(by Steve Hopkins)

Yesterday, a 50 year old Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship to become the oldest champion of a golf major.  Tom Brady won a Super Bowl at age 41 (and is one of the favorites in the upcoming seasons too).  There are active players over 40 in major league baseball (Albert Pujols and Rich Hill are 41, and 40 year old Seattle’s Nelson Cruz is currently one of the league leaders in home runs).  The same is true for soccer, where there are still lots of active international players over 40, and Kazuyoshi Miura still plays professionally in Japan at age 54.  With advances in training and nutrition and medicine, athletes are extending their careers longer and longer.

This is something we’ve known in table tennis for years.  In the US, we are currently conducting our 2021 National Team Trials.  While its certainly a game where youth has advantages, we have a mixture of ages spanning decades competing.  Even at the highest levels the US sent Gao Jun and David Zhuang to the Olympics while over 40, and we only have to look back 7 years to see a Men’s National Champion over 40 (Jimmy Butler).

The Olympics is always an opportunity to watch the world’s best compete – and in our sport, there will be young players and seasoned players.  There will be a give-and-take between the quickness of youth and the experience that comes with age.  This could be the last Olympics for Timo Boll (40), Aleksandar Karakasevic (45), and Vladimir Samsonov (45) – but don’t underestimate them.  Samsonov is still in the Top 30 in the World, and Boll is planning to be on the medal podium in the Teams (and hoping to make a deep run in singles).

If these players can compete at the highest levels into their 40s, what’s stopping you from dusting off your paddle and getting back to your club?  There’s room for players and coaches and clubs all over America, and if you are up for something more – check out all of the Seniors Events in the US (including the 15 seniors categories at the 2021 US Nationals) or the World Veterans Calendar.