British star Paul Drinkhall claimed an individual silver and team bronze in Madrid

By Mark Ashenden

Paul Drinkhall has hailed England's young table tennis players as the sport waits anxiously for UK Sport's verdict on 2012 Olympic funding in January.

Drinkhall claimed silver in the World Junior Championships in Madrid at the weekend, with the England's boys team winning bronze earlier in the event.

The 18-year-old said the sport can deliver medals at London.

"We have improved so much," he told BBC Sport. "We have to continue to do well and send a message to UK Sport."

Several sports, including taekwondo, boxing and basketball, were recently informed of sizeable increases in their budgets ahead of London.

BBC BLOG Having been given this unique opportunity, we should be trying to do more than win as many golds as possible BBC Sport's Matt Slater

But other sports, such as table tennis, handball and fencing - plus four Paralympic sports - have yet to have their individual funding allocations confirmed and may have to settle for sharing a £12.5m pot.

Table tennis will learn their fate on 29 January and face the prospect of searching for private investment and players combining training with work.

Performance director Steen Kyst Hansen believes his players are the best this country has had for 25 years and told BBC Sport: "I'm shocked. It's a very difficult time. Promises have been made and not been kept.

"I would make a pact with the devil if it meant securing funding for this lot."

Meanwhile, Britain's number one Drinkhall is doing all he can to encourage a bigger slice of cash being handed to his sport.

Drinkhall last week guided England, along with Darius Knight, Gavin Evans and Liam Pitchford, to the last four of the World Junior Championships - the only team outside of Asia to reach that stage.

With England's Kelly Sibley and Joanne Parker also shining, having both risen to the world's top 150, he added: "We are a young team and the way we are playing, we are possibly the best youngest group in the world.

Darius Knight is another star hoping to perform in front of home fans in 2012

"We have improved so much and there is more to come. It would be unbelievable if we saw all our hard work chucked out of the window."

Hansen says Drinkhall is the best "product" this country "can develop" and the player is not disappointing, winning the singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles in July's Europe's Junior Championships and jumping 62 places in the world rankings to 118.

Drinkhall put up a battle in his Madrid final on Sunday before losing 11-8 3-11 4-12 11-8 11-5 to Chien-an Chen of Chinese Tapei.

The Middlesbrough-born rising talent, who plays league table tennis in Germany and trains in Sheffield, admits his improving mental strength has been a crucial factor.

"I used to get angry during matches but now I just deal with it," he said. "I have improved massively and progressed well without always playing well.

"I'm still annoyed I didn't make the Beijing Olympics. If I had the head I've got now back then I would have had a very good chance of being there.

"Hopefully I - and the team - will carry on doing well and give more reasons for UK Sport to think about us. And hopefully we'll all be there in 2012."

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