Junior School pupil eyeing 2020 table tennis glory (From Wandsworth Guardian)

Junior School pupil eyeing 2020 table tennis glory

12:04pm Wednesday 13th April 2011 in Sport By Graham Moody

He may weigh just 29 kilograms and be less than four-and-a-half foot tall, but give James Smith a table tennis bat and he really packs a punch.

The 10-year-old Royal Russell School pupil is playing in three national championships in the next three weeks and is ranked as the best U10 table tennis player and second best U11 player in England.

Having played a quick 10-minute game with him in the school gym before our interview it was obvious just how much talent he has.

The only time he came close to moving out of neutral was on match point, when a forehand smash whizzed past my right ear to earn him a comfortable, and somewhat flattering to me, 11-3 victory.

It was probably one of the easiest games Smith, who is already focused on a spot at the 2020 Olympics, will have in a long time.

On Saturday, he will look to take the next step in an already promising career by representing Royal Russell in the U11 national schools' final in Doncaster, before playing for his club, Kemnal, in the inter-regional championships on Sunday and then the national championships on May 1.

"I am number one U10 player and that is something to be quite proud of," said the youngster who lives in Orpington.

"I enjoy playing in the tournaments and I am looking forward to it.

"I might be able to win the schools one but the national championships will be tough because all the proper players will have qualified.

"Maybe not all the proper players have schools that play table tennis so they might not have qualified for the schools one."

Smith has been playing table tennis seriously for a year-and-a-half and was also on Crystal Palace's books for football when he was younger before deciding to concentrate on table tennis.

"I was at Crystal Palace for football for a while but then I dropped that to do table tennis," he said.

"I enjoy talking to the parents and children because they are nicer in table tennis.

"In tennis and football they are pushy and they don't really talk to you much, they just say 'well played'.

"But in table tennis they talk to you a lot, they are a lot more friendly."

Wise words from one so young with a bright future ahead of him.