Railway Institute’s Filip Wojtkowiak has won this year’s season opener, The Bagshaw Trophy.
22 players entered the competition this year, playing in 5 groups throughout the week with finals being held at the Institute on Friday 30^th September. Wojtkowiak’s fellow finalists were Lewis McCarthy of RI, brother Jake McCarthy and Nathan Taylor, both from Shepherds and Alfie Potter from Crescent.
All the finals night round robin matches were keenly contested, with any number of long rallies, stunning smashes and incredible retrievals.  Eventually the group was topped by the fast improving Jake McCarthy, with the irrepressible Wojtkowiak in second spot. The Grand Final got off to a ding-dong start with huge spin attacks on both wings from McCarthy and beguiling defence from Wojtkowiak. Scores were neck and neck for three quarters of the thriller, but defence eventually wore down attack with the RI man pulling away at the end.
Organiser and York and District Chair Tim Smith commented at the end of a brilliant evening of table tennis; “With Filip playing so well and promoted to Division 1 this year, he is going to really cause trouble to more established top players.”  He went on to add; “Jake is improving by the day and working so hard on consistency, he will just power through really good players in the top division over the next 12 months.” 

Finalists: Lewis McCarthy, Alfie Potter, Filip Wojtkowiak, Jake McCarthy, Nathan Taylor.

 

Filip is presented with the trophy by Tim Smith (organiser).