Jan Ove Waldner

JanOve Waldner is a Swedish former table tennis player. He is often referred to as the Mozart of table tennis, and is widely regarded as being the greatest table tennis player of all time. A sporting legend in his native Sweden as well as in China, he is known in China as Lao Wa or Chang Qing Shu Evergreen Tree, because of his extraordinary longevity and competitiveness.

JanOve Waldner was born in Stockholm onOctober 1965. His athletic potential was recognized at an early age and was displayed in 1982 when, as a 16yearold, he reached the final of the European Championships, losing to distinguished lefthanded teammate Mikael Appelgren, who was perceived then as the logical successor to the original Swedish World Champion, Stellan Bengtsson. While still developing his game, Waldner, along with several other Swedish players, traveled to a nationallevel training camp held in China, and was reportedly amazed by the dedication and solidarity of the Chinese players. He has claimed ever since that he learned much during his stay, and thereafter first began to regard his opportunity to succeed in table tennis as paramount. In China, a country that adores table tennis, he is undisputedly the bestknown Swedish person, and still one of the most wellknown sports personalities. In the 1990s, he was more recognizable in China than then President of the United Stat

Source: Wikipedia