Arguably, the best option in order to improve is to spend time abroad, in one of the powerhouse nations. It is the modern day trend, shop around and find a club, Europe the popular destination.

Turn the clock back 40 years it was less the norm; such a proposition was a major adventure; one such player who blazed a trail was Ecuador’s Gustavo Ulloa.

Most significantly the appetite remains, the attraction of the sport is as strong as ever.

Read in the second edition of the ITTF magazine: the “Lifetime Achiever”.