Milford table tennis star Simon Heaps left in tears after red tape decision dashes gold hopes
MILFORD’S international para table tennis player Simon Heaps was left in tears after late rescheduling, which caused problems with his insulin schedule and robbed him of a chance to contest the world masters singles final.
After storming to the final at the ITTF World Masters Championships in Rome, Heaps felt he was “denied by bureaucracy” after taking silver.
The 68-year-old athlete, who lost both legs to diabetes before making his Great Britain debut at 64, said: “After making the final, my opponent was given a walkover in the final, to which the Veterans English Table Tennis Society (VETTS) executive committee in England are taking up my case, as they also feel that I have been treated disgracefully by the event organisers.”
After years of having to inject himself up to seven times a day with insulin, a few weeks ago, Heaps was fitted with an automated delivery system which regulates his blood sugar levels.
Unfortunately, the pods kept falling off due to the heat in the playing halls in Rome. Heaps decided to save his final pod until after the final and use the last of his insulin injections.
However, when he arrived at the table, the organisers told him at the last minute that the match had been moved back by more than two hours.
Heaps added: “When they told me that the time had been moved, I told them that there was no way I could play.
“After I explained my reasoning, the official told me, in front of witnesses, that the match would be rescheduled for the following day.
“Later that night, I looked for the information for the rescheduled final, and I saw my opponent had been given a 3-0 walkover to claim the title.”
The next day, Heaps was told that the match would be replayed after the doubles competition.
Coincidentally, Heap’s partner for the doubles competition was Italian Davide Scazzieri, who received the walkover in the singles final.
The duo stormed through the doubles competition to win gold. After defeating Paraguan Christian Urs Erb and Italian Maria Paola Tolu in the final, the former England junior international and European Cadet champion looked for information about when the singles final would be played.
On finding the official, the current European champion, who was looking to add a world championship title to his collection, was told: “Your opponent doesn’t want to play; the result will stand.
“I told them they couldn’t simply ask the opponent if he wanted to play in the world championships.
“Now the VETTS are 100% backing me, and they are sending off various emails to all sorts of places.
“The only fair outcome, for me, is a joint gold medal, as I did nothing wrong and didn’t lose on the table.”
The event, at the Rome Exhibition Center, made history with over 6,000 participants present from over 100 countries, making it the largest table tennis gathering ever.
Heaps concluded: “At the age of 68 – 69 in one month’s time – I was the oldest athlete in the Para events, and if I had had the chance to win gold, I would have been the only Singles gold medallist from Great Britain at the event that featured nearly 200 GB players.
“I trained very hard for this event and spent a considerable amount of money in trying to get this world masters gold medal, and to have my chance denied by bureaucracy is staggering!”
Official results – Doubles 2-5: 1, Simon Heaps (ENG) and Davide Scazzieri (ITA); 2, Christian Urs Erb (PAR) and Maria Paola Tolu (ITA); 3, 3. Fabrizio Bove (ITA) and Carmelo Barcella. Class 5 (singles): 1, Davide Scazzieri (ITA); 2, Simon Heaps (ENG); 3, Christian Urs Erb (PAR).
