Mtta.net
Title
Malta Table Tennis Assocation
Description
In the Beginning
Table Tennis, as with the majority of 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 game to local enthusiast, which soon became a popular indoor sports. By the mid-thirties, several clubs were already organising their own open competitions and St. Gaetan Band Club in Hamrun, which for a number of years became the cradle of table tennis in Malta, bought its first table in 1936. Various Catholic Action Centres also gave their contribution to spread this sport. During this period several Tournaments were organised between local clubs and services teams, especially the RAF. Various Maltese payers like J. Gambin, F. Borg were making a name for themselves but John Bonavia remained the undisputed unofficial champion, till the outbreak of the Second World War.
In 1948, a group of keen sportsmen and lovers of the game, headed by Salvu Felice Gay, Sydney Mayo and Arthur Lentini, founded the Malta Amateur Table Tennis Association. This experience was short-lived as the MATTA became dormant after organising only one 'Singles' competition.
The Birth of the MTTA
In 1953, on the initiative of the St. Gaetan B.C. and the unstinting efforts of its sports director, Joseph Debattista (considered as the founder of the MTTA), convened an extraordinary general meeting where all table tennis enthusiasts were called upon to extend their support to form an Association and in January 1953 the MTTA was officially founded, with its first President Mr. Joseph Cassar Naudi (the renowed Football Referee). The popularity of Table tennis soon spread throughout the island with members always on the increase year after year. The Ministry of Sports & Malta Olympic Committe were also instrumental, in this upserge, by including the MTTA in its schemes and projects to upgrade local sports.
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