By Mike Crase
Something has been relatively absent from EKTT for a good while…TITLES. The foundation of the league during its formation was about individual and doubles championships. The goal for a player entering the league was to eventually become the (then) GPTT, Grand Prix Table Tennis Champion, now the title is known as the Eastern Kentucky Table Tennis Championship.
Unlike a tournament, a title holder must defend their championship against the best competition and defeat them to retain their championship. If the contender is better, he or she becomes the champion. The longer a champion holds the title and the more players they successfully defend against, the greater that player becomes in the lore of EKTT history. Few will argue that holding a title is much harder than winning it. When a title match occurs, the champion plays the contender, and the best player leaves with the big prize: the title.
Only 23 players over a span of 35 years have held this ultra-prestigious championship. The idea of playing for fun was there, enjoying the sport, but competition and establishing a lineage of champions was always the main focus of playing. Why just play against other people over and over for no reason? For fun yes, for competition, and building a legacy of champions…no.
Since the league restarted after the Pandemic, much of 2020 and all of 2021 were lost (the league restarted in April 2022). Since that time only the EKTT Championship and the Doubles Championship have been contested. All that is about to change.
All EKTT Championships (current and those to be activated) will have the top contenders determined by Grand Prix Points, which are awarded as a result of their finish in weekly round robins. Players will be rewarded for attending and winning. In Group 1 play, 10 points will be given to the top finisher, 9 points for 2nd place, and finally 6 points for the fifth place finisher if needed.
Group 2 play will award 5 points for 1st place, 4points for2nd place, and 1 point for 5th place if needed. When you see players ranked from now on, Grand Prix Point totals will be listed beside their name, determining their ranking. League ratings will still be used to show a player’s skill level, but they will not determine rankings. However, they will be used to determine seeding.
Ratings will also still be valuable as they will determine what division players will be placed in for some titles. Here is the new title lineup that will be introduced over the next two months (February and March):
Inter-County Championship: introduced in 1988, this is the second most prestigious championship in EKTT. Many I-C Champions have gone on to become EKTT Champions, and the title itself is a milestone and the highlight of some all-time greats’ careers. The title will be defended every month in a best of 5 format games to 11. The Inter-County Champion will receive an automatic number one ranking but Grand Prix Points will determine who gets to play for the EKTT Championship, which is now on a 90-day defense rotation.
Inter-Division Championship: players rated 1350-1600 will be eligible for this title. This is the first ever Inter-Division Championship and will be defended monthly by the top Grand Prix Points winner in this ratings range. A lot of battles will be fought to play for this title in the G2 round robins! Matches will be best of 5 with games going to 11.
Morgan County Championship: A brand new title that has a lot of people talking! This title will be open (no rating limit) and will be defended once a month. This title will be unique as it will be defended in a best of seven series, games to 11.
Grand Prix Table Tennis GRAND Championship: This is not an EKTT title, it is a new league championship that traces its roots back to the GPTT Championship, which merged lineages with the EKTT Championship in 2014. This uber-prestigious title will have its own list of top contenders and a Commissioner, EKTT Board Member and 5x EKTT Champion Dan Arnett. The GPTT Committee and Commissioner will determine the player getting the title match against the Grand Champion each week. The title has a grueling series of 13, which pays homage to the old WTTA Championship that had the same series (only to 21). This title will also be eligible for play in different counties against different opponents if sanctioned by the GPTT Commissioner. The Commissioner and Board rank the contenders and there is no exact criteria for a player getting a title shot. Win-loss records and attendance are major factors. If the champion loses, he can demand a rematch the following week. The GPTT Champion may not play for the EKTT or Inter-County Championships, or vice versa. This title is going to be a huge huge accolade on a player’s resume. The title will be played before or after EKTT league play.
Eastern Kentucky Table Tennis 