Preview: ITTF World Para Table Tennis Championships 2026

Australia’s leading Para table tennis athletes are set to take on the world’s best, with the 2026 ITTF World Para Table Tennis Championships commencing this Friday, 13 November, in Pattaya, Thailand.

A team of 12 Australian athletes will proudly represent the green and gold at the prestigious event, which runs until 19 November and brings together the world's best Para table tennis players across wheelchair, standing and intellectual impairment classifications.

Leading the Australian contingent are four 2026 international gold medallists: Sam von Einem (Class 11), Qian Yang (Class 10), Lina Lei (Class 9) and Lin Ma (Class 9), who will be looking to build on their outstanding international performances throughout the year.

They will be joined by Danni Di Toro (Class 4), Nathan Pellissier (Class 8), Jodi Elkington Jones (Class 7), Lenny Properjohn (Class 6), Jimmy Huo (Class 5), Jessy Chen (Class 3), Evgeny 'John' Savinov (Class 1) and Gemma Buchholz (Class 2).

For several members of the team, the championships represent another opportunity to test themselves against the world's best, while others will be looking to gain valuable experience on one of Para table tennis' biggest stages.

The Australian team will be supported throughout the championships by an experienced group of staff, led by Team Manager and Head Coach Maggie Meng.

She will be joined by Para Hub Team Coaches An Phan, Mateo Dvorani and Jacqui Budiarto, Team Physio Maddie Thompson, Performance Analyst Sam Wells and Team Carers Luke Roberts and Rebecca Basnet.

The team has spent the past four weeks preparing together at a staging camp at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC), undertaking two training sessions each day from Monday to Friday.

The camp provided an important opportunity for athletes and staff to come together, build consistency and finalise preparations ahead of the international challenge.

The 2026 ITTF World Para Table Tennis Championships will be a landmark occasion for the sport, with 334 athletes set to compete across 37 medal events.

Held every four years, the World Championships represent one of the sport's biggest international stages, providing an opportunity for Australia's athletes to measure themselves against the world's best.

Certain matches will be live streamed through the ITTF YouTube channel, which can be found here.

Australian Team – 2026 ITTF World Para Table Tennis Championships:

• Sam von Einem – Class 11 (SA)
• Qian Yang – Class 10 (VIC)
• Lina Lei – Class 9 (VIC)
• Lin Ma – Class 9 (VIC)
• Nathan Pellissier – Class 8 (VIC)
• Jodi Elkington Jones – Class 7 (ACT)
• Lenny Properjohn – Class 6 (WA)
• Jimmy Huo – Class 5 (NSW)
• Danni Di Toro – Class 4 (VIC)
• Jessy Chen – Class 3 (NSW)
• Gemma Buchholz – Class 2 (QLD)
• Evgeny 'John' Savinov – Class 1 (VIC)

Good luck team, we’re all behind you!