Foundation coach to compete in World Table Tennis Championships
Manchester United Foundation table tennis coach, Adam Thompson, aged 25 from Sale, will compete in the Class 11 Singles category for athletes with learning disabilities and will take on contestants from across the globe in the hope of reaching the podium.
Adam, who is currently top British male in his class, began playing table tennis at Altrincham Table Tennis Club four years ago, through the Foundation’s Premier League 4 Sport programme, a national initiative which aims to engage young people in Olympic sports. He has completed his Level 1 coaching qualification and the Foundation is supporting him through Level 2. Adam has also trained with the Paralympic Team GB squad and is relishing the experience that the World Championships will offer:
“I’m really delighted to be part of the team, it’s such a great opportunity to compete outside of Europe,” he said. “Inas events like this are really important; without them there wouldn’t be any international class 11 competition. I just can’t wait to get out there now.”
Inas is the International Federation for sport for para-athletes with an intellectual disability. Tracey McCillen, Chief Executive at UKSA, said: “UKSA has worked in close partnership with Mencap Sport and the English Table Tennis Association in a unique collaboration to enable these talented athletes to participate in the World Championships.
“These Championships represent a critical step for the athletes as they set their sights on selection for the 2015 Inas Global Games in Ecuador and 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio.”
The Inas World Table Tennis Championships will be held on 11th-19th December 2013 and will be the first ever to take place in Hong Kong.
UKSA manages the eligibility and classification process for UK athletes with learning disability. The Great Britain Team is managed by UKSA in collaboration with its four Home Country members, Scottish Disability Sport, Disability Sports Northern Ireland, Welsh Sports Association for People with Learning Disability and Mencap Sport in England.
UKSA promotes, facilitates and supports talented sports people with learning disability in the UK to train, compete and excel in national and international competitive sport.