DISABLED Isle of Wight table tennis talent Tom Johnson is continuing his superb start to the season by winning his second Para Grand Prix tournament, held at St Neots, Cambridgeshire.

Tom, from Wroxall, is feeling top of the world after he beat Yorkshire’s Alex Bland, the top-seeded player in the event and ranked number two in England and 50 in the world.

The 39-year-old, who was born with the disability, hemaplegia — paralysis down one entire side of his body — plays for Rookley.

In St Neots, Tom beat Bland 3-1 in the Category 7 semi-final and went on to play another Yorkshireman, Ryan Morton, who is ranked number six in England, 3-0, to win gold.

Tom, who is sponsored by Wightlink under the IW Council’s talented athletes programme, also performed well in the open category singles — reaching the final of the round-robin tournament, winning silver after losing 3-2 to Cornwall’s Harry Rose.

Tom, a kitchen supervisor at St Mary’s Hospital, Newport, said: “Beating Alex is easily the best win I’ve had in the Grand Prix events.

“It stems from hard training sessions at Ryde Table Tennis Centre and West Wight Community Centre.

“I am now in training for the national championships, which will be held in Grantham in April. If I’m successful, it will take me closer to my goal of representing England.”