Jordi Morales

Started: He began playing table tennis at age six and took up Para table tennis in 1999. (marca.com, 18 Apr 2019; Athlete, 15 Oct 2015) Reason: "I trained and competed at the Esparreguera club [in Spain] with non-disabled children until age 13. I participated in the Catalonian and Spanish championships. When I discovered that table tennis was a Paralympic sport, a very big door opened for me because that meant I could compete at international level." (marca.com, 18 Apr 2019) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (yosoynoticia.es, 01 Nov 2023) Awards: He was named Male Para Star at the 2018 International Table Tennis Federation [ITTF] Star Awards. (ittf.com, 12 Dec 2018) In 2013 he received the Silver Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit in Spain. (rfetm.es, 06 Aug 2013) Additional Info: CHANGE IN APPROACH After 19 years of competing at senior international level, in 2018 he won his first singles title at the world championships in Lasko, Slovenia. He attributed the victory to taking a more relaxed approach to the sport. "I had to change my mindset. Before, I was really obsessed with my results, but now I try to enjoy every moment of the day, every training session and every competition. Table tennis is my life, and I enjoy my life. With this mentality, I work hard to improve small details which can make the difference. Now I am sure that anything can happen in every competition that takes place. I know I will not win every tournament, but I know I can compete with the best players and this experience is the best I can have." (paralympic.org, 06 Dec 2018; marca.com, 22 Oct 2018) OTHER ROLES He has served as councillor of the municipality of Esparreguera in Spain. (Ajuntament d'Esperreguera Twitter profile, 14 Feb 2024) FURTHER EDUCATION He has a master's degree in business administration as well as in sports management. (yosoynoticia.es, 01 Nov 2023)