18 March 2025
Perth Modern School student, Chelsea Wu created history recently when she competed at the 2025 World Table Tennis Youth Contender Championships in the Philippines.
Chelsea became the first player from WA to qualify for the finals in the Under 17 girl’s category at the prestigious tournament.
Chelsea Wu has competed in several tournaments including the 2025 World Table Tennis Youth Contender Championships.
Chelsea played against top-ranked players from around the world, including from Taiwan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and the host country.
The 14-year-old said it is a dream come true to be able to play the sport she loves at an international level.
“When I started playing, I really wanted to go to the Olympics, so this is a milestone towards that goal,” she added.
“To be selected for the Olympics, I would need to keep up my training schedule and increase the number of international competitions I compete in.
“Achieving points at the international level is very important.”
Since she was eight years old, Chelsea has had a table tennis paddle in her hand.
“It's very thrilling for me to play table tennis,” she said. “I enjoy it because it's very fast paced. I believe it's one of the fastest sports in the world.”
Chelsea hopes to inspire other young players, to ‘give it a go’.
Last year, she played an important role in her school’s team at the 2024 WA Interschool Table Tennis Competition.
Perth Modern School Principal, Mr Mitchell Mackay, said everyone at the school is immensely proud of Chelsea and her achievements.
“In 2024, alongside Perth Modern players Jasmine Wu, Jethro Chen and Kye Ng, Chelsea played a pivotal role in leading our team to victory in the 2024 WA Interschool Table Tennis Competition,” Mr Mackay said.
“Beyond her sporting accolades, Chelsea exemplifies the values of hard work and humility, inspiring her peers and bringing immense pride to our school community.
“We look forward to witnessing her continued success, both on and off the table tennis court."
Chelsea is gearing up to compete in the 2025 Elite International Open Championships, which will be held in WA later this month, where she will compete against skilled players from China and Japan.
More information about the 2025 Elite International Open Championships can be found on the Table Tennis WA website1.