A table tennis club – which a world champion used to play for – wants more people to recognise the sport.

To see what it is all about, reporter Alex Langridge headed down to Meopham, near Gravesend, to try her hand at the game.

Maurice Butler talks about the club

I have played table tennis before but never seriously and never very well so when I stepped into Meopham Table Tennis Club I knew it was not going to be easy.

Especially when I was met the team's players, who were whacking shots faster than I could have imagined and barely even missing a play.

I enlisted the help of head coach Maurice Butler to teach me the basic shots, stance and positioning – things I had no idea about.

Firstly, you need to stand behind the table and hold the paddle out so the rim meets the table. Your arm should not be too extended, and that determines where you should be. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent to allow you to move faster.

Then onto the basic four shots known as forehand drive, backhand drive, forehand push and backhand push.

For the drive move you need to hold the bat at a slight angle and facing the table, take a back swing and hit the ball at its peak bounce but for the push shot the paddle should be angled and instead of hitting the ball it is a "push-like" manoeuvre.

I then got practising before heading into a one-to-one with Maurice and although he said I was doing well, I am not sure I believed him after missing my tenth ball.

After clearly embarrassing myself, I sat down with the coach who said because of Covid many people have not returned and they are struggling to recruit new members.

He said: "It is all about enjoying your game and enjoying the competitive nature of table tennis but because of lockdown some have broken the habit.

"I think the reason behind [people not recognising the sport] is the limited time it is given on national television but it is one of the more played sports internationally.

"In some countries it is played more than others. We do have a national body, Table Tennis England, and they do encourage people and give grants to clubs like ourselves."

The premier club first opened in 1983, formed out of a previous youth club, and now has around 100 members in varying ages and abilities.

Currently, there are 48 players in six teams who play for the Gravesend District league, six coaches but only 20 junior members, aged between seven and 17.

Maurice said the club wants to encourage younger people to pick up the sport and believes it often goes under the radar when youngsters are looking for a hobby.

He added: "We want to encourage people as far as they want to go in table tennis. If they are happy just being here with friends from school or to be coached then we support that."

The group has also had its fair share of fame with veteran player and over-85 world champion Pamela Butcher training there.

She was also shortlisted in a national competition and reached the final 10 of the Amplifon Awards for Brave Britons 2020 Active Agers category, in 2020.

It is also used by the Helen Allison School in Meopham, which specialises in teaching children with autism, for practice sessions.

Meopham Table Tennis Club practices in a building behind the Village Hall in Wrotham Road and offers multiple different sessions for different ages and an open morning on Saturdays.

If you would like to get involved contact Paul on 01474 814897 or for junior coaching Lynne on 01474 812239.