THE Clacton and District Table Tennis League’s Closed Championships take place this weekend at the Clacton Coastal Academy sports hall.

For the last eight years, the men’s singles title has been shared between reigning champion Colin Stallwood, James Denyer, Kevin Gowlett and Greg Green.

All four are in contention this year but strong challenges will come from 2004 winner Gary Young and 15-year old Sam Hume.

Fourteen-year old Gracie Edwards took the ladies’ singles title last year and starts as favourite to make it two in a row.

Sue Welham and Annabelle Rodriguez, both past champions, are the likeliest challengers.

Greg Green and Colin Stallwood have dominated the men’s doubles for the past two years and are rightly seeded number one, with Paul Hume and Sam Hume, last year’s runners-up, seeded to meet them again in the final.

However, don’t rule out James Denyer and Felipe Rodriguez, or the new pairings of Gary Young and Martin Edwards and Colin Webber and Kevin Gowlett.

In the ladies’ doubles, last year’s winners Isabel Barton and Jenny Higgins will face formidable opposition from Sue Welham and Sandie Isaac and Cris Edwards and Gracie Edwards.