Alan Cooke
Alan’s Table Tennis History
I first picked up a Table Tennis bat at the age of 10 while attending Primary School in Holmgate, near Chesterfield. Interestingly, my introduction to the sport came courtesy of Nicola's dad, Colin Deaton, via an exhibition at my school. This sparked an immediate passion for Table Tennis that continues to thrive within me today!
Shortly before my 17th birthday, I earned the opportunity to represent England at both Junior and Senior Levels, thanks to substantial improvements in my performance under the guidance of my lifelong coach and mentor, Derrick Marples. At 19, I relocated to Sweden (first in Falkenberg and later in Malmö), where my rapid development continued.
I reached the last 16 in the World Championships Singles in New Delhi and secured my first National Singles Title at the age of 21, defeating the legendary Desmond Douglas and preventing him from claiming his 10th consecutive title. Qualifying for Table Tennis's inaugural inclusion at the Olympic Games in Seoul 1988 became my next focus. While Yoo Nam Kyu and Kim Ki Taek took Gold and Silver in the Singles event, I had managed to defeat both of them just months earlier in the build-up to the Games at the English Open Championships.
A remarkable achievement came in 1989 when I simultaneously became English Champion, England's number 1, National Top 12 Champion, and Commonwealth Champion. Numerous other successes followed, both individually and with my National Team, alongside table tennis greats such as Desmond Douglas, Carl Prean, and Matthew Syed. Together, we won Commonwealth, European and World Team medals, as part on one of England’s greatest teams which I am proud to have been a part of.
In 1997, after the World Championships in Manchester, I decided to retire and focus on my coaching career. However, at the age of 36 and after five years without competition, I succumbed to the temptation to play once again in 2002. Focusing heavily on fitness, I went on to win three more National Singles Titles consecutively and became the World Veteran Champion in the Over 40s in Bremen. I played in various foreign leagues, including Norway (1 year), Belgium (1 year), Sweden (5 years), France (3 years), and finally Switzerland (8 years).
Having previously gained experience in the coaching world, I re-focused and devoted the following years to working with both England and Great Britain. I Captained GB Women in the London Olympic Games 2012 and GB Men in the Rio Olympic Games 2016, where we finished in 5th place. Earlier in 2016, I coached England's Men's Team to an unexpected Bronze Medal at the World Championships in Malaysia and was honored as "ITTF International Coach Of The Year" Runner Up (to the great Lui Gouliang of China) at the Star Awards in Qatar.
After dedicating my entire life to the sport, I decided to conclude my international coaching career in 2023, putting an end to the constant travel required to assist aspiring young Table Tennis players on their journey. Now, I devote my time to finding a balance between family time and golf, all while thoroughly enjoying the challenge of developing the Cooke & Deaton Table Tennis projects.
I firmly believe that none of my career successes would have been possible without the immense support from my family, lifetime coach Derrick Marples along with many others on the way.