Table tennis team out to emulate 2005 feat

In the GSSE 2005, Simon Gerada and Andrzej Makowski were simply unbeatable and emerged as a dominant force. Playing some of their best table tennis, both came close to complete a clean sweep of the men's honours, winning gold in all disciplines except for doubles where they had to settle for bronze.

After that impressive showing, it's not surprising that the Team Malta duo will start among the favourites in Monaco.

Gerada, winner of the singles gold medal after beating Makowski in the final, refused to set up any targets and is focusing solely on playing at the top of his game.

"Andorra 2005 was a marvellous experience for us and the association," Gerada told The Times.

"Andrzej and I played at an unbelievable level in Andorra. We were so proud to have achieved such a great result for the country. But, that belongs to the history books now. The others will be all out to beat us in Monaco. Surely, this will be a tough week for us.

"It's only logical that the other countries will want to take away our titles. But, we are not setting any goals. Our target is to be in fine form and then we'll take it one step at a time. Obviously, repeating the Andorra result will be a dream come true but that does not mean that we won't try."

In Monaco, the Malta Table Tennis Association will have one valuable addition to the team. Yu Wheng has Chinese origins but qualifies to play for Malta through residence.

She was included in the squad along with the experienced Joanna Grech. Wheng has been residing in Malta for more than three years.

New national coach Tania Hair-Hoffman was installed in the build-up to the Games. The German started working with the team before last month's World Championships in Zagreb. Despite the little time she spent with the players, she seems to have already come to grips with the situation.

"I have been in charge of the team for almost four weeks now and the early indications seem very positive," Hair-Hoffman said.

"Simon and Andrzej already proved how competitive they can be. They looked focused and train hard. I believe they will be among the medal winners in Monaco.

"The women's team also looks strong in my opinion. Joanna Grech has a vast knowledge of the Games while Yu Wheng is an exceptional player. With her the team's chances improved considerably. They say it's difficult but I think Malta can improve on the medals won in Andorra."

Asked to pinpoint who will be the main opponents in Monaco, Hair-Hoffman said:

"Luxembourg and Monaco look strong in the men's competition. Luxembourg have always fielded a very competitive team and I'm expecting Monaco to have some top French players in their squad.

"San Marino, with two China-born players in their team, will be the favourites in the women's events. Cyprus and Luxembourg have a long tradition at the GSSE. We'll be among the contenders but I will have a better idea of the other teams once the tournament starts."

Assisting Hair-Hoffman in Monaco will be MTTA technical director Alex Anastasi, a former Malta champion himself.

Anastasi said the association was criticized several times before for fielding foreign-based players in the GSSE. However, he stressed, their contribution has been invaluable.

"I think that those who are questioning non-resident and other players in our team are not looking at the whole perspective," Anastasi said.

"The best thing that can happen to any upcoming player is to practise with someone of a higher calibre. Our players are learning a lot from Simon, Andrzej and Yu in terms of technique and training.

"Besides, Yu and Andrzej are doing some effective coaching sessions at the Tennis Academy. Their presence lured many youngsters to the sport.

"A few years back, we started with around 150 but now we have over 400 attending our sessions. That gives a solid base for the future of table tennis."