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Angelita Rosal Bengtsson
Courtesy of Tim Boggan Angie’s always been proud of her ethnic heritage. Her father was Filipino, her mother Sioux Indian. She comes from a family of seven siblings–sister Monica and, for a time, brother Chris were good tournament players. Angie named her first child Suco after Angie’s Filipino grandmother, Suco Li. Her father, Monico, was…
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Valleri Smith Bellini
Courtesy of Tim Boggan When Valleri Green (later Smith for a short time and later Bellini for 48 years) appeared on the California tournament scene, it was clear from her position in the Jan 28-29, 1956 Golden State Open draw that not much was expected of her. Up against the eventual winner, Sharon Acton, in…
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Jack Howard
Courtesy of Tim Boggan Yep, you could read about it in the morning paper: “‘It was definitely an upset,’ Bobby Gusikoff, 26, said, still sweating and breathing hard after trying to keep up with Jack Howard’s bustling-type running game. ‘And a surprise. I’ve played him hundreds of times and he’s never beaten me. He sure…
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Eric Owens
By Tim Boggan Kenny Owens, with a very successful neuromuscular therapy practice in Houston TX, had, as one interviewer put it, “the financial resources to provide the right coaching, the right equipment, and the right opportunities” to help his son Eric involve himself in sports and excel in table tennis. Kenny “taught his son to…
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Sheila O’Dougherty
Induction Speech – 2014 – Courtesy of Sean O’Neill Tonight we get to welcome a very special athlete and contributor into the USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame – Sheila O’Dougherty. Let me start off on the playing side of the ledger. Sheila was: That would be a stellar career for any US player, but…
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Sebastian DeFrancesco
Sebastian’s Table Tennis Achievements
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Ken Brooks
Ken Brooks – Introduction SpeechCourtesy of Jennifer Johnson First, I would like to say congratulations to all the inductees in the various categories. You are all awesome and amazing. However, I am here this evening to induct my dear friend, Mr. Kenneth (Ken) Brooks, paralympic athlete into the United States Table Tennis Hall of Fame.…
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Ashu Jain
“Athletes Making a Difference.” Courtesy of Sean O’Neill Our next inductee charted his own course as a player, Junior Team Member, Junior Olympic Gold Medalist, Collegiate Champ, World Team Member, USOC AAC Rep & Anti-Doping Committee Chair, USATT Board Member, ITTF’s Athlete Commission and a person that truly made a difference both on and off…
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Heja Lee
After almost 10 years of serious play–during which she represented South Korea in the Asian Championships–He-ja Lee came to the U.S. as the wife of 6-time U.S. Champion Dal-Joon Lee. In those days, like her arch-rival, Insook Na Bhushan, He-ja was based in Columbus, Ohio, where of course she practiced with D-J, while Insook practiced…
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United States Table Tennis Hall of Fame 2023 Dinner Announcement
The United States Table Tennis Hall of Fame is proud to announce the exceptional individuals who will be inducted during this year’s annual banquet at the 2023 National Championships in Fort Worth, Texas on July 5th. Join us in celebrating the achievements of Ken Brooks, Ashu Jain, Dennis Davis, and Willy Leparulo, who have made…
US Table Tennis Hall of Fame
Recognizing athletes and contributors in the sport of Table Tennis in the United States