Held at the sight of the 1998 US Open, this is the most aggressive effort yet by the Vietnamese community in Houston to display the sport. The Tet event celebrates the lunar new year. Tet is known to most Americans as the time of year chosen by the communist regime of Vietnam to launch a nationwide surprise military attack against US forces during the unfortunate conflict we were embroiled in at the time. While this massive attack was a complete military disaster for the communist troops, as they lost every battle, it none the less reminded the American people that we really didn't want to be there.
Soon after, the US pulled out of the conflict in Vietnam. With the returning troops came a flood of the very best that Vietnam had to offer. The brightest, hardest working, and most ambitious of that fair country's population was added to our multicultural melting pot. What was at the time a huge negative stain on our country, in the end led us to be better than we ever were before as a people. A vast number of the immigrants chose Houston as their home. Their community is a huge part of our city.
Each year for the past several, the Vietnamese community has put on this tournament. Previously, it was held at shopping malls, and then in recent years, the Houston Table Tennis Center. With the demise of the HTTC, instead of going back to a small venue and obscurity, they instead chose to take it to the next level. At least twenty thousand people paid between $7 and $14 a piece to get into the festival over the course of the weekend. Featured at the front door of the festival was the table tennis tournament! This is a major gathering. There is traditional dress, lots of music(warning! 10meg mpeg), colors, and even an appearance by Miss Viet Free World.
Saturday, the first day of the event, started with 28, three to four man teams and 14 tables. For the first time, this was a two star USATT event. While still consisting primarily of Oriental participants, several of the top names in the area entered. This included a few from the past that are making come backs to the sport. Principal among these were Perry Schwartzberg, Roberto Byles, and Clark Yeh (who now lives in Austin). The top rated player at the event was Tran Tuan at 2361 from Austin.
On Sunday, the tournament featured the semi finals, finals and consolation matches. The top seed in the event was the "Fun Guys". The number 2 seed hailed from Austin called "The United" and 3 and 4 featured Dallas and a San Antonio team. The Fun Guys consisted of Perry, Roberto and Hector Bennett. They met the San Antonio team, featuring Clark Yeh, Moto Fujiwara, and Thanh Lee, in their half of the semis. Simultaneous play was held on both tables for the semis, and later the finals and consolation match that determined 3rd and 4th places.
While it was scheduled to start at 10 o'clock Sunday Morning, the Tournament Director failed to show until almost noon. This caused everything to run late, preventing this reporter from seeing the finals and USATT VP Robert Mayer and family from seeing any of the matches at all. While the players were standing around frustrated by the delay, it did give the spectators time to arrive, filling the hall. Match play that I witnessed was outstanding! Crowd appreciation and enthusiasm was very high.
Perry, a two time Texas state Champion and First Alternate for two US World Championship Teams, led off the first match for his side of the team tie facing 2018 rated Thanh Lee. Schwartzberg entered showing a 2289 rating. While his first few points were a little nervous, nevertheless, he had an easy win 3-0.
Next came Hector Bennett, 2274 vs. Clark Yeh, 2282. This was the nail biter of the entire tournament. Both players played 2300 level ball and attacked at every opportunity. Clark prevailed, but at 15-13 in the 5th, it was definitely not easy. Hector actually handed the last game to Yeh by serving into the net for fully 1/5th of Clarks points.
This evened the tie at one a piece. In an unusual best of seven structure, 6 singles matches are played until one team gets 4 wins. If after 6 matches, the tie is 3-3, then the teams play a doubles to decide the outcome. Roberto 'Dino' Byles was next up. He is also a Texas State Champion and represented Jamaica at the Birmingham Worlds. "Bet you didn't know I could still play", Dino joked as he entered the court against United's 2119 rated Moto Fujiwara. Moto seemed outclassed but Roberto rarely plays with full intensity. Thus the lower rated player did snag a game as Dino dropped off the table chopping.
2-1 Fun Guys. Perry was next up against Clark. These two fine athletes and players have drastically differing styles. Clark is the all out attack penholder while Perry is the opportunistic touch player. Both players have a connection to Dan Seemiller as Perry was his training partner and Clark was Dan's student. Perry again prevailed in straight games. "I had one window of opportunity in the first game against him", Clark said afterwards. " When I didn't grab it, it was all over".
3-1 Fun Guys. When Hector and Moto stepped into the court, All Hector had to do was put away the lower player and the tie would be over. Dino had made Fujiwara seem awkward and mechanical in his play. He can do that to a player. Against Hector though, Moto was unintimidated. He came out blasting and some of the best points of the day were played much to the large crowds enjoyment. In the end, Hector played to softly, was plagued again by service errors, and lost the match.
3-2 Fun Guys. This pitted Roberto against Thanh. These two have played many times before and, while it is not official, I believe Dino holds a 4,300 to 3 edge (or something like that). Thanh was gallant in the first game and he led almost all the way....yup, you guessed it, 3-0 to Byles. He tried to set up some exhibition points when he was dominating two games to none and 9-1 in the third, but Lee was not up to the task this day. Match to Roberto and Team Tie to the Fun Guys who then advanced to the finals.
The question of who they would be facing had not been decided when I had to leave as the teams in the other half stood 3-2 with the underdog Dallas team featuring 2220 Sam Smith leading the tie. Update: Sam's team went on to win their half and faced Fun Guys in the final. Perry's team won 4-0, with Perry winning 2 and Dino and Hector each winning 1.
Irrelevant to the outcome was the fact that the event was VERY successful. Aside from the unfortunate destruction of two tables as they toppled off of the moving truck and the seemingly interminable wait for things to get started each morning, this Year of the Goat tournament was a great event. Let us hope they are up to doing it again next Lunar New Year.
