Horton is a hero on international debut
Brierley Hill table tennis star Steve Horton has helped England claim a silver medal on his international debut.
Horton, who plays for Bromley and Woodfield Table Tennis Club, produced a stellar showing at the European Veterans Table Tennis Championships in Leipzig, Germany to help England claim the runners-up spot in the team competition.
The event hosted some of the finest veteran players in Europe who battled it out for four days in heat-wave conditions.
The tournament started well for England with a 6-0 whitewash of Germany B which was followed by another emphatic 6-0 victory in the quarter-final against Bulgaria.
This set up a semi-final against the much-fancied Czech Republic, in what proved to be a thrilling contest. It could have gone either way but England managed to scrape home 4-2 to guarantee at least a silver medal.
Horton played a key role in this victory, claiming two vital wins to set up an enticing final against Germany on the last day.
With the match score poised at 1-1 the German side then won some crucial battles to triumph decisively by a 4-1 winning scoreline.
Horton said: "It was a great honour and a great experience to represent my country and play against the very best in Europe in my age category.
"Bringing back a silver medal was a dream come true for me and it could have been gold on another day. But you have to admire and respect the technique and skill of the Germans, who deserved their victory."
