11-year-old whiz kid helps Wales beat Indian table tennis team at Commonwealth Games

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Hursey hits a return during her women's doubles match at the 2018 Commonwealth Games — AFP
Hursey hits a return during her women's doubles match at the 2018 Commonwealth Games — AFP

Eleven-year-old table tennis prodigy Anna Hursey made her mark at the Commonwealth Games as she helped pull off a hard-fought doubles win for Wales on Thursday.

The schoolgirl, the youngest athlete at these Games and thought to be the youngest in the competition's history, partnered with Charlotte Carey in the women's team event.

Carey and Hursey were 2-0 up against India's Madhurika Patkar and Mouma Das before being pegged back to 2-2, but they grittily won the last game 13-11 to seal the match.

Although it was Wales's lone success, as India won the three singles matches to take the tie 3-1, it was an important step forward for Hursey.

Standing just 1.60 metres (5ft 3in) tall, the Cardiff schoolgirl is known as a tenacious competitor, having already broken records by appearing at last year's European championships.

“She's taking it in her stride really,” Welsh coach Stephen Jenkins told AFP earlier. “She is actually really mature for her age. It's just inside her — she's mentally strong. “

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