Timo Boll, a 44-year-old German table tennis player, is set to conclude his illustrious career in a few days, spanning three decades. Throughout his career, he has participated in seven Olympic and 20 World Championship tournaments, securing 13 medals in the process.
In an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Boll revealed that his father initially wanted him to play tennis and even went as far as to plan the construction of a tennis court in their hometown of Höchst, Hesse. However, the local building authority denied the permit and Boll’s father decided to install a table tennis table in the basement instead, where the family would play every day.
Boll expressed a sense of accomplishment, stating, “I have fulfilled my mission. No one could have expected us to surpass football.” Despite not being able to make table tennis more popular in Germany, he believes he has done his part.
The four-time world number one will compete in the Champions League Final Four in Saarbrücken this weekend and the Bundesliga Endgame in Frankfurt two weeks later, both with his club, Borussia Düsseldorf. As for his future plans, Boll has left the door open, stating he has no immediate ambition to take on a new role. The one certainty is that he will not pursue another activity as well as he has table tennis.