Paul Karabardak

Swansea

Paul Karabardak

Swansea

Biography

Paul was a keen footballer until he suffered a massive stroke at the age of ten and was subsequently introduced to table tennis at a local disabled youth club.

Within two years he was playing for the local Swansea League before being selected to play for the GB Para Table Tennis Team at the age of 15 in the European Championships, winning a team bronze medal.

In a 20-year career he has won team medals with Will Bayley at World and European level as a class 7 athlete and since being reclassified as a class 6 in 2015 he has won European singles bronze in 2015, European team gold in 2017 and 2019 and World team bronze in 2017.

Tokyo was his fourth Paralympic Games and he won his first Paralympic medals, taking bronze in the men’s class 6 singles and silver with Will Bayley in the men’s class 6-7 team event.

Major appearances and career highlights

Paralympic GamesTokyo2021Men’s Class 6-7 Team silver;
Men’s Class 6 Singles bronze
European ChampionshipsSweden2019Men’s Class 6 Team gold;
Men’s Class 6 Singles QF
European Championships Slovenia2017Men’s Class 6 Team gold
World Team ChampionshipsSlovakia2017Men’s Class 6 bronze
European ChampionshipsDenmark2015Men’s Class 6 Team silver;
Men’s Class 6 Singles bronze
World ChampionshipsChina2014Men’s Class 6-7 Team bronze
European ChampionshipsItaly2013Men’s Class 7 Team bronze
European Championships Croatia2011Men’s Class 7 Team silver
European Championships Italy2009Men’s Class 7 Singles bronze
European Championships Germany2001Men’s Class 7 Team bronze