Not many 13-year-olds would give their dad the time of day let alone £70, but that is how Kingston table tennis star Marcus Giles celebrated winning the Surrey U18 Open Championship title.

The Hollyfields School student lifted the trophy at the Graham Spicer Club in New Malden last month and pocketed £100 worth of vouchers in the process.

Giles swapped them with his dad Steve for £30 cash, but when his parents are used to ferrying him to training in Reading and Northold twice a week and to tournaments as far afield as Doncaster, it is just small change.

The Greenhouse Progress Table Tennis Club youngster has been England No 1 in his age group since he was 10-years-old and is out to retain that spot until he has an Olympic appearance under his belt – at the least.

Giles senior has recently forked out £6,000 on a purpose built practice centre for his son in his back garden, but Marcus feels no pressure.

“I just enjoy it. My dad got me in to it,” he said.

“I’d go along with him to his league matches to watch and end up just playing on any spare tables. It just went from there. I want to go to an Olympics one day.”

Giles junior won the U13 national title and national schools crown this year, and now regularly beats 18-year-old brother Simeon, himself an accomplished player.

As such the Sport England-backed youngster, who is also sponsored by table tennis equipment giant Butterfly, is eyeing the U15 national championship title later this month.

He trains at least twice a week with some of the country’s best youngsters, while spending at least three nights practicing at home with coach Steve, who admitted it was for good reason.

“There are always people trying to knock him off his perch and he doesn’t want that to happen,” he said. “It is useful having the table at home because we can be a bit more flexible. If he doesn’t want to practice I don’t push him, but he knows other people are out there practising to get one over on him.”

One such rival is Lincolnshire’s Tom Jarvis, who is reported to spend every summer in China practising with the best in the world.

“We are only too aware of him,” added Steve. “People will be hearing big things from him.”