Table Tennis Kingdom, 2024-May
(a ¥880 magazine that costs $30 in Vancouver)
Some excerpts from a 5 page interview (pg 124-129) with Hirano. (This is a ”gist of” translation).
Q: when did you feel the Trials would be difficult?
H: in the 2nd Trial (‘22-09), I lost to Hayata in the QF, and also in the positioning match, coming in 8th. But the next Trials (‘22-11) cumulative points will determine the five girls going to WTTC Team. I must be in the SF - Champion range to be selected. Otherwise the point gap will widen after WTTC, ending my selection process. I felt all these will be decided in the 3rd Trial. In the two months between ‘22-09 to the next Trial, I must improve my game and get good results. Through diligent training to reach the championships became an important turning point.
Q: what kind of training did you go through?
H: because the 2nd Trial’s position determines my placing in the matrix of the 3rd, and I was 8th, I knew I’ll run into Ito. Because of that, I practised a lot with Kihara, and worked out strategies playing against pips with her. At the Funabashi Trials, I was able to beat Ito, my first time since World Cup 2016.
But before that in R2, I ran into Yokoi trailing 1-3. In the 5th game, at 3-6, I took a TO. I looked at the ceiling, thinking “this may be the end of the Road to Paris for me”. I asked myself “is this how it ends? Just 5 more points and it ends for me?” I felt “no way! If I loose these 5 point, then it’s all over!”. Anyway, I ended up winning 11-9 in the decider. From that time on, I found my momentum.
Of course every tournament is important but that match with Yokoi was critical. The following matches vs Ito and Shibata in the QF was also very important.
Q: when did you feel there was a chance for Paris?
H: the ‘22-11 Trial was only a decider for WTTC Team. I got in, and I can feel Paris a “maybe…” During the ‘23-07 Trial at Tokyo, I lost to Ito in the SF and came 3rd. From that point on, myself, Hayata and Ito started to pull ahead and created a gap with the others. There was only one more Trial plus the All-Japan National, it was obvious the race was between me and Ito, so I have a 50% chance.
Q: along the way, Hayata pulled way ahead, it became a you and Ito race. You two were Doubles partners for a long time, of the same age and have a different relationship than others…
H: in my heart, every time Ito gets good results, I just don’t want to lose, not to her. That effort is what got me here. Of course I respect her, when I saw Ito at 15 getting a medal at Rio, I realized youth cannot be my excuse. It was from that time on that I really started to work at my game.
Since I was kid, I have never wanted to loose to Ito. To me her existence is unique.
Of course, of the same age in the same arena including Hayata, between the three of us the competitions are numerous, but I don’t have any particular sentiments. In the All-Japan, I felt instead of winning against so and so, I would rather say my objective was to get to the front rank, beat all Japanese facing me, and guarantee my getting into second place.
Q: only 5 months to Paris, in Busan you took out a CNT, did this increase your confidence?
H: Before this WTTC event, my thoughts were “get to 2nd place or no podium”. That was my only consideration. In Busan, when we were able to put them into such a tight spot and ended up losing, I felt unprecedented regret. In the past my attitude of (loosing to) CNT was always:”(China) is very strong”, or “it’s so difficult”. But this time, immediately after we lost, I felt remorse.
My instant reaction was, for the first time, “I want to beat China fort Gold in Paris.” I hope in Paris, whether in Team or Singles to win.
