Darius Knight Profile
Q. Who is Darius Knight?
A. The face of the Fred Perry Urban Cup
Darius Knight is a rising star of the world Table Tennis stage. Representing Great Britain on the World Pro Tour, with a national ranking number 3 in the Seniors, and number 2 in the Juniors, at aged just 17, Darius is one of the rising stars of British Table Tennis .
Hailing from the streets of South London, Darius' rise to sporting accolade has been far from smooth, his passion for Table Tennis releasing him from a world of drugs, crime, and poverty.
Darius Knight used to hang out on the streets and stairwells of a syringe-strewn council estate in South London with a gang of 15 boys. By the time Darius became involved in table tennis his father had already left home: it would have been very easy for him to become involved in drugs had it not been for sport.
Darius' life changed six years ago when he met Gideon Ashison, a part time librarian and table tennis fanatic. Gideon introduced Darius to the sport and became his coach. Without enough funds to hire any decent practice facilities, Darius' training took place in a shed in Wandsworth! From these humble beginnings Darius was invited to live and train at the prestigious National Training Centre in Nottingham, and the rest so they say, is history.
PLAYER PROFILE
- Date of birth: 22/2/1990
- Place of birth: Lamberth, London
- Residence: Battersea, London
- Current Ranking: National Senior 9; National Junior 2
- Style of play: Close to the table quick counter attacking
- Average training time per week: 24 hours split over six days a week
- Personality on the court: Exuberant, energetic and wears his heart on his sleeve
- Current Club: York Gardens with the exception of London Progress for Senior British League
Career Highlights
- 2007 - U21 National Champion
- 2007 - European Youth Gold (Junior Boys team)
- 2007 - Canadian Youth Open Team Gold
- 2006 - U21 National Champion
- 2005 - World Cadet Challenge - Team Gold
- 2005 - ITTF W JC Canadian Junior Open - Team Gold
- 2005 - European Youth Gold (Cadet Boys Team)
- 2005 - European Youth Silver (Cadet Boys Singles)
- 2005 - European Youth Bronze with Amelie Solja(Germany)(Cadet Mixed Doubles)
- 2004 - Winner six Nations U15 Singles Team
- 2004 - European Team Silver Medal U15
- 2002 - Safirs U11 Champion
Table Tennis Ambitions
- Most wants to beat: Wang Liqin (current world number 1)
- To win gold for GB at the 2012 Olympics
"I have a desire to become a top class table tennis coach and give something back, especially in London. Table tennis has already let me see the world and I am only 17."
Behind the bat
- Favourite colour: Blue
- Favourite music genre: Hip hop/Rap
- Favourite artists: 50 Cent, eblock
- Favourite comedian: Bernie Mack
- Personality off the court: "The joker of the squad, cheeky and charming!"