SUPPORTERS of local table tennis hot-shot Paula Latham lined up a challenge for Carnival-goers in a bid to boost her travel fund.

The Crewe player has won a place in England's Special Olympics squad heading for American next July.

In October she'll be jetting out to Austria for the European Championships.

With a string of wins behind her and more national competitions lined up, 1998 will be a memorable year for the Crewe player who has a learning disability.

She has the playing skills and the will to win, but needs a helping hand funding her journeys to matches.

During the Bank Holiday, Carnival crowds were asked to pit their own ball hitting abilities against a robot.

Fifty pence bought a pot of table tennis balls to fire at the mechanical player.

Paula gained her England 'shirt' in March after winning several North West titles.

She's been playing for five or six years now, steered by her coach Dennis Beech who helps other players with special needs every Saturday from 2-4pm at the Coppenhall Leisure Centre.

Garvis Upton provides general coaching at the Victoria Centre on Fridays from 6-8pm. His autumn sessions, for players and beginners of any age, kick off next week, September 18.

Winners of T-shirts in the Carnival robot competiton were Stacey Swift of Rolls Avenue, Crewe; P Nicholls of Lynton Grove, Haslington; J Davey of Charlcote Crescent, Crewe and S Miller of Seagull Close, Crewe.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.