MINSK, 14 March (BelTA) – Belarus' leading table tennis player Vladimir Samsonov will do his best to earn a berth for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics at the forthcoming 2nd European Games, head coach of the Belarusian men's table tennis team Andrei Vorobyov told the media at the press center of the Belarus Segodnya Publishing House on 14 March, BelTA has learned.
Andrei Vorobyov unveiled the secret who Belarus will be rooting for at the upcoming major sports forum. “These will be Pavel Platonov, Alexander Khanin and, of course, our leader Vladimir Samsonov. Medalists of the 2nd European Games will have the right to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The best European athletes will gather in the Belarusian capital in summer. Vladimir Samsonov shows good results. A month ago he finished second at the 2019 Europe Top 16 Cup. He is in a good shape,” said Andrei Vorobyov.
At the 1st European Games in Baku Vladimir Samsonov won silver, losing to Germany's Dimitrij Ovtcharov in the final. “Vladimir Samsonov adds confidence to all the players on the team. I competed at the 1st European Games in Baku where the leader of our team became second. I did not manage to progress so far. I will o my best to show high results in front of a home crowd in Minsk in June,” said Pavel Platonov, the player of the Belarusian national team.
On 15 March the Belarusian Table Tennis Federation will mark its 25th anniversary, and Vladimir Samsonov is expected to attend the celebrations.
The table tennis tournament at the 2nd European Games will be held at the National Olympic Table Tennis Center on 22-29 June. A total of 128 athletes will compete in five medal events.
