NORTH-EAST table tennis star Paul Drinkhall has been shortlisted for one of his sport’s major international awards.

Drinkhall, who hails from Loftus in Cleveland, has been nominated for the International Table Tennis Federation’s Breakthrough Star Award, alongside England team-mates Sam Walker and Liam Pitchford.

It follows a stellar year in which the trio won bronze medals at the World Team Championships in Kuala Lumpur – England’s first podium place at that level since 1983 – and reached the Olympic quarter-finals, losing only to all-conquering China.

They are up against Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto, who became the world number one Under-18 player at the age of 12, and 16-year-old Miu Hirano, also of Japan, who became the youngest ever winner of the Women’s World Cup.

England performance coach Alan Cooke has also been nominated in the Star Coach category.

Drinkhall said: “It’s good to get the recognition. The players have come together and put on some great performances, but it’s not just about us and the coach – without everybody else at Table Tennis England and Team GB doing the right thing back-stage, it’s more difficult for the players.

“What’s exciting is I think we can get better and better in the future.”

The awards will be decided by an expert judging panel, and the winners will be revealed at a presentation ceremony in Qatar on December 8.