Site Products
Don’t Tell That To Mel

Don’t Tell That To Mel

Don’t Tell That To Mel
(by Bill Draper)

It’s a young man’s sport.

That is a common phrase said about many sports, and if we can set aside the obvious gender problem with that statement, we can likely agree that modern table tennis, at the professional level, has clearly become dominated by young players – male and female alike. Just look at the recent Japan Open results with the combined ages of the two finalists in Men’s and Women’s Singles championship barely exceeding 30! To add perspective, Ma Long is 29 and Timo Boll is 37.

Yes, it’s a young person’s sport. But don’t tell that to Mel Ketchel.

Mel, a member of the Maryland Table Tennis Center (MDTTC), born June 1st, 1922, just celebrated his 96th birthday. He is still a regular at the club where he can frequently be seen playing against others more than 85 years his junior. Mel saw the Great Depression and served in World War II. We can forgive him that he isn’t quite sure when he first picked up a paddle, but he thinks it was probably at a YMCA when he was a young teenager in the mid-30’s. That’s the 1930’s for those readers who are too young to really remember the 1900’s.

Mel adds confirmation to my bias that table tennis attracts an intellectual crowd.  He received his PhD in Physiology, was a professor at Tufts, served as a researcher for an Army cancer project and finished his career at NIH at a sprightly 72 years old, not far from the club where he now regularly plays.

I have seen Mel at the club many times, usually chatting briefly with him between league matches. He is always a pleasant person to speak with and is mentally as sharp as most who are half his age. But as I spoke in depth with him for this article he especially lit up when talking about his political activism, being a supporter of civil rights and women’s rights. Clearly another of his passions and many interests in his rich life.

At home Mel was always that family member that others lined up to play in a friendly but often fierce game of ping pong in the basement, hoping to win bragging rights to be the one who would finally beat him.

His best shot, according to him, is his forehand. I watched tonight as he practiced with another competitive league player and he still has a pretty impressive forehand!

One of the wonderful aspects of table tennis, something that can be seen on any given night at MDTTC as well as at many other clubs around the world, is that it can be enjoyed by those who are 6, and by those who are 96.

At a certain level table tennis is dominated by the young, but I suspect that it is also one of the secrets to Mel’s youth.

 

Latest News

Study Opponents’ Serves

March 31, 2025
(by Larry Hodges) The single most important thing you have to adjust to with any given opponent is… Read More

WAB CLUB FEATURE: Vancouver Table Tennis Club

March 30, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) The Vancouver Table Tennis Club (VTTC) stands as one of the largest table tennis facilities… Read More

A Look Back – Nathan Britt’s Journey with Butterfly!

March 30, 2025
(by Nathan Britt/Butterfly Americas) Nathan Britt, one of Butterfly’s prominent influencers and the creator of NBTT (Nathan Britt… Read More

Oh Junsung and Miwa Harimoto Win in Chennai

March 30, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) The Men’s Singles event was full of surprises at the WTT Star Contender… Read More

WTT Star Contender Chennai – Semifinal Surprises

March 29, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) Late Saturday, the Quarterfinal matches were played at the WTT Star Contender Chennai. … Read More

WTT Star Contender Chennai – Top Seeds Fall

March 29, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) The first action on Friday went pretty much as expected at the WTT… Read More

Kef Crowned U15 Champion At WTT Buenos Aires, Argentina

March 28, 2025
(by Bowmar Sports) Kef has certainly made a name for himself in the world of table tennis with… Read More

WTT Star Contender Chennai – Early Action

March 27, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) Early action is underway at the WTT Star Contender Chennai.  The event is being held… Read More
View All News

Get the latest from Butterfly

Stay “In The Loop” with Butterfly professional table tennis equipment, table tennis news, table tennis technology, tournament results, and We Are Butterfly players, coaches, clubs and more.