Tunbridge Wells Paralympian Will Bayley is celebrating from afar after he was named Male Para Player-of-the-Year for 2023 at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Awards held in Busan, South Korea.

The 36-year-old Rio 2016 Paralympic champion added the European title last September to the world title he won in Spain in 2022 and is the first British player to be honoured at the prestigious ceremony that was first held in 2013.

Bayley, in Kazakhstan for the Astana Para Open which starts on Friday, said: “I’m so amazed, surprised and delighted to win this award. I couldn’t have done this without so many people - my family, my coaches, my sponsors, British team head coach Andrew Rushton and performance director Gorazd [Vecko].

“I’ve had so many ups and downs in my career, but they’ve always believed in me. Thank you to everyone who decided I should win this award and I want to thank my younger self - that little boy who went through so much and never gave up and that is what is keeping me going today.

“Maybe I’m an old man now but I still feel like that little boy who kept fighting and I definitely want to thank him for never giving up because it has given me the inspiration to carry on and reach the pinnacle of my sport. Thank you so much. There is more to come - let’s go, Paris.”

“I’m so proud of him and British Para table tennis is proud of him,” said Vecko. “We are so fortunate to have an athlete like him in our sport and our programme and he deserves this award because of his hard work and dedication to Para table tennis.

“He has achieved everything - gold in the Paralympics, the World Championships and the European Championships - and he is inspiring the next generation. We should also not forget that when he was injured competing in Strictly Come Dancing a lot of people said he should finish, and he would never play again, but he came back to be in two finals in Tokyo - what an achievement.

“He is world No.1 again, world and European champion and is looking for another singles gold in Paris. He is a real inspiration to everyone in Para table tennis in the UK and around the world.”