More Pathway Development Centres training younger athletes – that is the model for the 2025/26 season as the PDC programme ramps up efforts to deliver sustained international success.

A total of seven PDCs will operate in every region of the country, supporting talented players aged from eight upwards as well as becoming hubs for coach development.

The age bracket has been reduced from Under-15s to U13s, with a more flexible approach allowing some PDCs to focus more exclusively on the 8-11 age band.

The overarching aim is to ensure PDCs become a key feeder into the England Futures Programme, which supports the best U13 athletes in the country.

The key goals across the network for 2025/26 are to:

• Be a key talent environment that delivers weekly work with the most promising U13 players in the area
• Focus exclusively on supporting eight-to-13-year-olds that have the capability to one day win a medal at the Euro Minis and European U13 Championships
• Transition players into the England Futures Programme
• Increase number and retention of girls in the PDC
• Become learning hubs for talent coach development activity (once the new strategy has launched and new roles are in place)

In addition to the PDC network, there will be three weekend camps at the Elite Training Centre in Sheffield – the first one is open for PDCs to select four players, the second focuses on under-11 players, and the third one is for girls only.

The PDCs will also play a team competition against each other in March 2026, with the format of the event to be confirmed later.

An educational programme for players and parents will start in July, focusing on the competition pathway, pathway behaviours, sport psychology and more.

Where are the PDCs?

There are now seven Pathway Development Centres across the country. They are:

 Ormesby North East Pathway Development Centre (Ormesby Table Tennis Club) – delivering 10 hours per week to the best U13s in the area.

South East Pathway Development Centre (Kingfisher Table Tennis Club) – delivering 10 hours per week to the best U13s in the area.

North West Pathway Development Centre (Halton Table Tennis Club) – delivering 10 hours per week to the best U13s in the area.

East Midlands Pathway Development Centre (Draycott & Long Eaton Table Tennis Club) – delivering on a reduced model, currently 1 x U13 high performance session for the East midlands per week (focusing this year on the 8-11 age bracket).

South West Pathway Development Centre (Plymouth Table Tennis Club) – delivering a programme to a small group of U15 players + working to establish an 8-11 squad.

London Pathway Development Centres x 2 (Greenhouse TTC and London Academy).

The two London PDCs will be supported by the new England Talent Coach (London) role which is currently in recruitment. The coach will deliver sessions across both sites, work on a one-to-one basis with the most high-potential players and support wider London-based players who are part of the England Futures Programme.

Table Tennis England Head of Pathway Development, Emma Vickers, said: “Following a review, we recognised the need to make some important changes around the PDC network, which have now been implemented.

“We are pleased to welcome a number of new sites into the PDC family which are committed to delivering high-quality coaching to the players selected, plus a new performance team role in London with the primary aim of supporting London pathway activity.

“A key element this year is our focus on educating players and parents around how to navigate the talent pathway, plus the new camp programme which will provide players with valuable opportunities to come into the Elite Training Centre environment for the first time and will be a talent ID opportunity for our national coaching team.”

If you feel you meet the guideline player criteria/standards, which can be downloaded below, and are within 1 hour of a PDC, please get in contact with us: [email protected].