Table Tennis England chief executive praises Jack Petchey tournament

Sophie Chang, of Woodford Green Prep School, showed off her ability in the East London Regional final of the Jack Petchey Foundation London Schools’ Singles Competition last week.

The tournament took place on Friday (February 12) and the 10-year-old triumphed in the girls’ under-11 category.

It was a competition that brought together 86 players from various schools from Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, City of London, Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge and Tower Hamlets.

Chang defeated Maliha Baig in the final and is excited about the next phase of the event.

She will take part in the Jack Petchey London Schools’ Team finals, which are being held at Brunel University on June 11.

“I saw table tennis on TV and really wanted to try it,” said Chang, who has been playing for three years now.

“My Dad took me to a club and I have been playing ever since. I like playing new people from other schools and the competition here was tough. I can’t wait for the final now.”

Chang is no stranger to success after coming second in the Nationals last year and she also represented her country at the Euro Minis in France in August.

Sara Sutcliffe, chief executive of Table Tennis England, was delighted with the tournament.

“Thousands of young people have become more active, learned new skills and made new friends thanks to the Jack Petchey Foundation’s support of table tennis in London and Essex,” added Sutcliffe.

“The table donation scheme and the team and individual competitions have taken the profile of the sport and the standard of play to new heights. They have created a lasting legacy and we look forward to thousands more youngsters benefitting from the programme in years to come.”