Big draw for table tennis

By Staff
This is one in a series of stories highlighting the competitions that make up The State Games of Mississippi. The State Games are set for June 18-20 and June 24-27 in Meridian.
By Robby Atkinson / staff writer
May 14, 2004
One of the fastest-growing events in the State Games of Mississippi will be making its third appearance at the Olympics-style festival this summer.
The table tennis event has drawn many athletes over the state of Mississippi since its induction in 2000 and commissioner James Hearn hopes for another great year of competition.
The event will begin Saturday, June 19 at 10 a.m. at the Frank Cochran Center with the event ending on Sunday at 2 p.m. The tournament will be in the traditional double-elimination format and Hearn looks for a little change in the future.
Medals will be awarded for participants in each division which include: male, female, doubles, and mixed doubles. All age groups will be involved in the two-day event ranging from eight and under to 70 and over.
The pairings for the tournament will be selected by age group and all scoring for the event will be announced to the general public throughout both days of competition.
Competitors are not allowed to wear tank tops and cut off shirts during competition and age groups may be combined.
All United States Table Tennis Rules will apply for the weekend and all matches will be best two-out-of-three games.
Founding Gold Sponsors of The State Games of Mississippi an Olympics-style sports festival are Rush Foundation Hospital and Meridian's Coca-Cola, while Gold Sponsors are The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, The Partnership For a Healthy Mississippi, Bell South and Meridian Airport Authority.
For event applications or schedules call 1-800-462-0205 or visit the State Games of Mississippi website at www.stategamesofms.org.