by InTrieste
Paralympic table tennis champion Matteo Parenzan claimed the gold medal at the ITTF World Para Elite tournament in Beijing, moving within 48 ranking points of the world No. 1 in the Men’s Singles Class 6 standings.
The victory adds to an already decorated résumé for the Trieste native, who won Paralympic gold at the 2024 Summer Paralympics and the European title in 2025. It also continues a strong start to his 2026 season, during which he has reached the podium at all four international events he has entered.
Parenzan advanced through the group stage without dropping a set, defeating Britain’s Martin Perry and China’s Huang Jiaxin by identical 3-0 scores.
His toughest challenge came in the quarterfinals, where he rallied from behind to defeat Germany’s Benedikt Müller 3-2. He then secured a place in the final with a straight-sets victory over South Korea’s Se Ho Lee.
In the championship match, Parenzan overcame Thailand’s Rungroj Thainiyom in another five-set contest. After trailing twice, he leveled the match by winning the second and fourth sets before taking the decisive fifth set 11-7 to seal the title.
“This victory in Beijing is a great satisfaction and confirms that the work we are doing every day is paying off,” Parenzan said after the match. He also revealed that he managed a diabetes-related issue during his quarterfinal match but was able to remain focused and continue competing.
Parenzan’s next tournament will be the ITTF World Para Elite event in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, scheduled for July 18-20, where he will have another opportunity to overtake the world No. 1 ranking.
