When Jerring Prize winner Truls Möregårdh represents his club team Eslövs AI, he has to combine playoff matches with long trips to Asia for games in major tournaments.
Since it is no longer possible to fly over Russia, each one-way trip takes up to four hours longer than usual – the total flight time lands at around 26 hours, round trip.
Apart from straining his body, valuable training time is lost.
I still think I can handle it well and I try to be professional even though it takes a toll on my strength, says Truls Möregårdh.
81 Consecutive Wins
On Wednesday evening, he won his two singles matches against Anton Hjort (3–1 in sets) and Viktor Brodd (3–0) when his Eslöv team took a grip on the club's 15th national championship title via 4–1 in matches in the first national championship final against Söderhamn.
It's of course easier to gear up for a national championship final than a regular league match, he says.
Möregårdh has not lost a match in the table tennis league or national championship playoffs for over four years – his streak is now up to 81 consecutive wins.
It doesn't mean anything right now as long as we haven't won the playoffs. The most important thing is that we win the team match, says the 23-year-old.
When the club wanted to attract a larger audience to the home match against Söderhamn, the larger Eslövshallen was booked for a children's choir. Hundreds of second-graders from the municipality's elementary schools were to hold a concert there.
The emergency solution became Ekevalla sports hall. Around 500 spectators fit into a provisional grandstand and chairs placed around the table tennis tables. The double Olympic silver medalist treated the audience to some artistic shots.
It's more fun now when the audience has become more knowledgeable about table tennis and can appreciate and see difficult shots in a different way, he says.
Displayed the Jerring Prize
In January, the table tennis star was awarded the Jerring Prize for his achievements during the Paris Olympic Games last summer. Now he could display the prize to the people back home in Eslöv.
It's very emotional to receive that prize since it's the people's votes, he says.
Next stop for Möregårdh? Söderhamn on Friday for the second national championship final. If he wins then, Eslöv's AI will take their second consecutive national championship title – if they lose, a third and decisive match awaits in Söderhamn on Sunday.
2–6 April: World Tour tournament in Incheon, South Korea. Eliminated in the quarterfinals.
8 April: Semifinal in the national team championship, first match against Halmstad, at home in Eslöv.
10 April: Semifinal in the national team championship, second match away against Halmstad.
15–18 April: World Cup in Macao, China. Eliminated in the quarterfinals.
23 April: First national championship final against Söderhamn in Eslöv.
25 April: Second national championship final away against Söderhamn.
27 April: Possible third national championship final against Söderhamn away.
Winners of the national team championship for men in table tennis over the past ten years:
2024 Eslöv
2023 Söderhamn
2022 Halmstad
2021 Söderhamn
2020 Cancelled due to the pandemic
2019 Eslöv
2018 Halmstad
2017 Eslöv
2016 Eslöv
2015 Eslöv
