Now, on Sunday 19th May, it is 100 days before the first ball will be hit in anger in the table tennis events at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games; of more immediate concern is to be present in order to celebrate the occasion.

Staged from Thursday 23rd to Saturday 25th May, at the World Qualification tournament in Pattaya, Thailand; one Paris place is available in each the 11 mens singles events; overall, 10 in the counterpart womens singles, class 1-2 being combined.

Intense competition beckons, an understatement, being a Paralympian is an achievement in its own right; it affords a special status; gaining a medal means a place amongst the celebrated of the most revered.

Moreover, the quality of the entry in Pattaya underlines the progress that has been made in Para table tennis in recent years.

The Czech Republics Ivan Karabec is one of the most experienced Para players, he won mens singles class 10 gold at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games but if he is to be present in Paris, he must win in Pattaya.

Also, there is gold medallist from Tokyo 2020 on duty but rather different; Chris Ryan, captained the Great Britain Wheelchair rugby team to the top prize. Now attentions turned to table tennis, he was a silver medallist earlier this year in mens singles class 2 in Brazil.

Present in consecutive Games in different sports would be some achievement.

Furthermore, Chris Ryan represents a strong British entry in the wheelchair classes. Additionally, Tom Matthews (class 1), a silver medallist earlier this year in Slovenia competes as does Jack Hunter Spivey (class 5), bronze medallist in Tokyo.

Good form this year from Tom Matthews, the same applies to a host of players schedule for Pattaya. Frenchman, Sylvan Noel (class 3), and Slovakias Peter Mihalik (class 4) compete. Sylvain Noel won in Kazakhstan in March; in January Peter Mihalik was the runner up in Egypt.

Meanwhile, the mens singles standing classes present a very similar scenario, in form players striving for a Paris place.

Chiles Matias Pino (class 6) won in Montenegro, Iurii Nozdrunov, an independent athlete (class 9) prevailed in Kazakhstan as did Polands Maciej Makajew (class 11).

One step lower, Polands Michal Diesler (class 7) was the runner up in Montenegro, a finish that applied to Chiles Manuel Echavaguren (class 10) in both Egypt and Kazakhstan, as well as to Spains Eduardo Cuesta (class 11) in Poland.

Not to be overlooked, also in the mens singles standing classes, Hungarys Andras Csonka (class 8), silver medallist at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, competes in Pattaya.

Notable names on mens singles duty; it is the same in the womens singles.

Gold medallists earlier this year, Nadejda Pushpasheva (class 2) and Elena Litvinenko (class 8), both independent athletes will be on duty in Pattaya, as will be Iraqs Hadeel Al-Waeli (class 3), Great Britains Megan Shackleton (class 4) and Israels Caroline Tabib (class 5).

Nadejda Pushpasheva and Elena Litvinenko both won in Kazakhstan, Hadeel Al-Waeli in Jordan, Caroline Tabib in Poland, Megan Shackleton in the United States and Brazil.

Impressive performances, names to note, as are those of Romanias Camelia Ciripan (class 6), Argentinas Gizelle Muñoz (class 7), Olga Komleva-Gorshkaleva (class 9) an independent athlete, in addition to Japans Nozomi Nakamura (class 10) and the Czech Republics Denisa Makurova (class 11).

All have gained podium finishes earlier this year.

Camelia Ciripan and Denisa Makurova gained silver in Poland, the same finish applied to Gizelle Muñoz in Brazil and to Olga Komleva-Gorshkaleva in Kazakhstan; Nozomi Nakamura was a bronze medallist in Spain.

Worthy names, in Pattaya, joy or heartbreak.