Batman Brian

Parkinson’s National UK Table Tennis Championship 7 August 2022

This event was held at Drumchapel Table Tennis Club in Glasgow. This is the second time this competition has taken place, the first event was at St Neots in August 2021.

I have the privilege of being part of the Parkinson’s Table Tennis Scotland committee and as part of this group was heavily involved with organising this event. As you would expect this was not without challenges but hopefully we succeeded in delivering a memorable event enjoyed by all who took part.

Organising Team

Roy Claxton, Joy Paul, Leona Braund, Stuart Robb, Brian Carson

This event was sponsored and supported by:

Table Tennis Scotland

South Ayrshire Table Tennis Club

Drumchapel Table Tennis Club

Tees Sport

Funding Neuro

Asda

Thank you to all of the above and numerous volunteers across both days who collectively helped to make this event successful.

I add my own personal thanks to Tees Sport who are now sponsoring me as I continue my Parkinson’s Table Tennis development and participation in the various events planned in the months ahead.

This was also the first Parkinson’s competition held in Scotland and therefore provided a great opportunity for my wider family, friends, and fellow club players to attend and experience what I have been involved with for the last 12 months, and probably boring them to tears going on about it. Having this level of support added to the occasion for me personally and I am sure some of the those attending for the first time were amazed at the atmosphere, as well as the high level of table tennis being played.

Day 1 Saturday Practice Session

The event facility was opened for 4 hours for a practice session on Saturday afternoon. The was a popular session and gave players a chance to get some feel for the venue and surroundings where the competition was being held, and get some practice on the competition tables. Not all players were able to attend as some were still travelling.

 This was the first opportunity to catch up with friends from previous events and meet some new friends who were attending their first Parkinson’s competition.

I went to this session intending to play the part of host in my role on the organising team and help facilitate the session. However when the first player arrived and commented how great the venue looked and that he couldn’t wait to get some practice I was hooked and off I went to have a “hit” with George Chang. This was a treat for me to play with George, a great player and a gentlemen who I eventually played in the competition when we met in the semi final of the class 1 singles. Needless to say George won that match.

Social Event

On Saturday evening we met at a local social club and over drinks and food (always mindful there was a competition the next day), and continued to bond as a community. The value of this type of activity cannot be overstated as it provides an opportunity to catch up with old friends and meet new ones in a relaxed setting away from the excitement, stress (yes stress, for some)  physical effort, medication “juggling” and everything else that comes with participating in competitive sport when you have a degenerative Neurological Condition.

At the end of the day we are all managing our Parkinson’s condition as best we can, while playing a sport we love that potentially delays progression of our symptoms, while trying to spread the wider message of the benefits of physical activity for People With Parkinson’s.

Day 2 Competition Time 

Beginners Competition 

We kicked off at 09:00 with the beginners competition. This was the first time this category was included in the competition and it was added to recognise the increase in numbers of players with Parkinson’s over this last year. It also provided a great opportunity to give these newcomers a taste of the competition environment, introduce them to the wider Table Tennis PWP community, and also recognise their commitment and progression. This hopefully demonstrates to other People With Parkinson’s what can be achieved.

Those beginners who attend our Tuesday PWP TT sessions at Drumchapel which started in January this year, were all provided with a club shirt to wear during the competition which I am sure brought a sense of pride and belonging to them all. They not only looked like they belonged in the competition but they played like they belonged and I couldn’t be more proud of them all.

We were fortunate to have James Jopling, Director of Parkinson’s UK Scotland join us for the morning session. James presented the medals for the beginners categories and this added to the experience for those players. He also spent the morning engaging with numerous players, coaches and supporters, posting photographs on Twitter and enjoying the atmosphere of the occasion.

The Main Events

Next up was the men’s and ladies singles competitions. 

We had both a Class 1 and a Class 2 men’s competition and a single Class ladies competition. All were hotly contested with some great matches some of which were very close. 

In parallel we also had the UK Open competition running which involved both male and female players from all categories (ex beginners).  This was the first time this event had been held for PWP

This competition decided who was the UK Champion and many congratulations to Andy Cassy who was a worthy winner of this competition.

There is a full competition report published on the South Ayrshire Table Tennis Club Facebook page for anyone who is interested in seeing the final placing for all categories. Link below. (There are also many more photographs of the day at this link courtesy of Roy Claxton)

My Performance

I was entered in the men’s Class 1 and the UK Open. The classification system used this time although based on that used in previous competitions in Europe was “adjusted” slightly resulting in myself and a couple others being included in Class 1 (UK only) for the first time.

