11-year-old girl in Wales squad for Commonwealth Games

For most 11-year-olds, their summer plans will involve going on holiday with their family or hanging out with their friends. 

For table tennis wonderkid Anna Hursey, however, things will be very different after Wales picked her in their table tennis squad for this year’s Commonwealth Games in Australia.

Last year, aged 10, Hursey became the youngest player to represent Wales’ senior table tennis team when she helped her country beat Kosovo in the European Championship qualifiers. 

Hursey, who took up table tennis at the age of five, said she hopes to make the most of the opportunity without putting too much pressure on herself. 

‘I don’t normally get nervous. I know I am so young and will have lots of chances,’ she told BBC Wales.

‘Sometimes you can’t believe how many people are going to be there and if the Queen was there, that would be a dream.

‘I feel proud of myself but I don’t feel that nervous – when I am there I probably will be. I think I have a really good mindset, you can’t give up when you are losing or you won’t get better.’

Hursey is in the Wales table tennis squad after impressing in European Championship matches

Hursey aims to put her best foot forward at the Games and has already stepped up her preparations.

‘I am going – and that’s really good – but hopefully I can show some people that I’m good at this sport and not just going there to have fun,’ she added.

‘I play about three hours a day after school and sometimes I go out running with my dad, it’s all right once you get used to it.’

Team Wales have also included their first Commonwealth Games diving entrant in 20 years in Aidan Heslop, aged 15. 124 Welsh competitors across 11 sports and para-sports will compete in the Games, which will be staged in Gold Coast from April 4-15.

Hursey, who took up table tennis aged five, said she hopes to make the most of the opportunity