Earlier this summer, London Academy held its first-ever Parent & Child doubles tournament at Spur Road, marking a significant milestone in the academy’s event calendar.

Eamon Brennan, the tournament organiser from London Academy, shared insights into the inspiration and planning behind the event:

“We have been planning to put on a doubles tournament with this format for over a year now. The idea came from watching parents come to all of our open tournaments and sit there supporting their children throughout the long and tiring days. We often wondered how many of them would grasp the chance to play with their kids. As it turned out, we had fewer participants than expected. Nevertheless, for a first tournament, we ended up with eight teams fighting it out on the day.”

In a thrilling final round of the league, the leaders, Cristinel and Eric Negoianu, faced off against their friends and closest rivals, Sanjeev and Riyan Thakerar. The winner of this match would secure the gold. The Negoianu family emerged victorious with a 3-1 win, becoming the inaugural champions. Third place went to local stalwarts, Sylwia and Yacoub Rahmani-Walentynski, who missed the silver medals by a single point.

More importantly, everyone had a great time, with a fantastic balance between fun, camaraderie, and serious competition. Eamon added: “We have decided to try and run these tournaments at least twice a year. The next one should take place in the autumn.” If you are interested, please get in touch with Eamon.

Commenting on the significance of such events, Johnathon Driscoll, Area Manager for London stated: “Development competitions like this are essential for getting more people involved in table tennis. They provide a great opportunity for families to engage in the sport together, fostering a love for the game across generations and having fun! Well done to Eamon and the team!”

If you are interested in further competitions, visit the competition calendar here.