It was a night to remember at New Milton Table Tennis Club’s 2026 Annual Tournament, hosted at Mudeford Wood Community Centre on Monday, 1st June, with players and spectators treated to an evening of excellent table tennis, dramatic finishes and thrilling clashes.

Five finals were contested throughout the evening, with James Moss opening with a star performance, capturing both the Handicap Singles and Veterans Over-40s titles in staggering fashion.

In the Handicap Singles final, James Moss found himself pitched against one of the club’s brightest stars, Andrew Stainton. But finding confidence in an 11-point headstart, Moss began to dominate, claiming the first game 21-14, before edging Stainton out with a controlled display, taking the second game and title 21-12.

But Moss wouldn’t stop there. In arguably the most dramatic match of the evening, the Over-40s Final, Moss overcame the odds to defeat Stuart Burton, despite the latter holding a 13 point handicap advantage each end.

Underdog Moss got the ball rolling, stealing the first game 21-15 and forcing Burton on the back foot. However, now it was Burton’s turn to strike, hitting back at his opponent with ferocious topspin play to take the second game 15-21 and level the proceedings at one game apiece.

In a thrilling finale, wily veteran Burton teetered on the precipice of victory, with a handful of match points within his grasp. But Moss, displaying remarkable determination and composure, managed to save them, edging the decider 21-20 and securing his second trophy of the evening in style.

The busiest player of the night was Andrew Stainton, who took part in three of the five finals, and bagged the most silverware out of the eight finalists.

Following his earlier battle against Moss, New Milton A team captain Stainton took to the table alongside international table tennis player Matthew Daish in the Drawn Doubles Final.  The duo, who both play in the Premier, needed to overcome a mountainous 14-point deficit against the capable hands of Chris Pusey and wheelchair player Ian Anstead.

It appeared an almost impossible feat, with Daish and Stainton dropping the first game 14-21, but they fought back, clinching the second and third games 21-16 and 21-19 to eventually emerge victorious.

Next up was the Chosen Doubles final, where pre-decided partners Andrew Daish and Ian Anstead delivered a dominating performance against Nigel Bliss and wheelchair player Shaun Newcomb.  Daish and Anstead made full use of their 11-0 handicap start in each game, controlling the match throughout, winning 21-12 and 21-16 to claim the trophy with a perfect straight-games victory.

The Open Singles Final, an event played without handicaps, saw Matthew Daish produce a solid performance to defeat Stainton in straight games, winning 11-6, 13-11, 11-6 to lift the club’s premier title.

Away from the action, club members once again demonstrated their commitment to the local community. Donations made throughout the tournament raised £120 for Oakhaven Hospice. The club subsequently received a letter of thanks from the charity, expressing its appreciation for the generosity and support shown by members.

Once again, many thanks to Club Secretary and general factotum Bev Scott-Johns for arranging such a wonderful tournament.

The photo shows all 8 of the finalists.  Back row (L-R): Matthew Daish, Andrew Stainton, Nigel Bliss, Chris Pusey, James Moss, Andrew Daish.  Front row: Shaun Newcomb and Ian Anstead.