With entries at record levels for most competitions, the annual Keighley Table Tennis Tournament proved to be a great success. The main sports hall at Oakbank Sports Centre provided the perfect setting for some superb table tennis featuring the best players from the district. The singles event was won in convincing style 21-19, 21-5 by Tony Boyd from Wyke who defeated last year's runner-up, Gareth Wiles.

William Lister, a first-time entrant also proved to be a first-time winner, sweeping all before him in the handicap competition to defeat Catherine Lawson 56-45 in the final. Gareth Wiles earned consolation for losing the singles final by firstly wrapping up the junior title 21-10, 21-15 against Katie Lightowler before teaming up with the young Glusburn star to force a dramatic win in the doubles, 19-21, 21-19, 23-21 against Carl White and Peter Kirby. Cath Lawson was once more unlucky to finish as runner-up, this time in the Jack Webber final, losing 21-15, 21-18 to Jim Lister. The veterans final was won by Keith Wilkinson, defeating Peter Holbrook 21-14, 21-11.

In the League this week, with the championships of all three divisions looking as though they are already decided, attention turns to the relegation dogfights where matters are far less clear cut. In Division One, Embassy 'A' dropped Ukrainians right back in it with a whopping 10-0 home win against the relegation-haunted outfit. Keith Lee, Carl White and Neil Foley simply mesmerised Stef Szczur, Jerry Harkawy and Peter Holbrook with only Holbrook coming close against Foley, 21-16, 20-22, 21-19. This puts Ukies third from bottom, 7 points ahead of Lothersdale 'B' with four matches to play. However, crucially, Lothersdale have two matches in hand.

In Division Two, St Peter's all but banished any lingering fears of the drop by earning themselves four points at home to Cononley Sports. Michael Mitchell took his tally to 20 from 21 with a well taken treble that included the defeat of Richard Foster 21-16, 18-21, 21-15. Both Stuart Maude and Eric Hudson got the better of Paul Griffin and then Mitchell and Hudson clinched the win for the sportsmen with a 21-19, 21-17 doubles victory against Foster and Tony Richardson.

Cononley earned their second victory of the week, this time 7-3 at Stockbridge Spartans, a result that leaves the losers 8 points adrift of third bottom Oakworth, but with a game in hand. Once again Mitchell showed the way with a full house, but he was made to work hard for his success with both Abid Hussain (24-22, 21-17, 21-16) and Ray Wallace (21-6, 16-21, 23-21) putting up spirited resistance. Ray Wallace grabbed a couple for the losers, 21-12, 21-18 against Maude and 21-18, 12-21, 22-20 against Paul Lister, but a solitary success for Hussain against Maude ended the scoring for the Spartans as Mitchell and Lister teamed up to defeat Hussain and Wallace 17-21, 22-20 in the doubles.

In Division Three the leaders, Ilkley Road 'B' defeated second placed Johnson and Johnson 7-3 at Gargrave to virtually ensure that the championship trophy goes to Riddlesden. John Pullen remained undefeated for the losers yet again without dropping a set. However, it was a close run thing against Ilkley Road's best player Rob McLean who almost pushed Pullen to a decider in a 22-20, 21-15 defeat. Undeterred, the young Riddlesden star put to good use the extra practice he had received at the Keighley Tournament two days earlier with defeats of Tony Bugeja 23-21, 21-17 and Allan Ripley 21-14, 21-18 before snatching the doubles with Steve Fuller 22-20, 22-20 in remarkable fashion after Ripley and Pullen had been 20-10 up in the first.

RESULTS

Division One: Embassy 'A' 10, Ukrainians 0.

Division Two: Nemesis 'B' 10, Embassy 'C' 0; St Peter's 4, Cononley Sports 6; Stockbridge Spartans 3, Cononley Sports 7; Stockbridge Spartans 0, Nemesis 'B' 10; Wilsden 8, Embassy 'C' 2.

Division Three: Crossflatts 'A' 8, St Wilf's 'A' 2; Crossflatts 'B' 8, South Craven 2; Ilkley Road 'C' 9, Crossflatts 'B' 1; Johnson & Johnson 3, Ilkley Road 'B' 7.

National Junior League: Keighley 0, Lancaster 6; Keighley 6, Kirbie 'B' 0; Keighley 1, Dallam 5; Keighley 6, Kendal 'A' 0, Keighley 5, Kendal 'B' 1.

Keighley Tournament - Singles: Tony Boyd. Handicap: William Lister. Juniors: Gareth Wiles. Veterans: Keith Wilkinson. Jack Webber: Jim Lister. Doubles: Gareth Wiles and Katie Lightowler.