DRINKHALL: I am aiming to do better than last time in Rio

July 23, 2021
1:54 pm
Olympic Games

Team Great Britain in table tennis represents three players in Singles. Tin Tin HO and Paul DRINKAL commenced their journey in the opening round on early Saturday Liam PICHFORD will be in play for Round 3.

Tin Tin Ho will meet Manika BATRA of India in the opening Round. In her part of the draw are also Margaryta PESOTSKA of Ukraine and Sofia POLCANOVA of Austria.

“I’m feeling very excited just ready to go out there and play said Tin Tin HO.” European Championships it was really good for me to play before the Olympics and get some more match play. I’m trying to be more brave when I play and I showed parts of it at the Europeans and I hope I can do more at the Olympics In terms of playing I hope I can just play my game and keep proving and if I play my game the results will come.”

Paul DRINKHALL will meet Iran’s Nima ALAMIAN and in his part are also Robert GARDOS of Austria and JANG Woojin of Korea. Paul replaced SAMSONOV who was forced to withdraw.

“I had a couple of good days’ practice at the Team GB prep camp over in Yokohama. Everything’s been going well and I’m really looking forward to getting started now. It’s a shame for Vladi that he’s had to withdraw – he was going for his seventh Olympics and is a table tennis legend so it’s a shame that it’s come to me like that but it’s good that I’m in a position where I was next in line. I am looking forward to the challenge and aiming to do better than last time in Rio.”

Liam as no. 11 seed will watch for the match between Alvaro ROBLES of Spain and Gaston ALTO of Argentina in the opening round and then for the better in the duel between the winner of that match and Darko JORGIC of Slovenia.

“I feel good. I think I’ve been playing well. I’m relaxed and looking forward to it. It was frustrating to miss the European Championships because I wanted to go out there to see where I was at and get some matches under my belt.

I was in pretty good shape running into it so it was disappointing but I took a step back and said people haven’t seen me I’ve been working hard in the gym and practice hall and maybe it can work to my advantage. Competing in a third Olympics is an achievement but I don’t want to stop there I want to perform well. It’s going to be a strange Games but it is what it is and you’ve just got to go out there and focus on yourself and perform the best you can ” said PITCHFORD.

Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium

First round matches:

Andrej GACINA (Croatia) – Kokou Dodji FANNY (Togo)

Ibrahima DIAW (Senegal)- CHEW Zhe Yu Clarence (Singapore)

Panagiotis Gionis (Greece) – Szolt PETO (Serbia)

Lubomir JANCARIK (Czech Republic) – Ali ALKHADRAWI (South Africa)

Ovidiu IONESCU (Romania) – YAN Xin (Australia)

Alvaro ROBLES (Spain) – Gaston ALTO (Argentina)

Brian AFANADOR (Puertorico) – LAM Siu Hang (Hong Kong)

Bojan TOKIC (Slovenia) – Jeremy HAZIN (Canada)

Paul DRINKHALL (GB) – Nima ALAMIAN (Iran)

Pavel SIRUCEK (Czech Republic) – David POWELL (Australia)