The English Table Tennis Association is pleased to announce that table tennis has once again been confirmed in the Sainsbury’s School Games competition programme following a successful application to the Youth Sport Trust.

Table tennis has been an ever-present in the School Games from its original format when it began back in Glasgow 2006. The news that table tennis will continue in this popular event will provide a real boost for the sport.

Martin Ireland, Table Tennis Coordinator for the School Games, was understandably pleased with the confirmation: “I’m delighted that table tennis has been selected by the Youth Sport Trust to be included in the Sainsbury’s School Games 2013.

“As the profile of the Games has increased, so has interest from other governing bodies. Funding is limited and there is currently no capacity to increase the number of sports involved so to be selected as one of only 12 sports confirms how table tennis is viewed by the Youth Sport Trust and its partners as a sport that can deliver.”

The 2013 Sainsbury’s School Games will take place in Sheffield once more over the weekend of 12-15th September. For its eighth installment, the competition will again allow school children to compete in top-class tournaments as well as being part of a large social gathering.

Ireland explained: “The School Games is a unique competitive multi-sport and residential event which is the only UK-wide competition that includes able bodied athletes and athletes with physical and learning disabilities.

“This added to the culture and training programmes make it one of the few competitions that provide an ideal platform for athletes to perform while helping to educate and support athletes to reach their potential.”

Alongside the governing bodies, Youth Sport Trust has also conducted a full tender process for the event management contractors which has been fulfilled by Fast Track for 2013.

With everything now in place for next year’s Sainsbury’s School Games, the table tennis organisers can look forward to planning table tennis’ continued growth in school sport.

Ireland said: “Table tennis has seen huge growth in schools over the last 10 years and is continuing to grow as schools see the potential to deliver sport to young people who may not have otherwise become involved in traditional school sport.

Being part of the School Games can only help to continue to drive increased participation in schools.”

Click here for a video of the Sainsbury’s School Games 2012

Click here for details of all levels of the School Games programme