Kent duo Will Bayley and Ross Wilson head a squad of 14 British athletes set to compete at the Slovenia Para Open in Lasko.

Tunbridge Wells-born Rio 2016 Paralympic champion Bayley and former Commonwealth and World champion Wilson, from Minster on the Isle of Sheppey, are joined in the team by 2020 Tokyo medallists Jack Hunter-Spivey, Paul Karabardak, Tom Matthews, Aaron McKibbin and Billy Shilton.

Others in the Britain squad for the competition which will be held from next Wednesday until next Saturday include 2022 Costa Brava Spanish Open champions Joshua Stacey and Fliss Pickard, two-time European team champion Martin Perry and 18-year-old Theo Bishop.

“It is really important for me to be playing lots of matches to be match sharp because you can only do so much training and there is nothing like competing to see where your level is at and try and improve,” said Bayley, 34.

“I played some of my best stuff in Tokyo - probably better than I did in Rio - but I didn’t take my opportunities in the final of the singles or the team event.

“I was playing well enough to potentially win those matches but I didn’t although, overall, it was a good performance.

“Getting back to world number one gives me a goal. I think there is a good rivalry between me and Yan [An] and I think I can really push him this year.

“It is good to have someone that I can aim at – and JP [European champion Jean-paul Montanus from Netherlands].

“It is great for class 7 to have three or four top players who can all beat each other, it is really exciting to be part of that.”

Wilson, 26, started this season by taking gold in the men’s class 8 singles at the Costa Brava Spanish Open in March where he also combined with men’s class 9 gold medallist Stacey to win gold in the men’s MS18 doubles, beating McKibbin and Shilton in an all-British final.

Full British squad: Will Bayley, 34, Tunbridge Wells/Brighton (class 7), Theo Bishop, 18, Bury (class 7), Jack Hunter-Spivey, 26, Liverpool/Sheffield (class 5), Andrew Guy, 37, Bovey Tracey (class 2), Paul Karabardak, 36, Swansea (class 6), Tom Matthews, 29, Aberdare (class 1), Aaron McKibbin, 30, London/Epsom (class 8), Martin Perry, 27, Paisley/Dumbarton (class 6), Fliss Pickard, 27, Burnley/Sheffield (class 6), Billy Shilton, 23, Stonehouse/Sheffield (class 8), Joshua Stacey, 22, Cardiff/Sheffield (class 9), Grace Williams, 19, Wrexham/Sheffield (class 8), Ross Wilson, 26, Minster/Sheffield (class 8), Lee York, 33, Wakefield (class 4).