QUATFORD table tennis ace Damien Nicholls has been crowned as the Under-21s ETTA Grand Prix champion for a record fourth successive year – and is still eligible to compete in 2011 and 2012.
And he has been presented with a special ETTA award for being the only player to have competed in all ten Grand Prix events in the season, spanning from Newcastle to Jersey.
Damien also finished in second position in the men’s Open Grand Prix Championship, having led the season up until June.
He finished just 28 points behind Gavin Rumgay, Scotland’s number one international.
The final position was decided as Damien met Rumgay in the quarter-final round of the last Grand Prix of the season at The Dome, Doncaster, at the weekend. Damien played a fantastic five set round, gallantly losing 3-2 in a thrilling match full of skill and determination.
Damien had previously won the Band OneSingles event earlier against Sam Walker from Notts 3-0.
Damien now has two weeks well-earned break before resuming training to represent England in the Ostend Open Champs in Belgium at the beginning of August. The next round of the Grand Prix begins again on August 22 in Liverpool.
In the meantime Damien has signed for top French Club, Pontoise Cergy to play National League in France and will be commuting fortnightly whilst moving from Grantham College Academy to Sheffield Hallam University, studying Business studies.
He will spend more time training at the English Academy HQ at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.