Table tennis star Will Bayley insists he is still the best player in the world and has already set his sights on gold at LA 2028.
The five-time Paralympic medallist from Tunbridge Wells was made to settle for silver in the men’s C7 singles at Paris 2024, losing a thrilling final to Yan Shuo of China.
But Bayley insists he has already bounced back and is looking to the future to add yet another medal to his collection.
“I still feel like I am the best player in the world, I just have to prove it in LA,” he said. “I believe I can do it and get that gold medal again.
“I think it was my best-ever performance at a Paralympics [in Paris]. I know I have won it before but in terms of my actual level of table tennis it was definitely the best I have ever been.
“I am really proud of that because I am not getting any younger. I’m really proud that I keep improving somehow. I am satisfied with my performance.
“Obviously the medal I would like to be a gold one, it was so close. I know that I can beat Yan but he deserved to win on the day, he just got over the line.”
Bayley has not just been working on his own game in recent years, with the 36-year-old also taking a keen interest in the coaching side at Brighton Table Tennis Club.
The Rio 2016 champion has played a key role in the development of 14-year-old Bly Twomey, who won a pair of bronzes in Paris, and Bayley believes the best is yet to come from the teenager.
“I’ve been working with Bly personally for two years and I am really proud of what she has achieved,” he added.
“She is the player she is because of the club and because of the social integration we have at the club and the togetherness. That creates certain characters and you need to have that character to perform on the big stages.”
The pair returned to the club for a special homecoming celebration as part of the ChangeMakers programme.
The ChangeMaker initiative is a partnership between The National Lottery’s operator, Allwyn, ParalympicsGB, Team GB and UK Sport to support athletes who want to help projects they are passionate about – with many Paralympic stars being closely connected to important social causes that have affected them personally throughout their life.
Allwyn has backed the ChangeMakers scheme through its £1million Social Value Fund and athletes can apply for a new ChangeMakers Fund grant to create their own projects.
Creating change is at the heart of the mission of Brighton Table Tennis Club and Bayley hopes he can continue to inspire the next generation both as a player and as a coach.
He added: “Hopefully bringing my medal back is going to inspire people to keep playing. I want to go to local hospitals and schools and get people with disabilities in and personally coach them and help them in the local area. Hopefully bring some more Paralympians through.”
The ChangeMaker initiative is a partnership between The National Lottery’s operator, Allwyn, Team GB, ParalympicsGB and UK Sport to support Great Britain’s athletes to make a positive difference to social impact projects they are passionate about.
