QUEEN'S Park High's Centre of Excellence made its mark on this year's championships with five winners having all benefited from the top class set-up in recent years.

And add the fact that four runners-up also trained at the Blackburn centre, and you soon realise that table tennis in East Lancashire is thriving.

Winners Adam Williamson, Harry Brennan, Louise Proctor, Hannah Roberts and Rachel McHugh have all been through the centre and now will represent Lancashire in the national finals in Stoke in April.

East Lancashire had a representative in each of the eight finals - the culmination of a day long event that attracted 110 entries from across the county.

And the pick of the bunch was the all Blackburn final in the boys under 13s final where Williamson of Queen's Park High beat Mustapha Dawoud of Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in a thrilling encounter.

Williamson won the match 2-0 but after winning the first set 21-8, he found himself 19-12 down and heading for a third and decisive set. But he battled back brilliantly to steal the set 25-23 and win the match.

There was an upset in the under 19s final when number one seed and in-form player David Pilkington of St Mary's College lost to number two seed George Wei of Blackpool Sixth Form College in straight sets.

In another tight final, Wei proved to be just too good on the day to seal the win 21-17, 26-24.

For Wei it was sweet revenge having recently lost to Pilkington in the final of the North West Colleges championships.

Harry Brennand of QEGS gave Blackburn more success in the under 16s final when he beat Danny Martindale of Tulketh High School in Preston 21-15, 21-13 in another straight set victory.

Earlier, Andrew Ainsworth of Morecambe beat Matthew Lyons of St Edwards, Darwen 2-0 in the boys under 11s final.

Saima Younis was the surprise package in the girls' event when the unseeded Beardwood High School pupil did well to reach the under 16s final.

However she came up against the very talented Hannah Roberts of Chorley St Michaels who won in convincing style.

In another all East Lancashire final, first seed Louise Proctor of Bowland High, Clitheroe beat second seed Rebecca Thompson of Darwen Vale.

Yet again it was another close final despite the 2-0 score-line. Proctor edged the first set 21-17 then had to battle against a spirited fight-back from Thompson before winning the second set 24-22. In the girls under 11s final, Stephanie Morris of Chorley St Michaels clinched a straight sets victory over Kate Gedzielewski of St Annes and St Joseph's in Accrington.

And Rachel McHugh of Accrington and Rossendale College won the under 19s final without hitting a ping pong as she was the only entry.

However she will now take her place in the Lancashire team to take part in the national finals alongside the other seven event winners.

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