Ivor Ban: University of Zagreb, CROATIA

- Could you present yourself in a few sentences?

I’m Ivor Ban. I’m playing table tennis for 12 years now, I’m number 5 in Croatia in senior and number 272 in the world currently.

- In only 6 years in the competition level you’re one of the best player in your country, how can you explain this ascent?

I’ve been practicing really hard and try to play my best in every tournament, steps and journey and it went pretty well. So I’m happy that I can play on that level and I hope that I can reach a better one.

- You’re considered as the main player of this championship, how do you feel about it? Does it makes you more confident?

I know that I’m one of the best here but still I need to prove it, it doesn’t change actually anything about how I want to play this tournament and I hope I could reach the gold.

- You can be, you’ve won your first match 3-0, does it change your perception of the championship?

No, it actually doesn’t because every next matches we must fight and prepare ourselves for the hardest so that’s what we will try to do.

- Is there any teams that you’re scared of?

The polish team that won the championship last year but I hope we can manage to beat them but, we will see.

- Could you motivate people to give more interest about this sport? Maybe by destroying the stereotypes that they can have?

This sport is not televised so for sure we need to do something so that it could be more popular. But table tennis is really fun, since I’ve first touch the racket I’ve fell in love with this sport. My father was also playing table tennis as an amateur way but still, I’ve became a professional. In every sport you have to take something out of every aspect of your life, sometimes it can be hard but, at the end, if you are good and if you try enough than it will always play out.