“Clever from Trinko, but of course not the advertising for Dutch table tennis that one would wish for,” Bettine Vriesekoop replies to the national table tennis title, which Trinko Keen conquered on Sunday.

It was already his sixth championship in singles, so no surprise in that regard. But Keen’s success at the age of 51 raised eyebrows among many supporters of the sport.

Also at Vriesekoop, icon of national table tennis, who was already in her forties when in 2002 she was allowed to add her fourteenth Dutch championship in singles. Pure class and an enormous amount of experience cannot be denied.

This also applied to Keen, who finished in the last four at the European Championships in Eindhoven in 1998 and reached his highest position in the world rankings in 2002 with 18th place.

family honor

But it still hurts, such an “old man” on the top step of the honorary framework. And it’s not even a sensational result reserved only for a top international player of yore. Last year the title also went to a 51-year-old, but outside of table tennis, the name Michel de Boer will mean very little.

The defending champion was absent from the appeal this year. His son Milo, still a teenager, kept the family honor alive by reaching the semifinals. Keen was too strong in six games (2-4) for De Boer, one of the representatives of the rising youth who also include Kas van Oost, Gabrielius Camara and Barry Berben, the finalist who lost in Zwolle on Sunday.

But rushing isn’t enough, as Vriesekoop knows, who, at the risk of being labeled a “record” again, is prepared to say something against it. “When I’m critical, I’m always the nagger. But who has won so many titles? I think I have a right to speak.”

The list of honors of two-time Sports Fold of the Year (1981 and 1985) is indeed impressive: two-time European Champion (1982, 1992), two-time Top 12 winner (1982, 1985) and five-time runner-up and no fewer than fourteen times the Best in an open championship. In 1982, she twice defeated the world champion from China and finished seventh in the world rankings, behind only Chinese players.

To start early

Talent is of course a prerequisite. But not happy. “Table tennis is a very complex sport,” says Vriesekoop. “You have to start very early with that. But if you want to get better, you also have to seek out the competition as quickly as possible. Train and play against stronger players, play at a high level and gain experience with playing styles and materials. Play matches, learn from them, then work on your shortcomings.

The problem for the current generation is that they don’t have to expect much from the Dutch Table Tennis Association, which is certainly not a big pot. “Tennis has always been about personal initiative,” Vriesekoop knows from his own experience. “The players have to pay a lot themselves. I think it’s admirable that they dare to do that. I respect that very much.”

Vriesekoop sees it as an advantage that a group of talents has now presented itself. You can pull yourself together, but that’s not enough to move forward. “There is certainly quality in the pond, but to get better you have to jump into a pond with more quality. I went to China for three months when I was eighteen, but I was able to support my opponents in the men’s too.”

Eat, play table tennis, sleep

For Dutch table tennis players, Germany is a Mecca, not least because of its proximity. “But here we usually finish VWO or HAVO first and then you can go.” A bit late, Vriesekoop would like to say. “There they meet players who have been swimming in this better-quality pond since they were eight years old.”

Ultimately, the recipe for success is very simple: eat, play table tennis, sleep. “In China, they train nine hours a day, two hours of video discussion. Where do you get your points from, where do you make mistakes, how can you eliminate your opponent’s strengths? Do you need an ax to win the match.”

“Forehand, backhand, serve, serve relief, everything has to be a 9. If there’s a 5 or 6 in between, you give up a lot right away. This also applies to the mentality and the focus and the will to go deep. I can’t even explain how hard I’ve been training. I’ve met myself 100,000 times.”

Maybe Berben, De Boer, Camara or Van Oost will eventually find themselves in a row with several champions like Trinko Keen and Bettine Vriesekoop. And who knows, hard work will eventually yield pleasing results on the international stage.