Paul Karabardak
Swansea Paul Karabardak
SwanseaBiography
Paul was a keen footballer until he suffered a massive stroke at the age of ten and was subsequently introduced to table tennis at a local disabled youth club.
Within two years he was playing for the local Swansea League before being selected to play for the GB Para Table Tennis Team at the age of 15 in the European Championships, winning a team bronze medal.
In a 20-year career he has won team medals with Will Bayley at World and European level as a class 7 athlete and since being reclassified as a class 6 in 2015 he has won European singles bronze in 2015, European team gold in 2017 and 2019 and World team bronze in 2017.
Tokyo was his fourth Paralympic Games and he won his first Paralympic medals, taking bronze in the men’s class 6 singles and silver with Will Bayley in the men’s class 6-7 team event.
Major appearances and career highlights
| Paralympic Games | Tokyo | 2021 | Men’s Class 6-7 Team silver; Men’s Class 6 Singles bronze |
| European Championships | Sweden | 2019 | Men’s Class 6 Team gold; Men’s Class 6 Singles QF |
| European Championships | Slovenia | 2017 | Men’s Class 6 Team gold |
| World Team Championships | Slovakia | 2017 | Men’s Class 6 bronze |
| European Championships | Denmark | 2015 | Men’s Class 6 Team silver; Men’s Class 6 Singles bronze |
| World Championships | China | 2014 | Men’s Class 6-7 Team bronze |
| European Championships | Italy | 2013 | Men’s Class 7 Team bronze |
| European Championships | Croatia | 2011 | Men’s Class 7 Team silver |
| European Championships | Italy | 2009 | Men’s Class 7 Singles bronze |
| European Championships | Germany | 2001 | Men’s Class 7 Team bronze |
Latest News
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Golden trio shine in Poland
Megan Shackleton, Fliss Pickard and 13-year-old Bly Twomey led the way for the British Para table tennis team at the ITTF Polish Para Open in Wladyslawowo today, taking gold in the women’s class 4, class 6 and class 7 singles respectively.
Symbolic golds for Shackleton, Pickard and Twomey
On International Women’s Day, three of the British Para table tennis team’s women shone in the doubles events at the ITTF Lignano Masters Para Open in Italy.