A squad of 14 British athletes is heading to Thailand hoping to secure participation in the ITTF World Para Table Tennis Championships in November.
The ITTF World Para Elite Nakhon Ratchasima (July 18-22) is the last Elite tournament before qualification for the World Championships closes at the end of July and it features a strong entry with players from all over the world also chasing world ranking points and the opportunity to compete for a world title later this year.
World champion Will Bayley (pictured above) regained the men’s class 7 world No 1 ranking after taking gold in the ITTF World Para Elite Beijing last month and will be hoping for consecutive Elite tournament wins.
Bayley was one of six British players to win a singles medal in China, and the team will be looking to build on a successful competition that also featured a third consecutive win in the men’s class 14 doubles for Billy Shilton & Martin Perry.
“This has been a very busy tournament schedule,” said British Para Table Tennis Interim Performance Director Shaun Marples, “and one that is very new for us so we’re learning as we go.
“China was fantastic with six singles medals. Will was absolutely brilliant in terms of the results he produced and for him to say it was the best he’s played for a while is credit to him. Josh (Stacey) was really strong and performed really well and Chris (Ryan) was excellent in terms of the performances he pulled out. Not only are they competing against the top players they are winning these matches and, if they’re not winning, they’re losing narrowly – deuce in the fifth.
“So, I feel there is a lot of confidence going into this final Elite competition before the World Championship window closes. This tournament will be key for a lot of players in terms of who does and who doesn’t get over the line and there is still a lot to play for.”
European champion Bly Twomey and Lowri Hurd will also compete in the ITTF World Para Future Nakhon Ratchasima (July 13-16) that precedes the Elite tournament and will be joined by Ryan Henry and Shae Thakker.
“With the new competition structure, we have seen that these Future competitions are extremely important for players’ development,” said Marples, “and especially for Ryan and Shae, giving them the opportunity to play Future standard against players from different continents and getting exposure to them.
“I feel they can compete and be medal challengers in their respective events and this tournament and Future tournaments for the rest of the year are key for them and their development. Rather than chasing big tournaments their focus will be Future tournaments that are going to provide the most benefit for them.”
The full British squad for the ITTF World Para Elite Nakhon Ratchasima 2026 (July 18-22) is: Will Bayley (class 7), Rob Davies (class 1), Jack Hunter-Spivey (class 5), Lowri Hurd (class 9), Paul Karabardak (class 6), Tom Matthews (class 1), Aaron McKibbin (class 8), Martin Perry (class 6), Felicity Pickard (class 6), Chris Ryan (class 2), Billy Shilton (class 8), Joshua Stacey (class 9), Bly Twomey (class 7), Grace Williams (class 8).
The full British squad for the ITTF World Para Future Nakhon Ratchasima 2026 (July 13-16) is: Ryan Henry (class 8), Lowri Hurd (class 9), Shae Thakker (class 10), Bly Twomey (class 7).
