It's been a couple of weeks since the 2023 Table Tennis England National Championships, and we needed that short break to calm down. The action was so entertaining, and we talked to so many people that all our staff are only just catching up on everything. We thought 2023 was back with a bang, but it upped its game and then some.
As always, Mark and many of our team attended all three days of the seniors tournament and saw the very best table tennis that England has to offer. All three days were action-packed with some of the most exciting games we have ever seen. We also spoke to many table tennis fans and gave away some fantastic prizes, making the long weekend even more special. Everyone loved tracking down all 11 of the Mini Marks we had hidden around the hall, and many of you even spotted the real Mark sitting in the stands!
Mark, once again presented the winner’s trophy to Tom Jarvis, a player he has a long-standing relationship with since coaching him at the junior level. Jarvis retained his title by beating England number 2 Paul Drinkhall in the semi-final and went on to beat Sam Walker in a thrilling repeat of last year's final.
Yamei Yang, the president of our main underwriter and co-sponsor China Taiping Insurance (UK) Ltd, presented the Women's Championship trophy to Tin Tin Ho. With the victory over Emily Bolton in the final, she received her fifth women's national championship trophy and added to her more than 50 national titles! She did miss out on the mixed doubles title despite being the favourite, partnered with England number one Liam Pitchford. They were beaten in the final by Ismaila Akindiya and former Grantham College pupil Mollie Patterson.
In the Para class 2 to 5, Jack Hunter-Spivey retained his title without even losing a game, and in class 6 to 10, Ashley Facey-Thompson, who returned from a stint as a national cyclist, narrowly beat Billy Shilton. A huge congratulations to all of the winners and well done to everybody that took part in the championships from everyone at Mark Bates Ltd
A special thank you must go to Table Tennis England and all of the fantastic volunteers that make the weekend run like clockwork. You put in such hard work for us all to enjoy the weekend, and it is because of you that we have such a fantastic time. We can't wait to see you all again next year.