(by Steve Hopkins)
In past years, the Rhode Island Table Tennis Association has stated with pride, that our league has been in continuous operation since World War II. Obviously there were holidays, and snow storms, and a location change that has caused some short-term delays or stoppages, but the three month stoppage due to COVID-19 was the longest stoppage here since the club reopened 72 years ago after World War II.
Suffice it to say that there is a rich history at the Rhode Island Club. A club that was a regular stop for regional players and pros for a generation with appearances from Dick Miles and Marty Reisman and Bernie Bukiet and later from more recent legends like David Sakai and George Braithwaite. We were home to USATT Hall of Famer Dick Evans, were host for nearly a decade to USATT Magazine and one of the most interesting features of the club is the aforementioned League – which has been running using the same basic rules since the 1940s.
The club has reopened, and is now running open play sessions on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. League play is expected to begin again in August, and sanctioned tournaments will begin again this Fall.
The Rhode Island club has great tables, lighting customized for table tennis, wood floors, and a small pro shop. The rich history continues. Come visit the club and share in that history.
For more about the Rhode Island Table Tennis Association and updated club hours, visit the RITTA web page.
