Too many cooks can spoil the broth, but a table tennis competition only gets sweeter the more elite players you add to the mix. At the Mark Bates Ltd Senior National Championships, the best competitors from all around England come together to hash it out for one of the biggest titles in their sport, and the lucky spectators are treated to a bounty of sumptuous rallies and spicy topspin.
Table tennis was invented as a parlour game in Victorian England, to be played after dinner with books and golf balls. By the early 20th century, competitions were popping up around the country and the equipment was getting more specialised. It was clear that the sport’s developers had found the recipe for success. In 1960, Table Tennis England held the National Championships for the first time, and the event has only grown since then.
With singles, doubles, and Para events all served up throughout the Championships, ticket-holders will have no trouble satisfying their appetites for great table tennis. The tournament is set to feature Olympic, Paralympic, and Commonwealth Games competitors, with previous champions including young star Tin-Tin Ho and experienced winner Liam Pitchford, who is currently ranked 14 in the world.
In 2020, Pitchford beat Paul Drinkall in the final of the men’s singles event, while Ho tasted national glory for the 4th time of her career in the women’s singles. Jack Hunter-Spivey and Ross Wilson came in hungry for their own wins in the Para classes, and Hunter-Spivey was not finished there: he followed up his Championship triumph with a bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics a few months later.
The National Championships were not held last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but thankfully they are back on the menu in 2022 at the David Ross Sports Village. Part of the University of Nottingham campus, the modern complex provides the perfect setting for a banquet of table tennis at its highest level. This is not just a sports hall – this is a state-of-the-art, freshly dressed venue worthy of the finest shots and smashes.
Tickets are on sale for single days of the Championships or for all 3 days of the event, and family options are available for groups of 2 adults accompanied by 2 children or 2 students. Prices start at just £4 for a Friday ticket, or £16 for a 3-day pass. At such value for money, who wouldn’t be tempted to indulge?
