by Olalekan Okusan, ITTF-Africa Press Officer

In addition she is listed to compete in the Road to Buenos Aires tournament which immediately follows the 2018 Tunisia Junior and Cadet Open.

Sabina Surjan hails from Backo Gradiste, a village located in the Becej municipality in the South Backa District of Serbia, her interest in table tennis was ignited by her father, a coach at the Vajuadina club.

“It was my father who introduced me to the game in our village. I was just six years old and I was expected to stay at home because I was not feeling too well but when my father was going for training, I started crying insisting that I wanted to follow him, he later agreed.” Sabina Surjan

She was taken through the basics of the sport by her father and when 13 years old joined the Serbian Junior National team; her international debut was the 2013 Slovenia Junior and Cadet Open.

Now, with her 18th birthday ever closer on Tuesday 10th April, she is an integral member of the Serbian Women’s Team; she is listed to compete in the Liebherr 2018 World Team Championship in Halmstad, Sweden. Furthermore, she is ambitious, her goal to win an Olympic medal.

“I am hoping that I will make it to Youth Olympic Games here in Tunisia as well as claim the singles and doubles with my teammate. It is obviously going to be a Herculean task but I am ready for it. I believe the team event title has prepared us for the singles event.” Sabina Surjan

Despite been neck-deep in table tennis, Sabina Surjan still finds time for her studies but she admitted that it has not been easy marrying the two.

“Combining studies with table tennis has been very hard. I train at 8.00 am each day before going to school at 10.00 am. When I return from school at 5.00 pm, I go for the second training of the day; before going to bed I study again. However training is a lot easier whenever I am on vacation from school.” Sabina Surjan

Like every youngster, Sabina Surjan is hoping that she will win a medal at the Olympic Games, time will tell.