Meet the Table Tennis Wales Players: Oliver Harvey

An aggressive and exciting player with a fierce serve and creative flare to his game, Oliver Harvey is a joy to watch on the table and one of many bright prospects emerging in Welsh table tennis.

His love affair with the sport began at eight years of age, when he was invited to Rhondda Table Tennis Club by Norman Jenkins after impressing at a lunchtime club at school.

In just two years, Oliver became a national champion, winning his first national tournament at Sport Wales at the age of ten; and ever since, he hasn’t looked back.

We talked to Oliver about his fledgling career and what he hopes the future holds.

As a national athlete, what does a typical day of training look like for you?

“A typical training day for me consists of at least one hour of practice with my grandad, using the robot in the garage every day after school. Sometimes I do it in the morning at the weekend.

“Then, I leave for my evening training sessions; Mondays at Elite regionals for two hours and Tuesdays at Sport Wales for two-and-a-half hours. On Wednesday mornings, I miss school to attend training in Cardiff for two hours and Wednesday evening for two hours at Sport Wales; then Thursday evenings at Merthyr college for two-and-a-half hours.

“At weekends, I train in the garage, have a private lesson or book a table at a local leisure centre.”

What advice would you give to young, aspiring athletes hoping to make it to the national level?

“I’d say have the right mindset and be committed.

“You also have to be prepared to make sacrifices and ensure that you train as hard as you can and as much as you can. The journey isn’t easy; it’s important to stay focused and don’t give up on your dreams.

“Most importantly, you have to enjoy it.”

How do you handle the pressure of representing Wales?

“I find that not overthinking things that I can’t control is important, and to try to stay focused on my own game and trust myself to be able to deal with all situations that may occur.

“Where the pressure is high, particularly in national competitions and matches, I must focus on winning the next point and not on the points that have gone.”

Aside from the success you’ve already enjoyed, what challenging moments have you had to overcome?

“The most challenging time in my career was last year when I was struggling to find any form and it just felt like I wasn’t able to  play any shots that I would normally play. Even my serve was off, and it was affecting my game.

“This continued and it was upsetting because I didn’t know why it was happening. My father kept telling me to stick to it, stay focussed in training, and make sure that I was enjoying it and not to force it and it would come back. Thankfully it did.

“I think it’s important to remember that everyone has a drop in form but you need to stick with it!”

Where do you want to go in table tennis?

“My main aspirations are to keep improving my all round game, continue to challenge myself against more experienced players, even older players and also players in different countries.

“I aspire to continue to represent my country and to win some major tournaments. My biggest aspiration is to represent my country at the Commonwealth Games!”