30 YEARS - SUNS SHINING

Sydney Upper North Shore (SUNS) TTA Incorporated was set up by its founding president Theo Morsink in June 1992 as the Berowra Table Tennis Club, and it has been shining for almost three decades.

The opening of the Berowra Oval Meeting Room gave the club its first venue. An advertisement in the local 'Bush Telegraph' newsletter saw Theo joined by seven others playing on borrowed second-hand tables for a hit once a week. The news spread rapidly, and its membership had grown to 24 juniors and 20 seniors next year, mostly from the Berowra area.

With fundraising, and sponsorships from Hornsby Council and Berowra RSL, the old tables were gradually replaced by new ones. In 1997 the SUNS joined the Manly-Warringah District competition. Gradually the table tennis fraternity became aware of the SUNS' existence through achievements such as hosting and beating the Fiji National Training Squad in 2003.

                                    Theo Morsink, 1955, the Netherlands

On 24 October 2003, the SUNS moved to its current site the new Thornleigh Indoor Sports Stadium “The Brickpit” with the tireless efforts of Theo. The SUNS has developed into one of the largest table tennis clubs in the area with close to 300 members. Most of the current members are seniors who play social table tennis on Monday and Wednesday mornings with the younger generation participating in the Friday night district competition organised by Sydney Northern Districts Table Tennis Association (SNDTTA).

     Theo Morsink with Table Tennis Memorabilia after 2017 NZ Master Games

Theo joined the SNDTTA district committee and was appointed as President from 2007 to 2017. During that time, he promoted table tennis extensively within the district. He was the main driving force for the increase in the number of clubs. The Association now consists of 6 divisions. The number of clubs nearly doubled since he was appointed as the President. For his contribution he was awarded the Life Membership of SNDTTA in 2018.

                                SUNS Team Won 2016 NSW Club Championships

Theo was a table tennis volunteer at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and he assisted with the Bennelong Cup initially. He organised the NSW Corporate Games in Thornleigh Brickpit for five years from 2002 to 2007, and the now defunct NSW Club Championships and the annual Northern District Closed Championships with an Open Premier League. 

 Theo Morsink, George Gardoz and Marie Pinkewich, 2000 Olympic Games, Sydney

Theo was involved with table tennis promotions at Sydney Olympic Stadium and in the Sydney CBD hotels for business and social functions, and he has dedicated his leisure time to table tennis nearly 30 years. His love of table tennis has led him to achieve a legacy within the table tennis community. 

                                         Theo Morsink, 2021, Sydney

By his own efforts and initiative, Theo has developed a club which is financially strong and robust. He has managed the finances of the SUNS prudently so that it could purchase 18 San Ei tables, which are of the same standard tables used at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It is believed that SUNS is the only table tennis club in Australia that is fully equipped with the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games tables.

SUNS will host the 2021 Sydney Northern Districts (SNDTTA) Championships at Thornleigh Indoor Sports Stadium (The Brickpit), 1 Dartford Road, Thornleigh NSW on Saturday 18 Dec 2021 with $2,560.00 in prizes. Entry Form: https://form.jotform.com/212901359024853

Theo said: “If you did not have a chance to compete at 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, why don’t you come to compete at SUNS’ 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games tables on 18 Dec 2021 to win $2,560.00 prizes ?”

David Lee and Michael Li wish to gratefully acknowledge Jeff Wright, Theo Morsink, Yip Khuen Whye, Marie Pinkewich, TTA Board Member, the Sydney Upper North Shore (SUNS) Table Tennis Assoc. Inc, the Sydney Northern Districts Table Tennis Association and Table Tennis New South Wales.