COLEBRIDGE TABLE TENNIS CLUB players Aarif Li, Rex Ho and Charlotte Wong have been selected to represent English Schools in the British Primary Schools International Championships in Guernsey next month.
All three youngsters competed in the Warwickshire Schools County Championships with Aarif beating Rex in the final to win the under-11 boys title whilst Charlotte secured the under-11 girls title.
And that success means both Aarif and Charlotte, who is in Year 5, will compete in the National Schools Individual Finals on Saturday, April 2 at Aldersley Leisure Village in Wolverhampton.
Aarif, Rex and Charlotte were nominated by Warwickshire Schools County Secretary Kate Hughes to be considered for the international event, and with their English ratings in a positive position, secured their selection for the competition.
Aarif said: “I am excited to begin an amazing table tennis journey together with the England Schools Team. I am looking forward to representing England and can’t wait to meet and compete with some of the best players in the country.
“This will be the beginning of my dream to be a professional table tennis player. Thank you for giving me this opportunity and I am so proud to be part of Team England Schools.”
Hughes, who also coaches at Colebridge, added: “It is a fantastic opportunity for Aarif, Rex and Charlotte to represent English Schools, and a great experience to compete at the Guernsey Table Tennis Centre.
“All three players train regularly at Colebridge, and I wish them well in April.”
And Colebridge chairperson John Swinburne said: “As a club, we are absolutely delighted to have three of our juniors, Aarif, Rex, and Charlotte, selected to represent England in the International Primary Schools Championships.
“It is well deserved and a great reward for their dedication to the sport of table tennis. It is also a great honour for Colebridge Young People’s Club and demonstrates our commitment to young people and the quality of our coaching staff to enable them to develop their skills.
“We wish them every success in the championships.”
The international event will involve boys’ and girls’ teams from England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Jersey and Guernsey with each player to play both singles and doubles matches in the team competition.
And the players compete in a team event on the Friday afternoon/evening, and all-day Saturday, followed by an individual competition taking place on the Sunday.
Aarif, Rex and Charlotte will continue to train regularly at Colebridge over the next few months leading up to the competition, as well as representing Colebridge in National Cadet and Junior League events.
The Championships take place from Friday, April 8 to Sunday, April 10.
