FROM TOKYO 1964 TO TOKYO 2021 - AUSTRALIAN TABLE TENNIS IN PARALYMPICS

Australia has participated officially in every Paralympic Games since the first 1960 Rome, Italy Summer Games except for the first 1976 Örnsköldsvik, Sweden Winter Paralympics. The 1964 Tokyo Summer Paralympic Games was the second Paralympic Games after the first 1960 Rome Paralympic Games. Hosted in Tokyo, the games ran from 8 to 12 Nov 1964.

 The Australian team at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Paralympic Games, 3 Nov1964

Australia won a total of 30 medals (12 gold medals, 11 silver medals, and 7 bronze medals) and finished fourth on the medal tally. Australia competed in 6 of the 9 sports at the Games, winning medals in each of those sports, but was most successful in the pool, winning a majority of their medals in swimming events.

Marion O'Brien and Daphne Hilton (née Ceeney) made a history at the 1964 Tokyo Games, and they won a gold medal in the Women's Doubles C table tennis event. It is the first table tennis gold medal in Australian Paralympic Games history.

As an Australian Paralympic table tennis player and athlete. At the 1964 Tokyo Games, Marion also won a silver medal in the Women's javelin C event, and a bronze medal in the Women's Singles C table tennis event.

At the 1964 Tokyo Paralympic Games, Daphne Hilton not only won a gold medal in the Women's Doubles C table tennis event, but she also won a silver medal in the Women's 50m Freestyle Prone complete class 5 event, one bronze medal in the Women's 50m Freestyle Supine cauda equine event, one bronze medal in the Women's Albion Round open archery event, and a bronze medal in the Women's Foil Individual fencing event. She also competed in the athletics events at the 1964 Tokyo Games.

              Marion O'Brien and friend at the 1964 Tokyo Paralympic Games

Daphne was Australia’s only female representative at the first 1960 Rome Paralympic Games, where she won Australia’s first Paralympic gold medal by a female athlete, and incredibly, six of the Australian Paralympic Team’s 10 medals.

In 1960 Rome Paralympics, Daphne collected two gold medals, in the breaststroke and crawl, three silver medals for archery and a bronze medal for shot put. Of the ten medals Australia won in Rome, six belonged to Daphne.

             Daphne Hilton and teammate at the 1964 Tokyo Paralympic Games

As a three-time Paralympian in 1960 Rome, 1964 Tokyo and 1968 Tel Aviv Paralympics, Daphne won 14 Paralympic medals in archery, athletics, fencing, table tennis and swimming. She also won 22 medals across four Para sports at the Commonwealth Paraplegic Games in 1962 and 1966.

             The Australian Paralympic Team Medal History in Table Tennis (1960-2016)

At the 1964 Tokyo Paralympic Games, Allan McLucas won a bronze medal in the Men's Singles A2 table tennis event, and Elaine Schreiber won a bronze medal in the Women's Singles B table tennis event.

                   The Australian Paralympic Team 1968 Tel Aviv Paralympic Games

In 1968 Tel Aviv Games, Marion O'Brien won a silver medal in the Women's Doubles C table tennis event with Elaine Schreiber, and a bronze medal in the Women's Slalom C event.

Elaine also won a gold medal in the Women’s Club throw A event, and a silver medal in Women’s Javelin A event in 1964 Tokyo Games.

            Sam Von Einem                        Elaine Schreiber                               Danni Di Toro

Even at a time when Paralympic athletes often competed in more than one sport, Daphne’s achievement of winning Paralympic medals in five sports was exceptional and it’s a record that won’t be surpassed in the world.

In 1984 Los Angeles Paralympic Games, Terry Biggs won a gold medal in the Men's Singles C1 table tennis, and it is the first ever and the only one gold medal in table tennis single event in Australian table tennis history.

                                 Trevor Hirth                                Lina Lei and Qian Yang                                 

In 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, 20-year-old Sam Von Einem thrilled Australian table tennis fans when he won a silver medal in the Men’s Class 11 singles.

Sam Von Einem was Australia’s first Paralympic medallist in the Men’s single event since Terry Biggs won a gold medal in 1984 Los Angeles Games and Allan McLucas won a bronze medal in 1964 Tokyo Games.

           Rebecca Julian                                 Jake Ballestrino                        Melissa Tapper

Table tennis at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Paralympics will take place at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. It is expected to be 280 qualified slots with 174 male players and 106 female players to compete during 24 Aug to 5 Sept 2021.

The addition of three multiple gold medal-winning former China representatives in Australia’s Para-table tennis team for the Tokyo 2020 Games has helped lift the standard of the whole team as it attempts to secure Australian first gold medal in the sport in nearly 40 years.

              Joel Coughlan                                 Lin Ma                                Nathan Pellissier

Lin Ma, Lina Lei and Qian Yang have 10 Paralympic gold and six silver medals among another eight elite players Melissa Tapper, Danni Di Toro, Sam Von Einem, Jake Ballestrino, Joel Coughlan, Trevor Hirth, Rebecca Julian and Nathan Pellissier.

On 5 July 2021, Paralympics Australia CEO Lynne Anderson said: “The Para-table tennis squad’s advancement throughout the pandemic had been remarkable. I welcome our 11 Para-table tennis players to the Australian Paralympic Team and look forward to supporting them through the campaign.”

“Preparing this squad for Tokyo has been a brilliant example of teamwork between Table Tennis Australia, Head Coach Alois Rosario, Program Manager Sue Stevenson and our Paralympic Innovation Lead Ross Pinder, who set up systems to allow the players to keep working remotely,” Lynne continued.

In the end, Lynne said: “Put that together with an exciting and talented group of players who have relentlessly forged towards their goals and you have a Para-table tennis squad that will command our attention at the Games. I can’t wait to watch them compete.”

               Reunion of the 1960 Australian Rome Paralympic Team in 2010 (Front row R to L):

               1st - Bill Mather-Brown, 4th - Bruno Moretti and 6th - Daphne Hilton (née Ceeney) 

Vice President of TTNSW, Ted Davis said: “TTNSW expresses our best wishes to the Australian Para Table Tennis Team for their success in 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. TTNSW is very proud of that TTNSW Director, Stephen Gillespie is appointed as the Deputy Referee for the Table Tennis event at 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. Have a fruitful and a safe trip!”

David Lee and Michael Li wish to gratefully acknowledge of Table Tennis Australia, Paralympics Australia, Tokyo Organizing Committee of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, International Paralympic Committee and Wikimedia Foundation.