Pfarrkirchen. Numerous members gathered in the banquet hall of the Gasthof Schachtl to duly celebrate the 50th anniversary of the table tennis section of TuS 1860 Pfarrkirchen. Numerous honours were at the centre of the gala evening. Founding member Norbert Reinelt was named an honorary member.
Section head Wilhelm Kolb was also able to welcome many guests of honour, among them mayor Wolfgang Beißmann, deputy district administrator Kurt Vallée, the deputy district chairman of the Bavarian Table Tennis Association, Willibald Bauer, TuS chairman Horst Lackner, TuS honorary chairman Max Beyerlein and the chairman of the table tennis support association, Norbert Reinelt. Right at the start the chairman thanked all those involved for organising the preceding TT anniversary tournament, in which Pfarrkirchen II reached 3rd place. Second place went to the team TTC Eggenfelden I, and the victory was won by the team from TSV Taufkirchen, which donated its prize money to the victims of the flood disaster in the district. Section head Wilhelm Kolb called on the festive gathering to follow this example and donate to the PNP flood relief campaign into a receptacle provided.
At the club’s 50th anniversary, they remembered the deceased club members, and section head Kolb added to the commemoration those who died in the flood catastrophe in the district. In his address, mayor Wolfgang Beißmann called the TT section a family across all generations. With taster sessions even the very youngest are introduced to this sport, and table tennis is played with joy well into old age. Sporting success is one thing; the health aspect and the social mission are another. As a thank you, the mayor presented the board with a sporting trophy for the anniversary.
TuS chairman Horst Lackner called the TT anniversary a day of joy of which one could be proud. He said he would be glad if table tennis received the media attention it deserved. He was pleased that young people were also getting involved in the tried-and-tested board.
Deputy BTTV district chairman Willibald Bauer said Pfarrkirchen was one of the four TT strongholds in the region, showing good table tennis in the region. This sport has to compete with many other sports, which is why he wished them a fortunate hand precisely here in the important youth work.
The ceremonial address was given by Günther Eder, a long-standing section member. He looked with pleasure at many familiar faces in the hall, recalled quite a few sporting experiences and highlighted one or another match. In a vivid style he reviewed the past 50 years: in 1966 the little plant of table tennis was sown; in 1971 the men achieved promotion to the state league (Landesliga), then the second-highest playing class in Bavaria. At the same time a magnificent youth team was built up. “In Lower Bavaria one was a world power.” Titles were won convincingly, corresponding roots were struck. In 1975 the men were runners-up, in 1980 came Lower Bavarian championship titles for the seniors and adults, a great tournament at the club’s 15th anniversary. The state league level was at times difficult to maintain, but in 1981/82 an astonishing record was set: the 3rd team at the time won the title in the district championship. In 1983 there were 14 active teams; in the years 1984/85 some titles were likewise won, and because of a number of player departures the 1st team withdrew from the state league to the district league. In return, the women earned their place in the state league. In 1990 there were also outstanding successes among the club’s youngsters. They were able to take part in the senior championship in Switzerland. In 1992 the men were promoted again. When mentioning the title wins, Eder always named many associated names. In 2012 the era of more than 10 years in the Oberliga came to an end. In view of several championship titles in the 1st district league that were not converted, Eder appealed to the athletes present: “Why don’t you have the courage to be promoted?!” In closing he quoted Michelangelo: “God gave hope a brother; his name is memory.”
Athlete honours For many years of competitive table tennis, the following were awarded the BTTV performance badge in several levels by section head Wilhelm Kolb and deputy Beate Brandl: for at least 20 years of active TT sport Christian Jagdhuber and Martin Schneider, for at least 40 years of active TT sport Dr. Uwe Neubauer, and for at least 50 years of active TT sport Reinhard Kroll.
Together with TuS chairman Horst Lackner, the TT board honoured long-standing members for their loyalty to the section with certificates of honour, and they received gifts as a token of thanks.
For 20 years of membership: Reinhard Kroll, Dr. Uwe Neubauer;
For 25 years of membership: Wigbert Bichlmeier, Marius Jarzombski, Peter Wolfrum.
For 30 years of membership: Ludwig Hobelsberger, Helmut Milles;
For 40 years of membership: Max Beyerlein, Günther Eder, Albert Gschwandtner, Fritz Gutheil, Helmut Köstler, Brigitte Lang, Karl Luger;
For 50 years of membership: founding member Norbert Reinelt, who was also awarded honorary membership (see separate report).
The festive gathering accompanied all the awards and presentations with plenty of applause.
For the anniversary there was, besides a great celebratory meal, also a huge anniversary cake in the shape of a table tennis table with TT bats in the anniversary logo and sugar balls all around; further gifts for the members were small anniversary sweets in the shape of table tennis bats and coins as well as flowers or wine for the honourees. Section head Kolb’s thanks in this form also went to deputy Beate Brandl and treasurer Marion Fuchs for preparing the celebration. The TT section thanks all its supporters as well as TuS and the town for their support.
The anniversary celebration was given a groovy and rocking framing by the band “TR-Trio” – section member Alexander Trier, Wolfgang Trier and Oskar Rappensberger (keyboard, guitar, e-bass) – who received thunderous applause. Impressions from the TT chronicle were shown by beamer: many, some old, pictures of members, tournaments, carnival events, newspaper reports, club outings…. “Such a lovely anniversary evening” was heard many times. - jm
Section head Wilhelm Kolb (2nd from left) and TuS chairman Horst Lackner (right) congratulated the honoured table tennis players on the BTTV performance badge (from left): Dr. Uwe Neubauer (40 years of TT sport), Martin Schneider (20 years of TT sport), Reinhard Kroll (50 years of TT sport) and Christian Jagdhuber (20 years of TT sport). Photos: Maier
TuS chairman Horst Lackner (left) and TT section head Wilhelm Kolb (2nd from left) conducted the honouring of long-standing members (front from right): founding member Norbert Reinelt (50 yrs.), Max Beyerlein, Karl Luger, Fritz Gutheil, Brigitte Lang and Helmut Köstler (each 40 yrs.), Reinhard Kroll (20 yrs.), further (2nd row from right) Peter Wolfrum and Wigbert Bichlmeier (each 25 yrs.), Ludwig Hobelsberger (30 yrs.), Günther Eder and (hidden) Albert Gschwandtner (each 40 yrs.), Marius Jarzombski (25 yrs.) as well as (back from right) Dr. Uwe Neubauer (20 yrs.) and Helmut Milles (30 yrs.).
Cutting the anniversary cake here are (from left) youth leader Hannah Mayerhofer and her deputy Simon Wasmaier as well as secretary Mathias Jagdhuber.
Mayor Wolfgang Beißmann presented an anniversary statuette fitting for the round TT birthday to section head Wilhelm Kolb.
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