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Hello, first of all thank you that you read that. It means a lot. I would mean even more if you share that. This is a story for a very close friend of mine which is a decent table tennis player.
For some unknown reason the tabletennis world is full of edgy characters. Maybe because it is an individual sport, or because the game is so fast, or some other reason. I don’t know. In the next few lines, however, I am going to write about a person who is the opposite of edgy. Emil Yordanov is one of those players who congratulates the winner after the match or raises a hand the moment he sees an edge, long before the opponent reacts. Emil is a person who will agree to replay a point even when it’s 9:9.
A few weeks ago I played with Emil a survival match that would decide which team would be out of the group - our team or theirs. The day before he had told me about his serious health problems and his concerns about the future. It was not obvious he was experiencing any problems while he was playing - good backhand block, stable forehand topspin and good receiving. He won the first game to 10. The second one to 9. During the third game the pressure inside me had built so much that I didn’t want anything else but to win.
I remembered very well what he had told me the previous day and I couldn’t understand why I wanted the victory so badly in this exact moment. At 7:7 my backhand counterspin was in and something broke inside me. We play games not to wage wars, but in this particular moment he was my enemy. My desire to win was insatiable. Every time I shouted “Choo!”, every time I raised my fist in the air, I heard a voice inside telling me I was doing something wrong while Emil was facing something terrible. And yet all I wanted was to beat him. This victory has been haunting me ever since. Especially the moment when after the match Emil came to me and shook my hand. He was tired, he was good, he was forgiving.
As it has turned out, his fears have been confirmed and now he is fighting a deadly disease, ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). I was devastated when I heard the news. I was not concerned about him, however, as much as I was concerned about his family. He has two children - a five-year-old boy and a girl under one.
Interestingly, I have found Emil’s disease a chance for me. For us. Through his ordeal, I could become a better person. I could make my life more meaningful. I could understand what life is really about.
Right now, Emil needs money for his treatment. To find it, however, is quite difficult. It is like losing a match with 0:2 and 0:7. Every player knows you shouldn’t stop fighting. You should do everything possible to win even though the odds are against you.
In order to raise the money we are addressing the tennis community all over the world. Thanks to this forum. At the moment every cent is important. If you can help Emil, we will be very grateful. If you join us, we will create a wave and we will win this match. Currently almost every table tennis club in Bulgaria is organising a charity event in his support.
Unlike my last match with Emil, this one is a fight worth screaming for. A fight in which the fist is in the air for something good. A fight that will make us better people. Thanks to Emil.
If you are able to help raising money please use his PayPal account [email protected]. You could be in great help if you share that story. This is the only way to reach more people. Thank you very much for reading that far.
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For some unknown reason the tabletennis world is full of edgy characters. Maybe because it is an individual sport, or because the game is so fast, or some other reason. I don’t know. In the next few lines, however, I am going to write about a person who is the opposite of edgy. Emil Yordanov is one of those players who congratulates the winner after the match or raises a hand the moment he sees an edge, long before the opponent reacts. Emil is a person who will agree to replay a point even when it’s 9:9.
A few weeks ago I played with Emil a survival match that would decide which team would be out of the group - our team or theirs. The day before he had told me about his serious health problems and his concerns about the future. It was not obvious he was experiencing any problems while he was playing - good backhand block, stable forehand topspin and good receiving. He won the first game to 10. The second one to 9. During the third game the pressure inside me had built so much that I didn’t want anything else but to win.
I remembered very well what he had told me the previous day and I couldn’t understand why I wanted the victory so badly in this exact moment. At 7:7 my backhand counterspin was in and something broke inside me. We play games not to wage wars, but in this particular moment he was my enemy. My desire to win was insatiable. Every time I shouted “Choo!”, every time I raised my fist in the air, I heard a voice inside telling me I was doing something wrong while Emil was facing something terrible. And yet all I wanted was to beat him. This victory has been haunting me ever since. Especially the moment when after the match Emil came to me and shook my hand. He was tired, he was good, he was forgiving.
As it has turned out, his fears have been confirmed and now he is fighting a deadly disease, ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). I was devastated when I heard the news. I was not concerned about him, however, as much as I was concerned about his family. He has two children - a five-year-old boy and a girl under one.
Interestingly, I have found Emil’s disease a chance for me. For us. Through his ordeal, I could become a better person. I could make my life more meaningful. I could understand what life is really about.
Right now, Emil needs money for his treatment. To find it, however, is quite difficult. It is like losing a match with 0:2 and 0:7. Every player knows you shouldn’t stop fighting. You should do everything possible to win even though the odds are against you.
In order to raise the money we are addressing the tennis community all over the world. Thanks to this forum. At the moment every cent is important. If you can help Emil, we will be very grateful. If you join us, we will create a wave and we will win this match. Currently almost every table tennis club in Bulgaria is organising a charity event in his support.
Unlike my last match with Emil, this one is a fight worth screaming for. A fight in which the fist is in the air for something good. A fight that will make us better people. Thanks to Emil.
If you are able to help raising money please use his PayPal account [email protected]. You could be in great help if you share that story. This is the only way to reach more people. Thank you very much for reading that far.
Here are some YouTube videos where Emil was playing:
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