Simply earlier than the sixth Olympics of his life, the 44-year-old desk tennis champion remembers the insufferable “fuck” of his profession, three years in the past in Tokyo
Panagiotis Gionis is making ready for the sixth Olympiad of his profession, on the tender age of 44. A graduate dentist in his different life (“he desires a gentle hand and the wheel, like ping-pong”), he is been carrying a sport on his again for 20 years. He celebrated the triumphs of Panathinaikos in basketball, he cannot wait to satisfy Giannis Antetokounmpo and Steph Curry in Paris, he has European medals in his palmare since 2013 in particular person and workforce, he takes his sponge cake in Esperia, however at evening he remembers Tokyo and he loses sleep. His unforgettable match with the South Korean Jeung Jung-sik, the place eight match factors had been wasted and with it the qualification for the final 16 of the Olympic event, haunts his desires. “It’s the insufferable “fuck” of my life,” he confesses to Documento.
Sorry, would not this ageism trouble you? Everybody wrote about your age whenever you certified for the Olympics.
No, it would not trouble me. After all, many will assume that desk tennis may be very simple since a 44-year-old can grow to be a champion. I do know that I’ve toiled, I’ve ache in my complete physique. It is definitely not like taking pictures, which you’ll proceed till you are biologically previous. Two years in the past I partially ruptured my Achilles tendon and Mr. Skordis warned me that the pandamator just isn’t kidding. “Buddy, you want administration so you aren’t getting worse. Just one coaching session and no a couple of match a day.” I carried the issue for 4 or 5 years, with pains and tendinopathy. I considered giving up as quickly as I acquired injured, however my coach Kostas Vatsaklis suggested me to be affected person. I had nothing higher to do. If I had a complete rupture, I in all probability would have retired. If I had been a footballer, I would not have the ability to stand it. I additionally see Cristiano who continues in his 40s. Desk tennis is extra of a interest sport, much less strenuous.
Is it extra like a recreation?
No, nothing to do with it. After all anybody can play on the newbie stage, however to be a champion requires energy, health, reflexes, pondering, large psychological preparedness. And above all, velocity. I watch previous matches on video and the distinction is big. For those who sit down to observe desk tennis on TV, you do not perceive the curves and the velocity. Your eyes will get dizzy whenever you sit at desk stage. A buddy requested me to play opponents and he did not contact the ball! Not some extent, however you, the rookie, will not even have the ability to take a step. Accordingly, in fact, I will not even get to see the ball if I play in opposition to Tsitsipas. Desk tennis has nothing in frequent with tennis. They’re merely each performed with a racket and one is a miniature of the opposite.
What ought to a very good desk tennis participant have above all?
Good psychology. Psychological readiness. Within the particular person sport there is no such thing as a teammate to outsmart you. You might be helpless and should get your self out of the gutter whenever you blur. Many gamers with particular expertise are held again by concern. In troublesome occasions their hand trembles.
When did you’re feeling your hand shaking?
Solely in Tokyo, once I noticed the victory that will have given me qualification to the 16 was coming. That day I made the breakthrough of my life. However once I led 10-4 and noticed him scale back it to 10-7 with some dangers that got here out of him, a curtain fell earlier than my eyes. The eager for victory stuffed me with nervousness. I used to be blurry and actually shaking. “I do not know what to do” I stated to my coach within the timeout. I used to be caught. And picture that I had the expertise to handle such conditions. If it was only a event and never the Olympics, I’d have overwhelmed him. Tokyo is the large “fuck” of my profession, regardless that in London in 2012 I additionally reached a match-bowl out of 16.
Half of Greece noticed you that evening.
I did not count on it, as a result of the match began at 5 within the morning. And we did not even know if ERT would present it. “Get up and if he exhibits it, he confirmed it” I used to say to my mates, ha ha. The enjoyment of him who arose within the evening to see me was a robust motive for me. Thankfully, there shall be no time distinction in Paris.
I suppose it price you dearly to lose in Tokyo, the way in which it got here.
For hours I did not speak to anybody and simply stared into house. Contained in the coach I felt one thing like mourning. As if one in all my folks had died. My coach the identical. I went to the Olympic village, turned off the telephone and locked myself in my room. They had been on the lookout for me, they could not discover me they usually thought one thing had occurred to me. Little by little I recovered, however I discovered myself once more after many days. I carried out amazingly that day, I pushed myself to my restrict.
And the way precisely did this transcendence occur?
Although my achilles was bothering me and I wasn’t in good form bodily, I felt an odd readability. The desk appeared larger to me. If you need one thing an excessive amount of, unusual issues occur to you. I may additionally see it in my opponent’s eyes that he was scared. Sadly, I could not reap the benefits of it. My mistake within the finale was that I anticipated him to lose the match by himself…
You seem like you are reliving it now that we’re speaking about this struggle.
