Friends have paid tribute to a 'gentleman' world champion table tennis player who died aged 88.

Geoffrey Bax ,husband, father and titan of Watford’s table tennis community, passed away on January 28 following a battle with cancer.

Known affectionately as “Geof” by friends and family, he played seventy consecutive seasons in the Watford table tennis league, starting off in 1949 aged 16.

Sixty-three years later he was crowned Over 80s Men’s Singles champion (at the tender age of 79) at the 2012 World Championships in Sweden.

However, long-time friend Stuart Seaholm says Geof was most proud of his longevity, not his world title or hundreds of local and country tournament titles.

Geoffrey Bax has passed away aged 88.

Geoffrey Bax has passed away aged 88.

“Most people reading this obituary will have lost to Geof at table tennis at one time or another. He was a very good player, who played at a very high standard for a very long time”, said Stuart.

“Most people reading this will remember Geof as a gentleman of the game, who may have led his opponents to the deepest frustration, but never showed a temper or bad sportsmanship himself. “

He added: “Geof was not a tall man with an expansive table tennis style. He was happy enough with long rallies as short ones and used good anticipation and footwork to hit winners on forehand and backhand.

“He was a tactician, always trying to stay one step ahead of his adversary in the game of chess that is table tennis.”

Geof, who was born in Camberwell but moved to Watford with his family during the Second World War, married Sally in 1978.

“Theirs was a marriage to table tennis as well as each other”, explained Stuart. “Together they played their way around the country – and occasionally overseas – making friends in the table tennis communities wherever they went.”

"Weekday matches, weekend tournaments, holidays to European competitions, you’d know what Geof and Sally were up to from the table tennis calendar. Their enjoyment was enhanced by a strong social life in the game, and Geof was an affable raconteur, always with a good story about some personality he’d played against or a magnificent victory from the past."

Geof, a great-grandfather, is survived by his wife, Sally, and two sons from his first marriage, Paul and Alan.