Four Welsh table tennis stars named in GB London 2012 squad
Rob Davies: Brecon, Wales
Paul Davies: Bridgend
Paul Karabardak: Swansea
Sara Head: Cardiff
London 2012 will be the first Paralympic Games for Rob Davies, Paul Davies and Sara Head. Paul Karabardak is one of the more experienced athletes to make up a team that is one of the youngest squads in the world at the moment.
ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission Craig Hunter said: “I’m delighted to welcome this group of athletes to ParalympicsGB. To have all ten ranked within the top eleven in the world shows that there is real potential within this squad and tribute should be paid to the governing body for supporting these athletes.”
Performance Manager Gorazd Vecko commented: “I am very proud that this young squad have earned their place at the Paralympic Games. Paralympic Table Tennis is very competitive and so to have this many players well placed as we go into a home Games is a great situation to be in”.
Paul Davies commented today: “It was a fantastic moment to be told that I had been selected to ParalympicsGB. It is a real honour and a very proud moment for my family in Wales. I have been working towards this moment for many years and it is the highlight of my career, although now the hard work really begins.”
Paul used to play table tennis in his free time, but started getting more actively involved in the sport from 1991. He says that he has always believed that if you want something badly enough and work hard to get it, you will be rewarded for it, a motto that has paid off: Paul has trained for five Paralympic Games before being selected to compete in London 2012.
The highlights of Paul’s career so far include winning the silver medal in the team event at the 2011 European Championships, where he also beat the 2008 Paralympic Gold Medallist. He cites the most influential people in his life as his son and his wife Deborah, who will both be cheering him on in 2012.
Rob Davies said: “I was delighted to be informed of my selection to ParalympicsGB and my family in Wales will be proud to be cheering me on at the Games. I will be aiming high in London but there will be tough competition so I will be working hard to remain focussed over the coming months. We have developed a really good team here and our prospects are good not only for London but also Rio in 2016.”
Rob Davies started playing table tennis in 2005 after a chance meeting with GB squad member Sara Head while he was in rehabilitation after his accident the same year. His career has progressed from there and trains approximately 15 hours per week. He has been a member of the GB squad since 2007.
He cites his victory in the British Open last year and his European silver medal as his career highlights.
Paul Karabardak said: “It is amazing to be selected to ParalympicsGB once more and I am really excited to be part of the team. The Paralympics are really special and I am going to stay focussed on training until the Games, when all of my family in Wales will be cheering me on.”
Paul, known as “PK” to his friends, first started playing table tennis in 1997 at a local youth club and really got into the sport when he discovered how much fun it was. He has now been competing since 2001 and became a Paralympian in Beijing 2008.
Paul’s appearance is subject to change in London 2012 as his superstition is not to shave during a competition. He lists his favourite destinations so far as Las Vegas, Hong Kong and Slovenia. When he’s not playing table tennis, he enjoys supporting Swansea City, playing on his PS3, taking his dog for a walk.
Paul acquired his disability aged 10 when he had a stroke whilst out playing with friends.
Sara has been playing table tennis for over ten years. She was originally focussed on wheelchair basketball, however when her boyfriend introduced her to the sport she secretly took lessons to try and beat him and she discovered she had a talent for the sport.
The highlights of her career so far have been winning the bronze medal in the team event at the World Championships in 2010 and winning gold in the team event at the European Championships in 2011.
Talking about her selection, Sara said: “I am ecstatic to have been selected for ParalympicsGB. This is a really important moment, but I am going to stay focussed and work really hard through to September 2012. I can’t wait to compete in front of the home crowd in London.”
Today’s announcement by the British Paralympic Association means that the table tennis players join five British sailors who were announced a few months ago as selected for ParalympicsGB.
More sports will be announced by the BPA over the coming months, with the final team estimated to comprise around 300 athletes from 20 sports.