Brhel and Kadlec Experience Chinese Training System

In mid-December, five junior national team players departed for a two-week training camp in China. Among them were Vít Kadlec and Štěpán Brhel. Under the guidance of coaches Martin Merker and Xu Kai, they had the opportunity to train alongside Chinese junior national players. 

The group trained for two weeks at the HeBei Zhengding Table Tennis Center, returning home on December 23. The training sessions were held twice a day, with an additional voluntary session each evening — which our players consistently attended. How did Štěpán Brhel rate the experience?

"I really enjoyed my time in China. Sure, there were a few downsides, but nothing unbearable. I have to admit, I expected the intensity and training load to be higher. I'd say we were evenly matched with the Chinese players in terms of playing level, but their mindset and mentality are on a completely different level — and that was hugely motivating for me."

With the start of the new year comes the second half of the Men's Extraliga, in which both Štěpán and Vít compete. We also asked Štěpán whether fans might see any changes or improvements in his game or approach.

"The volume of training was very different. Simply put, they train much more over there, and that eventually shows in performance. On the other hand, I felt that our training sessions are more intense. I took a lot away from China, especially in terms of mental preparation and overall attitude toward the sport — and I definitely plan to apply that in competition."

The next round of the Czech Republic's top domestic league will take place on Friday, January 3, 2025. Our first team, TJ Ostrava KST, will face Chodov at home at 18:00. At the same time, NH Ostrava will be playing away against El Niňo Prague.