It is with immense sadness that we learn of the death of Mariano Loukov, which occurred this Wednesday, November 27.
Mariano had dedicated his life to table tennis, a sport he began practicing at the age of 6. An exceptional player, he had reached the top 10 in the world, distinguishing himself by his unique penhold grip style and his use of a long pimple in the backhand. He had the honor of playing alongside legends like Jan-Ove Waldner.
After a brilliant playing career, Mariano continued his career by becoming a coach, passionately passing on his knowledge and love of table tennis. He had notably been an employee of the Loire Haute-Loire table tennis committee.
Always driven by a limitless passion for ping-pong, he created his own table tennis shop, where he designed and sold balsa blades.
Returning to his country of origin, he passed away peacefully in his sleep.
We send our most sincere condolences to his family, his loved ones, as well as all his table tennis friends. Mariano will forever be remembered as a man who was a significant figure in table tennis. May he rest in peace.
