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The Island Championships, CI Championships and Inter-Insulars are the next big events in the table tennis calendar.
Action begins in the Island Championships tonight [19 April].
The events will play through until Finals, all of which are to be contested during Finals Night, to be held on Wednesday 24 April.
The winners of each event will compete against their Jersey counterparts on the evening of Friday 26 April in the CI Championships for the trophies in Guernsey, before the Inter-Insular team matches are contested on the following day, rounded off with the Men’s and Women’s Green and Margaret matches.
Two of the most dominant forces in the game are back to defend their titles in the main blue riband Men’s and Women’s events this year.
Garry Dodd, currently based in the UK, has been the dominant force in the Men’s Events since 2008 and will be vying for his 12th Men’s Singles crown.
Pictured: Alice Edwards playing Jersey's Hannah Silcock in the Island Games last year.
Alice Edwards meanwhile has been equally dominant within the Women’s Events and despite a lengthy break from the game between 2015 and last season, is vying for her ninth Women’s Singles title since winning her first in 2007.
In the Men’s Doubles, Dodd is back to try and defend the crown alongside Joshua Butler, with Dodd aiming to become an 11-time champion in this event, whilst Edwards is looking to defend the title alongside a different partner, Charlotte Casey and to become a nine-time champion in the event.
Dodd and Edwards are then also combining in the Mixed Doubles where they will be looking to retain their title. Dodd is vying for his sixth Mixed Doubles title, whilst Edwards is after her seventh.
Dodd will likely need to overcome fourth seed Lawrence Stacey to reach the Men’s Singles final, while in the Men’s doubles alongside Butler they are expected to meet third seeds Lawrence and Joshua Stacey in the semi-finals.
Edwards, on the other hand, is scheduled to meet fourth seed Paula Le Ber in the Women’s Singles semi-finals, while alongside Casey are odds-on favourites to reach the Women’s Doubles final with only Fourth Division players in their half of the draw.
In the Mixed Doubles Dodd and Edwards are seeded to play against third seeds Paul Hainsworth and Casey in the semi-finals, which would be a repeat of their semi-final clash last season.
Pictured top: Garry Dodd.
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