(by Steve Hopkins)

​After an eight-month hiatus following the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, American para table tennis athlete Jenson Van Emburgh is set to make his return to international competitions. Jenson will be competing in Sao Paulo, Brazil this month.  He will then compete in a pair of competitions in May.

At the Paralympic Games in Paris, Van Emburgh delivered a commendable performance, reaching the quarterfinals in Men’s Singles Class 3 before narrowly losing to South Korea’s Yeongjin Jang in a five-game match. Prior to the Paralympics last Summer, Van Emburgh had a run of strong performances, including Gold Medals at both the Montenegro Para Championships and the “I Feel Slovenia” Open Thermana Lasko. 

We caught up with Van Emburgh to ask a few questions as he prepares to re-enter the competitive arena:

You took an eight month break after the Paris 2024 Paralympics – how are you feeling about returning to international competition?

I’m feeling excited to compete again. There were moments after Paris that I felt like I never wanted to. These past few months I have been working hard and looking forward to using some things that I have improved in these upcoming competitions. Maybe for the first match or two might feel strange after not competing for a while, but I’m sure it will feel like it always does. 

You had significant victories in Montenegro and Slovenia before the Paralympics. How do those wins influence your confidence as you return to competition?

Those victories I had leading up to Paris just shows me I have the level to be at the top again and winning. It makes me feel a little bit more comfortable as I have experienced playing at a high level like that and winning. 

What are your goals and expectations for this next phase of your career as you re-enter international tournaments?

My goals and expectations right now are just going tournament by tournament. All I want to do is try to play my best and give my best and not worry as much about the result. 

Has anything changed since Paris?

The tournament structure has changed and the way to gain ranking points has changed. So I am very curious how it will all work. Me personally, I feel like I have changed a lot. I am definitely a very different person since after Paris. I have gone through a couple personal things in my life and definitely looking for to be back competing again! 

Join Butterfly in cheering for Jenson as he compete in Europe this Spring.  The tournament information is here:

• 24-27 Apr: ITTF World Para Challenger Sao Paulo 2025 (BRA)
• 6-10 May : ITTF World Para Challenger Lasko 2025 (SLO)
• 12-16 May : ITTF World Para Elite Lasko presented by I FEEL SLOVENIA 2025 (SLO)
• The 2025 Para Table Tennis Calendar

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