by Alex Hoad at the ExCeL Arena

Will Bayley vowed he will one day win a Paralympic gold after having to settle for silver in the Class 7 table tennis at London 2012.

The 24-year-old from Tunbridge Wells suffered a 3-1 defeat against defending champion, vastly experienced German Jochen Wollmert, 47, at ExCeL last night.

Bayley collapsed to the floor in tears after the final point and was consoled with bear hugs from his conqueror as well as his coach before completing an emotional lap of honour with a Union Jack.

Bayley – appearing in his second Games – was undone by the tactical mastery of the German, who has now won medals at all seven Paralympic Games he’s competed at.

Bayley revealed: “I was confident going into the match because I’ve beaten him nine times out of the last 10.

“I was confident I was going to win but I have to hold my hands up and say he played better than me."

Bayley was roared on by thousands of GB supporters and was full of emotion at every point he won in the opening two sets.

He said: ”My coach said I was maybe too pumped-up, maybe I was. I’ve never experienced that (atmosphere) before.

“Maybe I wanted it too much and maybe I went after it too much. He was very cool and calm and he’s got a lot of experience.”

Bayley – who was born with a congenital muscle condition and then beat cancer aged seven - added: “I don’t have any regrets because I have given it everything for four years.

Follow all Kent's Paralympic athletes in our sports section - as KM Group reporter Alex Hoad reports live from the Games.