National Team Presentation
Date: 2003-10-30
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Racketlon.com has invited the Team Captains of the eight National Teams taking part in the Racketlon World Championships 2003 to write short presentations of the individual members of their teams. Please find the results below - in order according to the draw:

SWEDEN
by team captain, Magnus Eliasson

Magnus Eliasson, 35.
World ranking: 1
Ex professional icehockeyplayer. 80 Swedish elite games.
Record:
Swedish Champion 2000, 2001, 2002
World Champion 2002
Swedish Open Champion 2000, 2002, 2003
English Open Champion 2002, 2003
Austrian Open Champion 2003
Racketvirtuosen Champion 2001, 2002, 2003
Olligång Open Champion 2000, 2001, 2002
Rautapertti Open Champion 2003
Scottish Open Champion 2002, 2003

Mats Källberg 34.
World ranking: 3
Former proffessional table-tennis player.
Record:
2:a i Swedish Championships 2000, 2001
2:a i Swedish Open 2000, 2002, 2003
2:a i World Open 2002

Rickard Persson, 35.
World ranking: 4
Solid background in Table Tennis
Meriter:
1:a British Open 2003
2:a Scottish Open 2002, 2003.
3:a Austrian Open 2003.
4:a Swedish Open 2003.

Roland Helle, 31.
World ranking: 6
Tennis player with two medals from finnish junior tennis.
Has played racketlon for 8 years and his best results are:
Swedish Open Champion 2001.
Runner up Swedish championship 2002.

Lilian Druve
World ranking:1
Ex national team badminton player. Only lost one racketlon match ever. Allround in the other three events.
Record
World Champion 2002
Scottish Open Champion 2002, 2003
Swedish Champion 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003

Annelie Druve
World ranking: 9
Very good badminton player and allround in the other three events.
Record:
3:a i World Open 2002.

BELGIUM
by team captain, Gert Peersman

Peter Duyck
* First division table tennis player with a strong background in tennis competition
* First racketlon tournament ever, but has experience with the 'king of rackets'. Might be the best Belgian racketlon player (beated the king of rackets Bart Spiessens in qualifiers last year, which is very close to racketlon)
* A-level table tennis trainer. Was professional trainer at the Flemish table tennis school.

Steven Verbruggen
* International badminton player who also has a ranking in squash and table tennis.
* Has played two racketlon tournaments, current ranking: nr 40, tour-race: nr 44.

Gert Peersman,
* Previous super division table tennis player (and junior national team member)
* Current ranking: nr 32, tour race: nr 23
* Belgian representative in IRF

Luc Van Bogaert
* Previous super division table tennis player, who also has a ranking in tennis.
* Current ranking: nr 48, tour race: nr 28.

Lady:
Neelke Vernaillen
* Started with badminton, but is currently daily practising all 4 racketsports.
* Current ranking: ladies nr 38, tour: nr 29.

BULGARIA
by team captain, Puzant Kassabian

Nikolay Angelov, ca 24
*former junior national team member in badminton
*the latest Bulgarian squash champion

Dinko Hodzhev, ca 28
*former Bulgarian squash champion
*top national tennisplayer as a junior

Puzant Kassabian, 62
*the person who first brought badminton to Bulgaria in 1965
*the person who first brought squash to Bulgaria in 1979

Aneta Yaneva-Doukova, ca 40
*former national team member in badminton
*national level tennis-player

ENGLAND
by team captain, Stuart Foster

John O'Donnell (age 35)
See Player Profile Profile

David Lazarus (age late30's)-
· He was clearly England's #1 racketlon player in 2002, he has yet to competed in any tour event so far in 2003 and very much a threat to the elite players.
· He lives and represented Essex in tennis, squash and table tennis; and is now said to be taking serious badminton.
· Squash / Badminton Coach at Redbridge.

Doug Struthers ( age undisclosed)
· Sports background: played county badminton and tennis, played club table tennis and squash.
· Racketlon reigniting his interest in badminton and forcing him to relearn table tennis!
· Highlights: tennis: played at wimbledon (all england club) for cambridge university vs AELTC (we lost!), played vs. jeremy bates at county week for kent. squash: beat former South Africa national squash player (at squash!);
· Football: scored a penalty against david bessent (former nottingham forest goal keeper)

Tracy Dove (age undisclosed)
Sports background - club badminton and tennis for a few years. Played squash at the same time again on and off! Have had a few lessons with Phil Kenyan (used to be UK's no 1 etc).
Table tennis - umm that's the one with the small table and very small bat - isn't it - maybe not her best sport.
This will be her first ever racketlon tournament so watch out for her burning up the rankings.


