Meet the age-defying desk tennis maestro, Şenel Altun, whose love affair with the game has spanned a powerful 55 years.
At 72, this seasoned participant from Eskişehir is not only holding onto his racket; he’s clinching medals in each home and worldwide tournaments, showcasing a prowess that defies his age.
Altun’s journey into desk tennis started at Hacettepe University Faculty of Engineering in 1969, the place he discovered himself enchanted by the game inside the confines of the varsity membership.
Despite his skilled commitments on the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration and the Bank of Provinces, Altun remained dedicated to desk tennis.
In reality, he took his ardour to the following degree by establishing the Eskişehir Veterans Table Tennis Sports Club in 2016.
Heading a membership with 29 members, Altun has persistently outshone his rivals in master-level competitions worldwide, amassing a powerful assortment of medals and trophies.
A household man with two kids and a grandchild, Altun’s dedication to the sport has not wavered.
Training rigorously for 3 hours on two days every week, he’s decided so as to add extra accolades to his already illustrious profession.
Reflecting on his initiation into desk tennis throughout his college days, Altun reminisced: “I started working at the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration in 1979. Since I was always in the field, I had to take a break from table tennis for a while. Then I transferred to Iller Bankası in Eskişehir. I continued table tennis in those years. In 2016, I joined the Eskişehir Veterans Association. We founded the Table Tennis Sports Club. Our club has 29 members.”
Altun’s aggressive spirit extends past borders, having participated in worldwide tournaments in Bulgaria, Istanbul and Hungary.
His spectacular win of first place in a Bulgarian event in 2020 highlights his international dominance within the sport.
At an age when most would ponder retirement, Altun mentioned, “Those who know me do not accept that I am 72 years old.”
He firmly believes that desk tennis is a sport for all ages, emphasizing, “You start when you are young; you can easily do it until your last breath.”
In a latest Eskişehir event, Altun confronted rivals over the age of 35, securing a second-place end within the particular person class and a first-place victory within the doubles class alongside his teammate Murat Tuzcu.
Altun’s dedication to the game is unwavering, evident in his three-weekly coaching classes.
Murat Tuzcu, Altun’s event accomplice and Table Tennis Eskişehir Provincial Representative, attests to Altun’s distinctive athleticism, highlighting the power and success he brings to the desk tennis area.
In an age the place stereotypes affiliate desk tennis with dimly lit basements, Altun challenges this notion, asserting: “It needs to be done in a nice hall. It is one of the sports that children and young people can easily do for a healthy life.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com