OXFORD city councillor Mark Lygo was jumping for joy after beating Oxfordshire County Council leader Ian Hudspeth at a grudge match to mark National Table Tennis Day yesterday.

On the game, held outside Westgate Shopping Centre, Cllr Lygo said: “It was challenging but I enjoyed it. It’s good to get one over the leader of the county council. I’m ecstatic.”

The 40-year-old joked: “He put up a good fight but in the end I just thrashed him.”

Speaking about the Ping! project, which sees pop-up table tennis tables appearing in 12 locations across the city, he said: “It’s something that’s for everybody, young or old.

“There are so many different ways you can enjoy this game – singles, doubles, against colleagues, friends, family.

“The important thing is that it’s fun, it’s free and it’s accessible.”

The event runs until September 7.

Last year’s Ping! Oxford saw some 21,000 people playing over five weeks in venues such as shops, restaurants and parks.