AT just 17 years of age, Hannah Silcock’s list of achievements in the world of table tennis makes for impressive reading.
From claiming her maiden PwC Jersey Prix crown in 2023 at 15, the Islander has gone from strength to strength and her latest exploits at the 2025 Safir International prove that the teenager is showing no signs of slowing up.
The prestigious event, held in the Swedish city of Örebro, saw Silcock compete across four separate events: the Women’s U18, Women’s U20, Women’s U23 and the Women’s Elite.
The Caesarean was seeded in all four, therefore she automatically gained entry to the knockout stages of the tournament.
Silcock medalled in each of the four events, with three bronzes and an outstanding victory in the U18s category.
The teenager said: “I was thrilled to perform so well at the Safir International tournament in Sweden this year.
“The competition was really competitive and I had to be at the top of my game to medal in all four events.
“This was also my first event that was funded by Jersey Sports’ elite performance programme, so I am particularly pleased that I managed to gain four medals over the weekend.”
In the U18 final, Silcock was 2-1 up before the highly touted Siri Benjegard clawed back the fourth game.
The Swede fought to carry that momentum into the decider and duly raced to a 6-3 lead, while Silcock battled to regain dominance.
The Islander proved resolute and won the next four points to lead 7-6 and force Benjegard into a time-out.
The delay did not deter Silcock, however, who saw the match out for the crown.
In the U23s championship, the Caesarean fell to Jeanne Robbes in the semi-final, with the talented France international also laying claim to the U20s title, where Silcock was beaten in the semi-final by England’s Ella Pashley.
Erika Front, of host country Sweden, defeated Silcock in the Women’s Elite semi-finals, before the Ukrainian Olympic star Hanna Haponova beat the Swede in the final.
It’s safe to say Silcock feels at home in Scandinavia, currently playing in the Swedish Premier League for Angby Table Tennis as their number one seed.
It was the first time, however, she has competed at the Safir International, which pits together world-class players from 17 different countries.
Pashley, who defeated Silcock in the U20s semi-final, is teammates with the Islander at Grantham College in Lincolnshire.
She made her debut for the England Senior Women’s team last month and defeated Silcock in a highly competitive affair in five sets.
Both girls train over 20 hours a week at Grantham, which is renowned as a breeding ground for aspiring table tennis stars.
