Ian Kent (born July 4, 1961) is a Canadian para table tennis player. He is a double singles champion in the Para Pan-American Para Table Tennis Championships and has won seven medals in Parapan American Games.[1]

Ian Kent
Personal information
Born (1961-07-04) July 4, 1961 (age 63)
Welling, United Kingdom
Height180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight91 kg (201 lb)
Sport
Country Canada
SportPara table tennis
DisabilityDystonia
Disability classC8
Medal record
Para table tennis
Representing  Canada
Parapan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2011 Guadalajara Men's singles C8
Silver medal – second place 2007 Rio de Janeiro Men's singles C8
Silver medal – second place 2007 Rio de Janeiro Men's teams C8
Silver medal – second place 2011 Guadalajara Men's teams C6-8
Silver medal – second place 2015 Toronto Men's teams C6-8
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Toronto Men's singles C8
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Lima Men's singles C8
Para Pan-American Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Margarita Island Men's singles C8
Gold medal – first place 2013 San Jose Men's teams C8
Gold medal – first place 2017 San Jose Men's teams C8
Silver medal – second place 2005 Mar del Plata Men's singles C10
Bronze medal – third place 2005 Mar del Plata Men's teams C10
Bronze medal – third place 2013 San Jose Men's singles C8
Bronze medal – third place 2017 San Jose Men's singles C8

Biography

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Kent was born in Welling in London then he moved to Canada with his parents as a young child, his mother is a former British track and field athlete. He holds a bachelor of science degree in mathematics and psychology from Saint Mary's University.[2]

He has three sons, Isaac, Tyler and Matthew and two of them are one of Nova Scotia's top ranked table tennis players while Ian is still top ranked.

In 1999, Kent was aged 38, was diagnosed with dystonia and was bedridden for two years.

Sporting career

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Kent first started playing competitively in 2004 when he played in the EuroChamp Table Tennis Tournament in Emmen, Netherlands. He only started winning medals in 2005 at the Para Pan-American Championships in Mar del Plata where he won a silver medal in the singles tournament and a bronze medal in the teams tournament with Martin Pelletier.

He has competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics and also 2018 Commonwealth Games but did not advance to the final rounds in both tournaments.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "IPTTC Profile - Ian Kent". International Para Table Tennis Federation. March 24, 2019.
  2. ^ "Team Canada - Ian Kent". Paralympics Canada. March 24, 2019.
  3. ^ "Table Tennis Athlete Profile - Ian Kent". Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. March 24, 2019.
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