Browsing: Para

October 12, 2025

(by Steve Hopkins, photo USATT)

The 2025 ITTF Para Pan American Championships wrapped up this weekend in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  It delivered four days of fierce competition among the Hemisphere’s best para athletes with players from the US battling the top players from Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica and many others.

Winners qualified directly for the 2026 World Para Championships – and that was the case for three Americans: Jenson Van Emburgh, Ian Seidenfeld, and Tahl Leibovitz.  In Men’s Singles Class 3, Van Emburgh logged a 3-1 win over Gabriel Copola of Argentina in the Semifinals and a 3-1 win over Brazil’s Welder Camargo Knaf in the Final.  Ian Seidenfeld upset the top seeded Ignacio Torres of Chile in the Semifinals before blanking Chile’s Matias Pino 3-0 in the Final of Class 6.   And in Class 9, Tahl Leibovitz defeated Argentina’s Eithan Skliarsky 3-0 in the Semifinals and then topped Lucas Dos Santos Carvalho of Brazil in the Final.  Each of these three has now punched their ticket for Glasgow, Scotland – the host of the World Para Championships this Summer.

USA had a number of other participants as well.  Samuel Altshuler was 1-1 in Men’s Singles Class 6, losing in the Semifinals.  Logan Watson also fell in the Semifinals of his event – Men’s Singles Class 9.  Randall Medcalf was less fortunate in Men’s Singles Class 10, losing in the Quarterfinals to second-place finisher from Chile.

Another  American Gold Medal went to Tahl Leibovitz and Logan Watson in Men’s Doubles Class MD 18 as they defeated the top seeded Brazilian team in the Semifinals and the second seeded (also) Brazilian team in the Final.

Solid results across the board from TeamUSA – and one more step for three great candidates for Medals at the World Para Championships next Summer.

For full results and match details, visit the official ITTF results page.

Visit ButterflyOnline.com for the latest table tennis news and results.

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Nine-time Paralympic champion Cockroft completed a hat-trick of gold medals in New Delhi after following up her victories in the 100m and 400m with a fifth world title at 800m.

She won in a championship-record time of one minute 49.88 seconds, while Adenegan, 24, finished in a season’s best 2:03.91 to claim her third silver medal of the championships.

Paralympic champion and world record holder Pembroke threw more than five metres further than the rest of the field in the F13 javelin – for athletes with a visual impairment – with his best of 68.51m coming on his final attempt.

Three-time former world champion Broom-Edwards, 37, had to settle for silver this time behind Uzbekistan’s Temurbek Giyazov in the men’s T64 high jump, with his final effort of 2.00m just 3cm below the gold-medal jump.

Michael Jenkins, 20, completed a hat-trick of bronze medals for the British team in the shot put.

The European record holder’s throw of 18.84m in the men’s F38 final saw him finish behind Colombian Levin Moreno Denis and his compatriot Jose Lemos Rivas, who finished with silver.

In the morning session, Nicholson, 30, the team’s co-captain, finished third in the women’s F35 category – for those with a co-ordination impairment – with a personal best throw of 9.58m.

It was the Gateshead Harrier’s first medal at the Worlds, having previously finished fourth at the 2019 championships, and followed her bronze at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.

Church, 25, managed a throw of 12.6m in the F12 event – for visually impaired athletes – to clinch her first medal on the world stage, having previously claimed silver at the 2021 European Championships.

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Great Britain’s Funmi Oduwaiye won bronze in the F44 shot put and and Dan Greaves did the same in the F44 discus at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi.

Oduwaiye, 22, threw a personal best effort of 12.11m with her first throw of the competition.

Oduwaiye’s five remaining efforts were red flagged as she finished behind China’s Yao Juan and the United States’ Arelle Middleton.

“There is definitely more to come,” said Oduwaiye.

“I know I can do a lot more. It’s nice to get that appreciation of a bronze medal for now.

“There was definitely another big one [throw] out there but unfortunately, that’s how the game is.”

