A student from Reading has become a table tennis champion at the Junior National Championships.
Anaya Patel, seeded fourth in the tournament, beat the top two seeds to win the Junior Girls’ Singles (Under 19s) on May 1.
In the doubles, Anaya paired up with her friend Millie, third seeded, and they won the event dropping only one set in all their matches.
Read more: Reading commuters may not see benefits of Elizabeth Line for another year
“It feels good,” said Anaya, who studies at Kendrick School, in an interview with Table Tennis England.
“It’s been up and down. I lost one of my matches in the group stage so I had to recover from that and think about each stage as it comes."
Read more: 'Jubilee lie’ spread by fake Broad Street Mall account
She won the final 3-1 (11-9, 11-5, 8-11, 13-11) against second seed Amy Marriott.
“Anaya has been working hard, balancing her studies exceptionally well with her passion for table tennis,” read a section of the Kendrick School newsletter.
“We are extremely proud of her achievements and wish her well for the future.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here