Member Associations | 19 Apr 2011

20th Worlds for Belgium?s legend: SAIVE breaks BARNA’S record

20/04/2011 – The Belgium team will be represented by 5 players and there are no girls on the entries list for Rotterdam. At the World Individual Championships will play Jean-Michel SAIVE, Yannick VOSTES, Lauric JEAN, Benjamin ROGIERS and Ludovic BIERNY. This will be the historic moment for SAIVE. He will participate on his 20th World championship from Tokyo 1983. He breaks the record of Viktor BARNA, the Hungarian-British champion (19 participations).

“We have two preparations’ stage in Liege. From 27 to 29 April and from 2 to 4 May. We have three sparring-partners: one from China, one from Poland and…. me!” explained Martin BRATNOV, the Belgian coach. But in Belgium, everything is complicated and Lauric JEAN and Ludocic BIERNY have their own preparation with Thierry CABRERA and Marc CLOSSET for the Flemish league.

For the expectations, no bet: “Jean-Mi will go match by match. His case is very special because he can assure a 7th consecutive participation at the Olympic games in London 2012. For the others players, a qualification for the main draw is possible as Benjamin ROGIERS proves it two years ago ?okohama. He stumbled on the second hurdle against TAN Peng. Yannick VOSTES, the 2010 Belgian champion, will come back after the injury. He will play his first tournament after… December. The last time when he participated was at the Pro Tour Finals in Doubles with Rogiers where they won 3rd place.”

(by Christian RASPILLER, courtesy Sudpresse Sports)