Darius' Blog

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⇒ March 08
⇒ February 08
⇒ January 08
⇒ December 07
⇒ November 07
⇒ October 07
⇒ September 07
⇒ July / August 07
 

March

In March I had 2 French club matches, I'm starting to play better and better out there winning all my matches. We're 2nd in the table meaning we're in the pro B league (it's a bit like being in division one of the English football league) if we stay 1 or 2 in the table for the end of the season we'll go up to the Premier league. With how we've been playing I honestly think we will. So I'm really happy about that meaning I have high class matches every few weeks getting me ready for the Olympics and big competitions more often

This month I also played a match at the royal Albert hall which was a great privilege and honour, the match was shown on Sky Sports. I lost to the eventual winner of the completion - playing in front of 4000 people was extremely nerve racking but a lovely experience.

We had senior nationals this month as well I got to the semi finals of men's competition, it was a really close match, if I'd just managed to win the close sets I could have made it to the final. I did however win men's doubles with my partner Paul Drinkhall but lost in the mixed doubles final with my partner Kelly Sibley. I also won the under 21 nationals 3 year in a row which is a new record plus I'm only 18. All in all for me it was good competition.

February

This month I went back out to China for a training camp and the World Team Championships. After the trouble I had with my bat at the Top 10 Junior competition last month I decided for this one to go back to gluing my bat as it's still legal in senior competitions and I prefer it. England finished 26th overall which was a big improvement and a good sign for the future as we also had the youngest male team. I managed to get myself quite a few good wins, beating a number of players around the 100 ranking in the world. My ranking is only about 300 so it was a good and positive competition for me. I also spent my 18th birthday out there which wasn't the best but being sportsmen I just had to get along with it. Our performance director bought me a cake which was nice but that was about all I did.

January 08

This January I travelled to china for a training camp and a match against the China National team - our future opponents in 2012. During this time I also met Gordon brown and Kelly Holmes who were out there visiting China in preparation for the 2008 Olympics.

After I arrived back from china I had a French club match which we won; each time I've been available to play for my team we haven't lost a match. This means that although I'm the youngest player and on paper ranked the lowest, I feel I'm a strong and valued player within the team.
I then came back from France and had a European top 10 competition. I was ranked no2 for the competition but in the juniors there is a new rule that you cannot glue your bat butt - as I'd been busy with senior competitions I didn't have much time to get use to the new glue rule, unfortunately my preparation was bad and I ended up coming 9th. Although after this competition my U18 world ranking dropped to no3.

December 07

The BBC's Olympic Dreams Programme (17th - 21st December BBC 2 and 2 PM), was a huge piece of work that started several months before. I was heavily involved in the filming, representing Table Tennis and talking about my struggles and battles. It was a good learning experience from me, and I got to know the Film Crew well over the months.

November 07

In November, I was training hard for the World Junior Championships in California.

October 07

I played the French Open and the German Open tournaments.

September 2007

In September I moved to the National Centre at Sheffield which just opened, and it allows me to play Table Tennis full time. I quit school for two years to concentrate on my TT, but the current system at Sheffield allows me to study Part time, with the aid of Tutors, which I am enjoying very much. I am taking a B-Tec in Sport with Loughborough College. It is a distance learning course, which affords me the flexibility I require. At Sheffield, I train a minimum of 6 hours per day in two slots, morning and then afternoon. The afternoon session is followed by physical training. I live in Sheffield University's accommodation, and it is a 35 Minute trip to get to the Training via tram and a short walk.

I am sponsored by Fred Perry clothing, a deal which was cemented after the Fred Perry Urban Cup. The tournament reached nationwide BBC News Coverage, where I was the cover feature, as the face of the Cup and the role model for fellow aspiring players to look up to. This was an awesome experience and an amazing privilege which I never expected to come my way. The Urban Cup tournament was a great success, with kids' teams coming from all over Britain to compete. Rockstar, the games maker, was also present, sponsoring the event and bringing along the Wii Consoles for the players to try out. The ETTA endorsed the event, and Fred Perry gave away a lot of merchandise to the kids.

I flew to Montpellier to play for my club for the first time. I signed to this club, mainly because it was at a top level in the league which would allow me ample opportunity to play against the best in the run up to the Olympics 2012. The crowd was crazy and expected a lot from me because I was the latest signing. It was never-racking for me, but although I lost, the team pulled through, winning 4-2.

July - August 07

July was an important month for me in terms of preparation, for I had the European Youths Championship, which is my biggest competition of the year. I went to Asia for 3 weeks, taking part in the Korean Open Tournament, training there a week, before flying back to China to train for another 10 days and then take part in the China Open Tournament. The training in China was intense, a relentless 7 hour training day including a tough physical but it was all worthwhile, because I was training in the best conditions, with top practice partners and quality coaching.

Having returned to England I had another one week training camp with the English Team, supplying me with practice partners to keep up the high intensity work rate which I had sustained in china for nearly a month. I went to Bratislava to play the European Youths competition and won gold in the team, beating Czech Republic in the final. I lost in the Quarterfinal stage of the singles; losing to the guy I previously beat in the team competition. Yet I put the disappointment behind me, to win an unexpected Silver Medal in the Mixed Doubles with my Polish partner, Nataylia Bak.

I had a few days break before competitions in El Savador and Madeira ensued. In the El Savador World Junior Circuit the team won silver, gold in boy's doubles and I reached the semi finals in the singles. To be honest, I wasn't so happy with my results so the day I got back, I went straight back to train but I was rushed out again to a competition called the UK school games. I was one of four in the Boys South East England squad. We won silver in the team which was a great as I was the only one currently representing England. I came second in the Boys singles which was a bit disappointing as I was the favorite. However, winning "player of the competition" was a consolation prize. But a day later, and I found myself in Madeira, playing a World Circuit Competition. I lost in the final of the u18's singles to a team mate and I also lost in the doubles final. But I mustered up my determination, put aside my shortcomings, and finished the summer season on a high, winning the Men's Team and, even better, winning the Men's Singles which was a great achievement for me.

I went to see my new French club, which I planned to play for. Montpellier was great, the city, the players, the coaches and the manager made me feel at home and it was a great experience just to walk around the city and have a holiday for a change. It was certainly a welcome break to my constantly busy schedule. I met my team mates and tested the playing hall, but I had to cut short my trip, because I had to return home and train.