Meet the Table Tennis Wales Players: Oliver Jordan

Part of the exciting future for Table Tennis Wales, Oliver Jordan has had plenty to smile about in recent times.

A Welsh representative, Oliver continues to go from strength to strength with brilliant performance across the Welsh circuit. Already this year, he’s taken Cadet and U18 Gold, as well as U21 Silver, at January’s Bangor Open before claiming U19 Gold at the Swansea Open in February.

With an excitingly attacking style of play, Oliver is a thrilling prospect; we chatted to him about his fledgling career and where he’d like to take it.

Where did it all begin for you?

“What inspired me to play table tennis seriously was knowing about my grandad, who died before I was born. He played in the Bolton table tennis league when he was young.

“My journey to becoming a national athlete originally began when my dad took me to a local club just after lockdown.”

From the days playing at the club, what does a normal week now look like for you?

“A typical week of training for me includes at least one league match or tournament, and multiple training sessions in Wales, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire.”

What would you say is the highlight of your career so far?

“I’d say my most memorable achievement so far is winning a silver medal at the Senior Schools International Championships last year.

“It was significant to me as it was my first time being selected to play for Wales!”

And how does it feel to represent your country? How do you handle the pressure?

“To handle the pressure of representing my country on an international stage, I try to use the pressure as a motivating factor to help me perform better.

“To stay focused in matches I use deep breaths, self-talk and use my towel every six points.”

It hasn’t all been plain sailing for Oliver, however, who has had to overcome challenges to get to where he is now.

“A challenging moment in my career was when I played terribly at a tournament in Birmingham, losing nearly all my matches,” he told us.

“This caused me to temporarily lose confidence in my game completely and I have worked hard to improve my weaknesses and become a better player as a result.”

What advice would you give to aspiring players who may face similar barriers?

“The advice I would give to aspiring table tennis players would be to learn from your losses instead of dwelling on them.

“There’s also a quote that inspires me, which is ‘one day or day one’; it teaches me not to procrastinate and just do things instead of talking about doing them.”

And Oliver is certainly “doing them”, picking up accolades and proving a tough opponent for all he faces.

Where do you want to go in your career?

“A long-term goal for me is to play for Wales at a major international event like the Commonwealth Games.

“And a shorter-term goal is to get a team medal in the Senior Schools International Championships.”

We’re excited to see Oliver continue to grow and represent Wales!