Deni returns with standout results

Sixteen Victorian country clubs competed across the three‑day event, fielding 74 teams and 226 players in one of the biggest fixtures on the table tennis calendar.

Deniliquin sent two teams, juniors in grade E3 and seniors in C-grade, after signalling strong hopes ahead of the King’s Birthday long weekend.

Those hopes were realised early, with the junior E3 team of Oscar Button, Dale Hands‑Otte and Aryan Dadwal winning their teams event outright and bringing home the shield.

Dale Hands-Otte was also named leading player in grade E3.

The senior C-grade team faced tough opposition throughout the weekend.

While they did not secure a podium finish, several individual performances stood out.

Ashley Button was named leading player and went on to win gold in the C-grade singles, defeating Chris Anders in the final.

James also enjoyed a strong tournament, claiming gold in the women’s veterans singles over Daisy O’Brien.

She then paired with Mornington’s Sarah Grant to take silver in the open women’s doubles, finishing runners‑up to Kim James and Niva Udugama.

James and Ashley Button also reached the quarter‑finals in the mixed doubles before bowing out to James and Shagun Punani.

The Deni coach said the results were a testament to the commitment of the players and the strength of the club’s culture.

“It’s a fantastic effort for a small club, with only six players entered into the event,” she said.

“It was a great weekend, with friendly but competitive competition - one of the best table tennis events of the year.”