STAR hockey player Danielle Jordan from Cwmbran, has spoken about her "once-in-a-lifetime experience" at the Commonwealth Games.

Just 18-years-old, she has only recently sat her A-Levels. And while the hockey team may not have enjoyed the success they were desperate for, she said there was a real buzz around the athletes.

She said: "We came ninth out of 10 teams at the Commonwealth Games but for me to have this experience at 18-years-old was just incredible.

"We would have liked to make the seventh /eighth playoffs. We were disappointed with that. We didn’t beat Malaysia.

"We had never played Malaysia before. They were ranked 15 places above us in the world. I think when you put that into perspective, it wasn’t too bad.

"We had five games, we won our ninth / tenth playoff 4-0 against against Trinidad."

She said the support throughout was overhwelming.

"We had massive crowd throughout the Games," she added.

"The village was fantastic too. We lived in a house - the whole team. We were on Team Wales Square, it was purposely built for the Commonwealth Games.

I met Tom Daley. It was really lovely. I wanted to meet him and on the last day I finally met him.

I also met Adam Gemili, the sprinter, and I went past Bradley Wiggins one day. It was surreal, it was so different. In previous competitions, it was just hockey and now you’re with Olympic champions.

It made the Games feel really special. Having experienced it is even more motivating and makes you want to be part of it again.

We were there for 17 days. The opportunity of the Games in Glasgow was once in a lifetime, because it was so close to home in a way."

She said it was special to share the experience with her family and friends.

"The crowds were really supportive of the home nations.

"And also families and friends could come and watch. I had my parents, my brother and sister, my nan, my uncle and a friend.

"I did notice them in the crowd and we could see them for an hour after the games.

"They had a great time, they really soaked up the whole atmosphere. They were really proud and exited to be there.

"They thoroughly enjoyed it, I think, because it was a different atmosphere up there. I think there was a real buzz around."

Going forward, we’ve got the European Championships next summer. Last year we went to Athens and we got promoted, so this next championship is going to be really important for world ranking points."