Table Tennis Success at the National Games
Cheshire Academy home page www.disabilitysport.com

Last updated 1st August 2005
Coach Colin Herd (centre) with (L to R) James Ellwood, Jack Fellows, Neil Jones, Joel Schofield
The four athltes and one coach from the Cheshire Academy did remarkably well at the national Special Olympic games winning in total 3 gold and a bronze.

All players who represented South and East Cheshire Special Olympics regularly play as part of the Cheshire Academy table tennis club and it was the second time that members of the Academy qualified to play at a National Special Olympic games.

The able tennis competition was held at the Gorbals Leisure Centre, an excellent facility which was modern and very accessible for those with disabilities and the table tennis (and the boccia players) were able to use the same facility.

The coach and athletes went to the games as part of the North West Special Olympics

Singles.
For Joel Schofield age 23 this was his first national games and he qualified in division 4. He outplayed players from Tayside and West Midlands and won a welcome bronze medal..

James Ellwood aged 14 won gold in Division 3 playing against players from Southern Region, West Midlands, Northern and Grampian Regions winning in straight sets for most of his matches

Jack fellows: ready to serve
Neil Jones age 27 qualified for Division 5. Inspite of winning 3:0 in some of his matches Neil collected a 5th place ribbon

Jack Fellows age12 years was by far the youngest player in the whole table tennis competition . He gain an 8th place ribbon. (Placed in the same division as Neil Jones). He battled hard against much more expereinced opponents and is someone to look out for in the future.

Doubles
Joel Schofiels and James Ellwood really got their act together and demonstrated a fine display of wonderful table tennis. The scarcely lost a game and battled against some of the top players from the regions to collect well deserved gold medals.

Neil Jones and Jack Fellows pitted themselves against some really great treams and managed to battle on to collect 4th place playing some really close games.

Coach Colin Herd was very pleased with his teams performance." The players really played exceptionally well. They battle against often much more experienced and competition hardened opposition and pulled of some lovely play. With two of the players being the the youngest in the whole competition I feel that this bodes well for the development of the sport within our club and I have great hope for them at future competitions"

If you wish to know more about our table tennis club (click hereto link to our table tennis club page)