TABLE Tennis players have renamed their annual championships in honour of a former staunch supporter and organiser.

Mr Nat Whittacker who died last year was a life-long member of the Crewe and District League, serving it as secretary for more than 40 years before being made a Life President.

At the weekend members battled for singles and doubles titles and for a brand new shield donated as a tribute to Mr Whittacker.

This will be awarded along with the other trophies at a presentation later this year.

To mark the re-naming of the championships borough Mayor Ray Stafford, himself a league stalwart, and Mayoress Mrs Shirley Stafford, visited Nat's widow Ann at her Crewe home to show her the new Whittacker award.

"Nat did such a lot for table tennis. He must have encouraged hundreds of youngsters to take up the game including 75 per cent of those now playing in the league," said spokesman Garvice Upton.

Championship winners were:

Mens singles winner Paul Hignett (runner-up Granville Chatterley). Division 1 Paul Hignett (John Ibbs); Division 2 Steve Tizzard (J Wilson).

Ladies singles winner Tracy Barlow (runner-up Michelle Parker); Doubles: Division 1 Paul Hignett and Tracy Barlow (John Ibbs and Granville Chatterley; Division 2 A Woodyatt and J Wilson (S Tizzard and D Shaw).

Mens doubles G Chatterley and J Ibbs (Paul Hignett and Kevin Foster); Ladies doubles Tracy Barlow and Michelle Parker (Sylvia Upton and Tracy Latham); Mixed doubles Paul Hignett and Tracy Barlow (John Brooks and Sylvia Upton).

Veterans singles John Ibbs (G Chatterley); doubles J Brooks and John Ibbs (G Chatterley and Rex Brockway).

Youths singles Tracy Latham (Nathan Steele).

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