Caribbean junior table tennis champion Tyrese Knight has been rubbing shoulders with elite players in Halmstad, Sweden.
The 18-year-old completed his first stint there last December and will leave the island today for his second attachment.
He told NATIONSPORT the training was quite challenging and a lot different from training in Barbados but it was geared toward bringing out the best in the athlete.
“The training was a little bit difficult at first but it got better as I got accustomed to it. At home I’m not accustomed to twice a day training,” Knight said.
“I train with elite players who are in the top 100. It’s a professional environment. For these players, this is their job so you normally wake up, go to training, get lunch, mingle with the players. You get a chance to rest then go to training again and after that session you go to the gym.
“The club also has their own trainer too but we do that like twice a week.”
Knight, who won gold in the Under-18 division of the Caribbean Cadet and Junior Table Tennis Championships in Guyana last year, said he would be using this second stint as preparation for the upcoming Commonwealth and Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games and is also hoping to play in a couple other tournaments while he is away.
“I’ll be going back to continue the programme to prepare for the Commonwealth Games and also CAC and also try to go to some other tournaments in Europe and world tour events,” he said.
Though he admitted that he did not think he was quite ready for the Commonwealth Games he is still hoping he does well.
However, he is planning on focusing on his forearm technique and his mental while there to be able to do well at the CAC Games.
“I’m hoping to play the best that I can. I will be focusing on working on my forearm more as well as my mental game,” he said.
He added that he was also open to any opportunities that may come his way to play for a club in Sweden. (RG)
