Table tennis star Martin Perry admits his wife will finally be able to see him play live instead of on YouTube after being named in the British squad for an upcoming championships.
The para-athlete - who lives in Dumbarton - has been included in the 18-strong GB team for the ITTF European Para Table Tennis Championships.
The event is taking place in Sheffield from September 4-9 and is only the second time since the London 2012 Paralympic Games that the stars of the British Para Table Tennis Team have had the opportunity to compete in front of a home crowd.
And Perry, who trains out of Drumchapel Table Tennis Club, revealed the thought of having his wife in the crowd has given him an extra boost.
He said: "I think I’m playing really well and hopefully I can keep this form going for the tournament.
"Back home everyone in Drumchapel has been really supportive as always and I feel that I’m playing at a good level at the moment so it will be exciting to see what that brings at the Europeans.
"It’ll be good to have my wife Siobhan there as well because she’s never really seen me play that much unless it’s on YouTube.
"I’m so excited that she will get a chance to come and watch and see what I am so passionate about and understand why I’m always halfway around the world while she is stuck at home.
"The fact that we can perform in front of our friends and family at a home championship is going to be amazing."
The tournament also represents an opportunity for athletes to secure Paralympic qualification with the gold medallist in each singles class earning a ‘golden ticket’ for Paris 2024 and valuable World ranking points available in both singles and doubles events.
Perry received a wild card to compete in the World Championships in Spain last November and responded by taking bronze in the men’s class 6 singles.
The 29-year-old has taken singles medals in Italy, Greece and the Czech Republic this season and will also compete in the men’s class 14 doubles with Aaron McKibbin, with whom he has already won gold in the Greek Open.
And Perry is expecting another competitive event at the English Institute of Sport next month.
He finished: "Winning a medal at the Worlds was incredible but that is in the past and I have to focus on what is in front of me.
"This will be my third European championship so I can’t say I’m lacking experience anymore and I think having that medal has filled me with confidence.
"I’ve proved to myself more than anyone that I can perform at that level but now I need to be a consistent performer and that’s the mark of a true athlete so the goal is to medal at the Europeans.
"However, class six is incredibly strong in Europe and there will be no easy matches but as long as I can perform to my best I should be in with a great shout of hopefully bringing home a medal.
“In the doubles Aaron and I should be one of the top seeds so there will be an expectation to medal.
"We are really close on and off the table and I think our styles complement each other.
"It’s a new experience playing doubles in an event like this and it’s something I’m incredibly excited about.”
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