Two years ago in Alicante Romania’s Ovidiu IONESCU reached the final of the individual European Championships. He has lost to Timo BOLL but the success achieved by IONESCU meant that he became only the second ever Romanian to reach the final of a Men’s Singles event at a European Championships; the one other was Radu NEGULESCU in 1960 in Zagreb. Radu was beaten in the final by the Hungary’s Zoltan BERCZIK.
We hope that he will have the chance to try to go one step further this year in Poland’s Warsaw where the ITTF European individual Championships will take place. However the break in tournaments we used to talk about the past.
IONESCU revealed that his starts were “accidental”.
“I remember that my brother was not allowed by his classmates to play table tennis in the school yard so he asked Santa to bring us two rackets. As soon as we received it we started to play on my father desk all day long. Initially it was funny for my parents but after a while it got a little bit annoying. I had a lot of energy so they brought me to the table tennis club in my hometown ” said IONESCU.
When you realize will become your professional call?
“When I first moved to Germany in my youth I knew I was going to do everything in power to become a professional table tennis player.”
Have you ever felt you had enough and wanted to stop?
“No never. I love this sport too much with all its ups and downs.”
What is the first ever award you remember?
“My first gold medal. I was 10 years old and I had won the top 10 for the first time. I remember I was so happy. My parents were with me and they even bought me a water machine gun as a present.”
Most memorized moments in your career?
“I think both when I won silver at European and World Championships are the happiest moments for me. You want to believe you can make it and when you actually do it you cannot compare it with anything else in the sport.
Place that made greatest impression on you?
“Olympic Games in Rio for the first time. Being surrounded by all the great athletes proved to me that it is always good to chase your dreams.”
Person that impressed you the most?
“For me Roger FEDERER is the best role model inside and outside the court.”
Greatest sadness?
“A more recent one would be in European games in mixed doubles final. The winner would get directly the Olympic ticket. Our opponents Petrissa SOLJA and Patrick FRANZISKA played perfectly and we did not stand a chance.”
Legacy of the sport?
“I hope people in Romania will start to follow more and more table tennis and that table tennis will become a more recognized sport countrywide.”
What is the next goal to achieve?
“As the Olympics postponed for a year the next goal is to get a gold medal at European Championships doesn’t matter the event.”
