Three medals for Shae

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Cippenham’s Shae Thakker was one of stars of the show at the annual School Games at the weekend. Teams representing all the regions of the United Kingdom took part in an Olympic style multi-sport event. Shae emerged from the weekend at Loughborough University with three gold medals and a silver.

 

Representing England South East, Shae teamed up with Hamish Friell and together they won the team disability title with the Cippenham youngster winning five of his six matches. The only player who got the better of Shae was Rio-bound Billy Shilton who defeated him in the match against England South West.

 

Shilton proved to be a bit of a nemesis for Shae as the two met again in the final of the Standing Disability Individual singles event. In a pulsating final match, Shilton won the first two games only for Shae to hit back hard by winning the next two. No more than two points had separated the players in any of the four games but the older and more experienced player ran out 11-5 in the fifth and so Shae had to settle for silver.

 

The overall title, counting both able bodied and disability events, also went to London South East and this provided the talented Shae with his second gold medal from a highly encouraging debut performance.

 

Shae Thakker will be in action at his home club this weekend as the two Cippenham teams play their first matches of the new season in the Senior British League. Following a restructure of the league, the Cippenham first team will be playing in the prestigious and new Championship Division against teams from all over the country, including a visiting team from Scotland. Thakker and his Cippenham second team will be attempting a flying start in National Division C-5 against teams from the south of England and Wales.