It’s gold - and bronze - for Todmorden table tennis star Megan in World Junior Games

Todmorden's Megan Shackleton on her way to gold in the final match against GB team-mate Daniel Bullen in the IWAS World Junior Games

Megan beat Daniel Bullen of GB in a closely fought singles final to win the gold medal.

The next day she teamed up with British number 2 Lucie Bouron to claim a bronze medal in the team event.

Champion Shackleton only made her international debut last year and is tipped for great success by fellow Yorkshire athlete Hannah Cockroft MBE. Hannah herself won gold medals at the IWAS World Junior Games in 2011, and one year later became an athletics global star from her success at the London Paralympics.

The Todmorden sportswoman, now competing in a special sports chair thanks to money raised by Todmorden Lions club and presented to her in the spring, overcame the set back of losing a match to her opponent from Hong Kong in the singles group stage, and showed great resilience to turn her form around.

She said: “I think I have overcome a hurdle of controlling my nerves this week, normally I am really nervous but recently I have been able to control that better.”

“I wanted to play my best and I am very happy to win the gold medal and it means a lot to me.”

On competing at the birthplace of the Paralympic movement, Stoke Mandeville Stadium for the first time, Megan added: “It’s great to see where everything started and my aspiration is to go to a Paralympic Games and win a gold medal, and it’s brilliant to see the birthplace of the whole movement.”

The GB team were entered in the competition by WheelPower, the national organisation of wheelchair sport. All of the GB team progressed from the group stage to the quarter final.

Chef de Mission and WheelPower inclusive sport advisor said: “The IWAS World Junior Games are a great opportunity for developing athletes to experience the demands of international competition amongst 350 of the world’s best young athletes.”

“The GB table tennis team have all performed exceptionally at the IWAS Games and WheelPower are delighted to support the team on their road to sporting success in which could take them to Paralympic glory at Rio 2016 or Tokoyo 2020”