Gelder’s a star on world stage
TABLE TENNIS
A LONG-SERVING Northumbria League player picked up a bronze medal at the World Veterans’ Championships in Las Vegas, writes SAM BLACKLOCK.
Shirley Gelder, 60, was among 5,500 competitors from 99 countries who travelled to the United States.
Veterans aged between 40 and 90 competed for the honours.
Gelder, who now competes for local clubs True Roof Direct and Prudhoe, travelled with Yorkshirebassed partner Sandra Rider, the pair conetsting the over-50s doubles event.
She said: “To win a bronze medal in the main event at a World Championship is absolutely fabulous.
“When you have played a sport for all of your life success like this feels like the culmination of years of practice and training.
“The competition was very strong.
“On our way to the medal we beat pairs from Hong Kong, China, Germany and Australia, who were the previous world champions.
“Then in the last eight we beat the third seeds from China and in the semi-final lost to a really good pair from India.”
Gelder, who hails from Peterlee, began playing table tennis when she was 12.
She added: “My father was a table tennis coach and my sister and I played on the dining table,
“I found I was able to hit the ball and enjoyed playing. I carried on playing but my sister gave up. “
Gelder has represented Durham at junior, senior and veteran level and also plays for the women’s national team.
She has competed for England Veterans several times - picking up gold medals in the England over50s team event.
She added: “Last year I represented England Veterans in Turkey, where we were unlucky to miss out on a bronze medal in the team event.
“I have also played in several European Championships and at a previous World Championship.
“In the World Championships in Lucerne in Switzerland 2002 I won the over-40 consolation singles gold medal.”