NAPLES, Fla. — A Naples athlete is making international history by becoming the number one para table tennis player in the world.
Jenson Van Emburgh, 25, has become World No. 1 in Class 3 Para Table Tennis after securing three recent international gold medals, with recent victories in Slovenia and São Paulo, Brazil.
WATCH VAN EMBURGH TRAIN WITH COACH JEFF YAMADA AT HIS NAPLES TRAINING CENTER:
"So going in, I was really pumped up. And then after, it just felt like another building block for me — looking ahead for Los Angeles 2028," Van Emburgh said.
The athlete trains full-time at Naples Pong under coach Jeff Yamada, who has helped him sharpen both his physical game and mental edge.
"I've seen players where if something goes wrong it doesn't go their way, they already give up, they don't even try. But he [Jensen] always persists he always tries so even though if the game's not going his way he's still fighting and battling and this is very very important for every sport," Yamada said.
Van Emburgh's road to the top came after disappointment at the Paris Paralympics — a moment he says fueled a new level of determination. With his recent wins, he is hopeful, but cautious of what is to come.
"Since Paris it's been a lot of more downs than ups recently, but I've been just trying to take it day by day and you know these victories that I've had this year already helps with the mental and with keep going and with the positivity," Van Emburgh explained. "It's been a couple of rough months but I'm trying to build back little by little."
On top of his singles success, Van Emburgh is also ranked seventh in the world in doubles.
He has a match coming up this August in Spokane, Washington, with two other major competitions lined up later in the year.
"In Brazil, he'll compete in the Pan American Championships at the end of the year. And the biggest one is the World Championship next year. Of course, there'll be smaller tournaments too, but those are the three major ones we're preparing for," Yamada said.
Still grounded in his hometown, Van Emburgh says he's proud to represent Naples on the global stage and isn't slowing down.
“It feels nice to be back where I was born — and to give a little more popularity to this small city we have here,” he said with a smile. “Smaller compared to others, right?”
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