Rio Paralympics: Bayley & Davies head GB table tennis team

Bayley will be competing at his third Paralympic Games

World champion Will Bayley and European champion Rob Davies have both been included in the 12-strong GB table tennis team for the Rio Paralympics.

Bayley, 28, will be hoping to improve on the Class 7 individual silver and team bronze he won at London 2012.

Welshman Davies, 31, who broke his back playing rugby in 2005, claimed Class 1 individual bronze four years ago.

Eleven of the squad have previous Games experience with Liverpool's Jack Hunter-Spivey making his debut.

Aaron McKibbin and Ross Wilson, who won team bronze with Bayley in the Class 6-8 competition, return again along with fellow team bronze winners Sara Head of Wales and Jane Campbell who competed in the Class 1-3 event.

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sue Gilroy has been named for her fifth Games in the Class 4 event while Paul Davies will team up with his namesake and fellow Welshman Rob in the Class 1 team competition hoping to add to the European title they won in 2013.

European team silver medallists Paul Karabardak of Wales and David Wetherill have also been included while Kim Daybell completes the squad.

Performance Director Gorazd Vecko believes the squad can improve on their performance at the London Paralympics.

"Four years ago we had nine players qualified for London and we now have 12 players qualified for Rio so we are in a better position," he said.

"Our target is four to six medals and we are on track to achieve that. For the first time we have two athletes who are world number one in their class - Rob Davies and Will Bayley - and we have three other players in the top five in the world."