My Journey to reach the National Table Tennis Olympic Team! Join Me

zyu81 · Nov 3, 2020

Baal said:
I have played against seven different US team members who played at the WTTC, possible because six of them have lived in my city. One of these guys also played at the Olympics. I was coached by three of them. Then there are a handful of former Chinese provincial team people I played with. Also once with Wang Hao -- not the great penholder, rather the older Chinese defender. Some of you will remember him. In my young years I played Danny Seemiller a couple, of times when he was first emerging as the top US player. Seeing how good these guys are quickly smashed any possible ideas that I would ever reach their level (I never believed I could, but seeing firsthand verified it). If you need more evidence, watch any of the videos where Dan plays international players and they pretty much toy with him. There is a massive gulf between good amateur players and pro players. And the top players in India these days are really good.

Practice hard, improve. But don't quit your day job. Somebody above wrote "anything is possible". Sadly, some things aren't.

I am not a bad player myself. Sometimes, I play a ~2600 level player. They seem superhuman. On the most miraculous of days, maybe I could get close in one game, before they start upping their effort from 25% to 50%. Then, you feel like you brought a butter knife to a gun fight.

And then, you realize this 2600 player is still basically below average for an international/ITTF standard and would have virtually no chance against the common pros on the tour. They would even have a hard time making it out of the preliminary play in stage in most international tournaments.

yogi_bear · Nov 3, 2020

iamback said:
Well I just got back to this game last week so currently working on improving my stamina hence its around 1.5 hours per day(excluding the fitness of 30 mins). I plan to extend this to 3 hours under the coach and for the remaining practice I plan to buy a table along with a robot to improve my footwork and skills even further so yeah I can put in another 3 hours with time.

Or do you have any other suggestions?

3hrs is only good for multiballd and single table drills. Its not even enough with physocal fitness of at least an hour and also match plays that lasts at least 2 hrs.

Jimbob MacInbred · Nov 3, 2020

zyu81 said:
I am not a bad player myself. Sometimes, I play a ~2600 level player. They seem superhuman...

Is that 2600 german QTTR or 2600 USATT? Both would be very high of course, but 2600 QTTR most definitely would mean Professional, i.e. Top 5/10 in Germany...I'm just a little curious.

quanghuysk · Nov 3, 2020

How about to move to a really small country/island

you can immediately reach the national level because no one even plays. Don't work hard, work smart!

Takkyu_wa_inochi · Nov 3, 2020

quanghuysk said:
How about to move to a really small country/island you can immediately reach the national level because no one even plays. Don't work hard, work smart!

and if you move in Bahamas, you won't even pay taxes

zyu81 · Nov 3, 2020

Jimbob MacInbred said:
Is that 2600 german QTTR or 2600 USATT? Both would be very high of course, but 2600 QTTR most definitely would mean Professional, i.e. Top 5/10 in Germany...I'm just a little curious.

I meant 2600 American rating, since I think that's what most would understand here. 2600 QTTR is very high level, huge difference from 2600 American.

Baal · Nov 3, 2020

World top 20 players are said to be around 2900 US. All the same, a 2600 player is very very very good. About 100% of players at that level trained hard from childhood with the intent to become a pro player.

Manto76 · Nov 3, 2020

Have you seen this video of Hugo Calderano? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3-6IsxDRnA
Hopefully it will inspire you on your journey!

SofaChamp · Nov 3, 2020

Why stop at the Olympic team? If you're going to go through the hassle of qualifying for the team you might as well be aiming for a medal!

zyu81 · Nov 3, 2020

Baal said:
World top 20 players are said to be around 2900 US. All the same, a 2600 player is very very very good. About 100% of players at that level trained hard from childhood with the intent to become a pro player.

I'm in no way attempting to discredit that. I was trying to demonstrate to the OP just how many tiers there are to this thing. A lot of said 2600 players struggle to make a decent living which is another factor to consider as OP embarks on this impossible journey.

In India, I'm not sure that level even makes the national team.

zyu81 · Nov 3, 2020

Manto76 said:
Have you seen this video of Hugo Calderano? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3-6IsxDRnA
Hopefully it will inspire you on your journey!

Please keep in mind that Calderano was an exceptional athletic talent, and he didn't start from a beginner level at 29.

