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Eleven-year-old Anna Hursey is all set to create history at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games this week as the Welsh prodigy table tennis player takes her stage in prime optimism to take a medal home for her country. Hursey, who first picked up a TT bat at the tender age of just five, will be looking to become the youngest athlete to represent not only her country but the youngest ever to contest at the quadrennial event.
While addressing the media, her coach Stephen Jenkins said, “She’s taking it in her stride really. She is actually really mature for her age. It’s just inside her – she’s mentally strong.”
Anna’s fellow players and teammates, including top Welsh athlete Charlotte Carey, have been highly appreciative and supportive of the youngster and have been protecting her from the scrutinising glares of publicity as well.
“They don’t want to baby her. It’s more that she’s a teammate, and that’s important for Anna as well – she doesn’t want to be the baby. But the girls have been fantastic. Charlotte was in a similar position to Anna once and knows exactly what she’s going through,” confessed Coach Jenkins.
Standing just 1.60 metres (5ft 3in), Anna must not be undermined in her endeavours to accomplish her goals considering her resolute keenness to become the youngest ever to wear a CWG medal around her neck. Having broken multiple records at the European championships in 2017 already, the Cardiff schoolgirl will be a firm contender at the Games in Gold Coast. The young gun trains four to six hours every day and wakes up early before school to go for her runs. She has certainly got the potential to climb up the world rankings and is determined to do well for her country in Australia this year. As per her coach’s predictions, Anna will break into the top fifty on the world rankings in no time and has got the desire to become one of the best the world has seen.
In order to achieve her dreams, Hursey has been making regular trips to China, which also happens to be the birthplace of her mother, Phoebe, where she has been on a rigorous training regime. Although her voyages have been challenging when she learned about how Chinese coaches give their students a tough time by beating them up with table tennis bat handles on missing a shot, her beliefs on Chinese soil seem to be as solid as ever. The 11-year-old talent hub believes that she must continue to train there in order to develop her game and represent Wales at the Tokyo Olympics in 2022.
