Young players will have the chance to compete for national titles this season, with the two age-group National Championships now rescheduled for July.

The Mark Bates Ltd U10-U13 Nationals will be on the weekend of July 3-4, with the Mark Bates Ltd Cadet & Junior Nationals from July 10-11, both at the University of Warwick.

Both events are subject to the Government roadmap for the easing of restrictions proceeding as expected, and are also subject to stop/go decisions in line with our event cancellation policy.

Junior events will be in line with the new under-19 eligibility for that age group, giving final-year Junior players who missed out on these competitions in 2019/20 the opportunity to compete. It is not yet known whether or not doubles will be included.

The two events will follow two other scheduled tournaments on the calendar – the Junior National Cup at Kingsway Leisure Centre, Widnes (temporary home of Halton TTC) on June 19-20 and the Gloucester Grand Prix on June 26-27.

This will give young players the maximum number of opportunities to compete before the European Youth Championships, scheduled to start in Croatia on July 18.

It is currently expected that the Junior National Cup will be delivered under lockdown protocols limiting the number of adults present in the hall, and will be restricted to eight boys and eight girls, rather than the usual 10.

Invitations to the Junior National Cup and two age-group National Championships will be determined by rankings and wildcards. No Cadet and Junior event winners from sanctioned 4* events will be invited, as previously announced, as all were cancelled in 2020/21 due to the pandemic.

Further details about all three events, including membership requirements, eligibility, invitations, seeding and formats, will be confirmed on or soon after the stop/go dates.

Table Tennis England’s Head of Competitions and Events, Neil Rogers, said: “We are delighted to announce these provisional reschedules in anticipation that unrestricted activity will resume following June 21.

“We hope that these events will not only be a welcome return to competitive play for our best young players, but also support the best preparation for those aiming for the European Youth Championships.”

Table Tennis England continues to work towards a full calendar of events and competitions for the 2021/22 season.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the covid restrictions likely to be at these events?

Restrictions relating to such things as social distancing, hygiene, venue capacity, restriction of spectators/accompanying persons is dependent on Government advice at the time and will be determined accordingly.

Will I need Compete Plus membership for these events?

No. As previously announced, Compete membership will be accepted for any national competitions taking place in the remainder of the 2020/21 season.

I haven’t renewed my membership at all for 2020/21 – what do I need to do in order to compete at any of these events?

We will shortly be announcing membership options for the remainder of this season – keep an eye on our website.

Will these events count towards the rankings?

No. Table Tennis England rankings remain suspended for all events until August 1.

Will there be an under-17 event at the Cadet & Junior Nationals?

No. This will not be considered for introduction until the 2021/22 season.