A group of five Yukon table tennis players travelled to Anchorage, Alaska to play in the Alaska Yukon Challenge Tournament on the weekend.

The tournament featured both team, singles and doubles events and a unique handicap scoring feature was used.

The scoring format adjusts higher rated players against lower rated opponents to give the less experienced player a chance while playing. All players participating were given a rating and the higher the rating compared to a respective opponent is how far in the whole a player started.

In table tennis, a game is played to 11 and Yukon Table Tennis head coach Kevin Murphy said it wasn’t uncommon for some of the top Yukon players to start at minus 10 in the hole.

“It evens it out and makes it more difficult,” said Murphy. “Overall it’s a good event for all players.”

Of the four titles available the Yukon won two and came second in another.

Murphy said it was a successful tournament for the Yukon players especially with the small contingent that travelled to Alaska.

“It is pretty good,” said Murphy. “About two years ago we came away with all four titles but at that point we were 11 strong who travelled.”

The Yukon team made up of Ryan Bachli and Daniel Li were the winners of the team A category as they downed Andrew Kim and William Wood.

In the team category, the two topped ranked players squared off and the lower ranked players had a singles match as well. Bachli played Kim and Li was against Wood. Then after those matches were over there was a doubles match.

With the team win, Bachli set some tournament history as he became the first player in the team event open or A division to be crowned a three-time champion. He also won in 2009 and 2012.

He was also this year’s recipient of the Jerry Smith Memorial Award given to the player that best exemplifies sportsmanship and spirit of the game. Murphy said the award has been given several times to a Yukoner.

Taras Yurkiv was the A division champion. He downed Andrew Kim in the final.

Sreepavan Yarlagadda from the Yukon, partnered with American Pavlin Hamazaki. The duo came in second in the B division.

Murphy was the only one of the Yukon players to not place in Anchorage but he did get some personal redemption.

“I played one of the top-ranked players who had beaten me a few times before,” said Murphy.

“He started at minus 11 and I beat him 2-1.”

It was the 12th year the Yukon has sent a team to Alaska for the tournament.

“For some, it was a lot of new faces,” said Murphy. “But we know the core group of players down there but there are some new ones rotating in. It is a good experience.”

The tournament had 18 tables going with over 60 players competing in the fairly new Arctic Rec Centre complex.

Murphy said the tournament was a difficult as it has ever been.

“This year was better than usual,” said Murphy. “It is tough to win on their turf.”

Having walked away from the Alaska Yukon Challenge Tournament with two of four titles, Murphy said, speaks to the program in the Yukon.

“They all worked hard to win,” said Murphy. “They performed quite well and it was quite satisfying. Next year is in Fairbanks so hopefully, we get more people to make it to the event.”