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The entire desk tennis world will mourn the passing of an amazing participant and an amazing woman. Diane Scholer (nee Rowe) handed away in Dusseldorf, Germany yesterday, aged 90. She was a real legend of the sport and it began means again in 1947.
Di celebrated her ninetieth birthday in April this 12 months, 2023, and to recognise the event a quick historical past of her desk tennis life was written and is repeated beneath.
Nevertheless, as vital as desk tennis was to Di, so too was her household and to them we ship our most honest condolences, husband Ebby, daughter Cindy and son Christian and her grandchildren – Jenny, Jarne, Nele and Nicole. To all Di’s desk tennis associates around the globe who will likely be saddened at her passing, we share your sorrow.
Friendship and mutual respect are the keystones to the ethos of the Swaythling Membership Worldwide, which was so vital to Di and these two rules had been ones which she held near her and the robust and lifelong friendships that Di had with so many individuals around the globe are a testomony to these beliefs.
The place did all of it begin? It was Christmas morning 1947 when two excited 14-year-old twins wakened hoping they had been going to get bikes as their current in order that they had been a bit dissatisfied once they acquired desk tennis bats. The frustration didn’t final lengthy as the 2 youngsters, right-handed Rosalind ‘Ros’ and left-handed Diane ‘Di’, had been quickly hitting a ball backwards and forwards throughout the eating room desk.
It will have appeared inconceivable on that Christmas morning that lower than three years later they’d be world champions for the primary time and on 14th April 1954, on their twenty first birthday, a second world title was added.
Nevertheless, again to 1947 the place the eating room desk and different furnishings appeared in jeopardy from the 2 women and so it wasn’t lengthy earlier than Dad purchased a desk tennis desk and set it up in a spare room. Ros and Di practiced and practiced for hours, they quickly joined an area membership the place they started to beat not solely different women however the boys as properly.
The well-known West Ealing Membership beckoned the place high worldwide participant and coach, Ken Craigie, took them beneath his wing and trophies quickly began showing on the mantlepiece. Ros was the primary when she beat Di within the West Middlesex Junior Championships in 1949 however they had been each taking the event circuit by storm profitable senior in addition to junior titles in singles and doubles.
Ros was the primary to be capped for England when she was chosen to play in Czechoslovakia in November 1949 on the tender age of 16. To not be outdone, Di quickly adopted and in addition had a significant success when she gained the Every day Mirror event in April 1950 in each the Ladies’ and Ladies’s Singles occasions. The finals had been performed on the Royal Albert Corridor in entrance of 4,500 spectators together with Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and tv cameras. On account of the wins, Di was entitled to free teaching and so Victor Barna grew to become her coach, she after all, took Ros alongside as properly.
The development of their recreation was important, allowing for they had been already superb gamers, they moved up a stage. Earlier than they had been 18 the pair had toured Belgium, Holland and France and had been chosen to characterize England on the World Championships in Vienna in 1950.
It was a magical Championships for England as first Johnny Leach gained the Males’s Singles beating Ivan Andreadis of Czechoslovakia within the ultimate. Then it was Di and Ros’s flip. Of their first World Championships that they had reached the ultimate of the Ladies’s Doubles and had been going through two of the very best gamers on this planet, Rumanians Angelica Rozeanu and Sari Szasz. What a match it was – Di and Ros gained the primary recreation 22-20 however misplaced the second 20-22, the third went their means 21-19 however the fourth noticed the rating levelled 24-22. All to play for within the fifth recreation which turned out to be the simplest of all as they gained 21-13. Unimaginable scenes adopted.
The Rowe twins had been feted not solely in England however around the globe, they had been true tremendous stars of the Nineteen Fifties and invites got here pouring in. A really official one invited them to play an exhibition match earlier than the Swedish Royal Household in 1951. Prince Gustav, now the King of Sweden, who was then 4 years outdated went scrambling across the luxurious room retrieving balls wherever they ended up.
One other outstanding tour was three months spent in New Zealand and Australia in 1953. The twins left England on seventh Could and arrived again on dwelling soil on seventh September, not solely three months within the two nations however two lengthy sea voyages as properly. It was the ocean journey dwelling that modified each Ros and Di’s lives as Ros met her future husband en route, she married in 1955 and retired from play shortly after.
Di and Ros’ second world title got here in 1954 on the Empire Pool and Sports activities Enviornment, Wembley and it was an all England ultimate with Kathy Greatest and Ann Haydon the opponents. The rating -19, 10, 19, 20. Di and Ros held aloft the W J Pope Trophy for the second time, introduced by the Dowager, Woman Swaythling.
Di made greater than 400 appearances for England, gained two gold world championships medals, eight silver and ten bronze. She was a member of the England staff which gained the primary European Championships Ladies’s Crew title and went on to win once more in 1964/65, she additionally gained the Ladies’s Doubles twice with Mary Shannon/Wright with who she shaped a world class partnership. She added 5 silver and 5 bronze medals to her assortment.
