Drinkhall on a mission to win more cups in China

12:19pm Friday 15th September 2006

GIVEN that he will be in China for most of the next month, it should be no surprise to learn that Paul Drinkhall is on the trail of more cups.

The 16-year-old table tennis star, a member of the Ormesby club in his native Teesside, has already enjoyed the most successful season of his short but impressive career.

Last month in Madeira, he won his first boys' singles title on the ITTF World Junior Tour and claimed the doubles gold in partnership with Darius Knight.

Two weeks later, and he was helping the North of England scoop the team gold at the UK School Games in Glasgow with a series of match-winning displays that underlined his status as the most exciting young prospect in the country.

Later this weekend, he will be back in action on the senior world tour as he looks to improve his current world ranking of 274 in the China Open in Guangzhou.

And while it will still be two or three years before he expects to make a significant mark at the senior level, his rapid ascent through the rankings shows no sign of slowing up.

"Winning my first junior title was a big one," said Drinkhall, who will also compete in a senior event in Japan next weekend before returning to China for an intensive 12-day training camp.

"I'd been close before but never quite made it so, in terms of my confidence, actually winning the final was important. It's proved to me that I'm capable of beating anyone in my age range and hopefully I can take that into my matches on the senior tour.

"It's hard because I'm still learning, but I'm playing against guys who are at the very top of their game. It's helping me, though, and I can see the improvement in my game from this time last year."

Drinkhall is no stranger to China - an unprecedented exchange programme even saw a talented Chinese youngster travel to Ormesby last year - and with the country continuing to dominate the world game, the lure of the Orient is likely to stay strong.

"If you're serious about wanting to improve, you have to be prepared to spend some time in China," said the former Laurence Jackson School pupil. "Not only do they have the best players, they've also got the best coaches and the best facilities.

"It's only when you come here that you appreciate just how hard the Chinese players train. It's pretty much non-stop table tennis and that's what I need to tap into if I'm going to get to where I want to be."

Like so many talented British youngsters, Drinkhall's sights are already trained on the 2012 Olympics in London.

Realising his dream of an Olympic gold will require six years of unrelenting effort but, by taking himself away from the security of his friends and family for months at a time, the youngster has already proved he has the dedication to succeed.

"To be honest, this is normal for me now," explained Drinkhall. "There was a time when it felt strange to be away from home for weeks or months at a time, but now it's just par for the course.

"I would say that I now spend 80 or 90 per cent of my time away from home, whether that's training in Nottingham or Bristol or travelling all over the world.

"It's hard, but it's worth it. It's what I love to do, and it allows me to do everything I've always wanted."

* If you are an individual or business able to support one of the North-East's aspiring Olympians contact SportsAid Northern on (0191) 334 7203 or The Northern Echo Sports Desk on (01325) 505092.

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