Fulda-Maberzell has significantly strengthened itself for the coming season. With Dimitrij Ovtcharov it is no longer about fighting relegation, but about titles.
Table tennis Bundesliga team TTC Fulda-Maberzell has achieved a transfer coup. The East Hesse team has signed world-class player Dimitrij Ovtcharov for the coming season. The club introduced the Kiev-born, long-time German international on Tuesday.
With the 35-year-old veteran, Fulda wants to intervene in the title race next season. Fulda is currently second to last in the table and recently only played against relegation benefited again from the withdrawal of a competitor when they secured their relegation early.
“Claim to play titles”
“It is the club’s claim and also my claim to play for the title,” said Ovtcharov. “I’m extremely happy that this surprising move worked out. I had interesting offers from China, Saudi Arabia and Japan. But that would have all involved a lot of traveling across time zones. Fulda was the only club in Germany that was interested in me has put together an exciting and lucrative offer.”
In addition to Ovtcharov, there is also top talent Kao Cheng-Jui. The 19-year-old Taiwanese is currently number 31 in the world. The two right-handers receive contracts for one season. Ovtcharov said about the young Asian: “Kao is one of the most talented young players in the world. He can become one of the best players in the league here in singles and doubles.”
Ovtcharov is number 15 in the world
Ovtcharov is the one Number 15 in the world and after Dang Qiu (10th/Borussia Düsseldorf) the second-highest ranked German national player. In 2018, Ovtcharov was even number one in the world.
Over the course of his career he has collected numerous titles and medals. In 2023 he won World Cup bronze in doubles and 2021 Olympic silver in the team. He won a total of six medals at the Summer Olympics, including individual bronze twice (2021 and 2012).
Curious: Ovtcharov currently plays for two clubs
In the Bundesliga, Ovtcharov played for TTC Neu-Ulm in the preseason. The team then withdrew from the German elite league. Nevertheless, he is still on the ball for the club in the Champions League this season. He is still playing for the Greek champions in league play Olympiacos SFP active in Piraeus. The regulations of the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) allow this to happen Media report emerges.
Ovtcharov should play in position one next season. The Taiwanese international Chuang Chih-Yuan (number 35 in the world), who was signed this season, and newcomer Kao Cheng-Jui will take turns in second place. Defense ace Ruwen Filus is listed at number three and home-grown Fan Bo Meng at number four – two other German national players.
Two players leave Fulda
Wong Chun Ting will be leaving Fulda in the meantime. The Hong Kong Chinese, who is currently number one, was unable to meet the expectations placed on him this season played less often than expected due to international assignments. The French young player Thibault Poret will also leave, as the club announced.
Ovtcharov recently announced his long-term plans for the German national team. After successfully qualifying with the team for the Olympic Games in Paris this summer, he wants to continue his career for at least another four years. “I definitely want to do another cycle until Los Angeles 2028. I still have as much fun playing. And I still feel like I can beat anyone on a good day and get better. “
In February, Ovtcharov secured Olympic qualification with Dang Qiu (Borussia Düsseldorf) and Patrick Franziska (1. FC Saarbrücken) at the World Team Championships in Busan (South Korea). The team then lost 3-0 to Taiwan in the quarterfinals and returned home from a team World Cup without a medal for the first time since 2016. In this game, Fulda newcomer Kao Cheng-Jui also showed his skills when he defeated Franziska with 3-1 sets. In the end, Taiwan won team bronze.
Team manager: “There are no upper limits”
Ovtcharov is not the first world-class player with great traction and popularity to sign in Fulda. In the past, the Swedish celluloid artists Jan-Ove Waldner (2005 to 2012) and Jörgen Persson (2007/2008) also opened there.
With their help, Fulda kept playing for titles. But it was never enough to achieve a great triumph. Four times runner-up in the cup and three times runner-up in the championship are among other things in the history. Fulda as “Vizekusen” of the table tennis Bundesliga.
With Ovtcharov that should change in Fulda, as the board around Stefan Frauenholz and Johannes Hodes said on Tuesday. Team manager Frauenholz explained: The minimum goal is a play-off place. “And then there are no upper limits.” Coach Qing Yu Meng also warned against excessive expectations: Yes, he now has a strong team. The play-offs would be targeted. But winning titles is not a sure-fire success. “In finals, form on the day still decides.”
Fun Fact: April Fool’s joke becomes reality
On April 1, 2019, Osthessen News reported that Ovtcharov was moving to Fulda. But the text was humorous April Fool’s Day. Now, around five years later, this is becoming reality.
