Amir all smiles after winning English crown

Photo: Vincent Brown

PROUD: Amir Hussain beat the top two seeds on his way to victory in Doncaster.

TABLE TENNIS: NINE-year-old table tennis prodigy Amir Hussain has won the under-11 boys’ event at the Butterfly Schools’ Individual Championships at The Dome in Doncaster.

It was the 40th year of the prestigious English Schools’ Table Tennis Association’s individuals championships, with 313 players across 21 tables.

After battling his way through several matches against older opponents, Amir met number two seed Tom McIntosh from Nottinghamshire in the semi-finals — and won the tie comfortably to book a final clash against top seed Ethan Walsh from Hertfordshire.

The impressive young Oldhamer prevailed 16-14, 11-7, 12-14, 1-11, 11-9 following a titanic clash.

Young star Amir had swept all before him with some breathtaking play.

Amir’s dad Khamal said: “It’s difficult to sum up just how proud we all are of Amir. He played so well all day, against boys who were all older than him, and the atmosphere was fantastic.”

Next for Amir is the National Junior Championships in June.