OKEHAMPTON’s Emily Haskell has qualified to join the best table tennis players in England at the national championships.

The 17-year-old player finished eighth at the recent qualifying tournament at the David Ross Sports Village in Nottingham, where a top-10 finish was needed to book a place at the nationals.

The former Okehampton Table Tennis Club player, who now is at Joola Plymouth Club, will now compete alongside the top-22 ranked senior English players at the same venue from February 28 to March 1 and could earn a plum draw against one of England’s leading players, including 2018 Commonwealth Games medallists Tin-Tin Ho, Maria Tsaptsinos and Denise Payet.

Emily said: ‘It’s been a good weekend. It’s the first time I have qualified for the nationals and I think the main event will be good. I’m just going to see how it goes. I’m just really happy to have made it into the top eight. It’s great.’