By the time Paris 2024 has come to an end, Welsh stars Paul Karabardak and Rob Davies will have competed at an amazing total of eight Games between them.

Both have been on the podium – Karabardak at the last games in Tokyo, where he won bronze in the Men’s Class 6 Singles and silver in the Men’s Class 6-7 Team, alongside Will Bayley.

Davies, meanwhile, experienced the ultimate glory as he took the Men’s Class 1 Singles gold at Rio 2016. He was awarded the MBE in the New Year Honours at the end of that year, but was unfortunately unable to defend his title in Tokyo because of a shoulder injury.

Both compete on two fronts in Paris – Davies in the same singles class and alongside Tom Matthews in the Men’s Class 4 Doubles, and Karabardak in the Class 6 Singles and the Class 14 Doubles with Billy Shilton.

It will be a fifth Games for Karabardak, who is 38 and from Swansea, and he said: “I’m just really happy to be competing at my fifth.

“It’s been a really busy and hard qualification period so to have got over the line and to have qualified into my fifth makes me really happy. I think it’s special, the Paralympic Games, and to be competing again just makes me really happy.

“Tokyo was amazing. It was a really proud moment for me and I couldn’t believe it. I’d been to three Paralympics and not medalled, so to go there, you don’t think it’s going to happen.

“So to finally get those medals and play so well, it was one of the best performances of my career. It was just amazing made me feel so happy, I was just over the moon with my performance in Tokyo.”

A big target for Karabardak is for he and Shilton to recreate their superb World Championships triumph from 2022, a success which gives him great belief.

“You never know what you’re going to get with sport,” he said, “but I think to go out and play my best and try and perform my best . . . I think anything’s possible, especially in doubles with Billy.

“I think me and Billy believe in each other, and we know we can rely on each other. We’re world champions and one of the best teams in the world, and I think we have a really great chance to do well in the doubles.

“As well in singles, I think I’m in a good position, so I’ll go out and try and do my best and I think anything’s possible.”

For Davies, having missed out on Tokyo, he is delighted to be back in the reckoning and will be sixth seed.

“Obviously I was gutted about not going to Tokyo but that’s forgotten about now and I’m just looking forward to getting to Paris and seeing what I can do there,” said the 39-year-old from Brecon.

“I do like the big occasions, and I like to think that I can up my game for it. I feel I’m going in the right direction, and I just want to make the most of it and enjoy it every time I’m on the table.

“I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself for Paris, so we’ll see what happens.”

For Karabardak, there is another motivation to put on a good show in front of the crowds, returning after the ‘Covid Games’ in Tokyo.

“My mum and brother have decided to travel to watch me,” he said. “My mum hasn’t watched me since London 2012, so it’s been a long time and I’m over the moon that she’s able to make it.

“My brother’s never watched me play in international table tennis so I’m really happy he can make it as well. It’s really nice to have my family there and I think to have that support can make me play well.”