First fixture as table tennis thrives at QE
Sixteen players fought it out in QE’s first competitive table tennis fixture for many years, as the School responds to strong pupil demand for more opportunities in the sport.
The boys, representing Years 7, 8, 9 & 10, made the five-mile journey for an away fixture at Ashmole Academy – and returned with their first victory under their belts. Although Ashmole won two of the year-group battles to QE’s one (with one draw), QE had the higher points tally overall, with 17 games won to Ashmole’s 15.
The resurgence of inter-school fixtures has been driven largely by Year 10 table tennis enthusiast Habeeb Tharoo, who was instrumental in selecting the 16-player squad. He was the team captain for the fixture.
Senior PE teacher Richard Scally said: “Habeeb’s leadership helped set a positive tone throughout the afternoon as players across all year groups demonstrated resilience, skill, and great sportsmanship.”
The approach of the fixture and the squad’s preparations for it created a “genuine buzz around the PE department”, said Mr Scally.
“The players are already eager for a rematch, and with the commitment shown, future fixtures promise to be even more exciting.
“Pupils from Years 9, 10 and 11 are regularly developing their skills during PE lessons and, beyond that curriculum time, there’s a thriving lunchtime culture and an enthusiastic after-school club held every Monday and Wednesday,” he added.
For this first major table tennis outing, a new competitive format inspired by the Ryder Cup was adopted. It involved each side fielding their top four players in every year group. Matches were split so that the top two QE seeds faced their counterparts from Ashmole, while the third and fourth seeds competed in their own pairings.
Each match won contributed one point to the overall team tally for that year group, creating an exciting and fast‑paced scoring system.
Here are the results by year group, with Mr Scally’s comments on each.
Year 7: Drawn 4–4. “The youngest squad showed impressive maturity and calmness under pressure, securing a hard‑fought draw. With several close games, Year 7 proved they have strong potential for future fixtures.”
Year 8: Won 7–1. “A comprehensive scoreline, but another highly competitive contest. Year 8 excelled against more experienced opposition.”
Year 9: Lost 5–3. “Year 9 produced some excellent rallies and tactical play throughout their matches. Falling just short of parity, they can take great pride in a performance that showed both development and depth.”
Year 10: Lost 5–3. “Led by captain Habeeb, the senior team delivered powerful performances with several confident wins. Though Ashmole edged the overall score, the attitude and quality displayed by the QE side were clear highlights.”
Reflecting afterwards on the trip, Habeeb said: “This was a brilliant first fixture against a strong Ashmole side. The boys are keen to give it another go!”