By Barry Porterfield
A Pauls Valley tennis group is about to take on a brand new racket, but this time on a slightly smaller scale.
This time it’s table tennis, also known as ping pong, for the Pauls Valley Tennis and Racquet Association.
It’s an event that even has a catchy name – the Valley Paddle Battle – which will take place on February 1 at the Reynolds Recreation Center in Pauls Valley.
“Ping pong balls are going to be going everywhere,” said Matt Hamilton of the tennis group.
“It will be open and very competitive. We will have players coming from Dallas and a club from Oklahoma City will help promote the event.
In fact, Essential Table Tennis in OKC will use its role as event sponsor to provide the ping pong tables that will be set up in the local recreation center gymnasium for the February event.
The event is also set for what Hamilton describes as a wild version of table tennis called jungle pong, in which eight to 10 people can play at the same time on the same table.
The local tennis and racquet group was created almost a year ago to get people moving and contribute to the overall health of the community.
Another goal was to raise money for community programs, particularly a long-term goal of replacing Wacker Park’s more dilapidated tennis courts.
“We wanted to contribute to the health benefits of the community and involve our community and other communities,” Hamilton said.
The effort began last March with a community tennis tournament and proceeds were used to purchase an awning for local schools.
Then came Wimbley in the Valley – a touch tennis tournament in July on the grass at Wacker Park. Touchtennis is a much smaller version of tennis with smaller courts, smaller rackets and foam balls.
Just a few weeks ago, the group held a tennis tournament with proceeds benefiting PV Panther Tennis and plans to improve the park’s courts.
“All we care about is the facilities,” Hamilton said of the group’s work to raise money for new local tennis courts.
“We are also working on community programs, which we are already doing. We will continue to put money into it.
It was also recommended that the event receive $2,900 in tourism funds.
Anyone interested in participating in the next table tennis event can register online at the tennis group’s website, as costs start at $25 for the first installment.