Meanwhile, former Paralympic gold medallist Greaves, 42, managed a throw of 52.42m to finish third behind Colombia’s Andres Mosquera Neira and Trinidad and Tobago’s Akeem Stewart in the F44 discus.

The F44 classification is for field athletes with a lower limb deficiency, leg length difference or impaired range of movement in one leg that affects their balance.

Fellow Briton Harrison Walsh was fifth with an effort of 51.49m, while Mel Woods also just missed out on a medal, coming home fourth in the women’s 400m T54 final.

Great Britain have won 15 medals so far in India, including four golds.

It leaves them 13th in the rankings, with Brazil leading the way on 12 golds.

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Great Britain’s Nathan Maguire thanked his family for helping him achieve his dream after winning T54 1500m bronze at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi.

Maguire overtook Switzerland’s Marcel Hug on the final bend and finished behind Chinese pair Jin Hua and Luo Xingchuan.

The 28-year-old added to the bronze he won in the T54 800m at the 2024 World Championships in Kobe.

“This is what I’ve dreamed of for my whole career,” Maguire told BBC Sport.

“It’s always special to be able to do this in front of your family.

“I’ve never been to a race without my parents with me and I know how much they put into me when I was growing up to get me to this point, so it’s a team effort.”

Maguire finished fourth in the T54 400m on Tuesday but has the opportunity to pick up another medal in the 800m event this weekend.

Britain’s Hannah Taunton missed out on a medal in the women’s T20 1500m final as she finished fourth in four minutes 42.95 seconds, seven seconds behind Australia’s Annabelle Colman who took bronze.

Brazil’s Antonia Keyla Da Silva Barros set a world record of 4:19.22 to take gold.

Sophie Hahn, a two-time Paralympic champion over 100m, finished eighth for Great Britain in the women’s T38 200m final in 27.11, with Colombia’s Karen Palomeque taking gold with a world record of 24.98.

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Great Britain’s Hannah Cockroft claimed her second gold medal of the World Para Athletics Championships and the 18th world title of her career by winning the women’s T34 100m in New Delhi.

The nine-time Paralympic champion won in 17.28 seconds in India, her eighth title in a row in the event.

British team-mate Kare Adenegan won silver with a season’s best time of 18.08 while China’s Lan Hanyu took bronze.

“It’s nice to come out and get titles, but I’d like to be going a bit quicker if I’m honest,” said Cockroft.

“I want those world records and I’ve not hit them in a couple of years.”

Cockroft, 33, had won gold and set a championship record in the T34 400m on Sunday, with Adenegan also taking silver in that event.

There were more GB medals on Wednesday, with Victoria Levitt winning T44 100m gold on her international debut with a time of 13.22 and Bebe Jackson taking the bronze medal in 13.63.

Levitt, 29, works two jobs to support her athletics career and will return to her role at a Tesco store in Mansfield during the run up to Christmas.

“It was a complete shock to be honest,” Levitt told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“When I crossed the line and I didn’t see anyone else I was like, ‘oh, does this mean I’m first?’, then the shock hit my face.

“It will take time to sink in. I’m shell-shocked, I can’t believe that’s what I’ve walked away with.”

Great Britain’s Melanie Woods won her second medal of the championships, claiming bronze in the women’s T54 1500m in three minutes 19.75 seconds.

The 31-year-old Scot also won bronze in the T54 800m on Monday – the first time she has won medals at a global games.

Five-time Paralympic champion Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland took 1500m gold ahead of China’s Zhou Zhaoqian.

“It is daunting lining up on the start line with world record holders, including Catherine, who can go out in front and hold such a strong pace,” said Woods.

“But you have to hype yourself up and give yourself confidence that you deserve to be on the start line.

“I couldn’t be happier with that. It was a great start to the week and just to add to that is a bonus.”

Ndidikama Okoh won bronze in the women’s 100m T63 final with a time of 14.66 to earn Great Britain a 13th medal of the championships.

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Sabrina Fortune is hoping to compete at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after smashing her own shot put world record at the World Para Athletics Championships.

