Ashley Stokes pocketed $1,500 after reaching the last 32 of the World Championship of Ping Pong.

In a competition organised by Barry Hearn’s Matchroom Sport promotions - where players used traditional sandpaper rackets - Stokes, 24, reached the main tournament after finishing in the top four of the qualifying stages.

The Maccabiah star went on to win a further two matches before succumbing to Scotland no. 1 Gavin Rumnay at Alexandra Palace in north-west London.

"I exceeded my own expectations,” said Stokes, who has won the Maccabi GB Open Championship four times. “Just reaching the main draw was an achievement."

MGB table tennis national committee vice-chair Dov Katz commented: “Ashley did phenomenally well to get to the last 32, and to be on Sky Sports is a pretty awesome achievement … and very rare for a GB Jewish athlete."