2391 Sumatran Way #5
Clearwater, FL. 33763
www.SunriseTableTennis.com
For Immediate Release
Friday, December 16, 2005
Contact: Martin Shapiro
Tele: (727) 467-0555
martin.shapiro@SunriseTableTennis.com
2006 Sunburst Table Tennis Tournament Tour Begins
Six Sanctioned Tournaments with Cash Prizes
Pinellas County¾
The first tournament in the Florida
Sunburst Table Tennis Tour will take place on Saturday, January 21st at The
Long Center Recreation Complex in Clearwater, Florida. The tour is a cooperative effort among a
growing number of table tennis clubs in the state of Florida. The Sunrise Table
Tennis Club (STTC) of Pinellas County and the Lakeland Table Tennis Association
(LTTA) are currently active participants in hosting the tour.
The 2006 Sunburst Tour consists of six table tennis
tournaments. Each tournament has cash prizes plus award trophies for the top winners in each class of
play. Winners of each class are also
awarded tour points at each tournament.
The top sixteen point leaders at the end of the season will share in a
Tour Prize Jackpot. Entry is open to
players of all levels and entrants are welcome to play in just one tournament
or more.
The Sunburst Tour started in 2004 and has energized table tennis play in Florida. The winner of the 2004 Tour was Alex Aponte of Pembroke Pines, by 5 points over Willy Leparula of USF. Aponte took home the grand prize of a table tennis practice robot donated by Newgy Industries, valued at $700.00. The next seven players split a $1,000.00 jackpot, and the next eight received holiday hams donated by Smithfield Hams. Trophies for special achievements were also awarded: Danuta Andrzewska of Lauderdale By the Sea won the coveted Kisbany Award for Outstanding Woman Player; Joseph Cincotta of Palmetto won the trophy for Best Player over 65; and Andrzewska also won the Dickie Fleischer Dark Side Award for playing with long pips rubber on her racket. In 2005, the Tour winner was Kit Jeerapaet of Tampa. The Kisbany Award went to Jan Cline of Sun City Center; the Best Player over 65 award went to Robert Johnson of Sun City Center; and Werner Stollenmeier of Cape Coral won the Dark Side Award.
The STTC will be hosting three of the 2006 Tour tournaments (January 21st, April 1st and November 18th). The LTTA will host the other three tournaments (February 25th, May 6th, August 5th). Each tournament has openings for 110 entrants. All proceeds from the three 2006 Tour tournaments hosted by the STTC will fund the STTC Junior Program for players under the age of 18, which consists of a summer training camp at four City of Clearwater recreation centers, an after-school youth training program and individual coaching of select juniors who show an aptitude for table tennis.
The STTC operates several table tennis clubs in Pinellas County, open to anyone with an interest in the sport. The activities of the STTC include regular club play, tournaments, coaching, senior activities, junior programs and community outreach in the sport of table tennis. Club play is available every day of the week for players of all ages and levels. More information and the locations and hours of club play are available on the STTC web site www.SunriseTableTennis.com, or by contacting the club at (727) 669-0899.