6
Wednesday, October 22,1975
University Dally Kansan
Ping pong world attracts Addison
Staff Photo by DON PIERCE
Paul Addison
By JOERADCLIFFE
Shelton back on KU team
Ruben Shelton, a 6-1 sophomore guard and team co-captain, is on the Kansas basketball team. Shelton left the team after being recused once rejoined and asked to be reinstated.
Sports Writer
Coach Ted Owens met with his players yesterday morning to discuss the possibility of Shelton returning. The Jayhawks voted in favor, and he was at practice yesterday.
Owens was unavailable for comment yesterday. He was admitted to Lawrence Memorial hospital yesterday afternoon for a short operation and be hospitalized for five or six days.
Paul Addison is from Lymmocheshire, England. He has a B.A. in economic history. And he went to the English National Championships in ping pong two years ago.
Given this information, you might wonder how Adison ended up playing for the KU寡婪.
"Well, I came here last year on a scholarship," he said last week, "and there was no organized table tennis, so I came out to watch it and the intent of just kicking the ball around."
ADDISON HAS BEEN PLAYING soccer all or life. At or least until he went to Exeter
"I went to the table tennis troyals, and could be sure that the boys would could compete with the best guys there."
By the time Addison was a sophore, he had the best record on the team and was a leader.
"I didn't have any time for soccer," he said.
So all through his college years, Addison devoted his time to table tennis, not a serious sport in the United States, but a very serious sport in England.
"TABLE TENNIS OVER here doesn't have a very high reputation—people don't think of it as a game that can be taxing," he physically can sense that game can be physically tiring.
"Where I live, a typical town of 100,000 people might have 120 table tennis teams. It's an important sport. They even cover it in the papers. The big players in England are household names and, the games are shown on TV.
"Over here, nobody knows of any famous
writers you can't even name one
famous print poet."
For four years, Addison was strictly a ping pong fanatic, except for an occasional Saturday afternoon when he would sneak out and boot a soccer ball around.
PING PONG TRAINING, he said, is more than just belting a little white back ball and other stuff.
"Our training was for basic fitness," he said, "You've got to have very quick reactions because that ball is coming over the net at a hell of a speed. You have to be able to move back and forth from the table quickly."
After four years on the team, Addison finally made it to the University Nationals in London. He won his opening match, but was eliminated in the second round.
THEN HE CAME TO Kansas with no real intent of playing soccer.
Addison remembered, "I met Bernie (Mullin), the coach, and he told me that even if I hadn't played in college, I could play here."
When he was first selected to start, Addison had some trouble adjusting.
"I wasn't doing very well at first," he said. "I hadn't played in a long time and I didn't have any confidence. I wasn't used to playing with all of the different nationalities. It took me all of the first semester last year to adjust."
NOW, ADDITION SAID, he felt better about his playing.
"I'm a lot more confident about myself and about the team. I play outside of Bermie as well," she said.
where the guys are going to be on the field.
it makes it a lot easier to pass."
And how does Addison see his future in the wide world of ping pong?
"I haven't played any table tennis this year," he said. "But I heard about some tournament in the union, so maybe I'll check that out."
Aidson plans to start playing serious table tennis when he returns home.
"I'll probably just join a local league at first," he said, "but I'll be playing soccer to
DISCO-MANIA
Lowest rates available. 3 experienced disc jockeys The best darnn entertainment value. For info call Mike Santee, 842-1851 or Chris Donaghy, 841-6870.
COME SEE US VISIT OUR HEADSHOP we have more than ever before
THE GREEN PEPPER