Hovis Bread Eater
02-20-2008, 12:05 PM
http://www.sportfocus.com/newsimage/david_wetherill.jpg
ParalympicsGB has today officially named the first British athletes selected to compete in the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games by naming table tennis players Arnie Chan, James Rawson, Neil Robinson, Sue Gilroy, Cathy Mitton, Scott Robertson, Clare Robertson, David Wetherill, Paul Karabardak and Dzaier Neil as part of the team.
Among those selected is Cornwall teenager David Wetherill who will be making his Paralympic Games’ debut in China this summer. The 18-year-old sixth-form student from Torpoint, Cornwall, who is currently ranked No.11 in the world in the class 6 classification, is the youngest selected member of the squad and one of three athletes, along with 32-year-old Clare Robertson from Deeside, North Wales and 22-year-old Paul Karabardak from Swansea, making their Games debuts.
Wetherill said: “I am relieved and excited to have qualified, however the easy part is over; the hard work starts now.
“There is only really one goal for me at the Games and that is to win the tournament, and so everything between now and Beijing will be focused towards giving me the best possible chance to achieve this goal.”
As well as these newcomers a number of the squad are likely to be among the most experienced British team members in Beijing this summer, with 50-year-old Chan (Mansfield, Notts), 42-year-old Rawson (Nottingham) and 49-year-old Robinson (Bridgend, Glamorgan), selected for their sixth successive Paralympic Games. These selections also signify a come-back for 50-year-old Londoner Dzaier Neil, who last competed at the Paralympics in 1984.
Qualification for the table tennis competitions at the Beijing Paralympics was based on positions in the world ranking list after it closed on December 31, 2007. British performances at events throughout 2006 and 2007 saw the GB players rise through the world rankings to qualify and subsequently be selected for the Games.
At the 2006 IPC Table Tennis World Championships, 51-year-old Mitton (York, North Yorkshire), Robinson and 35-year-old Gilroy (Barnsley, South Yorskhire) all won individual bronze medals in their respective classes, following a gold and bronze respectively for Gilroy and Mitton at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. These performances set the team up nicely for a number of key victories at world cups throughout 2007, including an individual class 3 gold for Chan at the Irish Open, an individual class 3 gold for Rawson and team golds for Wetherill in the class 6 competition and Rawson and Chan in class 3 all at the Slovenian Open. The squad hit gold again at the Polish Open with Robinson winning class 3 singles and Wetherill and Bayley taking the class 6 team title.
Team Manager Steve Ward said: “To be the first team selected by ParalympicsGB is a great honour for table tennis and the athletes who have achieved the tough qualification standards.
“We will have a larger squad than in Athens in 2004 with a number having never competed at the Paralympics before but who have great chances to compete for medals and gain valuable experience for future Games in London in 2012 and beyond. We have some of youngest and most improved athletes in the world - David Wetherill is an example of what a young athlete can achieve with talent and dedication. He is a great chance of a British medal in Beijing and London..
“We are planning to defend the two medals won in Athens – men’s class 3 team silver and women’s class 2 singles bronze – as well as take others. Beijing will however be much tougher than Athens and all players will need to perform at the highest level to challenge the Chinese in their backyard. The sport over there is like football here and we are being told the tickets are selling out already.
“The venue is outstanding and the biggest stage in world for table tennis, we need to pull out our biggest performances to maximise medal chances.”
Sue Gilroy said: “The Beijing Games is going to be such a fabulous experience because table tennis is one of their major sports whereas it’s always been a minority sport at the Games before.”
While James Rawson added: “Selection is the culmination of four years of hard training and a lot of travelling, in particular in the last year. This year will be even more hectic as we will be training even harder to combat the threat of the strong Chinese team. China is the home of table tennis and the atmosphere at the Games will be unbelievable.”
The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games opens on September 6 and closes on September 17. The table tennis events at the Games take place from September 7 to 16 at the Peking University Gymnasium.
At the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games Britain finished second in the medal table with a total of 35 golds, 30 silver and 29 bronze medals. With competitive standards continually rising and the dominant Chinese team taking the home advantage ParalympicsGB recognises that the 2008 Paralympics will be one of its biggest challenges yet.
For further information about the British Paralympic Association, please contact Sian Davies in the Press Office on 0207 211 5240 or 07721 892686 or by email at sian.davies@paralympics.org.uk (sian.davies@paralympics.org.uk). For news updates visit the BPA website at www.paralympics.org.uk (file://www.paralympics.org.uk/)
Squad:
Name Date of Birth Home Town Place of Birth
Arnie Chan 27/05/1957 Mansfield, Notts Saigon
Sue Gilroy 19/10/1972 Barnsley, Yorkshire Barnsley
Paul Karabardak 03/10/1985 Swansea, Mid-Glamorgan Swansea
Cathy Mitton 30/11/1956 York, Yorkshire Leeds
Dzaier Neil 01/07/1957 Lambeth, London
James Rawson 07/07/1965 Nottingham Newark
Clare Robertson 25/08/1975 Saltney, Flintshire Cardiff,
Scott Robertson 23/06/1976 Saltney, Flintshire Mancot, Flintshire
Neil Robinson 23/07/1958 Bridgend, Glamorgan Bridgend, Glamorgan
David Wetherill 22/12/1989 Torpoint, Cornwall Plymouth
ParalympicsGB has today officially named the first British athletes selected to compete in the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games by naming table tennis players Arnie Chan, James Rawson, Neil Robinson, Sue Gilroy, Cathy Mitton, Scott Robertson, Clare Robertson, David Wetherill, Paul Karabardak and Dzaier Neil as part of the team.
