McKibbin and Bayley lead strong GB squad to France

October 23, 2025 | Francesca Bullock

A squad of 16 British Para Table Tennis Team athletes will travel to France this weekend to compete in the ITTF World Para Elite Yvelines 2025 from October 26-30.

The squad is preparing for next monthâ€s ITTF European Para Championships in Sweden and will be hoping to build on the 19 medals won in the World Para Elite Spokane 2025 in the USA in August.  

Two players looking to continue their winning streak are menâ€s class 8 world No 1, Aaron McKibbin (pictured above), and menâ€s class seven world No 1, Will Bayley. Both players achieved back-to-back gold medals in their respective singles events in the last two Elite tournaments with wins against high-ranking opponents. 

BPTT athlete representative Jack Hunter-Spivey said: “The squad has been working on a lot of match play, making sure we are prepared for what our opponents are likely to do so we can ensure weâ€re ready in the best possible way.

“France is massive for preparation for the Europeans and weâ€re going to play many of the opponents we will face in Sweden. With it being so close to the Europeans, it makes it one of the biggest tournaments and will be a really good test for all the players.â€

“The tournament in France is a great way to assess where the players are at and a last chance to ensure we push for top four seedings for the European Championships,†said BPTT Head Coach Andrew Rushton.

“A few of the players are already there and some players are close. We will use the tournament to review performances and strengthen doubles partnerships, so we are in a strong position in Sweden.â€

The British squad for the ITTF World Para Elite Yvelines is: Will Bayley (class 7), Theo Bishop (class 7), Rob Davies (class 1), Ryan Henry (class 8), Jack Hunter-Spivey (class 5), Paul Karabardak (class 6), Tom Matthews (class 1), Aaron McKibbin (class 8), Chris Ryan (class 2), Martin Perry (class 6), Felicity Pickard (class 6), Megan Shackleton (class 4),Billy Shilton (class 8), Joshua Stacey (class 9), Bly Twomey (class 7),Grace Williams (class 8)

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