The ESMBA has released the National Championship allocations for the 2024 National Championships. Norfolk has received an allocation of 23 places overall, which is the fourth highest total of places. Only Oxfordshire with 28, Devon with 26 and Hampshire with 24 received more. Norfolk received the maximum of four places in the Singles, Triples and Under 18 Singles. Three places have been awarded in the Pairs, Fours and Over 55 Pairs and two places in the Mixed Fours. The total number of allocated places for the Under 18s is only 24 and Norfolk, North Yorkshire and Oxfordshire have four places each. It is perhaps an indication of the lack of young players in our sport that the remaining 32 counties share just 12 entries between them in the Under 18s. Devon, Dorset, Kent and Greater Manchester have two places each while Cornwall, Derbyshire, Essex and Somerset have one place each. The allocations show that of Norfolkâs neighbouring counties Suffolk have the best entry allocation of 18 places in total while Cambridgeshire have just 5 places overall. Seven counties have no players in the Nationals and they are County Durham, Cumbria, London, Merseyside, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and West Yorkshire. Although Buckinghamshire appear on the allocation list as having no entries they are no longer an affiliated county.
