Grantham student Ella to join England Team for World Championships
23 March 2026We are incredibly proud of Grantham College student and Table Tennis Academy player Ella Pashley who has just been selected to be part of the England Women’s team for the upcoming ITTF Table Tennis World Team Championships.
Ella, 17, will be joining Tin-Tin Ho, Tianer Yu and Jasmin Wong to form the England Women’s team at the upcoming tournament that is being held in London for its centenary year. They will have the massive honour of representing their country on home soil in some of the biggest matches seen in this country for years. Their first matches in Stage 1a will take place at the OVO Arena from Saturday 2nd May. They will begin by facing Japan at 10am followed by Germany at 5pm. Sunday 3rd May will see them take on France at 12:30pm.
The Men’s team for the Championships will include former Academy players Tom Jarvis and Connor Green. Connor is a former Charles Read Academy student and through our partnership with their Table Tennis Performance Centre, Connor attended daily training sessions at our Academy throughout his two years at the school. Tom was a student at another of the David Ross Education Trust schools but travelled to the Academy up to four times per week to train with us. The Men’s team will face China, Sweden and Korea in their Stage 1a matches.
The results of this first stage will determine the seeding position they will both take in Stage 2 which commences on Monday 4th May with the round of 32. England are guaranteed at least one more match once Stage 2 gets under way, though the round of 32 continues into Tuesday 5 May and the schedule cannot be confirmed until after Stage 1a. But there are sure to be some sensational matches as the knockouts begin!
Olly Tyndall, Performance Coach for our Table Tennis Academy, said: “I have coached Ella for a number of years now and it has been a real pleasure to work with her and witness her continual development. She first joined our Academy whilst at Charles Read School and has now become a Grantham College student. In the last 13 months we have achieved many national titles together including the treble at U17 National Championships, both Singles and Doubles at the U21 National Championships and last month the Youth British League Premier Division title. This last weekend Ella took on the Seniors and finished 2nd in the Women’s Doubles and 3rd in the Women’s Singles. She is a bundle of energy and always works incredibly hard in all of her training sessions, which is all I can ask for as her coach. Her passion for the sport shines through and her resilience and determination in matches have contributed to her continued success. To see her be selected for the World Team Championships is such a great achievement and so thoroughly deserved. Everyone at the Academy is so proud of her work and know that there are bigger things to come…!”
Shane Ward, Head of Sports Enrichment at the David Ross Education Trust, said: “We’re incredibly proud of Ella and everything she’s achieved. To see a former table tennis scholar selected for the 100th World Table Tennis Championships in London is a truly special moment, not just for her, but for everyone who has been part of her achievements. Ella has always shown dedication, humility and a real love for the sport, and this recognition is thoroughly deserved. She’s a fantastic example of what can happen when talent is nurtured in the right environment, and we’re delighted to have played an instrumental part in her journey.”
Sue Jones, Executive Principal, added: “Ella’s determination and quiet resilience really stood out during her time at Charles Read Academy, this selection is wonderful to see and a testament to how much she has developed. The partnership between Charles Read Academy and Grantham College Table Tennis Academy has been instrumental in supporting students like Ella from a young age, giving them the opportunity to grow both academically and athletically”Ella joined the programme at 15 and has continued to flourish through that pathway, and now, as a full-time athlete at Grantham College, she represents exactly what can be achieved through strong collaboration and belief in young people. We’re all incredibly proud of her and will be cheering her on at Wembley.”
Ella made her first senior debut in January 2025 alongside Tin-Tin, Tianer and Jasmin as they competed in the European Team qualification event. The team qualified and Ella went on to make her Senior major tournament debut at the European Team Championship Finals in Croatia in October 2025. She followed that up with two big victories at the WTT Star Contender London, before winning the Under-21 National Cup.
Both England teams will head into training camp next month to prepare for the championships, and we will certainly be cheering for them all the way.
Follow Grantham Table Tennis here: https://www.instagram.com/gccollege_tta/ or check out our webpage here: https://www.grantham.ac.uk/student-life/sports-academies/table-tennis-academy/
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