El ex-campeon mundial de Tenis de Mesa, el austriaco-ingles Richard Bergmann, fallecido hace 41 años en 1970, vino a Venezuela en 1966, para dar exhibiciones de Tenis de Mesa, en las mas importantes ciudades de Venezuela. Vino acompañado del Chino Naconalista Chou Lin Yen, su rival en las exhibiciones.
Richard Bergmann, esta considerado quizas el mejor defensor en la historia de dicho deporte, y forma parte del Hall de la Fama del Tenis de Mesa a nivel Mundial. En Venezuela, dio exhibiciones en Caracas, Valencia, Maracaibo, Tia Juana y otras ciudades no menos importantes.
En Valencia, junto a Chou Lin Yen, enfrento a los excampeones nacionales de Tenis de Mesa (1965), Alfredo Franco Rodriguez y Jesus Daniel Acosta Esis quienes en pareja habian obtenido el Campeonato Nacional de Dobles en la Categoria de Mayores, el año anterior, en los Juegos Nacionales de Puerto La Cruz, celebrados en 1.965.
A continuacion, una breve reseña de ese EXTRAORDINARIO jugador que nos honro con su visita a Venezuela y que lamentablemente fallecio prematuramente en la ciudad de New York en 1970 a sus escasos 51 años de edad.
Para los que tuvimos el honor de compartir su muy breve amistad, entre ellos mi estimado amigo el Dr. Jesus Soto Luzardo, de Maracaibo, solo nos queda rogarle al Dios Todopoderoso que le de el descanso eterno de los justos.
Richard Bergmann (born 10 April 1919 in
Vienna, Austria, died in 1970) was an Austrian and British
table tennis player. Winner of seven
World Championships, including four Singles, one Men's Doubles, two Team's titles and 22 medals in total.
[1] Bergmann was regarded as the greatest defensive player in table tennis history.
[2]
In 1936, he won his first World title as a member of the Austrian Swaythling Cup (Men's
World Championships) Team. He won his first World Singles Championship one year later, and in doing so became the youngest player ever to win the title.
When the
Nazis invaded Austria in 1938, Bergmann fled to
England. In 1939, he represented England and won his second World Singles crown and the World Men's Doubles title, pairing with
Viktor Barna.
The World Championships was canceled from 1940 to 1946. The first World Championships after
World War II was held in Paris, 1947. As a defending Men's Singles Champion, Bergmann was not allowed to participate because he played exhibitions for money without the required permissions during the war years.
[3] He went to Paris and paraded along the venue with a sign, claiming to be the true World Champion and challenging anyone to a match for £500.
In the following years, he reclaimed his title in 1948 as World Singles Champion, and again in 1950. His last World Championship came as a member of the 1953 English Swaythling Cup Team.
In the mid-1950s, Bergmann became the world's first professional table tennis player and toured extensively with the
Harlem Globetrotters basketball team.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RICHARD BERGMANN
Sport: Table Tennis
Inducted: 1982
Country: Austria and Great Britain
Born: 1920 in Vienna, Austria
Died: 1970
|
|
|
|
|
Winner of seven World Championships, including four Singles crowns, Richard Bergmann was regarded as the greatest defensive player in table tennis history.
In 1936, he won his first World title as a member of the Austrian Swaythling Cup (Men's World Championship) Team. He won his first World Singles Championship one year later and in doing so became the youngest player ever to win that title.
When the Nazis invaded Austria in 1938, Bergmann fled to England. In 1939, he won his second World Singles crown and the World Doubles title, pairing with Viktor Barna. Following World War II, he reclaimed his title in 1948 as World Singles Champion, and again in 1950. His last World Championship came as a member of the 1953
English Swaythling Cup Team.
In the mid-1950s, Bergmann became the world's first professional
table tennis player and toured extensively with the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team.
 | |
|
|
|
|
?