Table tennis Guinness World Record set to return to Belfast

Three time Irish champion Paul McCreery thanks Lady Mary Peters for her support to Northern Ireland table tennis

A Belfast table tennis club is hoping its secured a Guinness World Record title.

Ormeau table tennis club originally set the record in 2017 for the highest number of consecutive shots in one continuous rally involving 113 different people.

In 2020, a club in Brighton pinched the record title, with a rally of 118.

At an event to reclaim the title on Thursday more than 130 participants lined up to take their swipe.

To make the record, each participant had to take one shot and move aside as the next person filled in behind and so forth, forming a continuous rally against one person.

If the ball was missed, or bounced twice, then it went back to the beginning of the queue.

The event was organised by Ormeau table tennis club with the help of the Mary Peters Trust.

Lady Mary says the event gave young people the opportunity to learn how to play table tennis

At the event, Lady Mary said: "We support those young table tennis players who have exceptional talent. This is a way of raising the opportunities for young people to learn to play table tennis.

"We are here to break the world record. To reclaim it and bring it home. But it is also a fun community event."

Four time Irish champion Paul McCreery is used to the pressure but he said: "It feels like having 120 different people playing against you, it's exhausting."

"I think we had around 15 attempts, and by the end I was just so tired mentally, keeping the focus for 120 shots in a row trying not to make a mistake really took it out of me."

Over 130 people took part in the group effort reclaim the world record

At the event were officials from the Guinness World Records and rally counters to ensure everything was in check.

During the best attempt, the participants began cheering and celebrating as they believed they had broken the record of 118.

But the rally counters had only clicked only 116 times - just two shots shy of the record.

So it was back to the beginning, with Lady Mary to make the opening serve.

However, after a review by video invigilators it was revealed there were in fact 120 shots made during that best attempt, meaning the record had been broken.

Keith Knox says even some experienced player were affected by the pressure

Ormeau table tennis club is Ireland's first full-time club, and was set up in 2013 by county Tyrone brothers Keith and Gervis Knox.

They were presented with the BBC Unsung Hero award in 2017 for their voluntary work and contribution to the sport.

Since then, the club has grown both in size and in international notoriety after being crowned British premier league champions last year.

Some of their players, including 13-year-old Peadar Sheridan, have even competed on the world stage.

'A monumental day'

Keith Knox said: "It was a monumental day for the club, I'm so delighted we got there in the end.

"There were people who had never hit a table tennis ball in their life at the start of the queue tonight.

"There were a lot of the parents, friends and relatives of members at the tennis table club who chipped in to get us this record."

He admitted that the achievement was far from easy with even of the experienced players missing some returns.

"That just shows the pressure that really begins to build once you get to around that seventy or eighty mark. The nerves completely take over."

Gokul Nath moved to Northern Ireland from India around two years ago

Speaking after the event, Gokul Nath said: "I can't believe that I am part of a world record - it's something I didn't think could happen."

Gokul moved to Northern Ireland from India around two years ago and has been playing table tennis for about a decade.

He said: "I have been to different table tennis clubs around Northern Ireland but this is really something quite special.

"I am so proud to be part of this moment."

It could take several weeks for official verification of the record being broken.