John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today is the first sitting Wednesday in November. That means tomorrow is the start of the Bennelong Cup. So come one, come all, to the Great Hall at 10.30 tomorrow morning to watch the world's greatest table-tennis players compete for the greatest prize. Five years ago, we started with just Korea. This year, we will have eight teams from across South-East Asia and Oceania competing, each seeking unending glory and eternal fame in the hope of raising the Bennelong Cup. The Bennelong Cup is not just great sport. It is about building bridges between nations within our community.

The more important arm of the competition will take place in Bennelong on Friday, when students from 20 local schools will come together to play for the Bennelong Schools Cup. This is important because anyone can play table tennis. Many kids, especially those from Asian backgrounds, do not want to play football or cricket, but anyone can play table tennis. Playing sports makes friends, it build bridges, it grows harmony and it builds multicultural communities.

So come to the Great Hall tomorrow to support sport, multiculturalism and building bridges. This is the Davis Cup of table tennis. The Great Hall will become the centre court, and you will have a front-row seat—strawberries and cream provided.