News & Events
13.10.09LOCAL PLAYER PAUL WAUMSLEY TAKES GOLD AT THE NATIONAL DISABLED TABLE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS AT CREWE ON 3RD AND 4TH OCTOBER 09
Paul lost his right leg (above knee) in a motor cycle accident in 1972. Now at 56 years old, Paul qualified as classification 8 for the 6-10 standing events on Saturday, (singles and doubles) and for the open singles standing event on Sunday, which would be 6-12 classification.
This was only his second national competition in his quest to break into the British disabled table tennis squad and ultimately into the London Paralympics 2012. This competition was also attended by the England Disabled Performance Director Steen Kyst Hansen on the second day (Sunday).
The number one seed was Krysten Coombes, on Saturday in the 6 man group round robin in the standing classes 6-10 (singles); Paul won 5 singles matches in this group, each 3-0 to win the gold medal. He was also teamed up with an unknown partner, Ian Thomas to come third out of nine teams to win bronze in the standing doubles.
In the Open singles on Sunday Paul was seeded number four; there were 13 other players, plus Paul in groups of 4, 5 and 5, with 2/3 to go through in each group. Paul beat the number two seed Adam Thompson to come top of his group. He won four singles 3-0. He played quarter and semi-finals, winning 3-0, and then in the final beating Krysten Coombes, again 3-0, to take another gold medal. This was a dream result for Paul and he is now looking forward to his next games and national championships. We wish you very well Paul and well done !
British TT Association for disabled Championships 2010
The BTTAD (British Table Tennis Association for the Disabled) Table Tennis Championships 2010, held at Crewe on March 20th-21st saw another entry for local player Paul Walmsley. The British elite squad were in full attendance, guaranteeing a high level of playing standard.
On day one Paul took part in the standing doubles, with a new partner in Shaun Elvey who was unranked, a good level but weak in return of service; in this group they beat the unknown Jones and Thomas 11-2, 11-5 and 11-2, we then played the international pair Cattell and Stotesbury losing 14-16, 10-12 and 7-11, but therefore qualifying as runner-up pair in the group; their reward was to play the winner of group 4, McKibben and Facey-Thompson, an international pair, losing 11-4, 7-11, 7-11 and 10-12, a battle. McKibben and Facey-Thompson therefore got to the final but lost to Daybell and Anthony.
In the singles on day one, Paul's class singles were stretched to categories 8-10, which meant he had a bit of a tougher time. In this group Paul had the undisputed number 1 in Kim Daybell (10), plus an unknown Jonathan McAdam (9) Paul's had been classified as an 8 by BTTAD. He played McAdam, winning 11-3, 11-8 and 11-5. Daybell won against McAdam also. Paul then lost to Kim Daybell by 8-11, 8-11, 9-11, playing his best table tennis of the tournament. Daybell is ranked in the top 50 for able-bodied men in the UK. As runner up in his group Paul played the winner of group 3, Ashley Facey-Thompson losing 7-11, 4-11, 11-7 and 5-11, a top 15 England junior able-bodied player, so this was no disgrace. Facey-Thompson and Daybell eventually reached the final stage and Daybell won.
In day two in the open standing event, Paul was in a group of 4 singles, with three international players, Paul Karabardak (ranked 2), Joe Stotesbury (ranked 8) and Adam Thompson (ranked 6). Paul played A Thompson first, winning 11-3, 11-8 and 11-8; He then lost to Stotesbury 5-11, 6-11 and 5-11. To get through the group stage Paul would have needed to have beaten Karabardak, but lost 10-12, 6-11 and 4-11. The eventual winner of the tournament was Kim Daybell (ranked 3), beating Will Bayley (ranked 1) from another group.
Most of the elite squad speak to Paul now, on a first name basis and seem sympathetic to his efforts, in a positive way, knowing he is up against it, but that he has progressed since last year quite significantly.
