BPTT Performance Director receives Honorary MBE

British Para Table Tennis Performance Director Gorazd Vecko, who was awarded an Honorary MBE by His Majesty The King last year for his services to Paralympic Table Tennis, received his award in London today from the Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Gambling and Civil Society, and Minister for Equalities.

Vecko, who was accompanied by his wife Sabina, said: “This award means the world to me. It is really nice to be recognised and as a non-British citizen I am honoured and proud to get an award like this. Obviously, I have done something right and that has been noticed by people, but this award is not only for me but for British Para Table Tennis because if I didn’t have the athletes and staff around me I would never have been nominated for something like this. I am really thankful to the people of the UK and especially BPTT that I can get recognition like this – it is not just an award for me it is an award for the whole organisation.”

Honorary awards recognise foreign and Commonwealth nationals who have made an outstanding contribution to the UK and are given for achievement or service to the community that will have had a long-term, significant impact and stand out as an example to others. Since Vecko took over as Performance Director of BPTT in 2009 the team has won 14 Paralympic medals, including two golds in Rio 2016, while both Will Bayley (2014 & 2022) and Ross Wilson (2018) have become World champions in their respective classes.