FLISS Pickard said it will be ‘incredible’ to compete in front of a home crowd after she was selected to represent Team England at this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The 27-year-old from Burnley is part of the five-player para table tennis squad that was announced this week.

Pickard will compete in her second Commonwealth Games having competed for Team England on the Gold Coast in 2018, reaching the semi-finals before losing to the class 10 Nigerian Faith Obazuaye and then losing her bronze medal match to another class 10 athlete Andrea McDonnell from Australia.

Women’s class 6 World bronze medallist in 2018, she will once again face tough opposition in the women’s class 6-10 singles against athletes from higher classes but is looking forward to the challenge.

“It’s an honour to be selected to play for Team England at the Commonwealth Games especially as it’s a home Games,” she said.

“The Commonwealth Games in 2018 really helped me grow as a person and an athlete and I then went on to my biggest achievement to date, winning bronze at the World Championships later that year, so I’m hoping I can do even better this year.

“The Gold Coast was an amazing experience but to play in front of a home crowd will be incredible.”

The para team also includes Daniel Bullen, (St Neots); Jack Hunter-Spivey, (Liverpool (lives in Sheffield); Ross Wilson, )Kent, lives in Sheffield)and Sue Bailey, (Barnsley).

The Para Table Tennis events will take place at the NEC Hall 3 in Birmingham from August 3-7.