FIVE Budmouth School pupils are the first to benefit from a new bursary scheme set up to help young table tennis players with training and travelling costs.

Tom Cherry, Lily Cherry, Will Jolliffe, Ethan Gear and Sam Millar will be travelling to Sweden this month for a week’s training at a top European side.

Eslovs compete in the Champions League of table tennis and players from all over Europe will be heading there for training under the guidance of former Swedish coach Peter Sartz.

The players are also going to be stopping off to play a match against Danish team Hillerod near Copenhagen.

Development coach Andy Millar is accompanying the youngsters and is very grateful to the Taylor family for their support of table tennis in the district.

As well as sponsoring an annual trophy for the league’s junior champion, the donation is also used for free introductory visits to primary schools.

“I would like to thank Margaret Taylor and her family for their generous support in memory of the late Rob Taylor, a popular former league player,” he said.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for the players and they will benefit enormously from the trip to Europe’s top table tennis country.

“Their donation also means we can continue to introduce the sport for free to primary schools in the district and through this we are starting to develop a real strength in depth, so the future for table tennis in the area looks very good.”

Ben Graham won this year’s Rob Taylor Trophy following an exciting 16-player tournament earlier.

Any schools interested in a coach delivering a free introductory table tennis session should contact Andy Millar via a.millar212@gmail.com.