We’re moving into the back half of the table tennis calendar, with Greater Dandenong TTA hosting the Junior/ Senior Open!

The Greater Dandenong Junior/ Senior open is taking place this weekend at the Greater Dandenong Table Tennis Association July 29-30.

Instead of a last minute change to the format of junior boys on one day and seniors/girls on the next like last year due to a blow out in the number of entries, this year GDTTA took entries that way from the start – which has proven fortuitious with the rise in entry numbers from 187 to 210.

There are some names to keep an eye on, with the likes of Yousef Hassan, Levi Geering and Alex Huang, all eyeing off wins in the Junior Boys on Saturday.

Connie Psihogios, Ellen Walker, Swetha Sundaresan and Zach Anstey will be seeking medals in the Senior/ Junior Girls on Sunday.

It’s also great to see Greater Dandenong TTA locals and Father and Daughter combination, Jim and Connie Psihogios playing in the Open Mixed Doubles together.

You can view the full Junior Boys Draw Here.

You can view the full Senior Open and Junior Girls Draw Here.

“Our club is looking forward to hosting a great weekend of table tennis. Its an important event for our club, to not only show case our club to the tournament players, but to also contribute towards the Victorian tournament circuit, said Greater Dandenong Table Tennis Association Treasurer, Greg Robbins.

"The junior boy’s event will be held on Saturday with increased entries from last year (111 players). The defending Dandenong junior boy champion Yousef Hassan will be returning to defend his titles (U17 & U19). He may have some stiff competition this year with Sunshine’s Viet Anh Tran attending his first TTV tournament and expected to perform strongly. Dandenong’s Navik Rathnasinghe and Omar Tharet will also be looking for solid performances in their age groups at their home club."

"As with last year, the junior girls will be playing with the seniors on the Sunday, to accommodate for the large number of entries (97 players). Local Dandenong champion Connie Psihogios will be defending her junior Dandenong titles and looks like the player to beat in both the junior and senior female events, as she continues to pursue her Olympic dream, and if successful, perhaps become the youngest Australian to compete in the Olympics. Connie will also be teaming up with her father Jim in the mixed doubles, which will be an interesting combination. Dandenong’s Parleen Kaur will be competing in the women’s open event after taking a break, and will be one of the chances, as well as Ellen Walker."

"In the men’s event, the defending Dandenong men’s champion, Sajith Silva, will be the favourite to retain his title, however, Jashan Antal, Viet Anh Tran and Zach Anstey are some of the strong contenders in this event.

"Our club does not have an extensive range of food options other than hot noodles, although hot food should be available next door in the Oasis swimming centre. With regards to parking, please note that the majority of the car park at the stadium has a 3 hour time limit, although the car park at the far end has all day parking.”

Play begins at 9:00am on both days and is free entry for anyone who wishes to watch some exciting table tennis.