Table tennis: Bay stalwart captures titles while battling cancer

Russell Winkley continues to win North Island and provincial table tennis titles while fighting cancer. Photo/Warren Buckland

Opponents of Hawke's Bay table tennis stalwart Russell Winkley will tell you he's extremely tough mentally.

But Winkley admits he was unable to transfer that mental toughness to his battle with thyroid cancer.

"I found it hard mentally. You need a different form of mindset and it's hard to explain to people unless they have been through it," the holder of 10 North Island, 47 Hawke's Bay Open and 104 Hawke's Bay residential titles says.

It was shortly after Winkley, an SSANZ Ltd staff administrator at the Port of Napier, lost his voice while umpiring at the February Masters Games in Whanganui last year that he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of thyroid cancer. That was the end of his sporting pursuits for the year.

"I had an eight-hour operation in April last year down in Palmerston North and this was followed by two six-week stints of radiation therapy back down in Palmy. I'm lucky I am here," Winkley says.

A 31-time men's open singles title winner at the Napier club, Winkley, also lost one of his vocal cords. There were fears he may lose the other one which would leave him with no voice.

"That might have been fortunate for some people," he quips.

"During my treatment some lymph nodes were taken out and some muscle was taken out of my shoulder. I was lucky it was my right side because I'm left handed," Winkley explains.

"This definitely tests your resilience."

Although his treatment is still ongoing Winkley, 62, was able to resume playing sport in March. Despite having 12 months away from the table tennis table he won four titles, the over 50 and 60 men's singles titles and the combined doubles titles in the same age groups at the Hawke's Bay Open earlier this month.

At the recent North Island championships in Palmerston North Winkley combined with Bay of Plenty's David Scott to win the over 60 men's doubles title with an 11-4, 12-10, 11-2 win over the Wellington combination of Martin Young and Malcolm Wong in the final. Winkley and Manawatu's Sue Shirriffs won the over 60 mixed doubles title and Winkley also finished third in the over 60 men's singles.

Wellingtonian Harry Chen, the third seed, beat Winkley 11-6, 11-6, 12-10 in the quarterfinals of the men's over 50 singles.

"To me sport is not about what you have to win ... it's about the people you meet," Winkley says.

The highlight of his table tennis career which began when he was 12 was representing the New Zealand Veterans team in a test match against their Aussie counterparts in Palmerston North in 2016.

"We used the same format as that used in Davis Cup tennis fixtures. I had two singles matches and a doubles," Winkley recalls.

He intends to play in the Hawke's Bay residential championships which will be played over three weeks from next Tuesday.

"I don't expect anything. It's just good to be able to play again and have a bit of fun. As I said sport to me is all about the people you meet," Winkley adds.

Despite this approach it will be a surprise if the former Hawke's Bay tennis representative doesn't add another title or two to his impressive sporting CV.

He was one of two Hawke's Bay players at the North Island championships. Taradale school teacher Natalie Paterson, who is ranked among the top 20 women in the country, was the sixth seed in the open women's singles.

Paterson reached the quarterfinals where she was beaten in five sets by fourth seeded Wellingtonian Hui Ling Vong. Paterson and Manawatu's Matthew Ball were the third seeds in the open mixed doubles.

They were beaten 11-2, 7-11, 12-10, 11-9 in the semifinals by the top seeds Ling Vong and North Shore's Yuhan Gao. Paterson and Manawatu partner Abbey Webb were beaten in the women's open round robin.