The table tennis community mourns for the loss of popular referee Beate Nicol, who has only lost a brave battle with cancer at only 54.
Beate was a friendly, smiling presence at events up and down through the country, and a respected referee who had risen to the international ranks, including the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
A player in Bedfordshire, she started her referee trip at St Neots TTC and was one of the team of English officials selected for referee during the matches in Birmingham in 2022.
At that time she said: “I am super enthusiastic and I think it is a real privilege to be selected to be at the Commonwealth games as an official support of the sport that I really love.
“I started with referees on a course in St Neots and since then I have had a lot of support from experienced referees in all the tournaments I updated – guide me and discuss situations in which they have been and the difficult decisions that you are sometimes confronted with as a table issue, so that is a point that I am really grateful for.”
In October of that year, Beate was one of the five English officials who completed their international level 3 qualification of the international referee.
In his own country, Beated at the Mark Bates Ltd National Championships and took the lead on the ladies’ snacks between Tin-Tin Ho and Jasmin Wong in 2024 and was an assistant referee for the final of the women’s doubles this year.
She was also a fixture in the Women’s British Clubs League, and in the 2023-24 season the Solihull trophy was awarded a coach, official or player who improved the competition the most during the season, based on most clubs’ nominations.
John ALSOP, a good friend of Beate’s from Bedfordshire, said: “Although she only had 6-12 months to live, she set a goal of referees at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and thanks to some new medication and determination, she not only achieved this goal, but she also became an international matches.
“She kept her private -challenges hidden from the referees, because she did not want to be treated as special. Her last words were for me:” I would like a few more tournaments to referee. “
Colleague referee Dan Bullen said: “I have known Beate for many years of playing against her in the Bedford League and to bring her son Thomas to train at St Neots TTC. We both started our referee together in 2018 when we took our level 1 together and continue, our level 2 to the exam to the exam in 2022, then I Named.
“Beate was very well respected as an official and until last month the welfare officer of the Bedford and District League, where she will unfortunately be missed as a committee member.
“She always saw the positive in everything she did, Rip Beate.”
The thoughts of everyone at Table Tennis England are with her husband Chris and Sons Tom and Alex, as well as all her friends and family, in this sad time.
Funeral data will be shared if available.
#Death #report #Popular #referee #Beat #Nicol #Table #Tennis #England