New beginning in table tennis: Darabos with a superstar team to the president!

New beginning in table tennis: Darabos with a superstar team to the president!

In a dramatic advance, former sports minister Norbert Darabos (SPÖ) announced that it was president on March 30 in the early elections of the Austrian table tennis association (ÖTTV). At a press conference in Vienna, the 60-year-old said that he would like to get the association in turbulence back on course and to focus on sport. He receives support from the table tennis legends Liu Jia, who runs as Vice President Sport, and the world champion of 2003, Werner Schlager, who will act as a consultant. Darabos is convinced that with his experience and an unencumbered view of the current problems, he can cause a turn. According to Laola1 , the focus is not on that the officials do not have to take responsibility for the players. and need empathy to be successful.

Return of large sponsor and criticism of the association management

The situation at the ÖTTV is tense: Before the election, there was serious accusations against the incumbent President Wolfgang Gotschke and sports director Stefan Fegerl, who were accused of exercising psychological violence and neglect with athletes and supervisors. An investigation report found that the relationship between players and the association management was "irrevocable". Gotschke and Fegerl, who vehemently deny the allegations, still strive for a new candidacy. Darabos sees the need for a new beginning in these conditions, as Kurier.

A ray of hope could be the return of the large sponsor Ströck, who, according to Darabos, would be ready to support the association under his possible leadership. Liu Jia himself noted that she has experienced the internal conflicts as painful and also wants to improve communication. Werner Schlager emphasizes that he does not want to interfere in the conflicts of the state president, but that the focus should be on the support of the active athletes. The decisive election will take place on March 30th in the House of Sports, and the excitement around Darabos, Liu Jia and Schlager could have a significant impact on the dynamics within the association.