Table tennis prodigy who cannot return to China due to coronavirus takes up training at Peterborough club

Anna Hursey, who is believed to be the youngest person to represent Wales at any sport at senior level, or compete at a Commonwealth Games for Team Wales, has been separated from friends and family due to the spread of the deadly virus which first originated in China.

The 13-year-old, who was born in Wales to Chinese parents, moved to Tianjin near Beijing six months ago to train with the world’s top players as she pursues her dream of becoming a future Olympic medallist.

But after travelling to Europe for competitions before the coronavirus began spreading from Wuhan she has now found herself unable to return home due to flights being cancelled.

Anna has competed in Poland, the Czech Republic and Sweden in recent weeks, but with upcoming tournaments in Italy and South Korea having been postponed she has been forced to look elsewhere for top-level training, which led her to Archway Peterborough in Lincoln Road, New England.

The table tennis prodigy, who first represented Wales at senior level aged just 10, said: “I’m missing home a lot, but this is the best place to train in the UK.

“They have loads of really good players and coaches. I’ve been here a week and would like to stay for longer as I need a place to practice.”

Anna is ranked the 14th best under 15 player in the world - a considerable achievement as she is two years younger than some of her rivals - and competed for Wales at the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast aged just 11.

But she remains a child who is naturally missing her friends and family and hopes to return home soon, even if she does have a place to stay in Cardiff with her parents who are in the UK with her.

“I’m missing school but I’m doing it online. I’m keeping in touch with friends in China and they are saying it’s quite bad,” she said.

“They are having to do home school and can’t go out. Only one person in a house can go out in a week to buy food.

“Since coming over to Europe they’ve been shutting down flights so I can’t go back to China.”

But despite being in limbo, Anna has enjoyed her time in Peterborough and insists she will be sad to leave whenever that may be.

“I stayed at the Bull Hotel for three nights then came into an apartment with other players,” she added. “Everything is different, especially the food!

“The training has been really good and they’re all really nice people. I’ve been shopping and eating in restaurants. I’m pretty sure I will come back.”

Although Anna is not sure about the short-term, her future ambitions are to become the world’s number one female player and win a medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.