Liam Pitchford and Paul Drinkhall are back at the Mark Bates Ltd National Championships after missing last year’s event.

Para world champion Fliss Pickard will also compete in the Women’s Singles, but Andrew Baggaley has declined his wildcard offer because of injury.

The confirmed athletes for every category are published today and England’s Commonwealth Games men’s doubles champions Pitchford & Drinkhall will both take their places at the event in Nottingham from March 24-26.

Pitchford missed out last year as the event clashed with the WTT Star Contender Doha, while Drinkhall was injured.

Although seedings are yet to be confirmed, the star pair will be the respective No 1 and No 2 seeds in the Men’s Singles and will also compete in the Men’s Doubles, looking to take an eighth title as a partnership.

Last season’s winning combination of Sam Walker & Tom Jarvis is broken up – Jarvis lines up with David McBeath and Walker will partner Darius Knight this time out.

In the Women’s Singles, the retirement of Maria Tsaptsinos and the fact that Charlotte Bardsley has declined her place due to university commitments means an opportunity for a number of younger players to go deep into the competition.

Withdrawals also mean Pickard, who became a world doubles champion last year and was also part of the Team England contingent at the Commonwealth Games, gets in by virtue of her finishing position at the qualifying tournament.

The break up of the Ho-Tsaptsinos axis in the Women’s Doubles means Ho will partner Emily Bolton, the pair likely to be top seeds.

In the Mixed, Pitchford & Ho team up once again, having last won the title together at the 2018 Nationals at the Copper Box and having twice taken Commonwealth silver together.

The fields for the Under-21 events are also confirmed, while the para fields were revealed last week, although one place in the wheelchair competition is yet to be confirmed.

Competitors

Women’s Singles
Tin-Tin Ho, Denise Payet, Emily Bolton, Mollie Patterson, Jasmin Wong, Mari Baldwin, Scarlett Anders, Amy Marriott, Evelyn Pace, Sienna Jetha, Ella Pashley, Mya Sultan, Rachael Iles, Rebecca Savage, Anna Green, Erin Green, Anaya Patel, Megan Jones, Mabel Shute, Naomi Coker, Sara Williams, Saskia Key, Mia Lakhani, Lisa Rinnhofer, Ella Barnard, Bethany Ellis, Abbie Hurley, Mia Longman, Lauren Loosemore, Isabelle Lacorte, Fliss Pickard, Olivia Fletcher

Men’s Singles
Liam Pitchford, Paul Drinkhall, Tom Jarvis, Sam Walker, David McBeath, Christopher Doran, Joshua Bennett, Shayan Siraj, Ismaila Akindiya, Gabriel Achampong, Lorestas Trumpauskas, Connor Green, Joe Ferguson, Naphat Boonyaprapa, Louis Price, Darius Knight, Shaquille Webb-Dixon, Felix Thomis, Larry  Trumpauskas, Ralph Pattison, Jakub Piwowar, Graeme Barella, Adam Dennison, Josh Bruce, Naphong Boonyaprapa, Olly Cornish, Artur Caltabiano, Ben Piggott, Maxim Stevens, Toby Ellis, Jake Haygarth, Alim Hirji

Under-21 Women’s Singles
Mollie Patterson, Jasmin Wong, Mari Baldwin, Anna Green, Scarlett Anders, Ella Pashley, Erin Green, Amy Marriott, Megan Jones, Anaya Patel, Rebecca Savage, Saskia Key, Maliha Baig, Sienna Jetha, Rachael Iles, Bethany Ellis

Under-21 Men’s Singles
Louis Price, Joe Ferguson, Connor Green, Joseph Hunter, Josh Bruce, Rhys Davies, Larry Trumpauskas, Ralph Pattison, Olly Cornish, Naphong Boonyaprapa, Toby Ellis, Tom Rayner, Maxim Stevens, Nahom Asgedom, Krish Cotai, Robert Pelc

Women’s Doubles
Tin-Tin Ho & Emily Bolton, Jasmin Wong & Denise Payet, Mollie Patterson & Mari Baldwin, Erin Green & Anna Green, Amy Marriott & Megan Jones, Rebecca Savage & Scarlett Anders, Mya Sultan & Saskia Key, Ella Pashley & Mabel Shute, Rachael Iles & Mia Lakhani, Bethany Ellis & Evie Pace, Naomi Coker & Sienna Jetha, Lauren Loosemore & Ella Barnard, Anaya Patel & Millie Rogove

Men’s Doubles
Paul Drinkhall & Liam Pitchford, Tom Jarvis & David McBeath, Sam Walker & Darius Knight, Joe Ferguson & Chris Doran, Joshua Bennett & Shayan Siraj, Shaquille Webb-Dixon & Joseph Langham Ferreira, Larry Trumpauskas & Louis Price, Lorestas Trumpauskas & Joshua Bruce, Robert Pelc & Gabriel Achampong, Ralph Pattison & Adam Nutland, Felix Thomis & Connor Green, Jakub Piwowar & Joseph Hunter, Graeme Barella & Ben Piggott, Naphat Boonyaprapa & Naphong Boonyaprapa, Toby Ellis & Nahom Asgedom, Adam Dennison & Olivier Cornish

Mixed Doubles
Tin-Tin Ho & Liam Pitchford, Mollie Patterson & Ismaila Akindiya, Evie Pace & Chris Doran, Emily Bolton & Alim Hirji, Lois Peake & Josh Bennett, Jasmin Wong & Ben Piggott, Erin Green & Connor Green, Amy Marriott & Louis Price, Mari Baldwin & Felix Baldwin, Mya Sultan & Shaquille Webb-Dixon, Ella Pashley & Graeme Barella, Anna Green & Naphat Boonyaprapa, Denise Payet & Tommy Gritton, Sienna Jetha & Gabriel Achampong, Anaya Patel & Naphong Boonyaprapa, Megan Jones & Jakub Piwowar

How do athletes get to the Nationals?

In the Men’s and Women’s Singles, the top 16 players in the December 2022 ranking list were invited to compete, joining 14 players who had come through the Qualifying Competition, plus two wildcards, making a maximum of 32 in each competition. If any players in the top 16 decline their invitation, their places are offered to those who finished in 15th to 32nd positions at the Qualifying Tournament and, if there are still spaces available, to the highest ranked players who have not already got a place.

In the Under-21s, players are invited on the basis of their rankings on the December 2022 list, up to a maximum of 16 in each competition.

A player who has secured a place in any singles competition can also apply to enter any doubles competition for which they are eligible. Their partner does not have to have a singles place. There is a maximum of 16 pairs in each category

Competitors for the para competition are selected by British Para Table Tennis.