Sporting world salutes Josef (Joe) Veselsky – Holocaust survivor, pioneer of Irish table tennis and lifelong learner – following His death, aged 107.
European Table Tennis Union and Table Tennis Ireland pay tribute to a man whose courage, community spirit and love of the game inspired generations.
‘For Democracy – For Czechoslovakia’
Tributes are being paid across Ireland and the international sporting community following the death of Josef (Joe) Veselsky, Holocaust survivor, former International Table Tennis Captain and a towering figure in Irish Table Tennis, who died on January 3rd, aged 107.
In a statement, the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) said the European and International table tennis community is mourning Mr Veselsky’s passing, describing a life that reflected the “unifying power of sport” and the endurance of the human spirit.
Born in Trnava in 1918 in what was then Czechoslovakia, Mr Veselsky joined the Resistance as a young man after Nazi forces invaded. He survived the war in the Carpathian Mountains, while his parents and older brother were murdered in Auschwitz Concentration Camp, a loss that remained with him throughout his life. He was later decorated with the Order of the Slovak National Uprising for bravery.
After the Second World War, Mr Veselsky rose to the highest levels of his sport, captaining the Czechoslovak national table tennis team. In 1949, he and his wife Katarina (Kathy) fled the post-war political regime, emigrating to Ireland, where he built a successful jewellery business, despite arriving with limited English and no formal business background.
In Ireland, his impact went far beyond the table. Mr Veselsky became a key driving force in the development of the sport here, and later served as Life President of the Irish Table Tennis Association (now Table Tennis Ireland). Table Tennis Ireland said his contribution was recognised with multiple honours, including an ETTU Badge of Honour, and noted he was officially recognised last year as Ireland’s oldest man.
To mark his lasting legacy, the Joe Veselsky Award, introduced by the Association in 1986, continues to honour outstanding achievement in table tennis administration in Ireland.
Away from sport, Mr Veselsky also became celebrated as Trinity College Dublin’s oldest student, attending extra-mural courses for years and receiving an honorary Master of Arts in 2016, an acknowledgement of his remarkable commitment to lifelong learning.
Mr Veselsky is survived by his children Peter and Kate, and by a legacy that continues to inspire players, volunteers and supporters across Europe and beyond.
Funeral arrangements
A funeral service will take place at 10:00am on Wednesday, January 7th next, in the Victorian Chapel at Mount Jerome Crematorium, Harold’s Cross, Dublin.
In ár gcroíthe go deo.
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