Table-tennis squads shine at Jack Petchey Foundation event
Hot shot table tennis players from host school Raine’s Foundation took top honours in the East London Regional final of the Jack Petchey Foundation London Schools Team competitions.
Teams from the Bethnal Green School won the under-13 and under-19 boys’ events and were runners-up in the under-19 girls’ competition.
The competition bought together 47 teams from schools from Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, City of London, Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets
Raine’s under-19 boys’ team consisted of Pierre Rolle, 17, Ibraheem Issack, 16, and 14-year-olds Nathan O’toole and Sean Sontan and all have been playing table tennis for about two years but this was their first competition together.
Rolle said: “It’s great we won and we can’t wait for the final. We all love table tennis because it’s fun, fast paced and a good sport for competition.”
The under-13s included Shavain Sahid, 13, and 12-year-olds Kian Panyandee, Denon Williams and Shaun Douglas-Small, who are all good friends at school and have been playing for about a year.
Stephen Gertsen, head coach of table tennis at Raines Foundation, said: “I am very proud of these lads and their win. They have come on tremendously as a team and I predict a bright future. Bring on the final!”
The under-19 girls included 13-year-olds Emma Sanchez and Amber Livingstone, Nia John, 14, and Sian Cantwell, 17.
Also celebrating a win for Tower Hamlets were Morpeth School’s under-16 boys, who included Rijul Roychoudhury and Jamie Dignum, 15, as well as Anthony Lynch, Imran Hussain and Murhad Hussain, all 14.
Coaches from the Greenhouse Charity organised and delivered the tournament and Table Tennis England and English Schools Table Tennis Association (ESTTA) thanked the Raine’s Foundation for hosting the event.
*The Jack Petchey London Schools’ Table Tennis Championships is a prestigious event aimed at increasing participation and awareness of table tennis in London Schools.
It includes individual and team competitions and all winners progress to the finals on Saturday January 31 at the University of East London’s SportsDock. The project also includes the donation of indoor and outdoor tennis tables.
Sara Sutcliffe, chief executive of Table Tennis England, said: “This competition has seen a step change for table tennis in London Schools and has raised the standard of play in our London Region. We are targeting more schools as a major strategy for the future.”
Jack Petchey CBE, 89 and founder of JPF, is passionate about giving young people freedom and opportunity and said: “I’ve been a fan of table tennis since my own youth. It’s a fantastic sport for young people to play. Our partnership with Table Tennis England is having a good impact on our London youth.”
For further information about the scheme visit londonschoolstabletennis.co.uk.
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