Burnside has dominated Table Tennis over the last 5 years, with 2022 being no exception, as our skilful teams achieved fantastic results in the Christchurch inter-school competition and National Secondary Schools’ Championships in Hamilton.

During the winter season in Terms Two and Three, secondary school teams from around Christchurch congregated at the Canterbury Table Tennis Stadium for tense and exciting play-offs. Despite significant Covid disruptions, our teams obtained excellent results: the Boys A team placed first in A Grade, followed by the Girls A team placing second, and the Burnside B team achieving 6th place in B grade. Unfortunately player numbers are down from previous years, so hopefully things will improve again next year!

The National Secondary Schools Championships held in Hamilton end of August/early September showed Burnside promising a good fight, being the current title holders in the Boys Open Grade since 2019. The Girls A team competed in the Girls grade and Boys Open grade, securing first place in the Girls Team competition and 8th place in the Boys Open grade. After the Teams event, came the Individual Champs and our individuals competed wholeheartedly, proving successful after several extremely challenging games. Ellie Zhang (10NMRR) placed second in the U15 Girls grade, whereas our Year 13 players Vanessa Wood Lin (13CHL) and Aarya Advilkar (13CHL) placed third and fourth in the U19 Girls grade. In the Boys U15 grade, Kevin He competed well but was not in the top placings. He is only Year 9 though, and shows lots of promise.

Whilst the key highlights for 2022 include the amazing achievements of our Boys A Team, who never faced a single defeat in the Christchurch Secondary Schools’ Wednesday A grade competition, or our Girls team placing first in the Girls Team grade at the NZ Secondary Schools’ Championships, our players have reflected that their favourite aspect of Table Tennis is the opportunity to create unforgettable memories with their teammates that will always be cherished.

Whilst I have been a member of the Burnside Table Tennis community, and have had the opportunity to represent Burnside for the past 5 years, locally and nationally, this has been a highlight of my high school career. Through participating in dozens of tournaments, I have not only created friends from around New Zealand, but learnt valuable skills such as teamwork, dedication and sustaining a positive work ethic. I am extremely thankful for the supportive community of coaches and teachers, especially Mrs Taylor who has dedicated endless hours to uphold Burnside’s success in Table Tennis.

Aarya Advilkar