YOUNG table tennis star, Rose Weeden, will represent Dorset at the English Schools Individual National Finals in Wolverhampton on Saturday.

Weeden’s table tennis status has rocketed after only one year’s training and just a few months of competing.

Table Tennis England rankings currently show that Weeden has a national ranking of 14th at under-12 level and is already ranked 54th at under-15.

Under-11 player Weeden started playing table tennis for fun at an after-school club at Chickerell Primary School and then started training with the Weymouth & District Table Tennis League last year.

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By November, Weeden was making her competitive Weymouth debut in the National Cadet League, and plenty of success followed over four rounds of the Table Tennis England competition based in Southampton.

Weeden’s team, Weymouth B, finished strongly to win their divisions runner-up medals, with an excellent Waterside (Southampton) team winning top place.

Significantly, Weymouth B competed as a girls-only team, with fellow team members Amelia Richards, Ella Baldwin, Eve Baldwin and Ellie Dean all playing a part in the team’s success.

Weymouth & District Table Tennis League development officer and coach, Andy Millar, praised Weeden’s commitment at practice and is also looking forward to a bright future for the region’s girls after their recent successes.

He said: “Rose’s success is down to the hard work she has put in over the last few months.

“Rose will not miss any opportunity to practice and is constantly challenging herself and looking for ways to improve her consistency and variation of shots.

“Table Tennis England and Chickerell Primary School have been fantastic in supporting our efforts to involve more girls playing table tennis.

“We have been really pleased to be able to field a girls’ team this year and together they are inspiring others to follow the same path.

“It's great to see players as young as seven and eight enjoying recent practice sessions.”

The Weymouth & District Table Tennis League practices now revert to a summer schedule at The Thomas Hardye School on Tuesdays for juniors and The Wey Valley Tennis Centre on Saturday mornings for both juniors and adults.

New players are always very welcome. Beginners will receive help getting started and bats can be supplied.

For more information, e-mail a.millar212@gmail.com