Last Monday, Gunn High School began the preliminary rounds of its annual Ping Pong Tourney. Students from all grade levels were invited to sign up and compete in pairs against each other throughout the week, gradually advancing to the final round of the competition.
Sports and Spirit Commissioner Yaya Li, who was the primary organizer of the event, said that planning began well before Thanksgiving break, getting permission to use Bow Gym for the event and incentivizing players to sign up for the tourney.
The event started off with twenty-five teams. Eighteen played against each other on the first day, sixteen on the second day (with nine advancing from the first round and seven new pairs), eight on the third day and four on the fourth day. On the final day of the tourney, the remaining two pairs played against each other for the overall victory.
The main motivation for the event, Li said, was to create a space where anybody would feel comfortable joining — an event where students could relax and have fun.
“I feel like it’s a pretty chill event; you don’t have to be good at ping pong to participate,” Li said. “It’s just a good opportunity for anyone at Gunn to do something fun without worrying.”
Li’s intentions and hopes were reflected in the results of the tournament, as seen through one of its winners, freshman Lucas Cheung. Cheung plays ping pong casually and decided to sign up on a whim because his classmate was looking for a partner in the tournament.
“My favorite part of the tourney was the round before the final,” Chang said. “We had a more interesting match that went to deuce in both rounds, and I played much better than in the final.”
That sentiment was shared by the audience members watching the tourney. Sophomore Fiona Wu said that after watching for the first few days, she regrets not having signed up for the tourney.
“I was thinking of signing up for [the tourney], because I do play ping pong, but was worried that everyone else would be better,” Wu said. “I think, now, that I would’ve probably been fine.”
