A top table tennis player and star of the 2016 Rio Paralympics is backing a brand new venue for the sport – in an Ipswich shopping centre.

Gold medallist Will Bayley MBE is delighted that Sailmakers has teamed up with Table Tennis England to install the town’s first free-to-play table, which will be opening on Friday. It will be there for seven weeks with free bats and balls available.

Bayley said: “Table tennis is a fantastic sport and has made me who I am today.

“It’s brilliant to see people of all ages and abilities being encouraged to play table tennis at somewhere like a shopping centre.”

Julie Snowden, of Table Tennis England, said the project at Ipswich was part of a nationwide drive to get more people playing and enjoying table tennis.

Mike Sorhaindo, manager of Sailmakers Shopping Centre, said: “Table tennis is such an easy sport to have a go at for people of all ages and it has real benefits as well in terms of co-ordination and exercise so we thought it would be a good idea to donate a table and put it in the centre for people to have a go.”

“We worked with Table Tennis England who have been very helpful and it’s going to be in the unit soon and anyone can come along and have a go so hopefully it will add a new dimension to a visit to the centre.”