Amir back on England beat

NATIONAL CALL-UP . . . Oldham's Amir Hussain has caught the eye of Table Tennis England coaches again

OLDHAM youngster Amir Hussain has been named in the England Youth Squad for the third year in succession.

The 12-year-old starlet, who currently plays in the Bury League, is in the 23-strong group named by Table Tennis England.

It follows a series of physical and technical assessments held over the summer.

The squad will attend monthly training camps at weekends and during school holidays, and will work with national coaching staff on an individual or smaller group basis in between sessions.

DEVELOPMENT

They will also all be given individual fitness and training programmes to further their development to give them a chance to compete for England Leopards on the international stage.

Table Tennis England's National Youth Coach Matt Stanforth said: "This year, we had more applications than before and the standard year-on-year is improving.

"The big emphasis in the squad this year is on developing our fitness and on a close correlation between practice and match-play so we are able to compete more consistently on the international stage and deal with the pressures that come with competing at the top level."