The 28-year-old from Wrexham competes in the F20 category for athletes with intellectual impairments and has dominated her event since taking gold at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

Fortune claimed a fourth consecutive world title with a new world record throw of 16.75m in New Delhi – bettering her own previous mark of 15.75m.

With the Los Angeles Paralympics not taking place until 2028, Fortune believes her progress could allow her to compete for Wales against non-disability athletes in Glasgow.

“I want [to throw] 17.07m for mainstream Commonwealths, that’s really my next goal,” she told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“My event’s not in the Paralympics cycle so I’m chasing the mainstream instead.”

Welsh Athletics’ B standard women’s shot put qualifying distance to be considered for selection for the next Commonwealth Games is a throw longer than 17.07m, while the A standard – the mark that would trigger automatic selection – is 18.24m.

In the meantime, Fortune can enjoy her success, having praised the organisation of this World Para Athletics Championships while dealing with the high temperatures of India.

“Everything has been put on so, so well but it’s definitely a lot hotter here though,” she added.

“That’s the one that we’re all struggling with, it’s just the heat of it. Compared to what we have in the UK it’s quite different, very humid.”

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Deadline: 3rd October 2025 (Friday) @ 2.00 pm

The Local Organizer Committee (LOC)  invites International Umpires to officiate at the forthcoming event:

ITTF World Para Challenger Giza 2025 ( 15 – 18.11)

ITTF African Para Championships 2025 ( 20 – 23.11)

It is an open invitation, therefore not all submissions may be accepted.

Only online nominations submitted by bona fide National Associations will be considered

Full hospitality will be provided in twin rooms, from dinner on the day before the event starts to breakfast on the day after the event ends.

All invited umpires must organize their own transport to the region as well as travel and medical insurance. In addition, all invited umpires are responsible for early arrival and late departure. Local transport will be provided from and to Cairo International Airport.

Should a nominated umpire require a visa, kindly send relevant details after the selection (full name as in passport, date of birth, place of birth, passport number, expiry date of passport to   office@ettf.org  and Ahmed Magdy ahmed_idrees@windowslive.com

A letter of invitation will be provided. Please note that all costs associated with the visa application are the responsibility of the applicant and the issuance of a visa is at the sole discretion of the relevant Consulate or Embassy.

Each umpire will receive a daily allowance by LOC, per competition day:

Gold Badge Umpires : 80 USD

Blue Badge Umpires: 65 USD

Blue Badge Umpires in Progress: 50 USD

White Badge Umpires: 50 USD

The closing date for nominations is 03rd October 2025 @ 2.00 pm

You are kindly requested to carefully read the instructions, and then to complete the details via the online form

Thank you for your kind cooperation.Â

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Former champion Hollie Arnold said winning a medal was way beyond her expectations after securing a bronze in the women’s F46 javelin at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi.

The 31-year-old took nine months off after finishing third at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, but returned to secure an eighth world podium place with a season-best throw of 41.94m.

“It’s a real weird mix of emotions. I’m proud, there’s upset, there’s a million and one things,” said Arnold, who won this event at the previous six World Championships.

“After Paris mental health came first for me and I just needed to take that time for myself and really understand myself.

“I didn’t know if I was going to be here, this was not on my cards this year whatsoever, so to be able have very little training out here, throw pretty consistently well – I’m really proud of myself.”

Arnold led the field in India’s capital after the first round of throws, but did not improve on her mark with five subsequent attempts.

Noelle Roerda of the Netherlands won the event, with a personal best of 43.74m putting her clear of Uzbekistan’s Shahinakhon Yigitalieva.

“It’s just been a really messy year, but I’ve found magic in chaos and I think that’s something to very proud of,” Arnold added.

“I’m not the same person I was in Paris, I’m a very different Hollie and I’m a happy Hollie. To come out here and compete, yeah, I loved it.”

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September 5, 2025 | Francesca Bullock A former Paralympian and talented administrator he helped to transform the landscape of disability…

Deadline: 25th August 2025 (Monday) @ 2.00 PMThe Local Organizer Committee (LOC)  invites International Umpires to officiate at the forthcoming event:ITTF Asian…