Two former German top players enrich the European Veterans Championships in Bremen: Steffen FETZNER and Georg BÖHM. Signing autographs and having pictures taken with fans equally belongs to their everyday life like playing topspins. “Speedy” F,
Two former German top players enrich the European Veterans Championships in Bremen: Steffen FETZNER and Georg BÖHM.
Signing autographs and having pictures taken with fans equally belongs to their everyday life like playing topspins. “Speedy” FETZNER enjoys the attention: “It’s nice to see how people get excited.” Their cheers to him were welcome.
The 1989 World Doubles Champion almost lost in the 1st round of the main draw. Against Mulid KUSHOV from Russia (2nd Bundes League player) he was 1-2 and 6-10 down, but still fought off the match points and won in five games. “I was already 90 per cent out. That really was a heavy chunk for the first round. I have already lost to him in the past. It’s not easy if you practice little,” says the lucky winner. In the 2nd round, too, FETZNER did not have an easy task, beat German Frank KASISKE in another 5 games, a former German National Champion in Men’s 40 from Berlin.
But his journey concluded in Round of 32 Michael O`DRISCOLL from England proved too strong today for the great champion.
FETZNER was known as a top players for more than 20 years. His most important success was the victory in the doubles with Jörg ROSSKOPF at the 1989 World Championships in Dortmund as he explains. Next to that it was the Olympic silver medal in doubles in Barcelona 1992. The transition from competitive sports to an almost every-day athlete was relatively easy for him, says FETZNER: “I’ve made the transition step by step, so that the whole thing was very smooth”.
He is still in touch regularly with his national team mates and players from abroad regularly. With his doubles partner in Bremen, Heiko WIRKNER, he plays in the 4th German league for TV Mosbach in the next season. Fun is important there, too.
FETZNER and Georg BOHM have earned national and international merits in their careers. One is now working as a product manager of table tennis manufacturer DONIC, the other one is a network administrator. At the European Veterans Championships in Bremen they come together again.
Computer expert BOHM started to play table tennis at the age of 7. Born in Romania, he won 25 national titles. In 1980, he settled near Frankfurt/Main and later competed for Germany. There, he became one of the strongest players, a.o. six times national champions in singles. He participated in 8 European Championships for Germany and in 6 World Championships.
Recently the 51-year-old relegated to the Bundesliga with his latest club TTC Hagen. In Bremen he competes in doubles with Andreas FEJER-KONNERT, Zoltan FEJER-KONNERTH’S uncle, they get along very well and are both of Romanian origin. “The tournament is nothing to hang out. The longer the event takes, the more this becomes true”, says BÖHM, who was one of the favourites in the singles and doubles events, even though he competes in doubles in the Men’s 40 as FEJER-KONNERT is younger.
