ANDREA Holt is going back to her roots to try to develop table tennis talent in Bolton.
The former England number one learned how to play the game and then honed her talent at a club in Bury.
Now she wants to provide the same opportunities for youngsters and established players in the area.
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She coaches the players along with local player and coach, Geoff Rushton, at her new club which is based at St James High School in Farnworth.
There was an encouraging turnout of 14 players on the first of the Friday night sessions last week and Andrea is hoping the club will appeal in the same way as Cliff Booth's twice-weekly club did at Elton when she went there 27 years ago.
"I went to a great club when I was first starting out and I'd like my club to be something similar," said Andrea, who played in the Bolton and Bury leagues before going on to dominate British women's table tennis for 15 years.
"This is my first club and I want to give people the same opportunity to play that I had, and hopefully I can help someone become a top player like I was.
"I've started the club with Geoff Rushton, who is England number two Andrew Rushton's dad, and we share the coaching.
"I've got one club after school on Friday which is just for kids at the school and the open club is from six o'clock to nine o'clock."
Cliff Booth's club at Elton was the breeding ground for players in the area who were taught the correct technique by the respected coach and then let loose on the tables to practise for three hours.
"I want my club to be something similar to that," said 36-year-old Andrea, who recently set a new world record time of eight hours and 27 minutes for the longest table tennis rally which will put her in the Guinness Book of records along with playing partner, England international Alex Parry.
"Cliff Booth's produced a production line of players for the Bolton and Bury table tennis leagues and I would like to get people to come to my club like he did.
"It's open to anybody and if it takes off I might extend it to Sundays for coaching and possibly playing matches against each other.
"Table tennis is a great game which anybody can play and can carry on playing all their lives.
"It keeps the brain and the body active and is a good social activity."
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