| Kelly Sibley | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | England |
| Residence | Sheffield |
| Playing style | Right Hand Attacking Shakehand |
| Born | 21 May 1988 Leamington Spa, England |
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 68 kg (150 lb; 10.7 st) |
Kelly Sibley (born 21 May 1988) is a professional table tennis player from England. She started playing the sport at her local club in Lillington, Leamington Spa. Sibley won the singles, girls doubles and mixed doubles at the UK Junior Championships and has represented England at senior level at the Commonwealth Games, European Championships and World Championships. She is currently the 2nd highest ranked senior woman in English table tennis [1] and is sponsored by local firms Wright Hassell [2] and Building and Plumbing Supplies.
Kelly began playing table tennis aged 8 years old at Lillington Free Church table tennis club, inspired by her mother Lynn Bolitho, a former county-level table tennis player.[3]
In 2000, she represented England at the English Schools Championships.[4]
At the age of 13, she was invited to live and train at the National Training centre in Nottingham where she was coached by Alan Cooke[5] before relocating to the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield [6]
Kelly represented England at the Commonwealth Games twice; once in Melbourne, Australia (2006) and again in Delhi, India (2010) where she finished in fourth place in the team women's event.
She also gained a Ladies Doubles Bronze Medal at the 2009 Commonwealth Championships and a Division Two Gold Medal at the 2008 World Team Championships in China.
Kelly won 10 consecutive international matches at the 2011 European Championships in Poland and promoted the England Women’s team to the top tier.
In England, Kelly Sibley is currently ranked 2nd in women's table tennis and 153rd in the world.[7]
Despite her high ranking, funding cuts may inhibit her ability to compete at the London 2012 Olympics.[8] [9]