The table-tennis marathon will take place at the centre’s headquarters in Launton, near Bicester, starting at 8pm on Friday, April 10, and running continuously until 8pm the following evening.

The organisers, Ian Critchley, Alan Smith and Paul Harris, say they are not expecting the expertise of legendary player Marty Reisman - the inspiration behind the recent film Marty Supreme - but stress that the challenge is open to anyone who enjoys a game of table tennis. All proceeds from the event will go to The Hummingbird Centre, a charity that supports people with cancer and their families across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.

Participants will play a mix of singles and doubles matches throughout the event. When they are not at the table, players will have the chance to rest before returning to the action.

One of the organisers, Paul Harris, a trustee at The Hummingbird Centre, said: “A few of the Hummingbird’s volunteers and trustees play table tennis competitively in the Banbury & District Table Tennis League, so we decided to challenge ourselves and hopefully raise the profile of this fantastic game locally. “A core group of players will be taking part for the full 24 hours, but we would love to invite additional volunteer players to join in. If you can spare an hour or more and would like to take part, please get in touch.”

Fellow trustee Ian Critchley said he was looking forward to the unusual endurance test.

“This will be the second time I’ve played table tennis in 24-hour marathon - but the first time was a long time ago. I’m really looking forward to the challenge.

“We will get the chance to rest between games and will be relying on plenty of snacks and music to keep us going. “It would be great to see as many people as possible come along - whether to play for a while or simply to support us during the day or night.”

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