The English Open – often referred to as the "Wimbledon" of table tennis - featured more than 300 competitors from 50 nations across the globe with a prize money pot of over $175,000 (£106,000) up for grabs.
 

The National Lottery-funded EIS Sheffield, which opened in December 2003, is also the home of the British Table Tennis Federation (BBTF) and the largest multi-sport English Institute of Sport in the country.
 

And the event was made all the more significant for everyone involved in the sport due to the fact that the London 2012 Games now less than 1,000 days away.
 

Gary Clifton, Sheffield Major Sports Events and 2012 Programme Manager told insidethegames: "The London 2012 Olympics have allowed Sheffield to bring major international events - such as the English Open - to the city so the Games have immeasurably enhanced the sports events programmes we had in place."

British men’s number one, and undoubtedly the nation’s biggest table tennis medal hope at the London 2012 Olympics, Paul Drinkhall said: "Playing in front of a home crowd here in Sheffield is an important learning curve ahead of 2012."
 

Drinkhall, who was knocked out in the second round of the tournament by Qi Chen of China, added: "It is a very different experience from playing abroad and it makes you that much more motivated knowing that everyone is cheering for you."

British women’s number one Joanna Parker said: "This is such a great event because we need to get more people watching this sport.
 

"We're a very young squad and have so much potential in it so come London 2012, I think we could really be a force to be reckoned with."
 

Steen Hansen, the BTTF performance director, said: "This event will help the players experience a small portion of what the atmosphere at the Olympics will be like in 2012 so it is enormous benefit for every one of them."

Although no English players claimed a medal in a Championships dominated Asian nations, particularly China, who won the men and women's singles titles thanks to 20-year-old Ma Long (pictured) and 25-year-old Guo Yan, the English Open has proved a fantastic opportunity for table tennis to showcase itself in the country and were enthusiastically supported by a near sell-out crowd.
 

International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) President Adham Sharara concluded that the 65th English Open have proved a great success "in preparation for the 2012 London Olympic Games".
 

The Championships also featured the passing of Queen’s Baton Relay for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi with Drinkhall and Parker picking up the baton on behalf of English Table Tennis.
 

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