Breakdown in Linz

Tearful drama at the European Championships: “It’s terrible”

The packed program caused Christina Källberg to have an emotional breakdown.(Bild: AFP or licensors)

The players are in constant action at the European Table Tennis Championships. For Sweden's Christina Källberg, who even shed tears, the tight schedule in Linz was too much.

On Thursday, Källberg not only played two matches in quick succession, she also played a total of four matches in five hours (two in mixed, one in doubles and one in singles). After her defeat with Kristian Karlsson in the mixed quarter-finals, Källberg had to play Portugal's Ines Matos just a short time later. It was just enough for a 4:3 victory.

Christina Källberg(Bild: AFP or licensors)

"I almost went into that match in tears," she told Swedish broadcaster SVT. Källberg harshly criticized the tight schedule to "Radiosporten": "It's terrible, there was hardly any time for lunch." The 24-year-old was completely exhausted after her program, threw her towel over her head and cried.

"It's tough, but that's table tennis"
Croatian tournament director Alen Ivancin defends himself. The reason for the tight schedule is that the European Championships will be decided in six days and not eight, as was the case recently in Munich. "I tried to arrange the schedule so that the players playing mixed doubles could at least play their next match later in the evening. But that wasn't possible this time. Three players had to play immediately after their mixed doubles match," explains Ivancin.

He opted for the youngest players - and therefore also Källberg. "It's tough, but that's table tennis," said the tournament boss.