Strong Welsh challenge for World Para Table Tennis Championships

Men’s class 1 European champion Rob Davies is one of four Welsh players included in a 12-strong British team that will compete in the 2026 ITTF World Para Table Tennis Championships in Pattaya, Thailand from November 13-19. The 42-year-old from Brecon is joined by Tokyo 2021 Paralympic bronze medallist Tom Matthews, 2022 Commonwealth champion Joshua Morizono (Stacey) and 2022 World doubles champion Grace Williams.

Rob Davies heads to Thailand in winning form having won gold in his last two tournaments in France and Spain. The Rio 2016 Paralympic champion and Paris 2024 silver medallist thrives on the big occasion and will be bidding for his first world title having taken silver in 2014.

“I’m really happy with the way things are going,” said Davies. “I’m enjoying my table tennis again and having fun and I just want to keep that up. I’m looking forward to the challenge of the Worlds and can’t wait to get out there.

“The world title would mean a lot because it is the one I’d like now. I don’t want to put too much pressure on, but it’s what I’ve been working for, so we’ll just have to see how it goes. I like the big occasion, and I try not to get too nervous but more excited about it than anything and this one is no different. I was really proud of the silver medal in Paris and this would be huge, but I know it won’t be easy. All the competitors are wanting the same – the European guys have really strengthened a lot and then you’ve got the Koreans so I’m looking forward to it and can’t wait to see what we can do.”

Tom Matthews will also be challenging for a medal in men’s class 1 and has shown that he can produce his best at the majors, taking bronze in the World Championships in 2018, Paralympic bronze in Tokyo 2021 as well as medalling at the Europeans in 2015, 2017, 2023 and 2025.

“This is my third World Championships so I’m very excited and looking forward to the opportunity,” said Matthews. “I’ve always produced my best at the majors – even at the Worlds in 2022 I lost in the fifth in the quarterfinal. So, I’m always there fighting for a chance to win a medal and let’s hope that it pans out in Thailand and I can come home with some silverware – or even better let’s go for gold.”

The 33-year-old from Aberdare is also hoping to take a medal in the men’s class 4 doubles with Chris Ryan. The pair won European bronze in 2025 and have been improving steadily this season, beating the Paralympic champions from Slovakia on their way to taking bronze in the World Para Elite Yvelines in France last month.

“We’ve definitely taken a step forward this year,” he said. “Chris and I work well together and our communication is really good. Chris is improving and we’re improving as a partnership and to beat the Paralympic champions was amazing. Let’s see what happens in the Worlds and let’s try and get a medal in that as well.”

Former Commonwealth champion Joshua Morizono took silver in the men’s class 9 singles at the last World Championships in 2022. He now lives in Tokyo and became a father for the first time in August when his wife Misa gave birth to their first child.

“Living and practicing in Japan was definitely a shock to the system initially,” he said, “as the culture within table tennis as well as the country itself is very different to what I’ve been accustomed to in the UK all my life. I think slowly learning the culture and the language has been a challenge in itself but I’ve been really enjoying it. I’m lucky that my wife Misa has so many different contacts within table tennis in Japan and that then allows me to practice in so many different environments with players far above my own level. Training has been going really well – I feel I have made a good jump in progress and my understanding of the game itself and I’m hoping to show that next month at the Worlds.”

Morizono will also compete in the men’s class 18 doubles with Aaron McKibbin and the pair will be hoping to build on the gold medals they won in China and the USA.

“Although Aaron and I have been successful this year we are still wanting more as all elite athletes do,” said Morizono. “I think every time we compete we seem to gain a better understanding of each other and what we both need to play our best table tennis as a team and I’m looking forward to getting the chance to compete with him again.”

Grace Williams has not competed due to injury since taking bronze in the women’s class 8 singles at the World Para Elite Nakhon Ratchasima in Thailand in July but has shown that she can produce her best form at the major events, winning European silver in 2023 and 2025 and women’s class 14 doubles gold with Fliss Pickard at the World Championships in 2022.

“Looking back four years ago, I was a wild card and came away with a gold medal,” said the 23-year-old from Llanfyllin, “so I’ve got a bit of confidence going into Thailand with two silver medals from the Europeans last year and in 2023. The last couple of months with injury it has been quite difficult to get consistent training so it’s not been an ideal preparation but I’m just going to go out there and do my best and that is all I can ask from myself at the moment.

“When you are trying to qualify for a major the tournaments during the year are a lot more pressurised and once you get to the major I think I just feel less pressure on me and that works because then I succeed. That is probably what I’ll do at the Worlds – I’ll go in with the mindset that there is no pressure, I’ll just play and see what happens.”

Words from British Para Table Tennis.