In becoming European Under-21 champion, Anna Hursey confirmed she is one of the hottest properties in table tennis, as well as underlining the momentum building inside the GB programme.

Hursey won both singles and doubles gold in Bratislava, taking her remarkable run to five straight tournament victories since the start of April, including WTT Feeder Manchester.

With Liam Pitchford, Paul Drinkhall and Sam Walker also all taking golds in Manchester, Connor Green and Sophie Earley winning silver and a number of youngsters delivering medals on the WTT Youth Contender circuit this season, the Elite Training Centre in Sheffield is abuzz with positivity.

The GB programme moved to EIS Sheffield last year and draws on the best talents – athletes and support staff – from all the Home Nations.

The programme is delivered by Table Tennis England as the nominated Home Nation and is led by Gavin Evans, Director of Performance Development, and John Murphy, Head Coach. The goal of the pathway is to deliver a first ever Olympic table tennis medal for Great Britain.

Evans said: “With the new structured pathway we have created to bring alignment across Great Britain, it enables greater performance, and the new centre supports athletes to be truly professional.

“Anna’s placed her trust in the GB programme and the programme we have set for her, and it’s given her the confidence to go out and perform.

“Table Tennis Wales have also trusted the programme and have enabled GB to run Anna’s programme. When the Home Nations work together and are aligned and trust each other to deliver in their space of expertise, you can get amazing results.

“Anna’s success is testament to the work she’s done and the team has done – and it is a team effort, with the sports psychology and strength and conditioning support in our partnership with Sheffield Hallam University, and Justin the physio has been brilliant.”

Table Tennis Wales CEO Owen Rodgers said: “I’m 100 per cent behind what Gavin and the performance team are doing and it’s proving to be very successful.

“The continuity of coaching is key and producing amazing results for Wales and Great Britain.”

Gavin believes further success is within reach and that Anna will inspire the other athletes in the pathway.

“I genuinely believe Anna has all the ingredients in her game and set-up to be a European Senior champion and win a World Championship medal one day,” he said.

“It’s also exciting that she’s got three more goes at this competition (the European Under-21s), and Connor Green has as well – he reached the last 16 in the singles and was very close to winning a medal in the doubles.

“What Anna is doing is giving belief to other athletes coming through. She leads from the front with incredible professional behaviours – we’re lucky to have such a professional athlete leading the way for the other athletes coming through.

“To have an under-21 double European champion in the programme gives that belief. It shows that if you’re committed to the programme and you are professional and believe in yourself, everything is possible.”