A Reading-based housebuilder has sponsored a local table tennis club which has produced players who have competed at the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games.
Vistry Group’s Thames Valley region, which has its headquarters in Reading, has agreed to sponsor the Kingfisher Table Tennis Club in Woodley this season.
The club, which was founded as the Omega club in the 1970s and currently has 235 members aged between eight and 80, is to use the money to help try to identify young players and put them on the pathway to national and international honours.
Over the years, the club has developed the talent of many young players. Famous players who have trained there include Matthew Syed who won three Commonwealth gold medals and competed twice for Great Britain at the Olympics. Alison Gordon represented Great Britain in the Olympics and Karen Witt won a Commonwealth individual gold medal.
Most recently the club celebrated member Anaya Patel, who won the title of National Champion for girls U19 Juniors at the Table Tennis England National Championships at the start of May.
Raj Patel, coaching officer and membership secretary at the club, said: “We are delighted that Vistry Thames Valley has decided to generously support us in our quest to find young emerging talent in and around Reading. This money will help pay for the extra coaching and any equipment costs that we encounter during that process.
“Over the years, we at the club have a proud record of being able to identify and help nurture players from the local area. Vistry Thames Valley is based in Reading and it is great to have them helping out in the community in which they are based.
“Vistry has also helped us out enormously by having two giant canvas banners produced which will be fixed to the outside of the club building. These banners will be there to advertise the fact we are actively looking to try to find young players who might have the talent to go on to national and perhaps international success.”
Alix Laflin, marketing manager for Vistry Thames Valley, said: “When officials from the club approached us we were more than happy to support them. Kingfisher Table Tennis Club has a fantastic record for spotting young talent and developing players to allow them to reach their full potential.
”At Vistry Thames Valley, we take our social responsibilities very seriously and this donation is the kind of positive engagement which allows us to support the local community. We hope that, in our own small way, we may be helping find a table tennis player who can go on to find success at the top of the sport.”
For more information about the Kingfisher Table Tennis Club visit https://www.kingfishertabletennisclub.com.
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