A para table tennis player from High Wycombe has won his first gold medal.

British para table tennis pathway athlete Shae Thakker won the men’s class 10 singles category at the 2024 SQY French Para Open in Voisins les Bretonneux, in Paris.

The 21-year-old, who studies sport and exercise psychology at the University of Sheffield, beat Marat Surtubayev from Kazakhstan.

This is Thakker's first international tournament in over a year.

Thakker said: "I’m very proud to win my first gold medal for GB.

"It feels like it’s been a long time coming and I’m so happy to finally have achieved this.

"Although I feel that I didn’t start the tournament in the best way, I think I managed to reset well for today and go again.

"To beat a player in the top 15 in the world in the semi-final gave me a lot of confidence and I tried to take this into the final.

"It was a good match, and my opponent was very strong and kept fighting so I’m very happy to have managed to win in the end, saving four match points.

"I’d like to say thank you to Shaun (BPTT Pathway Manager Shaun Marples) and Matjaz (BPTT Pathway coach Matjaz Sercer) who have been so supportive of me.

"Both give me so much confidence and I’m so grateful to them."

Thakker's victory came after a series of impressive performances throughout the tournament.

He was a 3-1 winner against 18-year-old Dominik Bartosik from Poland and won his quarter final against Yann Yi Ming Gores 3-0.

He then beat the world number 12 from Poland Pawel Wlodyka 3-2 in the semi-final.

Other British players also performed well at the tournament.

Chris Ryan took silver in the final of men’s class 1-2, while Max Flint took bronze in men’s class 10.

Flint said: "I felt that I played well in the group matches.

"I was a bit nervous at the start, but I played myself into it and prepared well for every match.

"One thing I could have done better was to play more positively and relaxed, but I’ve enjoyed the whole experience so far and will use it as a learning experience when I go back."

Chris Ryan, who led the GB wheelchair rugby team to gold in Tokyo, said: "I’m pleased with how I played today.

"The first two games I was a lot more focused and locked in compared to yesterday which was good and I’m proud of the fight back in the final."