Will Bayley says he was “devastated” to lose the men’s singles S7 table tennis final following a controversial umpiring decision in the deciding game.
The British athlete was penalised one point by referee Darek Mikita in the fifth game after Bayley was judged to have kicked the ball in frustration for missing a shot.
The 36-year-old says he often uses his feet to retrieve balls due to difficulties moving his limbs and has never been penalised for this before.
Bayley lost a thrilling final to Yan Shuo of China 11-8, 12-14, 11-7, 7-11, 11-9.
“I’m devastated, it still hasn’t sunk in 100%,” Bayley said. “I felt like I was the better player today, without sounding bitter, I felt good today.”
On using his feet to help retrieve balls between points, he said: “Especially when I’m tired, my legs are not so good, so I kick the ball towards the wall to pick it up, it’s a lot easier.
“I do it automatically, I kept doing it after I got the red card, and then I started running after the ball because I didn’t want to get penalised. I didn’t do it thinking, I do it in training, I’m on autopilot. I’ve never had a referee say anything to me about it in my life.”
On whether the penalty affected him, Bayley added: “It was very important. I was winning 3-1 in that (fifth) game, another one and we’re 4-1. I felt it was important, it’s an 11-man game, it’s fast. But somehow I have to find a way to accept it.
“I have to watch the video (of the match) too, I don’t know what he was talking about in many aspects.”
Bayley had been yellow-carded in the second match by Mikita for bad behaviour on the court. The rules of the International Table Tennis Federation state that if a player receives a second yellow card for an infringement, his opponent receives a point.
That proved to be key in deciding the outcome, as Shuo defeated Bayley in the S7 singles final for the second consecutive Paralympic Games.
Bayley has reached the final of the previous four Games, but won only one – in Rio 2016 – and will now have to settle for three silvers.
After being penalized with a point, Bayley had a long debate with Mikita and also spoke to a referee off the court before having to accept the penalty.
Bayley also spoke to the referee after the match. When asked what she had said to Mikita, she replied: “I told him I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s the Paralympic final. It’s hard to accept, I’m devastated and emotional, it’s hard to talk logically.”
Bayley has decided to return for the next Paralympics and go for gold in Los Angeles in 2028.
“I am 100% sure of winning the Paralympic Games (I will go to Los Angeles in 2028), I just need to get over this defeat, I am sure I will do it in a few weeks,” he added.
Earlier on Friday, Rob Davies took silver in the men’s individual MS1 event.
The 40-year-old Welshman won gold at Rio 2016 but was unable to defend his title in Tokyo five years later due to a shoulder injury.
In Friday’s final, Cuban Yunier Fernandez won a tight first game before claiming a 14-12, 11-7, 11-4 victory.
The medals won by Bayley and Davies added to three bronze medals won by ParalympicsGB in Para table tennis earlier in the Games: those of Felicity Pickard and Bly Twomey in the women’s doubles WD14, Billy Shilton and Paul Karabardak in the men’s doubles MD14 and Twomey in the women’s singles WS7.
We will continue to report more.
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