Tapper, Coughlan and Pellissier named as Co-Captains of the 2021 National Para Squad

Table Tennis Australia (TTA) has named Australia’s only dual Olympian and Paralympian Melissa Tapper, and Australian representatives Joel Coughlan and Nathan Pellissier as the Co-Captains of the National Para Squad for 2021.

Tapper will return to the role after a challenging yet successful year leading the squad, Coughlan will return after being Co-Captain in 2019, while Pellissier will join them for the first time, after qualifying for the Tokyo Games to be held in August this year.

Together, Tapper, Coughlan and Pellissier will use their wealth of experience to lead the Australian Para Table Tennis Team through the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, and further enhance the team culture and winning mindset of each athlete.

As one of the more senior members of the Squad, Tapper said she was excited to be at the helm again and will use her experience of navigating a challenging 2020 to help lead some of the rookies through their first Paralympic Games campaign.

“It is such a privilege to be appointed into this role. We have a bigger Squad than ever before which is hugely exciting, and it means we’re carrying with us a mix of experience and youth,” she said.

“While I am a captain of the team, I do not see myself as being higher on a hierarchy, but it means I can use my experience in high pressure competition and situations to help nurture some of our less experienced players so that together we can build a great culture that is already forming within our squad.

“As a leadership group, Joel, Nathan and I will work with the guidance of our coaching staff to ensure no team members are left behind as we continue building our strong, fun, high performance culture, that will no doubt see us shine on the world stage.”

Pellissier, who has been training full time in Germany for the past two years to improve his game, said he was honoured to be given the opportunity.

“I am driven to become the best table tennis player I can be, but this time away from the team has shown me that I want to step up and use this experience to give back to the sport, my teammates and Table Tennis Australia for the ongoing support that has been given to me.”

Coughlan added:

“It is an honour to have been selected as a Team Captain of the Australian Para Table Tennis Team in a Paralympic year, I consider this a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am looking forward to leading by example with a positive attitude both on and off the court. I will draw on my experience as a player and human being to encourage growth and respect within the team. I won’t take this level of responsibility lightly.”

TTA National Program Manager (Para) Sue Stevenson said she was proud to see the trio elected as Co-Captains and is looking forward to working with them to navigate an all-important Games year.

“As a team, we’ve had a lot of success in recent years, but as the Tokyo Games approach, it has never been as important as it is now to foster a culture that supports both success and team spirit,” Stevenson said.

“Milly and Joel have always been tremendous at leaning on their years of experience to help the athletes around them, and it will be great to see Nathan step up into the role for the first time.

“All three athletes have the utmost respect of their fellow Squad Members, and I know they are the leaders we need to help us steer our campaign towards success ahead of international competitions and particularly Tokyo in August.”