Table tennis players test their skills in Naperville

Friends Roopak Chakravarty and Simar Kapoor regularly spend their lunch breaks competing against each other in table tennis.

On Saturday, the two pals brought their budding rivalry to a place where wins count for something more than bragging rights - the Naperville Table Tennis Tournament.

They were among nearly 50 competitors to sign up for the annual event held at River Woods Elementary School in Naperville. The tournament was sponsored by the Naperville Park District and the Naperville Table Tennis Club.

Chakravarty drove an hour from his Barrington home to Naperville to compete in the tournament. "The chance to play on the weekend in a tournament sounded pretty fun," he said.

Kapoor, who lives in Wheaton, also showed up with one goal in mind.

"I want to upset him," Kapoor said as he gestured toward Chakravarty.

During the tournament, novices and accomplished players alike got to test their skills against other table tennis enthusiasts.

"We'll have people who have never picked up a paddle come out and see what happens," said Brock Atwell, a program manager for the park district.

The players competed in divisions based on age and gender and played best-of-five game matches to 11 points per game. Winners in each division received trophies.

"Everyone is out here for a good time," Atwell said. "No one takes it too serious."

He said the tournament, which has been going on since 1987, draws players from around the suburbs year after year because it's rare.

"Basketball tournaments are a dime a dozen," Atwell said. "They've got them at churches, schools - all over the place. There aren't a lot of table tennis tournaments out there."

The tournament was a family affair for Naperville resident Robert Mackowiak and his 17-year-old son, Alex.

"We grabbed a table, stuck it down there (in the basement) and have been playing for a few years," Robert Mackowiak said. "We tried this a couple years ago, and I got beat soundly in the open division."

Barbara Willson said her entire family competed in the tournament at least four times in the past. But with her sons in college, the Naperville resident decided to come out by herself on Saturday.

"I've been playing ping-pong since 8:30 this morning, and it's a great sport," Willson said. "You work up a sweat because it's very active."