Nancy and Roy Evans

Nancy and Roy Evans go together like bacon and eggs or Morecombe and Wise as far as Welsh table tennis is concerned. They were a dominant, husband and wife double-act that brought huge credit to their sport. Roy was the ‘Mr Table Tennis’ who helped bring two super powers together in what became known as “The Ping-Pong Diplomacy”.

It all began in 1971 when Evans, in his capacity as president of the International Table Tennis Federation, was invited to stop off in China on his way to Japan for the World Championships. He was summoned by the Chinese Premier Chou En-lai, who asked him to ban Vietnam from the event because at the time the two countries were sworn enemies.

Evans turned the request down flat on the basis that both countries were members of the ITTF and had to be dealt with equally. In a counter move he suggested that China invite top Western countries to visit them on their way back from Japan. It was a significant step in thawing relations between China and the United States. The Chinese sent their request to America after first seeking agreement with the State Department and the visit followed.
A year later, in February 1972, President Nixon visited China. It was as a direct result of the Ping-Pong Diplomacy – though Evans hated the slang name for his sport. Evans was also instrumental in getting table tennis into the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, after a 10-year battle for recognition. This earned him the award of the Olympic Order from the IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch.

The elder son of the Table Tennis Association of Wales’s first treasurer, Morgan “Mog” Evans, Roy played for Wales between 1931 and 1933 and was honorary general secretary of the sport’s governing body in Wales from 1933 to 1939.
From there he moved on to become honorary general secretary of the International Federation from 1951 to 1967, before holding down the office of ITTF president for the next 20 years. He was named honorary life president in 1987. He was appointed OBE in the 1972 Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Evans’s wife, Nancy, was in her younger days ranked seventh in the women’s world table tennis rankings in 1938. They met when the Welsh men and women players were brought together for practice in Cardiff before a match against England in 1929. She was appointed as Welsh TT Association General Secretary in 1945, a position she hold until 1989. She was a member of the first committee of the European Table Tennis Union and was elected as ETTUs first ‘permanent’ Honorary Secretary/Treasurer in 1960. The ETTU Cup was renamed ETTU Nancy Evans Cup in her honour in 1984.

Together Nancy and Roy, who were married in 1933, travelled the world. In his book, ‘Coloured Pins on a Map’, Evans related that he had been to at least 50 countries to promoting table tennis.

Roy Evans (Table Tennis player and administrator) Born in Cardiff on 8 October, 1909; Died in Cardiff on 18 May, 1998

Nancy Evans (Table Tennis player) Born in Cardiff in 1903; Died in Cardiff on 28 July, 1998