The Games are
a multi-sport event for the UK's most talented young athletes of
school age and is delivered by Youth Sport Trust. They provide
competition conditions akin to a major International Games for the 1,600
potential future sports stars across 12 sports. In addition to the competition
element, there are opening and closing ceremonies, an athletes village and
an athlete education programme.
In
the Table Tennis discipline, eight regional teams compete in the Girls and
Boys Team Championships with each team consisting of four boys and four girls
plus two coaches. The player selection for each team is mainly based on
Junior National Rankings. A Girls and Boys Individual Championship
follows the team events and features all 64 players who are placed
in groups of four, with the 32 qualifiers proceeding to straight
knock-out rounds.
Maria played for England South West and had a terrific tournament,
culminating in the runners-up positions in both the Girls Team
Championship and the Girls Individual Championships - she is proudly
sporting her two silver medals in the picture. Maria was beaten in the final of
the latter event 3-1 by Tin Tin Ho.
In the Team event South West were beaten 4-2.
Maria gave South West a
winning start with a four-set win over Peake, but Ho levelled by beating
Jazmin Johns in three.
Letitia McMullen put South West back in front with a four-end victory
over Patel, but again their opponents responded as Ho and Peake won the
doubles in three straight.
The clash between Ho and Tsaptsinos was always likely to be a key
determining factor in the destination of the gold medals and it proved
to be a high-quality match as expected.
Ho opened a 2-0 lead before Tsaptsinos took the third 11-6. The
fourth was nip and tuck as the South West girl fought hard to level, but
Ho just had the edge to take it 12-10.
With South East in front for the first time, Peake was not about to
let the advantage slip and she saw off McMullen in three straight to
complete the victory.
Both teams had cantered through their last-four clashes 4-0, South
West without dropping an end against Northern Ireland, and South East
against Wales – though Beth Roberts took Feredj to five.
Maria Tsaptsinos v Kate Roberts 11-5,11-6,11-4
Maria Tsaptsinos v Ella Patel 11-7,11-6,11-4
Maria Tsaptsinos v Hannah Clark 11-3,11-5,11-4
Maria Tsaptsinos v Olivia Churchill 11-5 11-3 11-9
Maria Tsaptsinos v Hannah Lynch-Dawson 11-4 11-7 11-8
Maria Tsaptsinos v
Lois Peake 14-12 11-6 11-8
Maria Tsaptsinos v Tin Tin Ho 13-11 9-11 3-11 5-11
Maria's cores for the team event:
Maria Tsaptsinos v S Jenkins 11-3 11-3 11-3
Maria Tsaptsinos v K Roberts 11-1 11-3 11-5
Maria Tsaptsinos v E Bolton 11-7 11-9 7-11 12-10
Maria Tsaptsinos v M Dillon 11-5 11-5 11-3
Maria Tsaptsinos v L Elliott 11-4 11-5 11-3
Maria Tsaptsinos v R Crawford 11-4 11-5 11-5
Maria Tsaptsinos v R Finn 11-7 11-5 11-8
Maria Tsaptsinos v L Peake 11-7 9-11 11-6 11-5
Maria Tsaptsinos v Tin Tin Ho 9-11 9-11 11-6 10-12
More detailed results can be found here
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