Among those selected is Cornwall teenager David Wetherill who will be making his Paralympic Games’ debut in China this summer. The 18-year-old sixth-form student from Torpoint, Cornwall, who is currently ranked No.11 in the world in the class 6 classification, is the youngest selected member of the squad and one of three athletes, along with 32-year-old Clare Robertson from Deeside, North Wales and 22-year-old Paul Karabardak from Swansea, making their Games debuts.
Wetherill said: “I am relieved and excited to have qualified, however the easy part is over; the hard work starts now.
“There is only really one goal for me at the Games and that is to win the tournament, and so everything between now and Beijing will be focused towards giving me the best possible chance to achieve this goal.”
As well as these newcomers a number of the squad are likely to be among the most experienced British team members in Beijing this summer, with 50-year-old Chan (Mansfield, Notts), 42-year-old Rawson (Nottingham) and 49-year-old Robinson (Bridgend, Glamorgan), selected for their sixth successive Paralympic Games. These selections also signify a come-back for 50-year-old Londoner Dzaier Neil, who last competed at the Paralympics in 1984.
Qualification for the table tennis competitions at the Beijing Paralympics was based on positions in the world ranking list after it closed on December 31, 2007. British performances at events throughout 2006 and 2007 saw the GB players rise through the world rankings to qualify and subsequently be selected for the Games.
At the 2006 IPC Table Tennis World Championships, 51-year-old Mitton (York, North Yorkshire), Robinson and 35-year-old Gilroy (Barnsley, South Yorskhire) all won individual bronze medals in their respective classes, following a gold and bronze respectively for Gilroy and Mitton at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. These performances set the team up nicely for a number of key victories at world cups throughout 2007, including an individual class 3 gold for Chan at the Irish Open, an individual class 3 gold for Rawson and team golds for Wetherill in the class 6 competition and Rawson and Chan in class 3 all at the Slovenian Open. The squad hit gold again at the Polish Open with Robinson winning class 3 singles and Wetherill and Bayley taking the class 6 team title.
Team Manager Steve Ward said: “To be the first team selected by ParalympicsGB is a great honour for table tennis and the athletes who have achieved the tough qualification standards.
“We will have a larger squad than in Athens in 2004 with a number having never competed at the Paralympics before but who have great chances to compete for medals and gain valuable experience for future Games in London in 2012 and beyond. We have some of youngest and most improved athletes in the world - David Wetherill is an example of what a young athlete can achieve with talent and dedication. He is a great chance of a British medal in Beijing and London..
“We are planning to defend the two medals won in Athens – men’s class 3 team silver and women’s class 2 singles bronze – as well as take others. Beijing will however be much tougher than Athens and all players will need to perform at the highest level to challenge the Chinese in their backyard. The sport over there is like football here and we are being told the tickets are selling out already.
“The venue is outstanding and the biggest stage in world for table tennis, we need to pull out our biggest performances to maximise medal chances.”
Sue Gilroy said: “The Beijing Games is going to be such a fabulous experience because table tennis is one of their major sports whereas it’s always been a minority sport at the Games before.”
While James Rawson added: “Selection is the culmination of four years of hard training and a lot of travelling, in particular in the last year. This year will be even more hectic as we will be training even harder to combat the threat of the strong Chinese team. China is the home of table tennis and the atmosphere at the Games will be unbelievable.”
The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games opens on September 6 and closes on September 17. The table tennis events at the Games take place from September 7 to 16 at the Peking University Gymnasium.
At the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games Britain finished second in the medal table with a total of 35 golds, 30 silver and 29 bronze medals. With competitive standards continually rising and the dominant Chinese team taking the home advantage ParalympicsGB recognises that the 2008 Paralympics will be one of its biggest challenges yet.
For further information about the British Paralympic Association, please contact Sian Davies in the Press Office on 0207 211 5240 or 07721 892686 or by email at sian.davies@paralympics.org.uk (sian.davies@paralympics.org.uk). For news updates visit the BPA website at www.paralympics.org.uk (file://www.paralympics.org.uk/)
Squad:
Name Date of Birth Home Town Place of Birth
Arnie Chan 27/05/1957 Mansfield, Notts Saigon
Sue Gilroy 19/10/1972 Barnsley, Yorkshire Barnsley
Paul Karabardak 03/10/1985 Swansea, Mid-Glamorgan Swansea
Cathy Mitton 30/11/1956 York, Yorkshire Leeds
Dzaier Neil 01/07/1957 Lambeth, London
James Rawson 07/07/1965 Nottingham Newark
Clare Robertson 25/08/1975 Saltney, Flintshire Cardiff,
Scott Robertson 23/06/1976 Saltney, Flintshire Mancot, Flintshire
Neil Robinson 23/07/1958 Bridgend, Glamorgan Bridgend, Glamorgan
David Wetherill 22/12/1989 Torpoint, Cornwall Plymouth