It is with a sad heart that I report that Joe Ogunremi passed away recently at 85 years of age. For recent club members his name will not mean much but Joe has been associated with the club for nearly half a century!
He originally started playing in the Bedford Table Tennis League for Bedford Table Tennis Club where afterwards he would pop into the Bedford Arms in Kempston where he would discuss sport and politics. He later joined Bedford Modern Table Tennis Club and over the subsequent years, he was Captain of many of the Modern teams, principally juniors, helping them achieve their goals. When the club renamed itself to Revolution Table Tennis Club in 2013, and relocated from Bedford Modern School to the Church Lane Community Centre in Goldington, he continued to play for the club in Division Three. When the club relocated to its current premises at Lincroft Academy in 2015 he joined Elstow Table Tennis Club, alongside his team mate Mark Anker. Despite his age, whilst in his eighties, he continued to play a very aggressive top spin game and everyone was in awe of his fitness and quick reaction time. At my last discussion with him, I tried to encourage him to enter the World Masters Championship, to be held in Rome this summer, where in the Over 85 category he was sure to have won a medal!
He felt very honored to have been part of Modern C when in the 2001-2002 season the team won the Division Two title. His other major League honours were as runner-up in 2006-2007 season Annual Closed Tournament Division Two Singles and, accompanied by Keith McConnell, the Veteran Doubles. He was also runner-up in the Veteran Doubles in 2007-2008, this time accompanied by Mick Pond. Additionally, in the 2010-11 season he was awarded the Doug Ayres Award in recognition of his long service of participation in the Bedford League.
In his last season playing in 2022-23 he achieved an incredible 65% average in Division Three, a remarkable performance for someone in his eighties.
RIP Joe.