11-strong ParalympicsGB table tennis team confirmed for Paris 2024

Paralympic gold medallists Will Bayley and Rob Davies are included in a team of 11 athletes that will represent ParalympicsGB in the table tennis events at Paris 2024.

The team is completed by Tokyo medallists Paul Karabardak, Aaron McKibbin, Megan Shackleton, Billy Shilton and Tom Matthews, Commonwealth champion and World silver medallist Joshua Stacey and three new Paralympians in World and European medallist Martin Perry, World doubles champion and European medallist Fliss Pickard and 14-year-old European medallist Bly Twomey.

The tournament will start with the men’s, women’s and mixed doubles events that have replaced team events, with the 22 singles events – 11 wheelchair and 11 standing – to follow.

Bayley took silver in the men’s class 7 singles in Tokyo – his third consecutive Paralympic final – and has since regained both the World and European titles and the World number one ranking. Having not lost a match in men’s class 7 since the Tokyo final he is hoping to continue that form in Paris and regain his Paralympic title.

“Coming into Tokyo I hadn’t won a major title since Rio,” he said, “and as soon as I finished Tokyo, I said that I’ve got to try and be dominant in the next few years because it gives you the belief that you can go on and win things. I wanted to win the Worlds and the Europeans just to set myself up to come back again and be as good as I want to be, and I’ve done that job. I’ve done really well over the last few years to win majors again and I think that makes a big difference because that belief is priceless when you go to a Paralympic Games because it makes you feel relaxed and that you know how to win. Nothing is guaranteed obviously and it’s going to be very, very hard but I’ve definitely got the belief that I can do it.”

Davies was unable to defend his title in Tokyo due to injury and has been steadily working his way back to fitness and the form that took him to Paralympic gold as well as four consecutive European singles titles in men’s class 1 from 2013 to 2019.

“Obviously I was gutted about not going to Tokyo,” said the Welshman, “but that’s forgotten about now and I’m just looking forward to getting to Paris and seeing what I can do there. I do like the big occasions, and I like to think that I can up my game for it. I feel I’m going in the right direction, and I just want to make the most of it and enjoy it every time I’m on the table. I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself for Paris, so we’ll see what happens.”

Since missing out on qualification for Tokyo three years ago Pickard has shown great character and determination to establish herself as one of the top players in women’s class 6.

“Now I can look back and be very proud of how I dealt with everything,” she said. “It hasn’t been a smooth journey, but I can be very pleased with where I am now and how much I’ve changed as a person both on and off the table. A few years ago I thought it would never happen so to be able to call myself a Paralympian is really special and does mean an awful lot.”

Pickard won gold with Grace Williams in the women’s class 14 doubles at the World Championships in 2022 and will partner with Brighton teenager Twomey in the doubles in Paris.

“I think we have gelled really well to be honest,” she said. “We are both very similar in our mindset - we both want to win and are natural fighters and she has got great enthusiasm for the game. It has really calmed me down and helped me to just have fun and enjoy the game, so it has been fantastic playing with Bly.”

Having made her international debut last year 14-year-old Twomey has exceeded all expectations by qualifying for Paris and has already won gold in the women’s class 7 singles in Italy, Poland, Slovenia and Czechia this season.

“I’m excited to see the atmosphere and figure out what the Paralympic Games is all about,” she said. “I’ve always watched it and wanted to be there. Someone said to me two years ago ‘you’re definitely going to go to LA 2028’ and now I’m really happy to know that I’m going to Paris, and I will have accomplished my dream of competing at a Paralympics within three years of starting to play table tennis.”

Karabardak won his first Paralympic medals at his fourth Games in Tokyo and a year later became World champion for the first time in his long and distinguished career when taking gold in the men’s class 14 doubles in Spain with Billy Shilton.

“I’ve always wanted to win Paralympic medals and I’ve got those medals now and of course it has made my hungry for more,” said Karabardak. “Billy and I have a great relationship and I think we’ve got a great chance to come away with the Paralympic title. There are a lot of good teams, and it will be difficult but we are as good as any of those teams on our day and we can definitely aim to try and do that.”

British Para Table Tennis Performance Director Gorazd Vecko will be overseeing the British team for the fourth consecutive Paralympic Games.

“I’m excited and I think we have a really good squad with a good mix of young and experienced athletes,” he said. “With 14 year-year-old Bly Twomey it opens a new era in British Para Table Tennis, but we also have really experienced athletes like Will Bayley, Aaron McKibbin and Rob Davies. At a Paralympic Games everyone is best prepared and one millimetre or one point can make a big difference so it will be very tough competition. Tokyo was really good for us with seven medals and to repeat that will be difficult, but I believe we can achieve our target with the players that we have competing in Paris.”

Penny Briscoe, Chef de Mission at ParalympicsGB, said: “We are very proud to congratulate the 11 Para table tennis athletes selected to represent ParalympicsGB at the Paris 2024 Games. This squad demonstrates remarkable strength in depth, with a combination of seasoned medallists on the World and European circuits alongside promising new talent. Their combined achievements to date highlight the high calibre of this team and we look forward to witnessing their performances and celebrating their success at the Games.”

A total of around 220 athletes from 19 sports are expected to make up the British team that will compete in Paris, with further names to be announced by ParalympicsGB in the coming days. At Tokyo 2020 ParalympicsGB won medals across a record breaking 18 different sports - the highest number of any nation ever. ParalympicsGB finished second on the medal table with 124 medals overall, including 41 gold, 38 silver and 45 bronze.

The table tennis events in Paris will take place from August 29-September 7 at the South Paris Arena 4.