The 2026 Canadian Para Championships weekend in Brampton will extend well beyond the national championship itself.
Alongside Canada’s classified Para athletes, the program will welcome Deaf athletes, athletes living with dementia, caregivers, friends, coaches and able-bodied players, creating several different pathways into table tennis and, on Sunday, bringing them together through Table Tennis for All.
The broader 2026 Canadian Para Championships & Events program runs October 2–6 at BATTS Athletics and includes National Para Classification, the Canadian Para Championships, Table Tennis for All, Spirit of Champions, the Deaf Athletes Challenge, meetings with athletes and organizations, and a training camp. 2026 Canadian Para Championship…
Deaf Athletes Challenge makes its debut
One of the new additions in Brampton will be the Deaf Athletes Challenge, with eight Deaf athletes expected to compete.
The competition takes place Saturday afternoon and is intended to provide Deaf table tennis athletes with an opportunity to compete, connect and take part in the broader national event. A major force behind the initiative is Gary Malkowski, Ontario Disabled Sport Association Table Tennis Coordinator, who has worked to create more opportunities for Deaf athletes to participate in organized table tennis competition.
The Brampton event will be the first of two Deaf Challenges organized this year, with a second Challenge scheduled for November in Markham.
The goal is not only to provide more matches, but to establish a stronger and more consistent competition pathway for Deaf athletes.
Spirit of Champions returns
The weekend will also welcome 33 athletes living with dementia from Yee Hong through the Spirit of Champions program.
The group will participate under the supervision of Dr. Gabriel Chan and May Tong, continuing an initiative that was also part of last year’s event.
Spirit of Champions includes table tennis competition, activities and challenges adapted specifically for athletes living with dementia. For these athletes, table tennis offers much more than a score at the end of a match. The program creates opportunities for activity, concentration, social interaction and the enjoyment of competition in a supportive environment.
Another Spirit of Champions event will be organized at the Yee Hong Centre in November, allowing the program to continue beyond the national championship weekend.
Sunday brings everyone together
The clearest expression of the weekend’s inclusive philosophy will come on Sunday, October 4, when Table Tennis for All begins at 10:00 a.m. 2026 Canadian Para Championship…
All athletes with disabilities attending the weekend will have an opportunity to participate, alongside additional able-bodied athletes.
Friends, family members, caregivers and coaches are also invited to take part.
Unlike an exhibition in which different groups simply appear beside one another, Table Tennis for All is designed as a fully integrated competition.
Athletes with disabilities and able-bodied athletes will participate in the same event and compete within the same competitive structure.
To preserve that balance, the number of able-bodied participants will be limited to the number of athletes with disabilities. The competition will also be fully connected to the sport system, with results counting toward Table Tennis Canada ratings.
The aim is simple: not merely to place athletes with different abilities in the same building, but to have them play together, compete together and become part of the same table tennis community.
Recognizing leadership and contribution
The Brampton weekend will also provide an opportunity to recognize important contributors to Canadian table tennis.
Raghu Kondatasula and Mohsin Watto will be presented with 2026 Table Tennis Canada Annual Awards during the event, recognizing their contributions to the sport.
The event will also be attended by Betty Zareba, Chair of the Table Tennis Canada Para Committee, whose presence reflects the connection between the national Para program, athlete development and the broader inclusive initiatives taking place throughout the weekend.
Their involvement adds another important dimension to the event: alongside competition and participation, the weekend will also recognize the people helping to build opportunities for athletes across different parts of the table tennis community.
Different pathways, one sport
Each part of the Brampton program serves a different purpose.
The Canadian Para Championships provide national championship competition for classified athletes in wheelchair classes 1–5 and standing classes 6–11. 2026 Canadian Para Championship…
The Deaf Athletes Challenge creates a dedicated competitive opportunity for Deaf players.
Spirit of Champions adapts table tennis for athletes living with dementia.
Table Tennis for All then brings athletes from different backgrounds together in one integrated competition.
Taken together, the events demonstrate the extraordinary adaptability of table tennis.
The same sport can provide an international high-performance pathway, national championship competition, opportunities for Deaf athletes, meaningful activity for athletes living with dementia, and a fully integrated event involving athletes with and without disabilities.
That is what makes the Brampton weekend different.
It is not simply several competitions being held at the same venue.
It is an opportunity to show that athletes may arrive through very different pathways, with very different abilities and goals, and still meet across the same table.