LOCAL table tennis starlet Beth Farnworth has earned national recognition for her fast-growing potential.

The 13-year-old Thornleigh College student has been invit- ed for the third time to train with the England youth devel- opment squad at the Lilleshall National Sports Centre.

And the Tonge Fold girl has her sights set higher, with an appearance at the Olympics her ultimate goal.

“I want to play for England and I would love to play in the Olympics,” said the ambitious girl who recent- ly attended a specialist table tennis boarding school in Denmark.

Her mum, Joanne, believes self-confidence is the key to her daughter’s progress.

“I’d love her to represent England and make it to the Olympics,” she said. “She just needs to believe in herself.

“When she first started she was small and most small peo- ple have a tendency to hit the ball upwards; but Beth didn’t.

“Everyone watching just said to me ‘she has got something’.” Beth is currently ranked number one in Lancashire’s under-15s and u18s age groups, and is Manchester School’s number one and English u15s girls’ number 18.

Her first experience of the sport came at the age of nine when she accompanied her mum at a community night at Bolton St Catherines Academy, Breightmet, organised by one of the science teachers, the late Ben Dudley. He noticed her tal- ent and enthusiasm and encouraged her to take up the sport.

Now she competes all over the country, representing both Lancashire and the North West, in addition to playing for St Catherines in Division Two of the Bolton Table Tennis League.

Beth, who is coached by Stu- art Wallace and Jim Clegg, and will represent Lancashire next Saturday at Draycott and Eaton TTC in Derbyshire, said: “My school keeps up to date with my progress, which is nice.

“Sometimes it is hard to keep up with homework because I am always getting home late from training, but my teachers understand my situation and try to help out.”