Table tennis is taking over the cobbles of Coronation Street as our sport gets behind the I Am Team GB initiative.
Olympians, international players and ‘Corrie’ cast members will support the day at a special event on the set in Manchester on Saturday August 27, with hundreds of members of the public joining in too.
I Am Team GB, led by The National Lottery and ITV, aims to create the nation’s biggest sports day by getting hundreds of thousands of people to get out and get active.
Table Tennis England has teamed up with the organisers to turn the iconic Coronation Street set into a table tennis arena for the day, with the aim of getting new players into the sport.
Team GB Olympians Kelly Sibley and Andrea Holt and the world’s first Down’s Syndrome coach, Harry Fairchild, are among the guests throwing their support behind the day.
Kelly said: “Sport has given me so much, so I’m pleased to support this exciting initiative to get more people playing. And as a big fan of Coronation Street, I’m really looking forward to playing table tennis on the cobbles outside the Rovers!”
We are also looking for clubs around the country to play their part by opening their doors to new participants on the day.
Bishop Auckland Table Tennis Club are already committed to the initiative and have organised a Community Open Day with fun and games such as table tennis twister and a beat-the-robot challenge.
“We are so pleased be part of I Am Team GB,” said club Chairman Matthew Porter. “Sport brings communities closer together and we are immensely proud at Bishop Auckland TTC to be part of this nationwide celebration of sport and how we pride ourselves on our community spirit.”
The event is from 10am-2pm at the club’s HQ at Bishop Barrington School, Woodhouse Lane.
To sign up your club for the day, click here to visit the I Am Team GB website, where you can also download free promotional material – and have a chance of winning £250 of vouchers to spend on equipment for your club.
* I Am Team GB celebrates the support the public gives to Team GB’s athletes just by playing The National Lottery. During the four-year build up to Rio 2016, National Lottery players contributed £80m a year towards the Olympic and Paralympic cause. In addition, The National Lottery has contributed more than £4bn to enable grassroots sports participation across the UK.