Generational Differences Are Tabled at Tournament

Taking a couple of deep breaths first, John Binelli smashed the ball over the net, adding enough spin to wipe out his opponent’s chance for victory.

Marianne Javorka, 71, conceded defeat to the 70-year-old Binelli, who also beat two teen contenders to move into the finals of the Fullerton Senior Multi-Service Center’s third annual Bridging the Gap Ping-Pong Tournament.

Despite working up a sweat, Binelli finally met his match: J.R. Olaso, 26, social recreation director of the Fullerton Boys and Girls Club. Binelli won the first game, but Olaso won the second and third to take the title.

The neighborhood tournament last week was a friendly competition between members of the senior center and the Boys and Girls Club. The buildings are next door to each other in the 300 block of Commonwealth Avenue, across the street from City Hall.

“We’re promoting goodwill between neighbors,” said Jay Williams, a tournament organizer, who spent the past two months teaching members of the Boys and Girls Club some table tennis techniques as well as sportsmanship.

“I came over here thinking I might be able to beat the seniors easy,” said 14-year-old Chris Cummer, who played and lost in the first round.

“But it was really hard. . . . They’ve been around longer and they know more than us. You shouldn’t underestimate seniors.”

Said tournament champ Olaso of the competition: “We may be 30 to 40 years apart as far as age goes, but our buildings are right next door to each other, and it makes sense to build up some type of rapport with our neighbors.”