No thought of stopping yet for Mr Happy-Go-Lucky Tomorrow in Bremen the European Veterans Championships will start with record number of participants. From 27 May to 1 June there will be 2.834 players from 40 countries at the ÖVB Arena Bremen, from A to W, No thought of stopping yet for Mr Happy-Go-Lucky Tomorrow in Bremen the European Veterans Championships will start with record number of participants. From 27 May to 1 June there will be 2.834 players from 40 countries at the ÖVB Arena Bremen, from A to W, Azerbaijan to Wales. Among them will be one of the greatest stars of table tennis, Mikael APPELGREN. With nickname Mr Happy-Go-Lucky, the well-paid advertising contract should have gone into Mikael APPELGREN ´s pocket automatically: Far beyond Sweden´s borders people call him “Äpplet”. In German that means simply “Apfel”, and almost exactly 25 years ago, Äpplet and the computer company Apple were sitting at the negotiation table. APPELGREN had just won 3 gold medals at the EC in Paris, so Apple could well imagine the elegant master technician as their advertising expert. However, nothing came of it – “I think in the end it failed because of money, although I cannot remember exactly”, says Mikael. Doesn´t matter, though, for the deal with the at one time most valuable enterprises of the world is one of the few things that “Appel”, now 51 years old, has not accomplished in his life. Four WC titles, 8 EC gold medals, 2 wins at Europe Top 12 plus one in the World Cup are his impressive record. Last year he won gold in his age category at the Veterans` WC in Stockholm. For quite some time time, APPELGREN has not been chasing any titles, though. Fun comes first for the indefatigable Swede. This goes for the European VC in Bremen, too. “I´ll try to play at my best and of course I will fight. But I also want to enjoy some good German beer”, says the ingenious technician. Among other things, he intends to meet some friends, “some of whom I haven´t seen for years.” In Bremen, APPELGREN last played at the WVC  in 2006. Then, the tournament ended for him in the semi-final when he lost to Alan COOKE, the eventual World Champion. “Äpplet`s” defeat was most likely due to the “entertainment programme” the evening before as he remarks, grinning broadly, “Could be that I had a beer too many with Zoran KALINIC.” Nowadays, his sometimes not so professional style of life does not matter any more. During his peak times, though, it proved to be an obstacle. No sooner than the mid-eighties he developed hardness against himself, which was necessary to become a true professional. His former coach Jens FELLKE once called his change of mind APPELGREN´s  “second birth as a table tennis player.” And he certainly does not want to let go of this life. He plays for his club Sparvägen in Sweden´s elite league, for their second team in the 2nd league. He is a member of the board, president, coach, captain and person in charge of sponsoring. In short: Nothing can be done without APPELGREN.  What´s more: The passionate skier loves this life.  “Once I received an offer from the financial world. To accept that, I`d have to stop with table tennis, though, and I just did not want to do that”, he reports. What he likes most is being a table tennis player forever. And here is one question he does not like to be asked anymore: about the end of his playing career – what a nuisance for him! “Every day”, he says, “there is something about it on the radio, in the press or somebody else asks me.” Considerations like that, he says, are of no importance for him as he feels top fit and has no physical problems. He believes that he owes that in part to his nimble, light-footed playing style. So far, he has escaped back or knee troubles. In Bremen, APPELGREN wants to present himself to his fans as light-footed as ever. And should he succeed in winning the title, he will be able to deliver his address of thanks in German. “It may take a little, but after a few days in Germany the language will be o.k. again.” 

There are only few days left before the start of the European Veterans Championships in Bremen (from 27th May to 1st June). Everything is set for the great gathering and we can tell the same about the oldest participant Inge-Brigitte HERRMANN. Nowadays, P, There are only few days left before the start of the European Veterans Championships in Bremen (from 27th May to 1st June). Everything is set for the great gathering and we can tell the same about the oldest participant Inge-Brigitte HERRMANN. Nowadays, PC courses abound – including people who teach them. That makes it easy for Inge-Brigitte HERRMANN to find congenial people, but much more difficult when it comes to people of the same age. When talking about her teaching, the 92-year-old cannot help but laugh. “Most people cannot believe that at my age I really conduct courses.” But that is not the only role in which the swinging lady hardly finds people of a similar age. In table tennis, too, competition is comparatively small. “2010, in China, there were just eight women in our age category 85 +”, she recalls. Five of those she left behind on her way to the rostrum. “I was very pleased with my 3rd place in the singles, but greater still was my pleasure about winning gold in doubles with my partner, Ursula BIHL.” Both of them did not practice for this victory. “We only meet at international events, that´s why our only practice is warming up before our first match.” That proved to be sufficient anyway. In the final, the pair beat the oldest participant, Australian Dorothy De LOW, who was almost 100 years old then. “For a long time she was regarded the oldest active player, but meanwhile it´s me who is the oldest,” says Inge-Brigitte HERRMANN. Apart from her passion for the small celluloid ball, there is something else which these three have in common: They started their table tennis career rather late in life. With Inge-Brigitte HERRMANN it started only 16 years ago on the Baltic Sea. “Together with 5 residents and a male nurse of the Old People´s Home where I live, I was staying on the island of Fehmarn. After lunch, while the others were taking a nap, I discovered a TT table in front of a restaurant and asked my nurse if he would like to play with me.” When he said “Yes” she bought two rackets and some balls without further ado and a match started right away”. “I enjoyed that so much that, on returning, I immediately looked for a club.” She chose “FT Preetz”, where the now 92-year-old still practices regularly. She also likes to take on younger players who might well be her grand- and great grandchildren. She first entered the international stage in 2002 for the World Veterans Championships (WVC) in Lucerne (Switzerland) where 2,700 players from 63 countries were fighting for the medals. She has been keenly interested in international competitions – no matter if EVC or WVC. “I am first of all looking forward to meeting old friends and talking to them”, says the old lady who is so fond of travelling. As far as possible, she likes to add on a week of holidays in order to get to know culture and people in the organizing country. What has impressed her most so far is the “very good organization and the wonderful Opening Ceremony” of the 2010 WVC in China. “I have never seen something that beautiful”, she says and you feel that in her thoughts she is reviewing the ceremony once again. After winning the doubles in Hohhot (China), she came in third 2 years later in Stockholm – again with her partner, Ursula BIHL, who is only about half a year younger. After the EVC in Bremen, there will be another long journey on the agenda for the German participants in the World Championships – the destination being New Zealand. Perhaps our player will book her flight there directly via the internet – for Inge-Brigitte HERRMANN is not only familiar with the PC, but well-versed with the World Wide Web, too.