Three British athletes included in Para Showcase at Singapore Smash
British athletes Aaron McKibbin, Billy Shilton and Grace Williams will compete in the second Para showcase at this year’s Singapore Smash, one of the leading events in world table tennis taking place from February 3-5 at the Singapore Sports Hub.
Last year’s inaugural Para showcase featured athletes from classes 6 and 7, with Will Bayley taking silver in the men’s singles and Bly Twomey bronze in the women’s singles. This year the event features athletes from class 8 with Paralympic medallists McKibbin and Shilton, currently World ranked seven and eight respectively, facing tough opposition in the men’s singles including the gold and bronze medallists from the Paris 2024 Paralympics in World number one Viktor Didukh, his fellow Ukrainian Maksym Nikolenko and Phisit Wangphonphanthanasiri from Thailand.
After achieving his highest World ranking of number two last year 33-year-old Epsom-based McKibbin, who took bronze in the World Championships in 2022, was disappointed to lose to Chinese three-time Paralympic champion Zhao Shuai in the quarterfinal of the men’s class 8 singles in Paris but does not feel he is going to Singapore with a point to prove.
“It is going to be very tough with eight of the World’s top 12 competing,” he said, “but in my head I know deep down I’m one of the best players in the world and I don’t feel I have anything to prove any more. So I’m not going there with something to prove - I would obviously like to win the competition because I want to win every competition I play in - but I do think it is going to be a great event. It’s really cool to be mixed in with the top able bodied players on such a big stage so I am looking forward to experiencing that.”
World doubles champion Shilton, 26, from Stonehouse in Gloucestershire, took bronze in the doubles in Paris but is also looking to bounce back from a disappointing result in the singles.
“My training has been really good over the last few weeks,” he said. “I’m trying to challenge myself every day in the hall and in the gym with things that I felt could have been better in the previous seasons so I’m in a really good place. The singles event in Paris wasn’t my best so I’ve been doing everything I can to work on those things and it’s a great opportunity to showcase this improvement in Singapore as the best players in the world are there.
“It will be amazing to compete alongside the best able-bodied players in the world. I think it’s great that Para is included in this event as it’s something that wouldn’t have happened 10 years ago so it’s great that Para table tennis is getting the recognition and exposure I feel it deserves. I’m really excited to get out there and compete.”
In the women’s event Williams, European silver medallist in 2023, also has strong competition including World number three and 2022 World champion Thu Kamkasomphou from France and Paris 2024 Paralympic bronze medallist Florencia Perez from Chile.
“Training’s going good at the moment,” said Williams, 21, from Llanfyllin. “Having had time off due to injury it was difficult to get back into it but having Singapore as a goal to work towards has helped focus on training. I’m hoping I will produce what I’ve done previously on the big stage, but I’m not putting any pressure on myself. Coming back from injury, I’m hoping Singapore will demonstrate where I am right now.”