When you are playing in European Champions League and in Bundesliga you hardly can get better preparations for any event in Europe. That is the fact that Panagiotis GIONIS underlined before the start of the 2015 NN Table Tennis Club ITTF – Europe Top 16
When you are playing in European Champions League and in Bundesliga you hardly can get better preparations for any event in Europe. That is the fact that Panagiotis GIONIS underlined before the start of the 2015 NN Table Tennis Club ITTF – Europe Top 16 in Baku. The member of the Borussia Dusseldorf enjoyed the most successful year of his career in 2013 when he guided Greece to runners up spot in the Men’s Team event at the LIEBHERR European Championships in Schwechat. Later he reached the semi-final stage of the Men’s Singles event losing to Vladimir SAMSONOV.
“I am in good shape. I do not need any special preparations matches in Bundesliga are sufficient. Recently I beat CRISAN and STEGER; my score is 12:4 in Bundesliga and 7:1 in Champions league so I am very happy with current form ” explained GIONIS.
A stalwart of the Greek Men’s Team he has played in 16 consecutive World Championships commencing in 1997 in Manchester; he has competed in the three most recent Olympic Games and in 2009 in Pescara he won the Men’s Singles title in the table tennis events at the Mediterranean Games. At Top 12 last year he reached 7th position. “For Top 16 my goal is to be in quarter final as a first step and then to fight for semis.”
Your favorites? “Marcos FREITAS is very strong at the moment. And not to mention Dimitrij OVTCHAROV. There will be fierce matches.”
The event in Baku will be good rehearsal for the forthcoming inaugural European Games this summer. “I hope I will fight for medal in June. Also I hope for good result in Bundesliga and at the World Championships.”
Greek national Coach Konstantinos VATSAKLIS added: “Events like Top 16 are a great challenge. The opportunity for the best of Europe to play against each other is good thing not only for players but for spectators as well. Our goal therefore is to fight for the quarter-finals and our main strength is good current shape and generally high class of Panagiotis. He also had the experiences of such matches especially after last year’s participation in the Europe Cup and the World Cup. The draw and the “day” will certainly play their role”.
