GROWING up, Oye Jemiyo always wished he could take part in sport. Confined to a wheelchair since the age of two after contracting polio, he did not think he would ever be able to enjoy sport, let alone excel in it.

He had always fancied having a go at table tennis, but the opportunity to have a go at the fast-paced game did not arise.

“I didn’t do any sports,” he says, “The only leisure activity I took part in was playing the piano for the church choir.”

It was not until his early twenties that he finally got that chance to learn to play. Now, aged 39, he is one of the world’s top wheelchair players and is ranked number one in Great Britain in class two of the Paralympic sport. Dedicated to table tennis, the Bradford-based player is now aiming for a place in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

It all began in 1997 when he was going through rehabilitation at Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield, following an operation.

“I saw the Yorkshire team training at the hospital. I didn’t know anything about it but thought I would like to have a go,” he says.

He took to it like a duck to water. “The team had a coach that came in once a week and twice a week the team got together to practise,” he says. “I went along to every session and it progressed from there. They say practice makes perfect.”

Within a year he was representing Yorkshire at the national championships. “I was thrilled to get a silver medal,” he says. He was pleased to gain recognition for his efforts from Bradford Council’s sports and leisure department, who began to help him with funding to attend tournaments and other expenses.

Since then he has won many gold medals in national tournaments. “I try to do three to four a year, and have been very successful,” he says, “Over the past decade I have won around 20 gold medals, and for the past three I have competed at many international tournaments.”

As a member of the Great Britain squad, Oye has played in countries including the USA, Germany, Hungary and Romania. “The first time I was invited to play, I went to the USA and came back with two bronze medals,” he says. “It was a massive achievement for me.”

He adds: “Table tennis has opened so many doors for me. Without it I would not have been to so many countries or have so many friends. It is so amazing, the number of friends I have made, from all over the world. It is great to be able to travel to these places and have people recognise you and talk to you about your sport.”

In October this year Oye returned his best ever national tournament performance at the 2014 SportsAble Grand Prix event in Slough.

He was victorious in one of the singles categories, and bagged a gold with partner Jack Pegram in the doubles. Oye also won a bronze medal after narrowly losing in the semi-final in a further category to world number one ranked Rob Davies from Wales.

College and always planned to enter the profession but his success with bat and ball changed that.

“When I started I didn’t think there was a chance I could play at this level. I thought I would play for Oye grew up in Nigeria, emigrating to England in 1994 aged 18. He studied social work at Bradford fun in sports clubs and leisure centres, just messing about. I didn’t think I could make a career out of it, but when I started winning medals I thought maybe I could.”

Oye, who at present does not have a coach, spends around 25 hours a week practising. “I play and I also visit the gym twice a week. He plays regularly with Mike Prendergast from Bramley.

Being an electric wheelchair, Oye can’t move it around easily, so spends time training to perfect his spin and reach. “It is all about upper body movements, and strength,” he says. “You have to really think about where to place the ball to make it difficult for your opponent.”

His main challenge is funding, and he has raised cash through events including playing in shopping centres. “It is hard,” he admits, “What you raise sometimes feels like a drop of water in a mighty ocean.”

He is pushing himself onwards towards a possible place at Rio. “I set myself a high goal,” he says. “Next year is the biggest year for me - I will need to get to at least six international tournaments and, with travelling, accommodation and food, each one costs at least £2,500.”

Due to his disability, Oye has a care assistant he takes with him. “I’m just hoping a company or individual will be able to sponsor me,” he says.

Next year he hopes to challenge himself to play table tennis-athons at locations around Bradford.

Oye’s mum Letitia, 84, who lives in Manningham, is very proud of her son. “She is my number one fan and is amazed by how much I have achieved,” he says. “At church on Sundays people are always bringing along newspaper reports about me.

He is pushing himself onwards towards a possible place at Rio. “I set myself a high goal,” he says. “It is not easy, but I really enjoy it.”

With players from the Far East at the top of the game, Oye tries to emulate their techniques. “I have not beaten a Korean or Japanese player - they are my target. Before a tournament we do our homework - we observe each other through videos on You Tube.

“At the moment I am ranked 52 in the world and I need to be in the top 20 to qualify for Rio and for a place in the Great Britain squad.”

The talented sportsman is passing is skills on to others through coaching. “I help people at Pinderfields and visit schools when asked,” he adds. “It is very satisfying to be able to pass on what I have learned.”

Anyone who can help Oye with funding can contact him on 07770 877726.

Or email: oyejemiyo1@yahoo.co.uk, or visit www.road-2-rio.com; facebook.com/pages/The-Road-2-Rio