Di additionally gained 19 English Open titles in addition to innumerable international Opens. Within the first English Closed (now named the Nationwide Championships) she gained the treble, Ladies’s Singles, Ladies’s Doubles with Jill Rook/Mills and Blended Doubles with Johnny Leach. She gained 13 titles altogether earlier than taking part in in and for Federal Germany following her marriage to Eberhard ‘Ebby’ Scholer, the highest world class German worldwide. They married in 1966 and he or she moved to Dusseldorf the place she lived till her loss of life.
When Di stopped taking part in competitively, she turned to teaching earlier than following within the footsteps of her former coach and mentor, Victor Barna, as President of the Swaythling Membership Worldwide (SCI). She held that place for a few years earlier than being elected as Honorary President.
Di has acquired many honours and accolades through the years: the ITTF Benefit Award in 1993, the ETTA’s Victor Barna Award with Ros in 1954 and once more in 1955, Participant Achievement Award in 1983, Vice-President in 2021 and inducted into Desk Tennis England Centenary Corridor of Fame in 2022. The ETTU honoured Di when she was inducted into their Corridor of Fame in 2016, she was additionally made a Vice-President of the Worldwide Membership of England in 1964 and the Veterans English Desk Tennis Society in 1987. Sadly, her twin sister Ros handed away in 2015..
It’s over 75 years since Di first held a bat in her hand and since that point, she has been a participant, a captain, a coach, a World, European and Nationwide champion and an excellent position mannequin. Di had an exquisite life and one we give thanks for.
Many tributes have already been paid.
Desk Tennis England President, Jill Parker MBE: “Di was an exquisite ambassador for the game, who will likely be sorely missed by all her desk tennis associates and followers from around the globe.
“Di carried out with distinction for the 2 nations she represented, England and Germany. Her performances in ladies’s doubles together with her twin sister Ros had been legendary. She was an inspiration to many gamers round Europe, together with myself.
“Condolences to Ebby and the household at this unhappy time.”
Honorary Life Member and Honorary Previous President, Doreen Stannard, who used to play with Di at Unity TTC within the North Acton League many, a few years in the past, says a easy however heartfelt: “Goodbye to a lifelong buddy”.
Desk Tennis England Chairperson, Sandra Deaton: “Once I got here into the game over half a century in the past I used to be launched to the unbelievable world performances and achievements of the Rowe twins. I bear in mind clearly being in awe of such iconic ladies.
“As time moved on and travelling the world, I had the privilege not solely to satisfy Diane however to spend some high quality time together with her. She was an unassuming woman with immense humility. Her understanding of the game all through the many years knew no bounds and he or she was at all times prepared to assist and assist the progress of the sport.
English desk tennis has developed on account of the historical past Diane gave us. Her induction into the Centenary Corridor of Fame will present a platform to ensure our heritage is rarely forgotten.
“Thanks to Ebby and her household for permitting us all to share in Diane’s life. International desk tennis will at all times be indebted to her for her unfailing dedication. She will likely be sorely missed however by no means ever forgotten and I hope that the household will get consolation understanding that as the game of desk tennis continues so does the legacy of the unbelievable Diane.”
England Worldwide and Desk Tennis England Vice-President, Mary Wright, who gained innumerable medals with Di at World, European and Nationwide Championships, in addition to many Open Tournaments at dwelling and overseas: “My early reminiscences of Di had been after we had been first paired collectively in 1962 not lengthy after I had made my debut look for England on the Quadrangular Matches in Scotland.
“The selectors determined that we’d make a superb Girls’ Doubles pairing within the forthcoming European Championships in Berlin. I used to be simply 18 and in awe of Di’s standing within the desk tennis world having been world champion within the doubles together with her twin sister Ros twice earlier than.
“For me it was my first expertise of a significant championship and collectively, primarily attributable to Di’s expertise and encouragement we not solely completed runners-up to West Germany within the staff occasion however gained the Girls’ Doubles title beating the German favourites Simon and Haarst within the ultimate.
“These was heady occasions for me and Di and I grew to become agency associates and companions for the remainder of Di’s England profession earlier than she married Ebby Scholer and moved to Germany.
“The season after Berlin we collectively reached the ultimate of the Girls’ Doubles on the World Championships in Prague, dropping 3-1 to the Japanese high seeds.
“We continued to have nice success each in staff occasions and doubles for a few years, one of many highlights being profitable in Malmo on the European Championships each within the staff occasion and as soon as once more within the doubles.
“As an individual, Di was my mentor. She was 100% loyal to each her county, Middlesex, and to England, and represented each with pleasure and honour. At all times immaculately dressed and scrupulously truthful and a fighter till the final level was gained or misplaced. She additionally had an amazing sense of humour and a world champion at ingesting PG Suggestions tea at any time when she might.
“I really feel very proud to have been her accomplice and buddy for a few years.”
Particulars of funeral preparations will likely be notified at a later date.
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