Young Sarah Johnson is showing some star qualities as the Oakworth girl won two silver medals at the Wellow House Open Table Tennis Tournament in Nottingham at the weekend.

Nine-year-old Sarah, a pupil at St Anne's School in Keighley and a member of Oakbank Table Tennis Club, has already qualified for a national ranking tournament for U-11s to be held at Derby in April.

However her coach Hans Soova said that at the weekend Sarah showed some great qualities of a champion when she won the two silver medals for finishing second in the U-12s and U-10s age groups.

Soova said in the U-10s Sarah was unlucky to lose to the winner from Nottingham, Alice Walker.

The two played a hard-fought match which saw Sarah lose by the narrowest of margins, 12-14, 14-16, 15-13 and 7-11.

Soova said: "Sara lost only two matches at the weekend, the final in each age group.

"Sara, who plays an attacking top spin from the backhand and forehand sides of the table, gave up three years in age advantage to some of the players she beat.

"She also showed a good attitude in in both victory and defeat. She is always determined to play to improve her skills."

Soova has helped five players at Oakbank Table Tennis Club represent England, the latest being his star pupil, Mary Fuller of Stanbury.

Soova said that young Sarah plays a very similar style to Mary, saying: "Mary Fuller is the English Masters Champion and with Sarah we now have a new champion in the making at Oakbank."