The long farewell tour before the end of the career reached his climax for table tennis star Timo Boll on his birthday in Düsseldorf.
The scenery on this Saturday evening in Düsseldorf was unique: a dark gym, banned around 1,100 listeners and at the front of the spotlight there was a man that was too teared, who is actually not so happy to be there: Timo Boll. In the Borussia table tennis game against Ochsenhausen, the record European champion celebrated a big farewell evening, shortly before his career end in summer.
Tears of the farewell speech
From the start, it sounded more than once “Timo, Timo!” With a standing ovation through the hall. Especially when he grabbed the microphone after the game and first said modestly all the thanks who had accompanied him on his long and successful career. When it was his turn of his teammates and his family in this thank you, they rolled down – the tears.
“It is a very emotional moment for me. I can look back on an eventful career. This is exactly where I was allowed to play my first rallies in the Bundesliga almost 30 years ago. I was always afraid of that day and that moment. Because it hurts to say goodbye to his great passion”he explained and continued to fans: “It was incredibly fun to play your table tennis entertainer!”
“Wait that I will never forget”
“This is a moment that I will never forget. Today everything came together”he admitted to the Sportschau microphone afterwards. Not only did the 2: 3 defeat of his club Borussia Düsseldorf were forgotten on this evening, but also that Boll not only celebrated its farewell.
“My birthday has been forgotten. In the first place, the farewell was already”he said in the interview. But after a real rush of interview requests and autograph requests, Boll was able to celebrate something privately with the closest confidants.
Cheered everywhere for months
The farewell with all fans, on the other hand, started before the game. Borussia Düsseldorf gave his identification figure the big stage: Boll got an extra entry with cinematic scenes from his career, plus a birthday serenade in the entire hall. It was almost bizarre when the indoor spokesman reminded that a table tennis game still had to be played.
This wave of sympathy, which Boll struck towards this evening, was only a highlight of a remarkable farewell tour. “The last year was crazy what was going on”said the 44-year-old. Landabe, the people in the halls of the Bundesliga got up for him. Even at his last international appearance at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, the table tennis superstar was given applause like no other.
Combined debut 28 years ago
Even more impressive: in the mother country of table tennis, China, where Boll’s last game on the World Tour in June 2024 in the decision set against France’s new young talent Felix Lebrun was lost, nobody kept it in the seat. It shows that the merits of the Odenwald for table tennis in Germany and beyond are hardly to be described.
The native Hesse shaped the top of the world for over 25 years. It is hard to believe, but his first of 172 national team performances existed in September 1997, almost 28 years ago. Incidentally, in the same year, for example, when Schalke 04 won the UEFA Cup.
Athletic success without end
Boll’s sporty triumph could fill entire books: 20 EM titles, nine World Cup and four Olympic medals. To date, even designated table tennis experts can hardly be explained that the Odenwald never won gold at a World Cup or at the Olympic Games. In addition to his table tennis activities, the inclined sportsman may also have in mind, as he was allowed to wear the German flag at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
However, all of the sporty falls far too short to capture the personality of the table tennis legend. Above all, it is human with all the success that Boll is. He always took time for his fans, wrote autographs until well after the end of the game – like that evening, his birthday. Or should one say despite his birthday?! “I was also a little table tennis fan”explains the group when writing and then continues patiently.
Boll’s character distinguishes modesty
Boll is estimated nationally and internationally for his fairness, for his modesty and its focus of important things in life. He still lives with his wife Rodelia and daughter Zoe in the tranquil Höchst in the Odenwald. Almost shy, he waved into the audience against Ochsenhausen at his round of honor – as if the whole thing was rather uncomfortable. Almost never seed or saw in his long career, so an upset, angry or complaining.
A scenery with colleague Dimitrij Ovtcharov at the German table tennis center describes him a few years ago: Boll comes up in Schlappen and jogging pants and asks what the shoot is about-only to connect whether the rotating colleagues want to “have a coffee”.
Victory and defeat on the birthday
It is not surprising that he is very good friends with another German sports legend that is attributed to the same positive attributes: Dirk Nowitzki. Incidentally, this was not a guest in Düsseldorf on Boll’s farewell evening.
At the table, the 44-year-old was allowed to show twice against Tiago Abiodun and Ochsenhausen’s top player Simon Gauzy what he can still do after 25 years in the top of the world. While he had Tiago Abiodun felt his still existing class several times, France’s Topsieler Gauzy was an insurmountable opponent that day.
Boll with chance of two farewell titles
The fact that it was not enough for the victory in the end of the team hardly played a role. Because it wasn’t the very last game in Boll’s impressive career yet. Borussia is already qualified for Düsseldorf for Düsseldorf – and for the TTBL playoffs.
A title could also follow in the Champions League. The final Four also takes place there with Boll participation at the end of May. The record European champion promises a big fight for his last title: “Each of my teammates would still like to fulfill this dream. We kept all the chances open.” It would be worthy of an incredible career.