The exceptional volunteers within our sport were recognised at the Pride of Table Tennis Awards ceremony during the Mark Bates Ltd National Championships.  

Winners were announced in six categories during the Pride of Table Tennis Dinner on Saturday evening. 

The awards included Volunteer of the Year and Young Volunteer of the Year Awards (male and female), alongside Contribution to Table Tennis and the Lifetime Achievement Award.  

The ceremony was part of a weekend invitation to the finalists to watch the Mark Bates Ltd Senior Nationals and receive recognition from the table tennis community on the court on Finals Day court (see picture above).  

More than 70 nominations were received, and the winners were chosen by the national judging panel. 

 Johnathon Driscoll, who leads on the Pride of Table Tennis Awards at Table Tennis England, said: “Congratulations to the remarkable winners and finalists. It was inspirational to celebrate the exceptional volunteers for their achievements at the Pride of Table Tennis dinner on Saturday evening. 

“It’s crucial to pay tribute to and acknowledge the accomplishments of individuals who go above and beyond to provide opportunities for many. We owe a great debt of gratitude to them for their contributions to our sport. 

“We sincerely appreciate the volunteers, who consistently step forward each year to ensure the growth of table tennis. You are the very heartbeat of our sport.”

The winners were: 

Young Male Volunteer of the Year  

Winner: Bailey Page (Joola Plymouth TTC) 
Runners-up: Alain Shibu (Horsham TTC) and Alekss Belskis (Bradford Grammar School TTC)  

Young Female Volunteer of the Year 

Winner: Heilam Tse (Kingfisher TTC) 
Runner-up: Maddy Lyons (Halton TTC) 

Male Volunteer of the Year 

Winner: Tajudeen Alao (TJ TTC) 
Runners-up: Rob Cook (Leeds Parky PING!) and Gary Kenton (Hollingbury TTC) 

Female Volunteer of the Year 

Winner: Clare Flynn (Durham TTA, Brandon TTC, NETT) and Chirstine Burke  
Runners-up: Karen Smith (Knighton Park Table Tennis Club) and Megan Bollen (Derby Community TTC) 

Contribution to Table Tennis Award 

Winner: Ian Wu (Newbury & District TTA) 
Runner-up: Bob Baker (Kent TTA) 

Lifetime Achievement Award 

Winner: Colin French (Waterside TTC) 
Runners-up: John Waters (Bury St Edmunds TTC) and David Wiles (Portsmouth and District TTA) 

Read more about all the nominations by clicking here.