RYEDALE table tennis addict Cliff Edens has just been honoured with a national award for his services to the game.

He has been awarded the English Table Tennis Association's 'Tutor Coach of the Year' at a dinner at the Sport England National Training Centre in Lilleshall near Telford, Shropshire.

Edens, who is a police sergeant based at Malton, started playing the sport when he was ten.

"My Dad got me interested in table tennis and by the time I was 13 I was playing competitively in the Newbury and District TT League," said Edens.

Although he took a break from competitive playing and took up rugby, by the time he was 28 he had picked up his bat again with a vengeance.

He said: "Injuries from rugby made me turn back to the table tennis but I loved it so much I began to want to help other youngsters get the bug."

Edens took up his first coaching course in 1991. He's not looked back since, with scores of youngsters coming under his tutelage.

Initially he worked alongside John Caton at the Throxenby club in Scarborough, training youngsters but when he moved to work in Ryedale he started an after-school club with his team-mate Ruth Purseglove.

It's now five years since they formed the Helmsley Table Tennis Club which has enjoyed several successes.

"In particular we have trained North Yorkshire champions and Yorkshire champions. Most notably, last year the under-13 Ryedale Boys' team got to the National Schools' team final and came third in the country," he said.

In 2003, Edens developed his coaching skills further when he became a tutor training players to become coaches.

As well as coaching, he plays for Helmsley 'A' and also manages the Games-Web Helmsley team in the British Veterans League and the Ryedale Veterans 'A' team in the Yorkshire League.

A keep-fit fanatic, he has also taught self-defence within the police force for the last 23 years.

Updated: 09:12 Saturday, September 24, 2005