Reserve

Stuart Foster (age 39+1)
· Hopefully, will be as a non-playing captain as he has been dogged with Achilles' injury for most of the 2003.
· The real heavy weight (with hair) of the team, both in terms of playing and organising.
· Has been up (to 29) and down (to 52) the 2003 rankings and reached QF in the Worlds Amateur 02, RU in the Swedish Open 03 amateur final and 3rd in men's class 1 at the Finnish Open 03.
· Organiser of the 2003 IRF British and English Open tournaments and the English rep in IRF.
· Motto: Sport is Life, play ugly and drink hard!

SCOTLAND
by team captain, Phil Reid

Steve Thomson (age 40)
Former National Level badminton player and Scottish junior champion. Steve has been bitten by the Racketlon bug and practises all 4 disciplines on a weekly basis. Described by Hans Mullamaa as Mr Competitive, Steve is a handful for any racketlon player, though he often finds his badminton form frustrating. With a style that is deceptive to the eye, Steve has the ideal tennis game for Racketlon, so don't play him and expect a victory in the final discipline!!

Owen Hadden (age 28)
A racketlon rookie. Defeated Hans Mullamaa in the Scottish Open before losing to Magnus Eliasson. A strong tennis player, who represented Scotland in the 4 nations event a few years ago, Owen is also a 'mean' squash player. Oozing with talent, this young man will cause a few upsets at World level if only he can improve his weaker events and fight his alcohol and sex addictions.

Calum Munro (age 40)
Another rookie, Calum showed his consistency and skill in reaching the final of the plate event at the Scottish Open, before losing to John O'Donnell. Calum displays remarkable fitness for a man of his advancing years and will be very difficult to beat on the badminton court by anyone. His tennis is also solid so you don't want to be even on points going in to the final event when you're playing this man!!

Phil Reid (age 36)
The only member of the Scottish team blessed with good looks, Phil will always be remembered for captaining Scotland to an epic victory over England at last year's team event, including a closely fought victory over Stu Foz. Phil is solid on the badminton court, enthusiastic on the squash court and an enigma when it comes to tennis. However, this year he is pinning all his hopes on a new table tennis bat that he hopes will "make all the difference".

Katy Buchanan (age 26 - guess!!)
Katy is unique in Racketlon circles in that she is given time off by her employer to train, prepare and compete in International events. A national level squash player, Katy has taken coaching in all 4 events with a view towards competing at the very highest level in Racketlon. Currently the World #3, Katy will need to improve her badminton and conquer her inner demons if she wants to reach #1, but with the drive and determination she displays and with time on her side, who would want to bet against her. Interestingly, when not practising for Racketlon, Katy plays bass guitar in a predominantly male punk rock group!!

AUSTRIA
by team captain, Marcel Weigl

Nr. 1 Mag. Marcel Weigl:
29 Jahre/Journalist/Racketlon Nr.6 World Tour Race 2003 - 3.Platz British Open 2003, Tennis u-18 Lower Austria Vice Champion
1991 - state approved Tennisteacher, Badminton Nr.178 in Austria

Nr. 2 Dr. Martin Karner:
31 Jahre/Doctor/Racketlon 2 Tournament wins in Austria, Tennis 4x Junior Lower Austria Champion - State approved Tennistrainer, Golf Handicap 2 - Former Students Champion of Austria
Sports: Tennis, Squash, Table Tennis, Badminton
A talent for all the sports he starts!

Nr. 3 Michael Dickert: 22 Jahre/Informatics Student/Racketlon Newcomer, Table Tennis Lower Austria League
Sports: Table Tennis, Tennis, Squash, Badminton
A Newcomer with great ambition and talent with the aim to become world champion.

