PG Mutual, the specialist income protection provider, has been unveiled as title sponsor of the 2016 table tennis National Championships.

The St Albans-based company has invested in the event, which will be called the PG Mutual National Championships.

The latter stages of the event from March 18-20 will be televised live on ITV4, giving both the sport and PG Mutual national exposure.

Mike Perry, CEO of PG Mutual and an enthusiastic table tennis player, said: “We were looking for a sport which fits in with our ethos as a business.

“Our support for the National Championships shows what you can achieve through sport. From a recreational sport which you might pick up on holiday, with hard work, dedication and the right support, you can achieve and compete at the top level.

“We are very much dedicated to families and work hard to give them the right support when they need it, so it’s a very good fit for us.

“We see this as the beginning of a fruitful relationship with Table Tennis England.”

Sara Sutcliffe, Chief Executive of Table Tennis England, said: “We are delighted to welcome PG Mutual to the table tennis family and thank them for their commitment to and investment in our sport.

“With the England Leopards currently performing heroics at the World Championships and the PG Mutual National Championships to be televised live on ITV4, this is an exciting time for our sport.

“We very much look forward to working with PG Mutual in the months and years ahead.

“I would also like to thank our commercial partners at Female Sports Group for their hard work in securing not only TV coverage but also bringing a title sponsor to the table.”

Fraser Houlder, Female Sports Group Director, said: “We are proud to be working with Table Tennis England as their commercial partners as Sara and her team continue to grow the sport and raise its profile.

“Having secured ITV to broadcast the championships we are now delighted to have brought on board a title sponsor. Table Tennis is a family sport and has a huge participation and fanbase and in our discussions with PG Mutual we have found a company who can share this passion with supporting families. They see that table tennis is a sport on the up and they want to be a part of this.

“We see this as the start of a long-term partnership between PG Mutual and Table Tennis England.”