Top duo shine for England

Two talented players from the Hastings & District Table Tennis League represented England at the Six Nations Veterans’ Championships.
Rose RaintonRose Rainton
Rose Rainton

Rose Rainton (Hollington TTC) and Sheila King (Tigers TTC) played for the England B team in the over-40 and over-50 age groups respectively at an event hosted by the Irish Table Tennis Association in Dublin.

Rainton and Marilyn Bawden (Essex) beat Ireland and Scotland 5-0, and Guernsey 4-1, but lost to Wales 0-5 and England A 2-3. In the latter match, Rainton (no.3 vet nationally) beat no.1 Sue Collier but lost to no.2 Sanja Clements. England B finished third.

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King and Linda Attridge (Essex) beat the Isle of Man 5-0, Scotland 4-1 and Wales 3-2. However, they lost to Ireland and England A 0-5. They also finished in third place.

In the individual singles events, Rainton beat Clements over four games in the over-40 semi-finals but then lost to Collier 8-11 in the fifth having recovered from two games down. King, ranked 20th, reached the over-50 semi-final where she lost to no.7 Elaine Sayer (Essex) 6-11 in the fifth game.

In the individual doubles events, Rainton and Clements won the over-40 women’s doubles after beating Collier and no.4 Emma Rose (Hertfordshire) 11-5 in the fifth game.

Sheila and Elaine Sayer, in partnership for the first time, won all their matches to take the over-50 women’s doubles title. The event consisted of one group of four pairs.

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During the summer, Rainton made her international debut when she represented England in the 4th International Table Tennis Team Championships for

Veterans Societies at Tipton in the West Midlands. Rainton helped England win the over-40 England women’s team title, as well as winning the women’s singles title.

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