Gloucester-based table tennis player Darren Griffin has taken victory in both the over 40s and over 50s categories at the Southern Masters in Crawley last month.
53-year-old Griffin is a several time Gloucestershire county champion and has been playing his whole life, with plenty of titles coming on the VETTS calendar.
Griffin managed to beat number one seed Richie Venner 3-2 in the final of the over 40s, before taking another victory over the same opponent in the semi final of the over 50s.
He finished the day off in style by beating Costas Papatoniou 3-1 to take both titles.
“Playing the semi-finals and finals so close together was really hard. I had to play both finals within about 10 or 15 minutes of each other.
“It was a lot of matches at the end of the tournament. I got on good form and managed to win them so I’m very pleased with how I played on the day.”
Looking ahead, Griffin has his eyes on the national VETTS championship in Wolverhampton, following the cancellation of the Northern Masters in Preston.
The event, set for the 16th and 17th of May, has not yet been cancelled but is obviously under threat.
However, Griffin is preparing as normal, adding: “I’m still playing lots, I’ve got a new training partner and he’s keeping me sharp. My aim this year is to challenge for the national title, I’ve been getting a bit closer to the top guys so hopefully I can do well.”