Reserve:
Nr. 4 Mag. Alexander Höchtl:
25 Jahre/studied Business will become Pilot at Lufthansa next year/twin brother of Racketlon Nationalplayer Andi Höchtl (cant come because of University.
A Racketlon Newcomer, plays minor leagues in Badminton and Tennis
Sports: Badminton, Tennis, Table Tennis, Squash
Contrary to his brother a player who fights to the last point

Lady:
Mag. Susanne Minichsdorfer: 24 Jahre/Projektmanagerin/Racketlon 2
Tournament wins in Austria, 4th Place Austrian Open, Tennis 5 ÖTV Points 2001, Badminton Nr. 130 in Ö.
Sports: Tennis, Table Tennis, Badminton, Squash
The most beautiful girl on the tour, who always smiles!

GERMANY
by Volker Sach (standing in for team captain Irene Seifert, during her hiking trip to Nepal)

Silke Altmann (age 29)
Silke will take part for the first time in an international racketlon tournament. But she has already won quite a few multi-racket-tournaments in Germany. Actually, so far she won every tournament she took part in.
Strong parts: Beside partying and snow boarding squash and the fact that there are no weak parts.

Irene Seifert (age 30)
Irene is an experienced racketlon player beeing the current Nr. 6 in the ladies' world ranking.
Strong parts: Beside mountaineering and skater marathons table tennis. Her latest success in table tennis was to win the mixed event of the international tournament in Esbjerg, Denmark.

Holger Stamm (age 36)
Holger is the best and most ambitious player in the German team. He has played all the four single racket sports on a competitive level at some time.
Strong parts: Badminton and squash combined with an outstanding physical strength.

Volker Sach (age 41)
Being the senior of the German team Volker has played all the four single racket sports for decades.
Strong parts: None, but there are no obvious weak parts, either.

Kristian Achenbach (age 25)
Although he does not look like that Kristian is the Benjamin of the German team.
Strong parts: Badminton. Kristian currently plays in the third German division. He won some regional championships not very long ago. Having been German champion in a very popular card game (Skat) Kristian is a strong fighter without becoming nervous at all.

Roland Giani (age 34)
Roland recently won the German table tennis cup with his team.
Strong parts: Beside his outstanding self-consciousness table tennis and tennis. To his own judgement Roland is the most gifted left handed racketlon player in Germany.

Peter Wode (age 39)
Peter is a very experienced and cunning table tennis palyer. He has won some major tournaments in the course of time.
Strong parts: Tennis beside table tennis; rapid improvement in squash and badminton, but still a rather long way to go.

Editor's Note: The close reader will have noticed that this description of the German team contains seven team members while the maximum allowed is in fact six. This is explained by the fact that the Germans have chosen to wait with the delicate decision on who to exclude until the last minute.

FINLAND
by team captain, Hanna Miestamo

-Mikko Kärkkäinen. World nr. 2 in racketlon, Winner of World Open in 2001 (last year got injured). Finnish Champion twice, in addition one silver and one bronze medal from earlier years. A-class tennis and table tennis player since junior years. A shy Finn who knows how to beat Magnus Eliasson!!

-Teemu Sainio. World nr. 30. Has played tennis and squash competitively sice junior/teen years. Twice Finnish Champion in Class 1, also one or two (couldn't remember...) silver medals from the same class. Motto: Life is short, play hard!

-Esa Rusila. World nr. 27. A "mixed-worker" of sports: learns easily almost any sport that he tries - and beats his friends in them! A few medals in Finnish racketlon championships in amateurs' class, then moved into Class 1. Showed his skills by winning Class 1 in Austrian Open. Beware - will go&get the ball even when you think it's been killed!

-Hanna Miestamo. World nr. 2 in Ladies' class. Was a tennis junior, got for a while hooked for badminton, now a fanatic squash player. A true racketlon enthusiast who'll be on the court even after the hall has been closed :) Finnish Champion (Ladies) twice, twice silver medalist. Won the Austrian Open this summer.

Reserve players:

-Harri Peltola. Second last but not least: 3-time Finnish Racketlon Champion and 2-time World Champion in Veterans' class. Knocks out his opponents especially by his table tennis skills - and endless running! Has played football in his junior years in the national league. Has also won bronze medal in veterans' Finnish Championships in badminton.

-Susanna Lautala-Näykki. A true sportswoman who has done almost everything! Has got a number of Finnish Championships and even the title of Nordic Champion in freestyle skiing ten years ago, also got some victories in European Cup in the same sport. After that has concentrated on tennis and badminton. Twice Finnish Champion in racketlon, once silver medalist. Last years' silver medalist in World Open. Chacteristic feature: found her husband on badminton court!

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