They gave us the DVD after the race and we watched it for a bit on the aircraft again, simply to see if I had made some tragic tactical error. I typically do not rewatch my losses, until I wish to examine an opponent. Ultimately I did not discover any error. I used to be simply frightened of successful when 10-4 changed into 10-7 and 10-8 in opposition to a formidable opponent. If we performed one another ten occasions once more, he would beat me all ten occasions and comparatively simply! It could take me a very long time to earn even one level…
Are small miracles led to by the physique, the thoughts or the soul?
All three collectively. Nevertheless, transcendence is just doable when your soul says so. This additionally counted quite a bit on this 12 months’s pre-Olympic event, mixed with the expertise I’ve collected. In any other case, I would not have been in a position to compete and win seven such demanding matches at this age. Within the closing I even felt discomfort within the achilles. I assumed I heard one thing and I broke out in a chilly sweat. At that second I assumed I’d be out for 2 or three months and miss the Olympics.
Wasn’t the qualification itself overkill?
After all, as a result of I got here from a troublesome two years with accidents. “Do not play in tournaments, solely in particular person matches” the physician suggested me. It was my coach who inspired me to attempt. After I noticed that I may face up to the every day stress and regained my rhythm, I entered the qualifying spherical. The method was painful, as a result of I additionally had obligations with my membership in Poland.
What is going to a “medal” be for you in Paris?
What else; The qualification to the 16 that eluded me twice. To get there I must defeat two superior opponents. And to come back seventeenth shall be an enormous success, not to mention ninth. After all, folks do not perceive it and solely take a look at the medals. It is not simple to dream on this sport. My very own wings will solely be clipped if I’m drawn with a Chinese language.
They’re the superior race of desk tennis, proper?
In China, they begin taking part in desk tennis from the age of 5 and think about it a nationwide sport. They carry out 3,000 children yearly with prime coaches after which they select the perfect. Our pool is 50 kids per 12 months. If we produce three or 4 gamers, the Chinese language produce a thousand. And if I performed desk tennis eight hours a day from the age of eight, I’d be world champion by the point I used to be 16. After all, their mentality additionally counts. The little Greek, when you inform him to grow to be a soldier, can have a tough time and can find yourself in Daphni.
You might be making ready for the sixth Olympics of your profession, beginning in 2004. Is the period or the one-time fireworks extra essential? Would you commerce six Olympic appearances for one medal?
Sure, very gladly, ha ha! There’s nothing extra honorable than an Olympic medal. In 2004, my first time, I got here in to play with amputated legs. I all the time have monitor on the Olympics, except perhaps Tokyo, which was held behind closed doorways. That is the place I wish to present what I am price, but additionally to surpass myself. My recommendation to the brand new guys about Paris is: “Overlook you are on the Olympics. Do not give it some thought since you’ll get burdened. Expertise the ambiance and the glamor with out having any calls for for outcomes. And when you solely win one, you’ve got achieved one thing.”
You might have been taking part in in overseas groups because you had been 21 years previous. In France, Germany, the Czech Republic, now Poland. Is it helpful to drive Greece out of you?
I would not even attain 10% of my potential if I did not play with the perfect. At first I noticed them as gods, however slowly I spotted that I may take care of them. Each match was a faculty. Properly, I could not consider what I used to be dwelling. 5 or 6 thousand folks got here to see us and I used to be consistently taking movies with my mobile phone. Every part is skilled and arranged. Now I reside in Poland about 90-100 days a 12 months. The cash I make is sufficient for a good dwelling and I’ve two extra years on my contract. Internationally, solely the Prime 10 gamers generate profits corresponding to footballers. I am ranked quantity 104, however I am as much as 17 on the earth rankings.
Nevertheless, you like life in Greece.
Properly, the Greek desires his firm and his sunshine and his sizzling espresso. Life right here can’t be in comparison with every other nation. The best for me can be to have knowledgeable league just like the Polish one in our nation. And never solely with Panathinaikos and Olympiakos. To go play in Patras and have 5 thousand folks ready for us. In Greece there’s hearth, there are new abilities, however the athletes are compelled on the age of 28 to show elsewhere to safe their livelihood. Within the meantime, we in desk tennis have the fitting to compete in different international locations’ championships on the similar time. We make grabbers, just like the DJs, ha ha! That is the place we receives a commission by the piece.
What character is the typical desk tennis participant? Nervous, I suppose.
No, the precise reverse! Most of us are calm and funky. For those who get indignant and break your racket with each level your opponent wins, you’ve got misplaced your thoughts. Solely 5 out of 100 are as nervous as Medvedev and Rublev in tennis. I see them within the locker room, they cannot even breathe. I by no means struggle, I do not like fights. Even in Tokyo, the place at one level I threw my racket out of nerves, another person in my place would have smashed it on his head!
Is the racket actually your finest buddy?
After all, he is my little buddy. I’ve been taking part in with the identical racket for a few years. I am getting the perfect tires, regluing her. When it wears out, I service it. We’re not like tennis, the place the champions have a special racket in each match. After I retire I’ll place it honorably in a show case…
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