A Commonwealth Games medallist is coming to Milton Keynes for a special appearance – and you can test your sporting skills against her.
Table tennis star Maria Tsaptsinos will be visiting the intu Milton Keynes on Wednesday (July 18) to celebrate National #TableTennisDay.
The annual event is a nationwide celebration of table tennis that sees thousands of people up and down the country pick up a bat and play ping pong.
This year Milton Keynes has been selected to host the showcase event, and Table Tennis England – the national governing body for the sport - will be taking over the shopping centre and turning into a festival of fun to get passers-by to give it a go.
Residents are invited to visit intu Milton Keynes from 11am to 2pm to join the party, pick up a bat, pose for a photo with Maria and see how their skills stack up against the Team England star.
There will also be the chance to take part in other fun challenges – including beat the robot and choose your weapon – which sees you swap a bat for another random object, such as a wellington boot or a flip flop.
Speaking about the event, Maria said: “The event is going to be really fun and rewarding for those involved.
“It’s always enjoyable getting the public involved in table tennis and seeing their skills on the table.
“I hope that some of them will take the challenge on and I’m very much looking forward to it.”
The main event in Milton Keynes runs from 11am to 2pm at intu Shopping Centre, but the tables will be available to play on all day. Participants are encouraged to take photos of themselves taking part and post them on social media using the hashtag #tabletennisday.
Shelley Peppard, general manager at intu Milton Keynes said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming Table Tennis England to the centre, as well as these incredibly talented athletes.
"This is a great event for all of our customers to enjoy, take on a champion and play with friends and family.”
Hundreds of other events are expected to be held in clubs, workplaces, schools and other organisations all over England on July 18th.
Table Tennis England is targeting getting one million people to pick up a bat and take to the tables on the day.
Other special guests will be announced in the near future.
For more details on #TableTennisDay, click here
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