ZeroTT · Nov 3, 2020

Well, tbh Hard work in training does not equal guaranteed success.
There is also the talent factor , and that is the factor we can't estimate at the moment.
Some people just have more talent and that's it.

For example we had 2 brothers in our club long time ago the oldest had a lot of passion and trained super hard.
3 hours a day 6 days a week.
And his youngest sometimes tagged along but he didn't even train 1 third of what his older brother did because he wasn't so passionate about tt , just did it because he seemed to be good at it.

Long story short: the oldest brother raised his level faster because in the beginning progress comes fast,but in the end the younger brother surpassed him (by far even) with his minimal training.

I'm pretty sure everyone on this forum knows stories like this. Hard work is a huge factor, but talent also.
And we don't know how much talent you have.

And even then..... your age is not gonna help, it's a fact that younger people learn faster.

I don't wanna sound too negative because I endorse your journey and passion to get as far as you can.
I really hope you go all the way, just keep in mind that success is not guaranteed.

Jimbob MacInbred · Nov 3, 2020

zyu81 said:
I meant 2600 American rating, since I think that's what most would understand here. 2600 QTTR is very high level, huge difference from 2600 American.

I see, thanks for clarifying, I have to admit that I was a little shocked when I read 2600, because in Germany only Timo and Dima have a rating >2600 as of August 11th.
By the way, 2600 USATT equals about 2250 - 2300 QTTR, right?

zyu81 · Nov 3, 2020

Jimbob MacInbred said:
I see, thanks for clarifying, I have to admit that I was a little shocked when I read 2600, because in Germany only Timo and Dima have a rating >2600 as of August 11th.
By the way, 2600 USATT equals about 2250 - 2300 QTTR, right?

It could be anywhere from high 2100 to low to mid 2300, but on average I would say around 2200-2300 yes, give or take. Some 2300 QTTR are more likely 2650-2700 level, which is a big difference from 2600 USATT (50 points at that level is an appreciable difference).

Some players who have played in both DE and US are Thomas Pellny (2231 QTTR currently, level at the time he played in US is probably not changed much, and I believe he was around 2650 US). Lennart Wehking, 2280 QTTR currently and I believe around 2700 US when he played, level now has maybe dropped a little...

Michael Tran and Nicholas Tio who I believe are 2600 USATT, play anywhere from 2150-2250 level based on some league results.... hard to say

Jimbob MacInbred · Nov 3, 2020

zyu81 said:
It could be anywhere from high 2100 to low to mid 2300, but on average I would say around 2200-2300 yes, give or take. Some 2300 QTTR are more likely 2650-2700 level, which is a big difference from 2600 USATT (50 points at that level is an appreciable difference).

Some players who have played in both DE and US are Thomas Pellny (2231 QTTR currently, level at the time he played in US is probably not changed much, and I believe he was around 2650 US). Lennart Wehking, 2280 QTTR currently and I believe around 2700 US when he played, level now has maybe dropped a little...

Michael Tran and Nicholas Tio who I believe are 2600 USATT, play anywhere from 2150-2250 level based on some league results.... hard to say

Yes, I remember Lennart. Very solid 2nd Bundesliga player; too bad his rating has dropped a little bit. He used to be close to No. 20 in the QTTR-Ranking, if I remember correctly. I also agree with pretty much you've said so far regarding this topic.

To be more on-topic: Unfortunately I also do not see it happening that OP will reach the neccessary level to join the Indian national team. As Baal mentioned: India produces some very decent players (Achanta, Gnanasekaran, etc.). Granted, Achanta is already quite old for an active tt pro, but both Gnanasekaran and Desai are 27 years old, Thakkar just 20 years, so all three younger than OP. Just these three would be direct competitors for a spot on the national team and they already have a big headstart. To get to that level within a few years is impossible. (Day)dreaming and to have goals (in life) are totally OK, but at least the goals need to be somewhat realistic in my opinion, otherwise you're just wasting time and money.

Just for reference: OP would need to reach at least this level:

zeio · Nov 3, 2020

zyu81 said:
Please keep in mind that Calderano was an exceptional athletic talent, and he didn't start from a beginner level at 29.

