After a failed attempt to draw female players to the sport last spring, Table Tennis Yukon (TTY) is giving it another shot.

TTY is sponsoring a Girls-Only Tournament as part of Sports Day in Canada at Whitehorse Elementary School on Saturday from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. with an entry fee of $5.

The tournament format will depend on the number of girls who show up, TTY coach Kevin Murphy said. But it will likely follow a straight round-robin format followed by a final.

Murphy and company are hoping attaching the tourney to Sports Day will be an added draw for players.

"Timing's everything,” he said. "It's a great thing to have that behind it. Certainly, if it helps get some kids out, because it's emphasized, then we're going to use it.”

The failed Arctic Winter Games trial last March was due in part to athletes returning from the Canada Winter Games in February, he noted.

"It's a new season. School-wise, sport-wise, a lot of kids are out there, and it seems to be at this point in the year, they're maybe looking to try something new,” Murphy said.

"Maybe they were involved in some sport the previous year and they want to try something new, and we're trying to pique people's interest and see if we can get some girls to come out and try the sport, see what they've got. If they like it, we can work with them towards perhaps represent the Yukon on the Arctic Winter Games team.”

That's part of TTY's tenacity.

All sports in Whitehorse are especially keen to draw high number since 2012 will mark the Arctic Winter Games, to be held in Whitehorse in March.

Table tennis is no different.

At Arctics, there will be two age divisions, a U17 and U15. Each division will consist of two boys and two girls to make eight total spots.

"We're looking to a good pool to draw from to fill the girls' squad,” Murphy said.

Filling the boys' slots is less concerning, he added.

"We've got a good pool to draw upon for the boys' slots and there's good competition there.”

At the 2010 Arctic Winter Games held in Grande Prairie, Alta., Team Yukon's boys table tennis players earned six medals.

Mustafa Syed won three gold medals while Alex Zheng won two gold and one silver.

Boys players such as Syed and Zheng are staples in the sport in Whitehorse.

There are few girls, however, who return each year to work on their game, Murphy said.

Team Yukon failed to field a girls table tennis squad in the 2011 Canada Games and the last Arctic Games. In fact, the Yukon hasn't had a full table tennis team since the 2008 Arctics held in Yellowknife, N.W.T.

Saturday's Girls-Only tourney will be held in part to gauge interest for the Arctics. In keeping with this aim, the same age categories will be offered: U17 juniors and U15 juveniles.

TTY is hoping that the Arctic Winter Games being held in Whitehorse will garner more interest in the sport, Murphy said.

"Any sport that's on display in Whitehorse, people come out and watch it. That's your first step in getting people interested in your sport.

There are a lot of people who think of table tennis/ping pong as a basement spot, and then they spot it on TV, or for some reason they see it's highlighted on a Canada Winter Games package or something, and they realize, ‘Wow, this is an exciting sport!'”

Despite the distant future, this will be an exciting weekend for table tennis in the Yukon.

In addition to the Girls-Only Tournament on Saturday, the Whitehorse Table Tennis Club will hold its first session at Whitehorse Elementary 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Those interested in joining the club can do so at a yearly rate of $30 for adults and $20 for juniors.

There is also an opportunity to pay per session, a $2 drop-in fee.

The club will run every Sunday afternoon and Wednesday nights at 7:30.

"We don't know what we will see on Sunday,” Murphy said. "But we've got this time slot on Saturday to try and entice girls in and see if we have some numbers to work with.”