QE boy named London table tennis champion

Two QE boys battled it out to become the London schools U13 table tennis champion.

Year 8 pupil Zaiim Premji emerged as boys’ champion for his age group after overcoming classmate Jamie Watkin–Rees in the final of the Jack Petchey London Schools’ Table Tennis individual finals at the University of East London’s SportsDock.

Zaiim did not drop a set in the whole competition, but the final was nevertheless close; he beat Jamie 11-9, 11-9, 13-11.

Interviewed by Table Tennis England’s Paul Stimpson after taking his first title, Zaiim said: “I feel really pleased because I haven’t won it before and I think I had some really good competition.

“It’s always hard when you play someone from the same school, and we train at the same club as well (Urban).”

He was congratulated by Mr Petchey, a London entrepreneur and philanthropist, who posed for photos with all the winners and runners-up.

Urban Table Tennis Club operates at a number of different venues and schools within Barnet and South West Hertfordshire and visits QE to run master-classes.