THEY may be small in number but this year’s table tennis team is big on pride, passion and power, not to mention winning Island Games medals.

Coach Clive Hansford, Jakub Wankowicz, Kelsey Le Maistre, manager Dennis Hansford, Max Tupper, Hugo Tupper, Vicky Barnes and Craig Gascoyne

If Aland 2009 is anything to go by expect the Jersey team to be hogging the podium as they also look to improve on their silver medal in the team event last time around.

Five of the seven may be teenagers but under-estimate them at your peril. Men’s singles runner-up Craig Gascoyne is hungry for gold after finishing with two silver medals and a bronze two years ago, while multi-medallist Kay Lefebvre also returns.

The team

Craig Gascoyne (28): Jersey Table Tennis Association development officer. Competing in the team event and individual men’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Going for gold this time after winning two silvers (team, singles) and one bronze (mixed doubles) last time around. A former gold medallist at the British Universities Championships and a bronze winner, aged 16, at the World School Championships, this will be his second Games as a player.

Did you know? Craig is the only player to have represented three nations in the British Isles: England, Scotland and now Jersey.

Sporting idol: Bruce Lee.

Jakub Wankowicz (29): Assistant manager, The Bar. Making his Games debut with the aim of returning with gold medals. He will be competing in the team event and individual men’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

Did you know? As a youngster Jakub finished third in the Junior Polish Table Tennis Championships.

Sporting idol: Lionel Messi.

Max Tupper (17): Victoria College student. Going to his second Games, having helped Jersey win the team silver medal last time around. Contesting the team event again along with the men’s singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles. Is now the U18 and U21 Island champion and CI junior doubles title holder.

Did you know? Max’s party trick is to blow air out of his eye.

Sporting idol: Tom Marsay and Geoff Reed.

Hugo Tupper (15): Victoria College student. Will play in the team competition plus the men’s singles and doubles. The Isle of Wight will be his first Island Games for the U15 Jersey champion and CI doubles champion.

Did you know? Hugo is following in older brother Max’s footsteps and making his Games debut as a teenager.

Sporting Idol: Rafael Nadal.

Kay Lefebvre (57): Housewife. Hoping to take her medal haul into double figures and clinch the elusive gold in what will be her sixth Games, having won four silvers and five bronze to date. The current Island champion, and Island/CI veterans title holder, she is competing in the team event and women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

Did you know? Kay enjoys walking, gardening and spending time with her friends and family.

Kelsey Le Maistre (15): Le Rocquier student. Hopes to help the team to gold in her first Games where she also challenges in the women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles. The Island U18 champion and quarter-finalist at this year’s Jeux des Iles in Sicily, one of her biggest wins was the National Four Star Tournament in England.

Did you know? Kelsey has also represented Jersey in football.

Sporting idol: Kelly Sibley.

Vicky Barnes (13): Jersey College for Girls student. The young player with the big smile will be making her debut in this year’s Games with matches in the team event, women’s singles and mixed doubles. Takes experience from this year’s Jeux des Iles in Sicily with her.

Did you know? Vicky has represented the North West of England in ballroom dancing and is a red belt black tag in taekwondo.

Sporting idol? Any athlete at the top of their sport who is passionate but sporting (eg Craig Gascoyne).

SCHEDULE
Venue: Ryde School
Sunday 26 June–Tuesday 28 June:
Team event
Wednesday 29 June: Singles
Thursday 30 June: Doubles
Friday 1 July: Doubles and singles semi-finals and finals

Who is on the coaching team?

Clive Hansford (60) is the team coach. He has played table tennis since he was 12 and coached for more years than he can remember. He was table tennis coach at the last Games in Aland, where Jersey won team silver, men’s and ladies’ silver in the individuals and bronzes in ladies’ doubles and mixed doubles. His brother Dennis Hansford (56) is also manager and has been coaching mainly junior players for the last five years. This will be his first Games.

Who is in form, who is expected to bring back the medals and who are the star players in the squad?

As a team we have a great chance of a medal but we are not sure what colour it might be. Craig Gascoyne is our number one men’s player and has a good chance of winning medals in the singles – he won silver in Aland – and in men’s doubles, and mixed doubles.

Jakub Wankowicz is the number two man in his first Games and will have the chance to win medals in singles and doubles. They are backed up by brothers Max and Hugo Tupper. Max is the Island under-21 and U18 champion and Hugo is the U15 Island champion.

Our number one lady is Kay Lefebvre, who is the Island ladies and veteran ladies champion, backed up by two junior ladies, Kelsey Le Maistre, Island U18 champion, and Victoria Barnes, Island U15 champion.

How have your preparations gone?

Preparations have gone very well. We are all training three to four times a week and everyone is looking very sharp and looking forward to games.

What is the biggest challenge your team is facing?

The biggest challenge as far as medals go should come from Aland, Gotland and Guernsey.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s Games and why is it always such a successful event?

I am looking forward to seeing how the young players in our team get on in their first Games. Also, I will enjoy the whole Games because there is no other event like it.
How popular is table tennis in Jersey?

Table tennis is growing in the Island since we’ve had a full-time development officer in place. The standard of play is rising all the time and we have a great junior academy, sponsored by Appleby, running at the moment. Table tennis is also being played in a number of schools and at the Geoff Reed centre at the FB Fields, which is a world-class venue.