Meet the Table Tennis Wales Players: Harry Street 

Harry Street is among some of the most promising young Tabe Tennis Wales talents, having secured his first national title at this year’s National Championships.  

Harry’s success has not come without hard work, however, and we were fortunate enough to chat to him about his fledgling career. 

What inspired you to start playing table tennis, and how did you begin your journey to becoming a national athlete? 

My father really inspired me to start playing table tennis when we were on holiday. I’ve always loved anything to do with hitting a ball with a bat or racket, so I went down to my local club and as soon as I started, I loved it and never wanted to stop. 

How do you handle the pressure of representing your country on the international stage, and what strategies do you use to stay focused during high stakes matches? 

When representing my country, I try not to take it for granted as I know it is a privilege to wear the badge and play the game and I’m very grateful for all the opportunities I get. However, sometimes the pressure is hard to handle; that’s one problem with holding myself to such a high standard. When I feel overwhelmed, I just try to relax and reset. 

What’s been one of the most challenging moments in your career so far? 

A challenging moment in my career was in 2023 when I wasn’t picked for the home nations tournament. But in the end, it just got me to train harder and win more matches, and now I’m getting selected quite frequently and I believe this was a key moment in my career. 

What advice would you give to anyone that aspires to be a national table tennis player? 

The advice I would give to aspiring athletes is simply to never give up, because if you want it bad enough you can achieve it! 

What’s a memorable victory or achievement that stands out to you? 

My most memorable victory was my first National Championships win; it was this year and I was really nervous to play but I persevered and I was extremely happy to come away with a victory. It was so memorable as I think it really gave me confidence to compete at a higher standard. 

What are your goals and aspirations for the future? 

My main goals and aspirations for my career are to qualify for the Commonwealth Games and become Welsh number one. I would also like to win a medal on the world stage whether that be at the Commonwealths or somewhere else.