John Hampden Grammar School (JHGS) student William Fricker is set to take on a 350 strong field at the 2016 School’s Individual Table Tennis Championships National Finals.

Fricker, who is in Year 7, has been selected to represent Buckinghamshire at the tournament which will take place in Wolverhampton on Saturday, 23 April.

The youngster’s passion for the sport first started on a family holiday and his skills have developed quickly since he first played.

“I started playing two and a half years ago while I was on holiday with my family,” explained Fricker.

“My parents and sister spent lots of time in the pool and at the beach but I preferred to play table tennis with lots of other boys staying at the hotel.”

Fricker will compete in the under-13 age group which will also host under-11, 16 and 19 tournaments.

His passion for the sport only grew when he returned home and joined his junior school’s club, and he has continued playing since moving to JHGS in September.

The tournament is the biggest one day event on the English Table Tennis Calendar and will see Fricker’s Buckinghamshire compete against 49 other counties.

Competitors at the tournament will also be watched by the English Schools Table Tennis Association who will select representative teams to play at an Invitation International in June.

This competition pits teams from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Guernsey and the Ilse of Man against each other.