Paul says "I feel that I am at a disadvantage over the elite squad, not in terms of playing ability, but because they have far less mobility issues than me and they are coached from game to game, for example, Facey-Thompson had a Chinese (independent from the squad) coach in attendance, who was giving him point-to-point hand signals throughout the games, certainly after I had played (this is not allowed but happens!) I know it sounds like sour-grapes but I have observed for myself these things happening. All in all a very interesting experience and an enjoyable tournament, with high quality rally play. I believe that if I am to have a chance in the future of progressing and beating these international players, I need my own coach, some sort of new practice structure together with a very good knock-up partner. I need to be in the position where I can play the able-bodied circuit which means travelling much more frequently around the UK, something I cannot afford to do at present".
Grantham is next for Paul, the DSE tournament in June 2010.
Paul Walmsley reaches finals
DSE National Table Tennis Tournament 12th & 13th June 2010 at Grantham – Part of the National Disabled Grand Prix Series.
I had the boost of receiving the current ranking list for 6-12 disabled categories, men’s standing, in which I am now listed as being number 11, instead of 15. I was the number 4 seed for the Grantham tournament, in the absence of the top 4 ranked players.
On Saturday 12th June I was in the 6-8 class of men’s standing singles, composed of 2 groups of 5 players. It was encouraging to see one or two new faces, as well as many familiar ones. In my group I had a comfortable route, beating all 4 players 3-0. My doubles partner Shaun Alvey was in the other group of 5 players and he was playing superbly against Farrell Anthony, narrowly losing to him, deuce in the 5th game. Anthony was the one to beat in this competition as England number 7. Having won my own group I was faced with the loser of group 2 in Shaun Alvey in the semi-finals, disappointingly for me I lost to him 8-11, 9-11, and 8-11. All the finals were played on the Sunday 13th June, with Alvey losing to Anthony in the 6-8 class final, 7-11, 6-11 and 6-11.
In the Saturday standing doubles (6-12) there were 2 groups of 5 and a group of 4, my partner Shaun Alvey and I won all 4 doubles matches and were top of group 2, with 2 going through from each group. As winners of our group we went straight through to the semi-finals to face England number 5, Adam Thompson and England number 9 Jeffrey Jarvis, which we won 11-4, 11-5 and 11-6. On Sunday, this put us up against the England number 7 Farrell Anthony and the England number 18 Rajan Waterman, who beat us in 5 sets 13-11, 7-11, 4-11, 11-3 and then 11-9. This made Alvey and me runners up in this event, disappointing because we were dominant in this match.
As well on Sunday there was the open singles men’s standing event, where I played my best table tennis of the weekend. There were 5 groups of 5 players, with a seed in each group. The five seeds were me, Adam Thompson, Farrell Anthony, Jeffrey Jarvis and Rajan Waterman. I won all my four singles 3-0, although I played a very close match against Robert Blazejow, a Polish player who was new to the scene, winning 11-9, 13-11 and 11-7, he is one to watch in future. In the quarter-finals I played Simon Green, winning 3-0, followed by the semi-finals, with Adam Thompson, England number 5, an epic encounter. I beat Thompson in 5 sets 11-9, 10-12, 11-13, 11-7 and 11-9.
In the finals I played Farrell Anthony, the favourite of the tournament in an interesting match but I was outshone in open play by a quick, relooper and sophisticated server, former Paralympics World champion in 1997.In straight sets 11-7, 11-9, 11-5. I was therefore also runner up in this event. I came away with 2 runners up cups and made a couple of new table tennis playing friends. In addition, I cannot thank Barry Chapman from Canterbury, of Bribar enough for his support and encouragement in my corner for much of the tournament, despite his work commitments.
I look forward to the next tournament, which will be the MENCAP National Grand Prix Sport event at Crewe in October 2010.
Paul Waumsley.
The Unbeatables do it again!!
Josh and Jake from Chestfield warriors 7 - the Unbeatables, are truly unbeatable. They defended their title from last year with a great performance
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