Are you ready to mark your mark at the PG Mutual National Championships Qualifying Tournament?
The new event is YOUR chance to earn a place among the nation’s elite for the PG Mutual Nationals by claiming a top-10 finish.
Introduced in response to feedback from our members, the tournament is at the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre, University of Central Lancashire, on January 19 and 20 – and entries are now open.
Click here to visit the event homepage, where you can download an event prospectus and an entry form.
Anyone who is eligible to play for England and who holds a Table Tennis England Player Licence can compete and, subject to player numbers, the qualifying tournament could become a permanent fixture on the calendar from 2019/20.
Sponsors PG Mutual have put up prize money, with the winner in both men’s and women’s competitions taking home £100 and the runner-up £50.
But the big attraction is the chance to earn a crack at England’s top players at the PG Mutual Nationals in Nottingham in March.
PG Mutual Chief Executive Mike Perry said: “I believe the qualifying tournament will become one of the most anticipated and talked about events on the calendar.
“It’s a fantastic chance for players to make their mark and earn a place at the pinnacle event of the year, the PG Mutual Nationals, where they could face one of the best players in England – perhaps even an Olympian or a Commonwealth medallist.”
The Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre has been home to a number of high-profile table tennis events in recent seasons, including the Cadet & Junior Nationals and England European Championships qualifying matches. The qualifying event was a relatively late addition to this year’s calendar and Preston was the most suitable available venue that offered the most flexibility to adapt the event depending on the number of entries.
Day one of the event will comprise group stages, with the focus on day two turning to a progressive knockout system, which will see the top male and top female players ranked from 1 to 32.
The top 10 men and top 10 women will go forward to the PG Mutual National Championships at the University of Nottingham from March 1-3.
The seedings for the qualifier will be worked out from the December ranking list, published on December 11. Entries for the qualifier close on December 16.
The players who get through will be joined at the PG Mutual Nationals by the top 20 from the January rankings list. Two wildcard places will make up the final field of 32 for both the men’s singles and women’s singles.
If a player qualifies and subsequently breaks into the top 20 in the rankings in January, then the player finishing 11th at the qualifier will be invited to the Nationals proper. Players who get through from the qualifier will not have to pay an entry fee for the Nationals proper.
The Qualifying Tournament is not a ticketed event. Ticket details for the PG Mutual Nationals will be announced soon.
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