Tuesday 1 May 2012 A rising star of county table tennis served up a surprise at the Yorkshire Region championships in April, winning titles in two different age groups during the course of one weekend. Ten year old Shayan Siraj, a pupil at The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) Junior School, took the U11 title at the regional championships in Keighley before stepping up to net the U12 title too. As a result he will play in both age categories at the National Championships in Walsall in June. Shayan is undaunted by the prospect of taking on more senior opposition, his confidence buoyed by a stunning 2-0 victory over one of his teachers in a charity match for Sport Relief. GSAL Junior School raised nearly £400 for Sport Relief, by charging spectators and competitors 50p a time for activities including the table tennis challenge, a staff v pupils netball match (a narrow victory for the staff) and a three-legged mile. Taking on Shayan in the table tennis challenge was Year 3 teacher Mr Sam Critchley. He said, “It was a spirited close-fought match. It was tough to find the pace of the shots and deal with the variety of spins that Shayan puts on the ball. I was very impressed with the quality of his game and can see why he is representing his county.” Shayan has been playing table tennis since he was seven, and trains six hours a week, as well as practising at home with older brother Faizan who, like Shayan, plays for the Judean club. In the summer Shayan will travel to China with the Yorkshire squad for three weeks of intensive training. He said, “I’m looking forward to playing with really good players for about six hours a day. The conditions will be hot and I’ll learn lots.” General Primary News
