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Victoria Lee trounces a competitor with a lightning fast forehand kill shot to take the set and match.
The 17-year-old Winnipegger is proud to represent her home province as Manitoba hosts the 2026 Canadian Table Tennis Championships beginning this weekend.
“I think it’s wonderful to be in this type of environment, to be in a sport and be active, but also in that mindset of, OK, now I got to win,” Lee said between matches Saturday.
She and many others in Winnipeg are playing for spots on the podium in both junior and senior categories before championships wrap on Thursday.
Players from every province and territory poured into the city, which hasn’t hosted the championships in a decade.
The Manitoba Table Tennis Association co-ordinated about 200 matches per day this weekend across 16 tables spread across basketball courts at the University of Winnipeg’s Duckworth Centre on Ellice Avenue.
“We have 350 players competing in multiple events, they’re from all over Canada,” said Carlos Cuadra, executive director with the association. “It’s the most prestigious event in the country.”
One of the youngest competitors to hit the court Saturday travelled about 1,700 kilometres to make her mark.
“It’s pretty cool to represent the north,” said Kathleen Cai, 14, from Yellowknife. “We don’t have a lot of opportunity to play.”
Cai hopes the tournament has the spinoff effect of helping to grow the game she loves in the North.
“There’s so many different combinations of spin and serves and it’s great for your reaction,” said Cai.
“Overall, it’s just an awesome sport.”
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