Meet three Para table tennis champions ready to take the spotlight at Paris 2024

Celebrating a victory is always special. Celebrating an Asian Para Championship gold medal and a ticket to the Paralympic Games makes it even better, especially if it is on the birthday of a loved one.

Para table tennis star Joo Young Dae of the Republic of Korea had a lot to be happy at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games. On his father’s birthday, the athlete topped the podium in the men’s singles class 1 event and earn a spot for Paris 2024 next year.

“My father’s birthday is today so it’s a big gift,” Joo said.

“Since it was a qualifying tournament for the Paralympics, I was very nervous. I feel like I wasn’t able to show my best performance, but still, I am very happy that I finished with a gold medal.”

Joo, along with Najlah Imad Lafta Al Dayyeni from Iraq and Rungroj Thainiyom from Thailand, are three of the athletes that won their categories in the current Asian Para Games and secured their presence in Paris next year.  At Hangzhou 2022, winners in each of the singles competition (excluding WS1) in Para table tennis booked tickets to the 2024 Paralympics.

The excitement is already building in Paris and in Hangzhou, ahead of the first summer Paralympics held in France. Therefore, we bring you the stories of these three recently crowned champions, who now have to get ready to put on another great show in less than 10 months. 

The perfect birthday present

Joo Young Dae understands how ‘special’ competing at the Paralympics is. He made his debut at Rio 2016, where he won silver medals in the men’s singles class 1 and men’s team classes 1-2 events. Two years ago, he returned home with one of the two gold medals that the Republic of Korea took at Tokyo 2020.

The 50-year-old athlete officially launched his sporting career 10 years ago at the 2013 Korea Open in Incheon. From there, he quickly found success, reaching world No. 1 in the men’s class 1 singles rankings in July 2017.

He is looking to defend his Paralympic title next year and he knows what he needs to work on.

“To prepare for the Paris Paralympics next year, I am thinking a lot that I should participate in more international competitions and train harder,” he said. “Training every day is exciting.”

In Hangzhou, within S1 class, Nam KiWon (Republic of Korea) took silver and Sandeep Dangi (India) took bronze at GSP Gymnasium.

A proud champion

Iraq’s Najlah Imad Lafta Al Dayyeni beamed with pride after winning the women’s singles class 6 in front of her coach and her team, who cheered for her every step of her campaign at GSP Gymnasium.

Playing against two-time Paralympian Lee Kunwoo of the Republic of Korea in the final, 18-year-old Al Dayeeni scored seven points in a row in the third set to seal a 11-7, 12-10, 11-7 victory.

“I’m so proud of myself. It’s fantastic to be a champion,” said Al Dayeeni, who competed at Tokyo 2020. “The final was very hard because I played against the same athlete at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo and I lost. But with the help of my coach and the audience, I went, and I did it this time – I won the gold medal.”

The teenage star took up the sport by “coincidence” in 2015 when a Para table tennis coach in Iraq was looking for people to join the game. The coach visited her home and saw potential in her.

After training for three years, the young athlete joined a national league and went on to represent her country at international tournaments.

And next year, she hopes to make her country proud at the Paralympics.

“I am very proud to represent the team. I’m looking forward to winning the gold medal in Paris.”

The sport is ‘my life’

When Thailand’s Rungroj Thainiyom is asked what he likes about Para table tennis, he does not need time to come up with an answer. “Table tennis is my life,” he says.

The sport has been his passion since he started playing 20 years ago.

In the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, Thainiyom beat home favourite Huang Jiaxin 11-6, 11-5, 11-3 in the final of the men’s singles class 6 event to qualify for his fifth Paralympic Games. He sang to his national anthem proudly.

“I’m so happy with my gold medal,” he said. “It was a really big game.”

The 36-year-old athlete has competed at four Paralympic Games. He captured gold at London 2012 and bronze at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. And he wants to return to the podium in the French capital and celebrate the milestone with his teammates and spectators.

“Table tennis is a really good sport. I want to get one medal in Paris – gold medal, silver medal, bronze medal – (any colour) is OK.”

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will start on 28 August and close on 8 September.