Six-time Paralympian James Rawson, who has passed away at the age of 59, will be remembered as one of Britain’s most successful Para table tennis players.

“I knew James when I was East Midlands regional chairman in the 90s and then again when I became BPTT Secretary in 2005,” said Mike Smith. “He was that rare person – a British Paralympic table tennis gold medallist – and he won five Paralympic medals overall. He joined the BPTT table at the TTE Centenary Gala Dinner in 2022 and was really interested in the progress made over the last decade.

“A man of great courage and resolve.”

Born in Newark, Nottinghamshire in 1965, Rawson competed at every summer Paralympic Games between Seoul in 1988 and Beijing in 2008, winning five medals including gold in the men’s class 3 team event with Neil Robinson and Phillip Evans in Barcelona in 1992, silver in the men’s class 3 team event with Robinson and Stefan Trofan in both Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 as well as men’s class 3 singles bronze and team bronze in Atlanta 1996.

Rawson also represented Great Britain in World and European Championships, winning World team silver and individual bronze in Taipei in 2002 and three European team titles in 1999, 2003 and 2005.

“Jamie was a top-class player,” said Neil Robinson. “He very much had a style of his own – a defensive/counter-attacking style that was very unorthodox and very difficult to play against. As a consequence, he got some great results over the years.

“We formed a very strong table tennis relationship – we both had very similar goals and forged a great relationship together through the table tennis environment. He was a very loyal member of the team and a great team partner. We played together for many years in the team, and we could always rely on each other.

“Jamie wasn’t initially in the first line-up of the team in Barcelona in 1992. We brought him into the team for the semi-finals and went through into the final. That was his first big breakthrough really – with the combination of my attacking style and Jamie’s defensive, awkward approach to the game we produced an amazing result. Having lost to Germany 3-0 in the round-robin group stage we ended up meeting them again in the final and beating them 3-2 with Jamie as part of the team.

“He also had a great win in the World Championships in 2002 when he beat World and Paralympic champion Zlatko Kesler and then won the play-off for the men’s class 3 bronze medal against Jan Guertler, the world number two from Germany.

“It’s an incredibly sad loss as he contributed a lot to British table tennis. He was very British – very much the bulldog spirit and a very determined character. A great person to have on your side.”

Rawson reached a career-high world ranking of No 2 in men’s class 3 in July 1999 and retired from international competition in 2011. In recognition of his contribution topara table tennis he was invited to be a London 2012 Paralympic Torchbearer.

BPTT Acting Company Secretary Neil Marples also has fond memories of Rawson.

“I knew James from playing against him in the Sheffield and Nottingham leagues,” he recalls. “He always played with a smile on his face and had a great sense of humour – never missing the opportunity to pass a comment and particularly at his opponent. A lifelong Nottingham Forest supporter and overall, a very nice man. 

“A great shame that he has left us, he will be remembered. RIP James.”

Rawson is survived by his wife Patsy and stepson Dominic.