In the Class 1 competition I reached the semi final stage losing out to George Chan and ending up in fourth place after also losing the third place play off to Rob Dawson. This was after a difficult start losing my first group game to John Hughes who plays with anti-loop rubbers a new phenomenon to me which I struggled with, but another aspect of the game I need to learn to play against.

In the UK Open I reached the quarter final stage. Losing out to eventual winner Andy Cassy. The man with the lightning fast backhand.

In my view a credible performance in both competitions alongside some very good players. 

About Parkinson’s 

Once again I, and am I am sure a number of others were “ adjusting” our Parkinson’s medication timings and doses to be at my “best state” when playing matches. This involves ensuring we are “on” when playing matches eg the medication is providing maximum benefit. I have explained in previous blogs the impact of “off” periods  and what we do to manage these. Here are some details explaining why we do this.

Parkinson’s disease is caused by a loss of nerve cells in part of the brain called the substantia nigra. This leads to a reduction in a chemical called dopamine in the brain.

Dopamine plays a vital role in regulating the movement of the body. A reduction in dopamine is responsible for many of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Exactly what causes the loss of nerve cells is unclear. Most experts think that a combination of genetic and environmental factors is responsible.

The 3 main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are:

• involuntary shaking of particular parts of the body 
• slow movement
• stiff and inflexible muscles

A person with Parkinson’s disease can also experience a wide range of other physical and psychological symptoms.

To help manage the symptoms PWP take various medications in multiple combinations. The most used medication is Sinamet which is medication to replace the Dopamine we are not producing.

Sinamet has been around since the sixties and was probably the last major breakthrough in research into Parkinson’s.

Sinamet is converted into dopamine in the brain and stored in nerve cells to replace depleted dopamine. It can be combined with another drug, carbidopa or benzerazide, which allows more Sinamet to get to the brain and reduces side effects.

Another option used by many are Dopamine Agonists. These “mimic” or imitate the action of dopamine. A large number of PWP use a combination of both Dopamine and Dopamine Agonists.

There are also a number of other drugs available that enhance the effect of dopamine by preventing its breakdown before it reaches the brain.

As you can see above the medication regime is varied and can be complicated. For many PWP it involves different doses of different medications being taken at various times in the day which can be challenging for some. Add in the complication of trying to adjust timing and dose to be at your best state for a match during a competition and the possibility of error is very real. In extreme cases some individuals will “adjust” dose and timings in the days before a competition to get the best effect on the day

Summary.

Once again the Parkinson’s TT community have assembled and had a fantastic time with friends new and old. The atmosphere is always positive at these events no matter where they are held. Yes we all share a terrible disease but we also like to play table tennis, enjoy the benefits this physical activity provides and have fun together. The standard of play at this event was very high with a lot of very close matches. I include the beginners in this statement and considering most of them have only been playing for six months the level achieved is outstanding. This was a very long day in particular for those who reached final stages of the main competitions. Special thanks to the beginners who stayed around all day, helping out and soaking up the atmosphere even though their competition was concluded mid morning. I personally can’t wait for the next UK event.

What Next?

The lead up to the competition was busy and at times stressful as we strived to deliver the best experience possible for all involved. Credit to Roy Claxton for stating to the organisation team on the eve of the competition, that on competition day we were players not organisers, and that should be our focus to maximise our level of play and enjoyment of the day. Easier said than done but thanks Roy. After some very short down time I will turn my focus to the next competition which is the Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championships being held in Croatia in October this year.

A personal thank you from me.

I would also like to acknowledge a few people who have supported me personally in their various Table Tennis Clubs over the last 12 months as I got hooked on this fantastic sport.

South Ayrshire Table Tennis Club – Roy Claxton and John White

Drumchapel Table Tennis Club – Terry McLernon MBE, Charlie Brown, and the late Tommy McFadden

Knightswood Table Tennis Club – Neil Doherty 

These individuals have spent countless hours coaching and advising me as I have developed my game this past year. They all share the same enthusiasm for the game and must sometimes wonder what drives me as I continually turn up wanting to play and learn and develop my game. I am convinced they all have the occasional moment when they think, oh no not him again? 😂

End

Brian Carson