Gavin Rumgay

Profile • Scottish Number 1 • British Number 3 • World Number 224

Born in Perth, Scotland, 27/08/1984 Based in , England

Domestic Honours • 5 times Scottish Junior Champion • 6 times Scottish Senior Champion • 18 times British Grand Prix Winner

World Honours • Quarter Finalist of Luxembourg World Open 2007 • Quarter Finalist of Finland World Open 2008 • 4th Round of World Championships, Rotterdam 2011

World and European Highlights • Defeated Lin Ju—Quarter Finalist of 2004 Athens Olympics • Defeated Constantia Cioti—Former European Number 1 • Defeated Janos Jakab—Former European Number 1 • Defeated Christian Suss—Former World Doubles Champion • Defeated British Number 1 Paul Drinkhall on four occasions

Future Aspirations • Represent Britain at the 2012 London Olympics—aiming for a medal. • Represent Scotland at the 2014 and win gold in . • Hold legacy of Scotland’s most successful player ever. The Trendy Sport of Table

• History of It is thought that table tennis was first played in 1884 – it was an upper class game, normally played in large dining halls and lounges. Champagne corks were used before table tennis balls were introduced.

• Mass Participation At present, table tennis is booming around the streets of London and Birmingham. In the lead-up to London 2012, there have been strategies put in place to boost participation in the sport across the UK. Outdoor tables made of stone have encouraged youngsters to get out there and try it – the BBC also did a feature about Ping! London, the main objectives of which were to put tables in influential business areas like Canary Wharf and key cultural venues such as Tate Modern (left).

• A New Trend The first table tennis themed nightclub opened recently in Camden Town, London, ( www.ttlondonnightclub.com ) and the venture is proving to be a huge success. The venue has ushered in a new trend, providing a social entertainment environment rather than just the average nightclub experience. London luminaries Frank Bruno and Sid ‘Ricky Butcher’ Owen put their weight behind the project, making special appearances at the launch night. What Gavin Rumgay can do for your company

Table tennis is covered by Sky Sports, Eurosport and the dedicated table tennis channel, itTV ( www.ittf.com ). Millions of viewers tune in to these channels to watch high level competition and the BBC has covered documentaries on players too.

If your business could provide a company logo to be worn on tracksuits, shirts and shorts then this would be visible to millions. In addition, www.gavinrumgay.webs.com attracts numerous visitors every week, and your logo could have pride of place on the homepage.

Articles on Rumgay appear regularly in the regional and national press. The Herald has written about his progress on many occasions and Rumgay is always keen to acknowledge the invaluable support of his sponsors.

Previous Sponsorship

Rumgay is indebted to the following companies for their vital support:

Passionate

‘Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there, and this epitomises Gavin.’ – ETTA website responds to Rumgay’s unprecedented fourth consecutive Men’s Singles Grand Prix title success in July 2010.

‘I consider myself to be very patriotic towards Scotland. I love to compete for Scotland (and, of course, Britain!) on the European and World stage. I have the nickname “Brave Heart” because my fight and desire, whether in training or in competition, are second to none!’

‘Sport is in my blood! My mother, Joy, and father, Laurie, were both international level at badminton with my mother gaining a silver medal at European level.’

‘My dad had to work 60 hours a week to gain extra money to fund my early racquet-sports development. This started to reap rewards between the ages of 12 and 15, with five national tennis titles and victories over Jamie and Andy Murray along the way. By the age of 15 I’d achieved by first senior table tennis cap and, from then on, table tennis was my priority. However, the work schedule was becoming very arduous and stressful for my dad and, because of this, I hardly have any memories of spending time with him in my childhood. These sacrifices are crucial, though, and, when elite athletes emerge, it’s important to remember that there is a whole team behind them. I have a passion to play in the 2012 London Olympics. While securing a place at the Olympics would be a dream come true, it’s also a realistic ambition as I’m Britain’s third best player.’ What your company can do for Gavin Rumgay

‘At present, competition for Olympic places is fierce. World rankings will play an important part in the selection process, so I need to compete in as many Pro Tour events around the world as possible… but this comes at a price! Each tournament costs £1000 and I’ll need to play in ten tournaments between now and the Olympics to ensure my place. £10,000 would make a huge difference and give me a realistic opportunity to fulfil my life-long ambition in table tennis.’

If you feel inspired to contribute to Gavin’s quest for Olympic success, your company’s brand could travel with Team Rumgay to the exciting locations listed below.

All that remains to say is thank you for your time and please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions.

2011

August 24-28 Harmony 2011 Open, Pro Tour, Suzhou, China September 21-25 Austrian Open Pro Tour, Vienna, Austria October 8-16 European Championships, Gdansk, October 19-23 Swedish Open, Pro Tour, Stockholm, Sweden November 24-27 Pro Tour Finals, test event, Olympic Venue, London

2012

January 18-22 Hungarian Pro Tour, Budapest, Hungary January 25-29 Slovenian Open, Pro Tour, Velenje, Slovenia March 25 - April 1 World Team Championships, Dortmund, April 11-15 Olympic European Qualification, Luxembourg