April 6 – the World Table Tennis Day is the holiday that is officially celebrated for the sixth year. Each year this day is dedicated to different social problem. In 2021 it is gender equality; it is all about the fight against gender discrimination. The International Table Tennis Federation highlights the main issue as the protection of human rights and the involvement of as many young girls as possible in table tennis.
Belarus’ female athletes talked about their female role models
Viktoria PAVLOVICH
I have never had any idols in sports. In childhood by watching table tennis I did not distinguish any athletes in terms of technique or style of play. I admired exclusively the character of the Soviet table tennis players: Irina PALINA Elena TIMINA. Their struggle for each ball their incredible fervor for victory was very inspiring. It was then that I realized what a real athlete should be. I took over my motto “fight to the end” from the Soviet sports temper.
Nadezhda BOGDANOVA
I watch all of Hina HAYATA’s games. In general Japanese table tennis players are very professional and restrained in their game. HAYATA laughs a lot during matches she maybe even act like a fool but at the same time she does a great job at the table. She differs from her compatriots in her playing style: Japanese female players usually hold the ball and from the very beginning Hina begins to briskly attack.
Daria TRIGOLOS
The Austrian Sofia POLCANOVA impresses me. She is great not only as a player but also as a person as she is very sweet and friendly. With a racket in her hand she behaves calmly. One gets the impression that in those milliseconds while the ball is flying on her half of the table a whole battle plan of actions has time to be built in her head. Thanks to such deliberation she manages to reduce mistakes to a minimum.
Vera VOLKAVA
Among all the famous table tennis players I can single out Margaryta PESOTSKA. She is already quite experienced and holds the ball confidently rotates it masterly. Our playing styles are vastly different: she skillfully copes with any difficulties unlike me. This is the quality I want to learn from her.
Darya VASILENKA
All the athletes of our country impress me; in particular I want to note the leaders of our national team Nadezhda BOGDANOVA and Daria TRIGOLOS. Each of the girls has her own individual technique; each one stands out in its own way. On the international stage Puerto Rican Adriana DIAZ has a hallmark. Despite her young age she is already the 18th racket in the World such a result for a twenty-year-old girl is a real success! I in turn do not want to imitate anyone or become like some kind of athlete you need to maintain your individuality. And of course set goals for yourself and achieve them while focusing on the best.
Darya KISEL
Although I was born and grew up in the post-Soviet era I do not stop being motivated by the play of the most talented Soviet table tennis players. The coach Vladimir BOLIKOV repeatedly talked about the strong-willed victories of such athletes as Alla MUKHOMOROVA and Inga YAVOROVSKAYA. In addition I try to grow more and more as a professional player: I analyze each of my games work through all the pros and cons.
