Rose Johnson Challenge Bowl 2025/6 - Report from Jordan Tweed
For the 2025/2026 season, the Rose Johnson Challenge Bowl was contested at Knighton Park TTC. More than 25 players participated from 7 different clubs around Leicester. This is a Table Tennis team event, first contested back in 1932!
The competition was set up as a round robin handicap with teams of 4. There were some exceptionally close games, with more than one match decided by just 1 point. This meant that there had to be some careful re-counts to confirm the results. This is a credit to the accuracy of the gradings, kindly provided by the Leicester League Chairman Peter Wilson.
The winning team Unicorn
The top two teams from the round robin progressed to the final to decide an overall winner. Defending champions Abbots Road narrowly missed out on the final after close results against Unicorn and the Fleckney 1’s.
The final was between: ‘Knighton the Town’ representing Knighton Park and Unicorn TTC. The Unicorn squad included special guest player Barry Robinson who first played in this tournament back in the late 1960’s!
The round robin match between the two finalists was extremely close, so it was always going to be a tense final. Knighton were winning at the halfway stage after big wins for Hamza Caratela and captain Chris Parmar-Saville. Unicorn fought back in the second half, with decisive wins from Daniel and Barry sealing a 6-point victory for the Unicorn team.
Across the two evenings, the Unicorn squad included: Barry Robinson, Jordan Tweed, Thomas Young, Daniel Broner and Adam Pettitt.
Thanks to all who participated, and credit must go to Knighton Park TTC for hosting. We look forward to a strong turnout next season!