Murderous program

After a crying fit came a roundhouse blow from Gardos

Robert Gardos and Sofia Polcanova

(Bild: ANNA SZILAGYI)

The scene was frightening: on Thursday evening, the Swedish top player Christina Källberg suddenly sat down on the hall floor after a rally at the European Table Tennis Championships in Linz, hid her face under her towel and began to cry uncontrollably. 

The blonde girl (24) from Scandinavia was obviously at the end of her tether. What had happened? Källberg had to play a singles match against Portugal's Ines Matos immediately after her quarter-final exit in the mixed against a French pairing. Without a break, without a chance to regain her strength and mentally prepare for the challenge - and yet she made it to the round of 16 yesterday. "The schedule can't be true, I went into that match in tears," said Källberg afterwards. It is significant that she did not complain about the sporting challenge, but felt completely overwhelmed, especially mentally.

"Murderous program"
The unbelievable rush of deadlines at these European Championships is taking its toll. Austria's celluloid heroine Sofia Polcanova was also able to sing a song after winning silver in the mixed: "The program is murderous, nobody can do it!" Her partner Robert Gardos was much clearer: "What Sofia has to endure is unbelievable, the program is a disaster. We couldn't watch videos, we couldn't eat and there's no rest room," said the France legionnaire. Gardos continued: "We've been putting up with it for two years, I've never said anything. The association president and the sports director came to me on Thursday for the first time at the European Championships and congratulated me. That says a lot." The multiple medal winner feels unappreciated by the ÖTTV, and not just because of the unnecessary mega-stress: "There is no recognition. If at least one official would say: It's nice that you're still playing. But the fact that they ignore me doesn't kill me. The association has done a lot for me, but I've also done a lot for the association. The way we're treated is shit. That's how you destroy the players." Tournament director Alen Ivancin explained the agitation succinctly: "It's hard, but that's table tennis."