Alicja Bartnicka: The European Games are a particularly important sporting event for me
Teqball – the popularity of this sport is constantly growing around the world. The surprising combination of soccer and table tennis is attracting a growing number of fans. The spectacular tournament will also be on display at the upcoming European Games in Cracow, and Alicja Bartnicka, a player who has collected numerous achievements to her credit, is also preparing for the competition.
Teqball is a relatively young sport, but it has quickly become one of the fastest growing in the world. And when did your adventure with this sport begin and what fascinated you about it?
My adventure with teqball began in late 2020. What fascinated me most about teqball is that it is a very technical sport, the individual skills of the player count. Thanks to teqball, I have the opportunity to participate in tournaments around the world and gain valuable experience. This fascination quickly turned into a passion, without which I can’t imagine life.
You say that teqball is a very technical sport. How much time do you spend training and what is the main focus?
Current training is focused on the upcoming tournament, I try to train 4/5 times a week for 3 hours each. My main focus is on stretching, improving tactics and training particular schemes. Equally important to me is the best possible mental preparation.
There are many successes on your account, such as the Polish championship and a triple runner-up. Such achievements certainly make you want to aim even higher?
Winning the Polish Championships gave me promotion to the World Championships, where together with Adrian Duszak we won my biggest success so far – a bronze medal in the mixed category. This gave me great motivation to work and achieve even more.
And what are your teqball plans for the near future?
The goals I am focusing on this year are promotion to the European Games, the World Championships and triumph at the Polish Championships.
Well, that’s right, we know that you are preparing for this year’s European Games. What is the preparation for this great sporting event and are the Games a special event for you?
The European Games are a particularly important sporting event for me. I’m after two qualifying stops for the European Games, held in Budapest and Skopje, with two more stops ahead of me in Madrid and Podgorica. The national team consists of 2 men and 2 women. At the moment I have scored the most points and I hope it will stay that way.
During the Olympics, the teqball competition will be held in Krakow. Who will be cheering you on from the stands?
My biggest support has always been my family, my friends so I think they are the ones who will cheer for me wholeheartedly.
Many athletes, have someone they look up to. And who is your idol when it comes to sports? Maybe there is someone you try to emulate?
My teqball inspiration is my partner Adrian Duszak, from whom I always get a lot of motivational support and important tips. At the very beginning there were a few that I tried to imitate, but over time it is better to improve my own plays and create new ones.
And are you interested in other sports?
I have always been interested in soccer. Since I learned about teqball, I decided that I wanted to engage in it 100%. Somehow, soccer has been close to me all the time, as I polish the skills of the younger generation as a soccer coach.
Imparting sports values to young people is certainly extremely important. Sport is a passion to which you give your whole heart. And what do you plan to do when your sports career is over? Any thoughts of a further life path emerge?
I don’t have clear plans yet what I will do after my sports career, but I certainly wouldn’t want to give up sports, because it gives me the greatest pleasure.
The teqball tournament will be held during the European Games in the rank of European championships. It will gather 72 players, and the games will begin on June 28 and end on July 1 at the Main Square in Krakow.