Two youngsters from Inverness Table Tennis Club have qualified to represent Scotland at the Primary Schools International held in Jersey from April 5-7.
Only four boys and four girls will compete for Scotland’s teams in the competition – and 11-year-olds Alexander Stepney and Lacey Cadden will be there from the Highland capital club.
Aberdeen’s Dean Robertson was the top boys’ qualifier at the Scottish Primary Schools Championship, with Stepney second, James Huang from Drumchapel third and Murrayfield’s David Clarke fourth.
It was an Aberdeen one-two for the the girls as Kiishi Adekola and Nikko Mo took gold and silver respectively, with Stirlingshire’s Alex Hart third and Drumchapel’s Millie Stakim fourth. Stakim’s withdrawal opened the path for Cadden.
‘To have Alexander and Lacey qualify for Scotland is a really big achievement’ for Inverness Table Tennis Club
Head coach Stephen Gertsen is delighted for his Inverness Table Tennis Club duo, who have continued to flourish as part of a growing and competitive group of talented young players.
He said: “To have Alexander and Lacey qualify for Scotland is a really big achievement for our club, It reinforces how much the club is growing.
“They went to Bathgate recently for the Scottish Primary Schools Championships (which also includes some secondary-aged pupils depending when their birthdays fall).
“Two of the three players from our club in Inverness qualified for Jersey to play against schools from Wales, England, Ireland, Isle of Man and Jersey.
“You had to finish in the top four in Bathgate to qualify.
“Alexander finished second (from 27 competitors), so he firmly cemented his place in Jersey.
“He is from Elgin and travels through to Inverness three or four times a week. He is also part of Moray Table Tennis Club, which I also run.
“Lacey actually finished fifth out of 12 players, but a higher-placed player pulled out, so, as first reserve, she moved up on the back of her performance, which is great news.
“It is the first time we’ve had players from this age category representing Scotland, so we’re really pleased.”
Massive improvement within a year
Gertsen says the progress of the pair within the past year has been impressive, as demonstrated in this video:
Lacey and Alexander putting in some extra work at club night as they prepare for the International Primary Schools in Jersey in a couple of months 🏴@InvTennisSquash pic.twitter.com/xbkrifvQZQ
— Inverness Table Tennis Club (ITSC) (@InvernessTT) February 16, 2024
He said: “A year ago, it was their first-ever tournament and they maybe just won one or two matches.
“Twelve months on, they have qualified, which shows the progress they are making.
“The target was to see how much they could improve and they have qualified – albeit Lacey got just a little bit lucky, but she was the first reserve.”
Hard work well under way for Primary Schools International in Jersey
The head coach stressed, for the duo to hit the heights in Jersey, the hard work is already well under way.
He added: “They are working hard over the next two months to prepare. We will try to put some extra training on for them.
“The English, Irish and Welsh teams will be particularly competitive and strong, so they will have to improve so they are in a good place for April, but it’s all really encouraging.”
Conversation