet 7, and Silicon Valley with 5. The Silicon Valley's 5 players were able to post 57 aggregate points to capture second place in the Club Performance competition, but this fell far short of Alameda's dominant 171 points which earned it the Best Club Performance plaque and a $100.00 gift certificate donated by Butterfly Online for the second consecutive year.