Gerada setting no targets... just focusing on his game

Learning from past mistakes is an essential component in the making of a champion. No sportsman/woman can aspire to mature into top-class quality if he/she is not modest enough to admit any shortcomings and try to improve the weaker points.

Table-tennis player Simon Gerada is adopting such philosophy in his very late stages of the build-up to the Games of the Small States of Europe. In Andorra, he is expected to push Malta's charge for medal success.

Gerada will be flanked by a close friend and table-tennis partner Andrzej Makowski, a Polish player who has been residing in Malta for the past four years. That qualifies him to represent his adopted nation during the week-long festival of sport.

Gerada has already played for Malta twice in the GSSE, in San Marino 2001 and Malta 2003.

In San Marino he came close to taking the singles title but lost to Luxembourg's Trajan Ciociu in the gold medal final. Two years later in Malta, Gerada failed to live up to his promise as he had to settle for bronze in the singles. He then teamed up with his brother Wayne and finished second in the doubles after losing in the final.

On both occasions, Gerada feels that he put extra pressure on himself with over-confident declarations about him being good enough to clinch a gold medal.

"The past two GSSE editions were a good experience but, to be honest, I believe that I got carried away by expectations. In the end, I delivered very little," Gerada told The Times a few hours before his departure to Andorra this week.

"In Malta, in particular, I created a great deal of extra tension on myself. I could have avoided certain comments... that inevitably affected my performance badly.

"After that upset, I returned to my club in Melbourne but I soon realised that I was not enjoying myself playing table-tennis any more. I decided to stop establishing goals and just focus on my game and have fun playing ping-pong again."

The decision seems to be leaving its desired effects. Now, Gerada is approaching his best form if performances in this year's World Championships in China are anything to go by.

In Shanghai, Gerada topped his qualifying group with comfortable wins over Ibrahim Mudh Shakirin, of Maldives, Philippines player Joseph Cruz and Jonathan Salazar, of Colombia. He did not concede a set.

In the first round, he was drawn against Egypt's Emad Moselhi, ranked 202 in the world. Gerada won the match 4-2 (11-9 9-11 10-12 11-6 11-9 11-7). His run was halted in the last 64 round where he was beaten by world no.31 Yuk Cheung, of Hong Kong, 4-0 (11-4 11-6 12-10 11-7).

Gerada's displays in China shot him up the ITTF world list where he now occupies the 287th position. He had started the championships ranked 308th.

In Andorra, Gerada is expected to challenge for gold in the men's singles, doubles and team event.

"All I can say is that Andrzej and I will be trying our best, then we'll see what comes up," he said. "With a player of Andrzej's quality in the team, there will be less pressure on my shoulders.

"In San Marino and Malta, I had to win all matches to stand any chance of finishing first. This time it's different... I know that if I lose a game there's always Andrzej who can level things up. I'm going to the tournament in a more serene frame of mind."

For Makowski, Andorra will be his first participation in GSSE competition. Although he has never faced opposition from other European small nations, Makowski has a slight idea of what lies ahead after monitoring proceedings at the Gozo Sports Complex two years ago.

"From what I've seen during the Malta Games, I can say there are very strong players in the tournament.

"Iceland, Cyprus and Monaco are going to be our main opponents. It's very difficult to say how far we can go but we'll give it our best shot. Hopefully, that would be enough for us to earn a good result," the Polish-born player remarked.

Makowski and Gerada first met six years ago. Makowski feels there are no problems in adapting his style as he has played several times with his Malta team-mate.

"I came to know Simon in 1999 when he came up to join my team Lembot, one of the best table-tennis clubs in Poland," said Makowski who has now moved to Germany to play for TCT Altena.

"We know each other's game very well and that makes it very easy for us to combine our skills when it comes to playing in the doubles."

Grech's chances

The Malta team in Andorra is completed by Johanna Grech, the only female player in the group. She reckons that her chances of success in the tournament are not easy and is looking to benefit from a favourable draw.

"The level of the GSSE has improved considerably over the past few years," Grech said. "Most of the countries are making full use of the foreigners' rule by engaging top class players.

"But I'm not disheartened. The training has been good lately and I'm feeling fit and positive. If I'm pitted in a balanced half of the draw, then the prospects of a medal will be better... I'm ready to take my chance."

GSSE table tennis facts...

¤ Table Tennis made its first appearance in the Games of the Small States of Europe in Luxembourg in 1995. On that occasion, Malta was represented by four players - Edward Baldacchino, Mario Genovese, Johanna Grech and Christine Cassar Torregiani.

¤ Malta's first medal success in table tennis came two years later in Iceland when five medals were won. Johanna Grech and Shen Chan struck gold in the women's doubles and then went on to place second in the team event with Christine Cassar Torregiani in the side. Chan won another silver medal in the singles. Lu Li Ping won a bronze in the singles and then partnered Mario Genovese and Edward Baldacchino in the team competition. They placed third.

¤ Malta's best GSSE table tennis showing was in Liechtenstein 1999. The team was composed of Lu Li Ping, Mark Azzopardi, Timothy Buttigieg, Shen Chan, Johanna Grech and Christine Cassar Torregiani. Li Ping and Chan won the men's and women's singles titles. Chan then went on to collect two further silver medals in the doubles and team competitions.

¤ Malta has failed to strike gold in the last two editions of the Games. Simon Gerada went close twice. In San Marino 2001, he lost the singles final to Luxembourg's Trajan Ciociu. Two years later, at the Gozo Sports Complex, he teamed up with his brother Wayne and finished second in the round-robin tournament. Iceland took gold.

¤ Johanna Grech is Malta's most representative player in table tennis. For Grech, the Andorra Games will be her sixth consecutive participation with her first appearance dating back to Luxembourg 1995. She has won six medals in all - one gold, three silver and two bronze.