The 2022 Commonwealth Games are just around the corner and with several Victorian stars in Australia’s 14 player line-up heading to Birmingham, there’s going to be plenty to cheer about when the Aussie team hit the tables.

Paralympic star Qian Yang will be another Victorian pulling on the green and gold in Birmingham this year as she strives to add her first Commonwealth Games medal to her impressive list of achievements. She is one of four Victorian Para athletes in the team.

The 26 year old who was born in China, moved to Australia in 2017 after representing her Nation in the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympics.

She started playing table tennis at just five years old and by the age of 17 was a Paralympic gold medallist. From Qingjian County in Shaanxi, Qian won a silver medal in London before claiming another two silver medals at Rio in 2016. She has also won multiple titles at the Asian Para Games and Asian Championships, establishing herself as one of the world’s very best Para-table tennis players.

After her move down under she was selected as part of the team heading to the Tokyo Paralympics. She helped the Aussie Para-table tennis team break a 37-year drought, winning gold in the women’s singles class 10 event, she then backed it up in the women’s team class 9-10 event, teaming up with Milly Tapper and fellow Birmingham teammate Lina Lei, together they helped Australia collect a record-breaking silver. As it was the fifth medal for the Australian Para-table tennis team in Tokyo, the squad broke Australia’s previous record of four medals that were won at the Tokyo 1964 Paralympic Games.

Following her tremendous results Qian was announced as the winner of the Arthur Wilks Award as the Australian Para Player of the Year.

The award and title is the highest honour for an Australian Para player and is awarded annually based on performance and results, combined with an athlete’s conduct.

TTA Chief Executive Officer Scott Houston commended Yang on her phenomenal year at the time.

“Qian played phenomenally well in Tokyo, especially in her win against four-time Paralympic Champion Natalia Partyka," he said.

"Qian’s two medals were crucial in Australia’s record breaking results where we finished second on the table tennis medal tally, only behind China. TTA looks forward to Qian enjoying a long and distinguished career in the green and gold."

Upon receiving the award, Yang said it was a great honour to win.

"I am really happy to receive it as this is my first time. 2021 has been a difficult year because of the pandemic. However, I got lots of support from our team leading up to Tokyo which helped me to win one gold medal and one silver medal at the Paralympic Games," she said.

All of us at TTV and everyone in the table tennis community across the country will be cheering Qian on as she takes it up to the competition in Birmingham and hopefully brings home the first of many Commonwealth Games medals in the green and gold.

The 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games start on Thursday July 28. For information about the table tennis events including the schedule CLICK HERE.