Sport can often serve as a powerful motivator, and for two athletes set to compete at the upcoming Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Para table tennis has been more than just a game—it has been a lifeline. While it may be an overstatement to say that table tennis saved their lives, it undoubtedly provided these players with a purpose and a reason to keep going.
Both athletes are reigning World Champions, having triumphed at the 2022 World Para Championships in Granada, Spain. Ukraine’s Viktor Didukh won gold in the men’s singles class 8, while Hungary’s Alexa Szvitacs (pictured above) claimed the title in the women’s singles class 8.
Now 37 years old, Viktor Didukh was a regular on the ITTF World Tour before his life took a drastic turn in 2008 when he was diagnosed with cancer, leading to the amputation of his left leg above the knee. Mentored by his older brother Oleksandr, himself a notable player, the Didukh family holds a unique place in table tennis history. Oleksandr represented Ukraine in the men’s singles event at the London 2012 Olympic Games, while Viktor has competed in the Paralympic Games, first in Rio 2016 and then in Tokyo 2021. This makes them the only sibling pair in table tennis history where one brother has competed in the Olympics and the other in the Paralympics.
While Oleksandr’s Olympic journey was more about seeing how far he could advance in the tournament, Viktor heads to Paris as a major medal contender. Competing once again in men’s singles class 8, Viktor will be looking to improve on his silver medal finish from Tokyo, where he lost in the final to China’s Zhao Shuai, who will also be competing in Paris.
In addition to the singles event, Viktor will partner with Maksym Nikolenko in the men’s doubles class 18. The duo previously won gold in the men’s team class 6-8 at Rio 2016 and silver in the men’s team class 8 at Tokyo 2021. Viktor will also team up with Iryna Shynkarova in the mixed doubles class 17, ensuring a busy schedule in Paris.
Similarly, Alexa Szvitacs’s path to Para table tennis has been marked by resilience. In 2006, she was part of Hungary’s bronze medal-winning girls’ team at the World Junior Championships in Cairo, and a promising table tennis career seemed likely. However, her life took a dramatic turn in August 2018 when she developed toxic shock syndrome, which led to life-saving surgery. As a result, her left forearm and all her toes were amputated, and she was diagnosed with tarsal tunnel syndrome.
In 2019, Alexa turned her focus to Para table tennis, making her debut at the Czech Open, where she won the women’s singles class 9 title by defeating Russia’s Anastasia Kostenevich in the final. She made her Paralympic debut in Tokyo, where she secured a bronze medal in women’s singles class 9, narrowly losing to Australia’s Lei Li Na. However, Alexa would later avenge this loss by defeating Lei Li Na in the final at the Andalucia 2022 World Para Championships in Granada. Both athletes will be present in Paris, setting the stage for a thrilling rematch.
Alexa has continued her strong form in 2023, winning women’s singles class 9 titles in Egypt, Italy, and Poland, before claiming the women’s singles class 9-10 title in the Czech Republic. In Paris, she will compete in the women’s singles class 9 and will also partner with Zsofia Arloy in the women’s doubles class 20.
For both Viktor Didukh and Alexa Szvitacs, the journey to Paris 2024 has been marked by adversity and triumph, proving that Para table tennis is not just a sport but a lifeline that has given them purpose and direction in life.
