Ochsenhausen’s Title Ambitions Remain a Dream for Now

Despite their dream start to the new season, Bundesliga side TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen are keeping their feet firmly on the ground. “We have made good use of our opportunities and are in a pretty good position. But that is all there is to it,” TTF coach Bogdan Pugna told the association’s magazine “tischtennis”, commenting matter-of-factly on the former champions’ perfect record of six wins from their first six league matches. “Winning the title remains a dream for now.”

With Japanese doubles world champion Shunsuke Togami in their ranks, Ochsenhausen have emerged as one of the biggest surprises of the season after almost a third of the campaign. With 12 points from six matches, the team from the Baroque town sits in second place, level on points with league leaders Borussia Düsseldorf. In their second season since winning the domestic double, the Upper Swabians already have a six-point cushion in the race for a place at the TTBL Final4. One of the key factors behind Pugna’s team’s strong results – including their impressive 3–1 victory over Düsseldorf and Olympic champion Fan Zhendong in the German Cup round of 16 – has been the significant improvement shown by last season’s newcomer Iulian Chirita.

Despite the team’s impressive progress, Pugna believes it is still too early to start dreaming of a sixth title. “If the team continues to perform with the same determination and unity as they are showing now,” the Romanian coach said, “the players will be more mature in two to three years and will have the composure needed to cope with difficult and decisive moments during the season.”

Source: SID
Main image above: Tiago Abiodun & Iulian Chirita of TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen (Photo: BeLaSportfoto)