Former No 1 still champions ping-pong

'Big Saive' stays on the court to advocate for game worldwide

"It's fun," Belgian ping-pong veteran Jean-Michel Saive said, when asked why he keeps playing. "It's a diversion from my regular office work.

"It motivates the youngsters to progress if they can beat me, a former world champion, and it also brings me friendship from all over the world. Plus, I still make a good living out of it."

Saive was born into a ping-pong family. His mother won the Belgian ladies' title while she was pregnant with him, and his father was also a top player in his homeland. He started playing early and was selected for the Belgian national team aged just 13.

Nicknamed by fans "Big Saive" to distinguish him from his brother, another skilled player, he is best known in China for his long relationship with Chinese coach Wang Dayong.

When Wang first arrived in Belgium, at the end of the 1990s, no Chinese coach had ever trained a European player, and he was not sure he would fit in. However, Saive soon adapted to his philosophy and training methods.

The Belgian said the significant thing about training with Wang was that it gave him an opportunity to understand how Chinese players view Europeans, increasing his chances of winning top matches.

He accepted the Chinese concept of "using forehand attacks as a major weapon, hitting the ball early and taking the initiative in offense", he said, and he was able to nurture an aggressive style.

Wang not only trained Saive in ping-pong, he said, but also in how to be a person. Unlike most coaches and athletes, the duo stayed together through the bright and dark periods.

Due to his reputation in the sport, Saive was elected chairman of the European Olympic Athletes' Commission and is a member of the International Table Tennis Federation Athletes Committee, to name just two of his titles. He said he now sees ping-pong in a larger picture.

Saive was world No 1 for 515 days, starting February 1994, and the success of his generation of European players led to a surge in young people playing the sport. However, their spotless performances at continental competitions for the past two decades have blocked many newcomers from making a mark.

The same effect has been seen in China, which has ruled the tables at elite tournaments for some time. Although various committees have attempted to change the regulations to make finals more open for international players, Chinese players remain dominant.

This might make the development and internationalization of ping-pong problematic, Saive said. "Often young European people just see table tennis as a Chinese sport," he lamented.

It would be naive, however, to suggest Chinese coaches and players would slow down, or that China would abandon its systematic selection and training of players.

"Instead, as table tennis is China's national sport, their knowledge is so high, their experience is so rich, it would be wonderful if the Chinese team could share that knowledge with international players," the Belgian said. "That will be more fun for the Chinese players, too, if they can play against others with different styles."

There are other things that have hindered the development of ping-pong in Europe. Saive said that, unlike in China where the sport enjoys political significance, helping to draw a large pool of talent, European players are normally self-sponsored and can easily switch to other sports, so it is very difficult to keep gifted players focused.

Wang said that few senior European players, particularly of Saive's generation, are coaching or passing on their knowledge to the young players.

Ping-pong has enjoyed some progress over the years. The marketing is more professional, while it now has the second-largest sports federation, involving more than 210 countries, second only to volleyball. In Belgium, Saive said, they have built a team of five international coaches in the past few years, a large number for a relatively small country.

This summer, Europe will host its first European games, and Saive said events such as this are important to raise the profile of sports such as table tennis.

Wang, who has retired, still coaches Saive once in a while, and they also scout for potential stars at youth tournaments in Belgium.

The former world No 1 also travels to China once or twice a year, either for tournaments or on business trips, and he sometimes features in exhibition matches against Chinese players to promote the sport.

He said it has been an amazing experience for him to witness China's transformation since the 1980s. Wang said it is rare for a European player to receive such adulation from Chinese fans, crediting his appeal to his skill and the fact he is open to other cultures and people.

Asked when he plans to retire from the sport, Saive answered only: "One day. My body and mind will tell me when it's time."

(China Daily 06/23/2015 page7)