Welsh athletes shine among international competition at Gorazd Vecko Open Cardiff 

The Gorazd Vecko Open Cardiff took place at Talybont, Cardiff over the weekend of Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September, with Welsh athletes shining bright on home soil.  

The event celebrated one of the most influential figures in Para table tennis as a coach, administrator and visionary, Gorazd Vecko, who passed away just under a year ago.  

Appointed in 2009, Vecko transformed the British Para Table Tennis programme, establishing a high-performance base in Sheffield and introducing a ‘family culture’ that allowed athletes to flourish and achieve their potential.  

Under his leadership the British team took a major step forward, winning four medals at London 2012 and three at Rio 2016, including gold for Welshman Rob Davies in the men’s class 1 singles).  

At Tokyo 2020 the team secured seven medals, with Tom Matthews and Paul Karabardak making the podium, marking its most successful Paralympic Games in the modern era, followed by five medals at Paris 2024, two of which came from Davies and Karabardak. 

BPTT Chair Adele Stach-Kevitz has described Vecko as “our very own legend; a man of such humble nature but blessed with talent he was always so keen to share; a giant personality and leader and the beating heart of our British Para Table Tennis family.” 

In honour of Vecko, Cardiff played host to a wonderful festival of para table tennis earlier this month.  

It was fantastic to see such an array of nationalities at the event, with players travelling from many corners of the globe to compete.  

Wales welcomed athletes from Guatemala, Colombia, Spain, Singapore, Nigeria, Iraq, Canada and Ivory Coast as well as those coming from across the UK.  

And the Welsh contingent shone particularly bright throughout the tournament, with an array of medals staying in Wales.  

Lowri Hurd continued her fantastic transition into para table tennis by claiming Bronze in the Standing Open, while Jacob Wicks also secured Bronze in the Wheelchair Open.  

Wicks also came away with the men’s class 4-5 title, earning himself a Gold medal to add to his Bronze. 

Karabardak was also amongst the medals, winning Silver in the men’s class 6-7, while Matthews couldn’t be stopped on his way to Gold in the men’s class 1-2.  

Table Tennis Wales would like to thank all participants for competing and making the event such a brilliant experience, especially those that travelled from far and wide. 

We are also hugely grateful to all coaches and volunteers who once again made a memorable event such a success.  

The Gorazd Vecko Open Cardiff was a resounding success, and acted as a precursor to next summer’s ITTF World Para Future Cardiff 2027 tournament.  

On a bigger scale, the event will bring international Para table tennis talent back to the Welsh capital, this time showcasing the sport from the Sport Wales National Centre. Find out more here.