And both Jean-René Mounie and Calderano touched on the issue of "the missing hours" in interviews after Qatar Open 2018, the breakout tournament where he beat Boll, Harimoto and LGY, in that order.

https://globoesporte.globo.com/teni...firma-ele-ja-e-top-mas-precisa-de-tempo.ghtml

- We know that it is already a top, but he is young too, both by age and by training, because it has fewer working hours than any other athlete's top-15 world. He just needs time to fix his technical tools - said the coach.

https://www.terra.com.br/esportes/l...3a31fd8d3bcb794eaa90ab9c9a2ac0ddlu5sxbyq.html

Increasingly targeted, Hugo believes that their biggest challenge is still the technique, not the psychological factor.

- It is normal for the technique to come early, and the psychological strength later. In my case, it was the other way around. I didn't train much when I was young, but because I played other sports, I always had a strong mind. My technique is coming now - said the athlete, who has already practiced volleyball and athletics.

https://www.revistasuplementacao.co...esporte-tenis-de-mesa-com-hugo-calderano.html

TRAINING A CHAMPION

To show all the skill Hugo Calderano shows in competitions, you need strong and supervised training. For this, the athlete usually trains from Monday to Saturday. The matches take place most of the time on Sundays. Altogether, there are six hours dedicated on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, three hours on Wednesday and Saturday. When he is not competing, he has his days off on Sundays and in those spare time, he learns German, plays video games and enjoys moments to practice the magic cube.

In addition to training with the use of his racket companion, which is done most days, Hugo dedicates hours to different types of physical preparation, such as weight training, functional work, abdominals, coordination, agility, a lot of leg work, preventive exercises and stretching, that they are fundamental. The athlete's main focus is on the legs and back, emphasizing strength and strengthening.

zyu81 · Nov 3, 2020

zeio said:
And both Jean-René Mounie and Calderano touched on the issue of "the missing hours" in interviews after Qatar Open 2018, the breakout tournament where he beat Boll, Harimoto and LGY, in that order.

https://globoesporte.globo.com/teni...firma-ele-ja-e-top-mas-precisa-de-tempo.ghtml

https://www.terra.com.br/esportes/l...3a31fd8d3bcb794eaa90ab9c9a2ac0ddlu5sxbyq.html

https://www.revistasuplementacao.co...esporte-tenis-de-mesa-com-hugo-calderano.html

Interesting read, however, if you are making a point in response to my post I am not sure I am understanding it.

zeio · Nov 3, 2020

My post was to reinforce your point that "he didn't start from a beginner level at 29." He didn't focus solely on table tennis until 14, which in China's perspective is around the cut-off age that one must make the provincial teams to stand a chance, hence "the missing hours."

zyu81 · Nov 3, 2020

zeio said:
My post was to reinforce your point that "he didn't start from a beginner level at 29." He didn't focus solely on table tennis until 14, which in China's perspective is around the cut-off age that one must make the provincial teams to stand a chance, hence "the missing hours."

Gotcha. Makes sense now. What Hugo did was only possible because of how extremely talented he is. It is safe to assume neither OP nor any of us could do that, so the initial post I responded to is probably a bit too daydreamy.

Adding onto your post, from what I hear, the ages of 14-18 is the time-frame in which those said provincial players generally have to make it to the national team (B) team. After that, chances become bleak. It can still happen I believe by placing in the top 8 at the National Games or National Championships but generally if you haven't made it to the B team by around age 18-20, you're done.

lightspin · Nov 4, 2020

zeio said:
My post was to reinforce your point that "he didn't start from a beginner level at 29." He didn't focus solely on table tennis until 14, which in China's perspective is around the cut-off age that one must make the provincial teams to stand a chance, hence "the missing hours."

Even in the video he said he was hanging out in the club a lot from ages 8 to 14 and already the number one (I guess junior) player in Rio when he was 13. Who knows if he had any experience playing before that?

If you are serious about your goal, you need to play 6 hours a day minimum and then do other things like physical training. Everyone else is doing that starting from a young age. Are you that much more talented than everyone else to catch them in skill level by only practicing for 90 minutes? Don't let anyone tell you that you cannot do it. However, you should know what others at that level are doing. You need to put in the time to have any chance at all. Good luck!

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