The bells of Sant Pierre are calling the faithful to prayer in the Butonnet district of Montpellier. The early morning air is hot and expectant. It’s the feast of San Maria and the streets are quiet and empty. Down the road, past the fountain and across the wooden tracks of the tramway there is a different kind of worship going on in the Gymnase Alain Achille.
The morning silence is disturbed only by the rhythmic sound of table tennis balls and Ghislain Rolandi stalks around like the high priest of le ping pong supervising the practice. The players have just returned from the traditional eight kilometre morning run and are facing two hours of hard training in the growing heat of the day. The hall oozes sweat and effort. This is not the place for the faint hearted.
Like Ghislain says “Table Tennis is number One. Everything else comes after. My wife is number two and she knows this.” He gives 100 percent and he expects the same from everyone else. This is the Mecca of table tennis in southern France. All the best French players are here for the week. Christope Legout, Armand Phung, Michel Martinez, Brice Oliver and more.
The club is a different planet from Irish clubs. Their yearly grant is twice the amount given to the Irish association! They have 600 members (close enough to the total number of players in Ireland!?). It is perpetual motion from the time you get to the hall. And you better get there on time! The coaches are forthright in their opinions and everyone knows where they stand. And if you are standing that’s your first mistake. You can practice your serves or do some physicals. Slackers are not tolerated. You earn the right to practice with good players by hard work and dedication. Whining prima donnas need not apply.
Not the same as other trips the club has undertaken. It was never the less a fantastic experience and the toughest pre season training ever. The beautiful old city of Montpellier, the hustle and bustle of the Gymnase Alain Achille, the wit and wisdom of Ghislain and the joie de vivre about everything table tennis gives you the feeling that you might actually want to play this wonderful game for a little longer. And then you come back to Ireland!!