PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Jörgen Persson leaves the role as the national team captain for the men’s table tennis team.
After four successful years, the energy is over, says the 58-year-old.
“I think it will be enough now”.
Persson came in as assistant confederation captain in 2019 and took up the role of manager the following year. But despite great success with Persson at the helm, the adventure is now coming to an end.
“I have had five fantastic years with several titles and successes from several championships, not least the Olympics in Paris most recently. At the same time, it has also been tiring and I think it will be enough now. From my own experience as a player, I think the optimum for a coach is three or four years,” says Jorgen Persson in a press release.
During this summer’s Olympics in Paris, the Swedish table tennis men created ping pong fever by taking two impressive silvers, in a team and in singles (Truls Möregårdh).
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These are just two of a large number of medals that the Swedish national team has collected with Persson as national team captain. Other highlights are the WC gold in doubles in Houston 2021 (Mattias Falck/Kristian Karlsson), Truls Möregårdhs WC silver in singles the same year and the team EC gold on home soil in 2023.
Uncertain future
If the players had been given a choice, Jörgen Persson would probably have extended his contract. Both Anton Källberg and Christian Karlsson would have liked to see a continuation when, after the Olympics, they were asked about Persson’s future.
– He has reaped fantastic successes. Olympic, EC and WC medals in basically every championship. Those successes don’t come by themselves, said Källberg.
– Things have gone very well since he arrived. I don’t think it’s a coincidence. He is welcome to continue, said Karlsson.
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Possibly, Persson can remain in the association’s auspices in some way. Discussions are held.
“For us, it is a matter of course that Jörgen Persson should remain in our organization in some form. We are discussing exactly how it will look,” says Thomas Buzageneral secretary of the Swedish Table Tennis Association.
Sweden’s table tennis men have won nine championship medals under Jörgen Persson. It started with Mattias Falck’s WC silver in 2019, then with Persson as assistant national captain, and ended with double Olympic silver in Paris 2024.
2019, WC in Budapest, single: Mattias Falck, silver.
2021, WC in Houston, doubles: Mattias Falck and Kristian Karlsson, gold.
2021, WC in Houston, singles: Truls Möregårdh, silver.
2022, EC in Munich, doubles: Mattias Falck and Kristian Karlsson, gold.
2022, EC in Munich, singles: Kristian Karlsson, bronze.
2022, EC in Munich, single: Mattias Falck, bronze.
2023, EC in Malmö: team, gold.
2024, Olympics in Paris, single: Truls Möregårdh, silver.
2024, Paris Olympics: team, silver.
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