Canisius College Table Tennis Team Emerging
An NCTTA Feature - September 2009

By Andy Kanengiser
NCTTA Media Relations Chair

One of America's 28 Jesuit universities and a top basketball competitor in the Metro Atlantic Conference, Canisius College is hoping to step up its role in the table tennis world.

Located in Buffalo, N.Y. Canisius College is home to a table tennis club that wants to challenge neighboring schools. Club leaders like President John Duggan believe the timing looks right for the Canisius Table Tennis Club, now in its second season, to consider joining the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association. "We're a very young club,'' Duggan said, but he is already trying to line up exhibition matches with SUNY-Buffalo, Daemon College and other schools in the region this fall.


A Canisius College team would compete in NCTTA’s Upstate New York Division. It would seem like a natural fit. Many of the Canisius Club players are competing with members of the Greater Buffalo Table Tennis Club. "Having a local table tennis club is great for our players to further their development and gain experience,'' Duggan said.

Duggan isn’t new to table tennis club leadership, having organized a club at his high school during his sophomore year. John even had to get the OK of the local school board. At Canisius College, Duggan's been able to successfully lobby for table tennis club funds from the student government organization, draft the club constitution and land a faculty adviser, Dr. Jong Hoon Yu. The Canisius College student even managed to pull off a tournament on the Buffalo campus. For the record, he narrowly lost in singles, but was a member of the winning doubles team! 

The Canisius College Table Tennis Club currently has a roster of 20 players, from beginners to the advanced level. Founded in 1870, Canisius College competes against teams like Niagara University, Fairfield, Iona, and Manhattan College in the Metro Atlantic Conference in such sports as lacrosse, soccer, baseball, golf, volleyball, swimming and basketball.

Canisius College is one of several emerging table tennis programs that NCTTA will profile in the upcoming months. Canisius would join more than 141 college table tennis teams in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. A little more than a year ago, there were only 124 college teams competing in NCTTA - stretching from the University of California to Columbia University in New York.


Know about an up and coming college table tennis club?
Email Andy Kanengiser, at publicrelations@nctta.org