Paddle Palace Retains the Club vs. Club Trophy

A day of great matches, big smiles, and one unforgettable comeback.

There are plenty of ways to measure the success of a table tennis event. Wins and losses matter, but the best competitions are the ones that bring players of every age and level together. This year’s Club vs. Club Challenge between Paddle Palace Club and Portland Table Tennis Club did exactly that.

On Saturday, Team Paddle Palace traveled across town for the second annual showdown and returned home with the trophy after a convincing 39-20 team victory, winning five of the six divisions. 

The event was hosted by Portland Table Tennis Club, who did an outstanding job organizing a fun, competitive, and welcoming day for everyone involved. A huge thank you goes to all of the volunteers, players, families, and supporters who made the event such a success.

Competition Across Every Level

Each club fielded 18 players who battled in six divisions:

• U14 Juniors
• Ladies
• Under 1300
• Under 1700
• Under 2000
• Open Division

From rising juniors to experienced veterans, every point counted toward the overall team championship, and Paddle Palace consistently delivered throughout the day. 

Undefeated Stars Shine Bright ⭐

Several Paddle Palace players put together perfect performances, winning all three of their matches.

Congratulations to:

• Ryan Gibson (Open)
• Ayllon Giladi (Open)
• Christopher Hu (U14)
• Dharshanika Selvakumar (Ladies)
• Imrul Kays (U2000), who also captured 7 of 8 Golden Points
• Charlie Yu (U1300)

Outstanding performances like these helped Paddle Palace build an insurmountable lead before the day’s finale. 

The Golden Game Delivers the Drama

Even after Paddle Palace had secured the overall team title, there was one more match everyone wanted to see.

The Golden Game, worth five team points, became the perfect ending to an already fantastic day.

Portland Table Tennis Club jumped out to a six-point advantage, but Paddle Palace refused to quit. Point by point, the comeback gathered momentum until the match reached a dramatic winner-take-all Golden Point.

With everyone watching, Kerry Blum stepped up and delivered the winning shot, sending the Paddle Palace team into celebration and giving everyone in attendance a finish they won’t soon forget. 

More Than Just a Trophy

Perhaps the best part of the day wasn’t the final score.

It was seeing juniors competing alongside adults, teammates cheering every point, and two clubs coming together to celebrate the sport we all love. The energy in the playing hall never faded, and every match was played with passion, sportsmanship, and respect.

Events like these remind us that table tennis is about much more than competition. It’s about building friendships, creating opportunities for players to improve, and strengthening the local table tennis community.

The smiles in these photos say it all.

Congratulations to every Paddle Palace player who represented the club so well, and thank you again to Portland Table Tennis Club for hosting such a terrific event.

We’ll see everyone again in January for the next chapter of this growing rivalry.

Until then… the Club vs. Club Trophy stays exactly where it belongs. At Paddle Palace! 🏆 

Champions! Paddle Palace’s junior stars proudly pose with the Club vs. Club Trophy after helping lead the team to victory.

The trophy comes home! Paddle Palace celebrates another successful Club vs. Club Challenge.

One team. One club. One trophy. Players from every division came together to capture the championship.

Waiting for their moment. Paddle Palace teammates cheer every point and support one another throughout the day.