Andrew Baggley on Commonwealth Games At the tender age of 19, Andrew Baggaley is set to take his recent domination of the English game onto the world scene, combining his youth and enthusiasm, with what is already an impressive list of achievements and experiences. ˜Joining the professional circuit at 13, I travelled to Belgium and played there, and by 16, I was playing in the German Bundesliga (premier division). Said Baggaley. He became the youngest British Champion for 40 years in March this year, and is now competing in the Swedish league for BTK ENIG in Kalmar, where he hopes to take his recent national domination onto the lucrative international scene. ‘I think I can be one of the best players in the world and start winning big, big, tournaments. His preperation for the games consists of ˜doing a lot of running and skipping, because you need to have strong, springy knees. I practise table-tennis twice a day. My daily training is about six hours in all. In Manchester on 26 July, he will join Alex Perry, Matthew Syed, Gareth Herbert and Terry Young in the mens team event at the indoor tennis centre. The team event takes place in the first week followed by a stamina-sapping singles competition. England will be taking competitors as young as fifteen to the Games, Andrew says, ˜These years are very important for young players like myself. You need to get the fitness right now, and this experience can only stand you in good stead for later on in your career. This year has seen the introduction of some important new rule changes, these come as part of a series of experiments to slow the game down and make it more spectator-friendly. Firstly, there is a new bigger ball, and secondly, games will be played to eleven rather than twenty-one. ˜When the rule first came in I felt really under pressure, but it benefits the players who really want to go for it, and I am an attacking player who likes to go for his shots. Says Andrew. ˜The sport needs to be explained properly on TV, and shown in the right way, many people don't understand the intricacy of the spins. The Commonwealth Games provides the perfect opportunity to do this. The support of family has played an undeniable role in Andrew’s success. Stephen Baggaley, his brother, acts as Andrewâs agent, coach and mentor, and runs the local table-tennis club in Milton Keynes. His parents will also be in Manchester making Andrews efforts very much a family affair. All this leaves very little time for the normal social life expected of a 19 year-old. Andrew clearly isn™t phased by peer pressure and prioritises physical fitness and what is now an occupation, over clubbing and drinking. His focus is very much on working his magic when he comes to Manchester. ˜England in table tennis, are very strong. If we play well on the day we should get a gold medal.
Tickets to Commonwealth games for Table tennis will vary from £5-£25 http://www.commonwealthgames.com/sports/Table_Tennis/
Commonwealth Table Tennis Schedule Individual Events Men's Singles Andrew Baggaley beat Hubbard (NZL) 8, 10, 12, 3 Gareth Herbert beat Robertson (WAL) 6, -7, 14, -7, 4, 9 Alex Perry v Roy (IND) Matthew Syed v Brown (AUS) Terry Young v Csaba (CAN) Women's Singles Nicola Deaton v Saha (IND) Helen Lower v Roussy (CAN) Women's Wheelchair Singles Cathy Mitten [Group B] Pd 3 W 3 L 0 Sue Gilroy [Group A] Pd 2 W 2 L 0 Mixed Doubles Andrew Baggaley/Georgina Walker beat Baboor/Indu (IND) 10, 7, 5 Gareth Herbert/Nicola Deaton lost to Lavale/Miao (AUS) -8, 9, 7, -7, -7 Alex Perry/Helen LOWER lost to Jackson/Li (NZL) -10, -8, 9, -6 Matthew Syed/Katy Parker beat Toriola/Oshonaike (NGR) 8, 6, -8, 4 Women's Doubles Nicola Deaton/Helen Lower - bye lost to Indu/Ghosh (IND) -6, -9, 7, 7, -4 Georgine Walker/Kate Steward beat Owen/Davies (WAL) 8, 8, 7 lost to Li/Li (NZL) -8, -6, -5 Men's Doubles Andrew Baggaley/Gareth Herbert beat Lavale/Brown (AUS) -4, 1, 9, 9 beat Csaba/Kassam (CAN) -11, 6, -16, 7, 7 QF beat Jackson/Li (NZL) 8, 10 (from 0-5), 8 Alex Perry/Terry Young v Cowan/Dennison (NIR) 6, 5, 5 beat Tziambos/Tsouderos (CYP) 4, 3, 7 QF lost to Duan/Zhang (SIN) -9, -5, -6