Table tennis was far away for Dmitry Ovtcharov – Welcome to ZNZ World

Grandma in Kyiv left the club

For Dimitrij Ovtcharov, table tennis was a long way off

4/26/2022, time 10:07

The February attack on Ukraine changed many lives, including that of German table tennis star Dmitry Ovtcharov. Born in Kyiv, they have to take his grandmother from Kyiv and then make a decision that will affect his future path.

National table tennis player Dmitry Ovtcharov lived dramatic days at the beginning of the war in Ukraine. “It took me a long time to get my 85-year-old grandmother out of her apartment in Kyiv,” the 33-year-old said in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung: “Friends took her spontaneously in the car, he only had his purse and passport ‘.

Born in Kyiv and the son of a former Soviet international, Ovtcharov was Deeply Shocked by Russia’s war of aggression. “First of all, I couldn’t even think about table tennis for days. It was a tiring time, ”said the Olympic Bronze medalist. organized apartments. “

Ovtcharov terminated his contract with Russian club Fakel Orenburg after twelve years. “It was clear to us on the first day of the war: now it’s impossible,” he said. “Although the people in the club have nothing to do with the war, we had to take a clear stand. (…) Even if it is only a small part of the end of the war, it was worth it. “

Next season, Ovtcharov will play mainly in the Champions League and in the TTC Neu-Ulm Cup. However, she is not yet in shape due to a long-term ankle problem. “I play with foot protection as a precaution and I still don’t move as much as I can because I really want to avoid another failure,” he said. He plans to return in early July.

With Orenburg, which is largely funded by Russian gas company Gazprom, the two-time European Champion has won the Champions League six times, in addition to several national titles. Due to the war, the club is now excluded from all international competitions until further notice.