Sam Bailey Claims Isle of Man Closed Title in New Open Era

Sam Bailey claimed the singles title at the Isle of Man Closed Table Tennis Championships 2026, held at the National Sports Centre, in an event that marked the start of a new Open era. Bailey defeated Darren Smethurst in the final with a scoreline of 11-5, 11-7, 11-9, ending a seven-year wait for the title.

The 2026 edition brought together players across multiple age groups and categories. On the senior side, the Barry Callister Memorial Top 12 Tournament served as the showpiece, and it did not disappoint. The competition opened with two groups of six, and from the first serve it was clear no easy points would be given away.

Bailey controlled Group A from the outset. In the same group, Darren Smethurst earned his place in the knockout rounds the hard way, racking up wins over Chris Holmes, Malcolm Cummings, Charlie Callow and Wayne Taylor to secure the runner-up spot and a path to the final.

When Bailey and Smethurst met in the final, Smethurst pushed his opponent in every set, but Bailey found another gear at the moments that mattered. The 11-5, 11-7, 11-9 scoreline told a clean story: controlled, clinical, and, for Bailey, seven years in the making. His previous win at this event had come in 2019.

Liam Chan claimed third place, sweeping past Mike Tamarov in four games in a playoff that had its own brand of drama. The full senior standings placed Amit Lanin fifth, Becky Bayley sixth, Malcolm Cummings seventh, Dave Parsons eighth, John Magnall ninth, Wayne Taylor tenth, and Charlie Callow twelfth.

In the junior competition, the Malcolm Looker Memorial, Dan Levine took the top-12 title in dominant fashion. The event's photo record, with images credited to Malcolm Lambert, captured both Levine and the shot of Smethurst alongside Bailey that will define this particular chapter of the island's table tennis calendar.

The shift to an Open era signals a structural evolution for a championship that has always been reserved exclusively for island players. What exactly that transition means for eligibility and format going forward is the detail the Isle of Man table tennis community will be watching closely in the months ahead.