An 11-year-old table tennis player has targeted an England place after returning from the national finals

East Anglian Daily Times: 11 year old Lucy Curtis has just played in a national table tennis finals. Lucy is pictured in Ipswich.11 year old Lucy Curtis has just played in a national table tennis finals. Lucy is pictured in Ipswich. (Image: Archant)

Lucy Curtis, 11, played in the 2015 Butterfly Schools Individual Table Tennis Championships National Finals at the Tipton Sports Academy, which included over 300 players representing 50 counties at four different age groups.

Competing in the under 13 event, and having been drawn in a five player group which included two of the highest ranked players in the competition, it was always going to be difficult for Lucy to progress from her group.

However that did not stop her from putting in a spirited display and she can certainly look forward with optimism to the Under 12’s Cadets National Championship in Sheffield, in little over a month.

Grandfather and coach Ian Bullock, who introduced Lucy to the sport at the age of 7, said: “Unfortunately Lucy did not make it through the group stage having been extremely unlucky with her draw, but she played to the best of her ability under the circumstances which involved Lucy playing against players a year older than herself.

“We will put this down as a tough learning experience and she will be ready to go again at the Under 12’s cadets competition, in which she is county ranked fifth.”

Lucy’s ultimate aim is to represent her country and follow in the footsteps of her mother, Rosemary Curtis, and gain a national ranking.