OXFORDSHIRE’S most successful player is celebrating half a century playing the sport he loves, writes MATTHEW BRUCE.

Karl Bushell, 60, first picked up a bat at the age of ten and after 50 years and more than 400 trophies later, he is still going strong, currently leading the Oxford & District League Division 1 standings with an incredible win percentage of 93.33 per cent.

If he continues his current form, Bushell will again accumulate more individual victories than any other player in the top flight.

That would therefore see him claim a remarkable 25th Warner Cup triumph – more than any other player in the history of the competition.

But he admitted that he ran out of room for his many trophies long ago.

“I’m not sure what I’d do with it,” said Bushell.

“Some I keep out on display, but a lot of them are in boxes.

“I got them all down out of the loft for the first time recently.

“Even I was surprised how many there were, but it’s not really about winning trophies for me.

“The reason you do it is for the buzz and that drive to compete and win.

“I love a challenge and as long as I’m still healthy and able to do it, I intend to keep playing and keep winning competitions.”

That drive has led Bushell into coaching and he is now passing on his love of table tennis to the next generation.

Bushell regularly coaches in schools around Oxfordshire and said he has noticed a significant increase in the level of interest and participation.

“Lots of schools have outdoor tables now, so there are far more people playing than ever before,” he said.

“I recently went to the Oxfordshire schools’ tournament (at Kidlington) and that was incredibly well attended.

“In Europe and Asia it’s a massive sport and I certainly think it’s growing here too.

“Here we have to get the balance right between the top competitive level and the social aspect.”

And Bushell feels that the area could be set to become a hotspot for the sport.

He said: “Oxfordshire has been selected by Table Tennis England as one of their areas for growth.

“The recent Ping! Project was really successful, with outdoor tables all around Oxford and I think it captured people’s imaginations.”

While Bushell believes there are several young players in the area who could go on to play at the highest level, he recognises that the most important thing is that the opportunities are there for people of all abilities to enjoy playing table tennis in Oxfordshire.

“It’s not affected by the weather like a lot of other sports, so I think people are able to enjoy it in all conditions,” Bushell added.

“You can fit four tables into a relatively small space, so it’s ideal.

“What we want, ultimately, is for people to stay in the sport.

“And if they can go on and play at a higher level that’s a bonus.”