Two members of the table tennis family have been chosen to carry the Queen’s Baton on its way to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

ETTA board member Mike Smith will carry the baton in his home city of Leicester, while Jonny Pemberton will be part of the relay in Oxford.

Jonny was chosen for his work with the Ping! initiative last year, and Oxford City Council Go Active coordinator Vicki Galvin said: “Jonny was a real asset to Ping! Oxford in 2013 and we are really proud that he has been recognised alongside all the other sport volunteering that he does. He is a great role model to others.”

Mike has held a variety of roles in the sport, in club, league, county, regional and national contexts and is, among other positions, secretary of the British Table Tennis Association for people with Disabilities (BTTAD).

He said: “I’m proud to represent table tennis as a baton bearer in my city. The Commonwealth Games display sport in a very good light and remind people that sport is something everyone can get involved in. I’m honoured to be part of that.”

The relay will visit Oxford on June 6 and Leicester on June 10 in the build-up to the Games, which start on July 23.

Paul Stimpson (28th April, 2014)