ABRAHAM Earl Sellado could become table tennis' next big thing, with the 12-year-old Bradford sensation already racking up an incredible list of achievements.

The latest was his recent triumph at the West Yorkshire Under-13s Individual School table tennis tournament for St Bede’s and St Joseph’s Catholic College, but he has long been making a splash on the national stage too, not just the regional one.

His mum and dad have lived here for around 20 years, and while they are happily settled in Fairweather Green, it is Abraham's Filipino heritage which is to thank for his start in the sport.

Dad Alvin explained: "Abraham started playing when he was seven, which was when we went back to the Philippines for a family holiday.

"His uncles used to play at a good level in the country, so they trained with him and taught him how to play.

"He wanted to do table tennis after school when we came back to Bradford, so we found somewhere in Thornton that offers that.

"But the teacher there said he was a bit different, and encouraged us to send him to a proper coach in Halifax.

"From then, he went on to become the number one player in England at the age of nine, and he's currently number one at U12s and U13s level in the country.

"He's represented England in competitions and last November he helped them win a national cup against the likes of Scotland and Ireland."

It is no surprise that Abraham won that recent West Yorkshire school tournament, with his dad saying: "When he was eight, we put him into U11 competitions at primary school, and he represented West Yorkshire when he was eight, nine and 10.

"When he was 10, he got his first chance to represent England, but Covid stopped that tournament from happening.

"He's 12 now, and this West Yorkshire U13s tournament last month, he was going up against players from schools across Leeds and Bradford."

The future looks bright for Abraham, and his dad said: "We're trying to develop him, and first of all just seeing if he wants to continue playing the sport.

"I think he will, and if he does, the Olympics would probably be the aim.

"He's already a member of the England Hopes squad, and from there, he could progress through to England Aspire, then England Youth, before making the men's team.

"He does a lot of other sports too like rugby and swimming, and according to his teachers, he's showing real potential in basketball and football.

"But we're focusing him more on table tennis really, as he's already in England squads for that, representing his country."