Major award for Rebecca

Major award for Rebecca

1 January 2014

A 13-year-old table tennis champion from Carryduff has been presented with a Rainbow Communications Sports Award in partnership with the Mary Peters Trust.

Rebecca Finn received the funding to help her train for the Six Nations Junior and Cadet Championships in Guernsey in March.

The Down High School Year 10 pupil says she has been playing the sport since she was just six years old.

“My older sister, Laura, started table tennis at an after school club in primary school and I saw how much she enjoyed it and I, too, wanted to get involved,” Rebecca said.

“Because I was too young to attend, I started playing in a local club in Carryduff Presbyterian Church and competed in my first U-10 competition after I turned seven.

“Since then, I have become No. 1 in Northern Ireland at U-12 and U-14 levels, and Irish National U-12 champion. I was selected for the European Youth Championships in the Czech Republic and hope to be picked for the next European Youth Championships in July in Riva Del Garda, Italy.”

Rebecca continued: “My goal is to get regular selection for the Irish junior team at any international events, and eventually represent Ulster and Ireland at senior level in the next two years.

“The funding from the Mary Peters Trust and Rainbow Communications will help me to train hard and perfect my skills even further. I enjoy the competitive part of table tennis and I have gained personal confidence from the travel and social aspect involved with training and competing.”

Dame Mary Peters said: “Rebecca is exceptionally talented and has a fantastic work rate throughout every training session. She has the potential to be a very accomplished European player.

“Rebecca is aiming towards competing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games for Northern Ireland, so continual training and perfecting of her skills will make this a reality.”

Stuart Carson, from Rainbow Communications, which is Northern Ireland’s largest independent business telecoms company, said: “We are delighted the sports award is going to a talented young lady who is already in the top 3 in the UK and Ireland at U-13 level.

“We know that a demanding training and competition programme has been set for Rebecca which requires a lot of travelling so this funding will help her to achieve her goals. We wish her the best of luck.”