Johnny Leach

John Alfred Leach was born 20 November 1922 in Bow on the east side of London, the son of Jim and Emma Leach. Growing up in Dagenham, Essex, Leach hung out at the British Ropes Works canteen, where his father was the manager. There, he learned to play table tennis. As Leach began to get serious about his play, World War II broke out. He also met and practised with two international-level players during the war: Victor Barna of Hungary and Richard Bergmann of Austria, both of whom had emigrated to Great Britain. At times, Leach and the others would entertain the troops by competing. ==Playing career==

at Bombay in February, 1952. Considered an all-around player, Leach was tall and skinny. He was equally adept on forehand and backhand. Barna credited hard work, not natural ability, for Leach's success. The following year, Leach reached the final sixteen of the World Championships before losing a five-set match to France's Guy Amouretti. Leach won the first set 21–19, but dropped the second 11–21. He rallied to win the third set 21–17, but Váňa took the fourth set 21–14. Leach emerged victorious, winning the fifth set 21–16. The win made him just the second British-born player to win a singles World Title. Leach's arrival back in the United Kingdom was filmed by Gaumont British News and shown in cinemas around the country. ==Later life==

Leach remained active in the sport after his playing days. From 1964 until 1972, he served as the English coach, overseeing multiple European Champions. In 1964, he became vice-president of the English Table Tennis Association (ETTA). Simultaneously, he worked at SW Hancock, a table tennis manufacturer he would eventually buy. In 1988, Leach became the president of the ETTA, a post he held until 2011. Leach also established a talent-spotting organization operating out of Butlins' children's camps. Throughout the summer, the organization employed many of the game's top players, operating up to nine camps simultaneously across England, Scotland, and Wales. In the morning, the children would receive instruction and in the afternoon they would play each other. The top players at each camp were then invited to a second week of instruction at Bognor Regis. ==Personal life==

Leach married his wife Daisy in 1946. The couple had two children: John (d. 2013) and Jeff. Daisy died in 2009. Leach died on 5 June 2014. Upon his death, The Guardian remarked "For many years Johnny Leach, who has died aged 91, was synonymous with English table tennis…his impact on the sport was immense." He was survived by his son Jeff and four grandchildren. ==See also==

• Table Tennis for All (Nicholas Kaye, 1951) • Table Tennis My Way (Nicolas Vane, 1955) • Table Tennis Complete (1960) • ''Table Tennis for the 'Seventies'' (A. S. Barnes, 1971) • Table Tennis Made Easy (Wilshire Book Company, 1972) • Better Table Tennis (Kaye and Ward, 1978; ) ==References==