City bonus on the table

New Zealand will host the 2014 World Veterans Table Tennis Championships, which is great news for the sport - and great news for Auckland. Edward Rooney reports.
Valerie Beaver flourishes a table tennis ball with pride. It turns out these white globes are much more than a gossamer-thin plastic shell with air inside.
"That's a three-star Stag tournament ball," she says, holding it in her palm so we can see the logo.
Mrs Beaver, from Papakura, is one of New Zealand's pre-eminent veteran table-tennis players. She's attended three world championships and personally trounced the Australians in a test match at Easter.
She knows all about the sport, including the specifications of the ball and the various types of rubber that are, and aren't, permissible on a bat.
As we take her photo, she insists the picture not show the ball above her head. "Last time someone did that, it looked like an egg was about to land on my head," she chuckles.
Mrs Beaver is delighted Auckland has won a bid to host the 2014 World Veterans Table Tennis Championships - one of the largest table-tennis events in the world.
"It will be hugely beneficial, especially with tourism for New Zealand," Mrs Beaver enthuses.
It will be the first time New Zealand has hosted the tournament and the second time the hosting role has been given to a country in the Oceania region. It's estimated 2000 players from 50 countries will take part in the five-day competition.
Mrs Beaver - who calculates she's played regularly for about 35 years since her father insisted she choose between table tennis and badminton - had a hip replacement two years ago, which has allowed her to play on. "I'm very grateful for that."
She's adamant she'll line up at one of the tables at the Auckland event.
"I was in Bremen, Germany, for the worlds in 2006 and people were asking me then about when we were going to be hosting an event down under. I know they will be very, very keen to come here ... people who meet at them are often friends for life."
The veterans' matches are mostly the same as the open matches, with one difference being the best-of-five games are won by the first player to reach 11 points, rather than 21.
"It takes a lot of concentration right from the first serve because the games are shorter," says Mrs Beaver.
Table Tennis New Zealand's executive director, John Lea, says the 2014 games will be held at Waitakere Trusts Stadium, the only venue capable of hosting them. "We're waiting to hear whether we will need secondary venues as well." He says purpose-built table tennis venues at Epsom and Northcote are probably too small to handle the championships. There were 1500 competitors at the most recent games, in Melbourne - "probably comparable to what we can expect".
Mr Lea says the bid for the event was made by the Auckland Council agency Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development. "Table Tennis New Zealand will provide technical expertise and volunteers. We'll be gauging how we do things by watching what happens next year in Stockholm."
Mr Lea says a company will soon be set up by the primary partners Brand Advantage and Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development. "Table Tennis New Zealand will have involvement, and a contract to supply volunteers and technical expertise."
Mrs Beaver packs her paddle and ball away in a special pouch before returning to work as a supermarket demonstrator. Even after three-and-a-half decades of practise, she appears reluctant to put her sports gear away.
"Table tennis is such a minority sport," she says. "Hosting the veterans will give it great exposure and will help with funding in the future."
Up the paddle without a creek
The World Veterans Table Tennis Championships are held every two years. The 15th event was held last year in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. In 2012, it will be in Stockholm. Auckland Council says a key advantage of hosting the event in May 2014 is that it will increase tourist activity during a traditionally quiet time in Auckland's tourist season.