Home was sweet home for four budding table tennis players in the Jack Petchey Foundation London Schools South London Regional final last week.

It was heads down over tables at Chelsea Academy for Maria Radijov, aged 13, from the host school, who fought off team mate Emma Pivasevic, 14, to take the Girls U16s final.

The competition brought together teams from Camden, City of Westminster, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Southwark and Wandsworth schools with 50 players in last Friday’s event.

Maria been competing for three years thanks to her cousin, who introduced the Chelsea champion to the sport.

Maria added: “I like the precision, speed and accuracy of the game. I can’t wait for the final. One day I want to play for England.”

Bronze: Parsa Ayatollahi

In the Boys U16 event, Parsa Ayotollahi,16, also from Chelsea Academy was runner up and Erwan Trade, age 14, from Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle was a semi-finalist.

Jack Petchey London Schools’ Table Tennis Championships is a prestigious event aimed at increasing participation and awareness of table tennis in London Schools.

It includes individual and team competitions and all winners progress to the Jack Petchey London School’s Singles finals being held on June 20.

The project also includes the donation of indoor and outdoor table tennis tables which is also helping to bring more girls into the sport. Over four years 1,000 table tennis tables have been donated to London Schools and 21,000 players have taken part in the competitions.