Peace-loving Genevans and a little table tennis 26.06.2010

- Most Europeans know only two Russian cities: Moscow and Saint-Petersburg. What did you know about Kazan before coming to the European Universities Table Tennis Championship. But don’t say that you’ve heard only of Rubin…

Benoit: By the way we watched the matches of Rubin in the Champions League. Your team is great! I also knew that Kazan was located somewhere on the Volga river.

Loris: To tell the truth we knew nothing about your city. Though I knew that your Republic is Islamic. When we arrived in Kazan I saw many mosques in the downtown. I was amazed because I saw Christian churches near them. That’s unusual for us. Besides I read a few articles about Kazan online. There are 7 million people in Switzerland and in Kazan nearly a million and a half. I suppose this is the most important thing that caught my interest.

- So what’s your impression of Kazan now? I’m sure you had a walk, went sightseeing around the city.

Laurent: We’ve got a lot of good things to say. Briefly your city is beautiful. Though we’ve seen only the downtown but like in any city it’s always much cleaner than in suburbs or dormitories. When the tournament ends we’ll see the whole city.

- Laurent, you’ve been the only player who carried the national ensign at the Championship’s opening ceremony. Did you do it out of national pride?

Laurent: It’s fifty-fifty. For sure we are glad to represent Switzerland at the European Championship but it’s not the only reason. As the Americans say, it’s for fun. It’s for fun to carry the national flag at a solemn music.

- What is the situation with table tennis in Switzerland? In the first place with table tennis in universities.

Benoit: To put it mildly table tennis is not the most popular sports in Switzerland. Football, tennis, mountain ski and probably ice hockey rank among top places. These sports are invested privately. Table tennis is not in the best state in Switzerland.

Laurent: We’ve got another big problem, this is our army. Don’t smile. Firstly we are a neutral state. Aren’t we supposed not to wage wars against anyone? Secondly we finish school at 19. Every Swiss must go to the army – you lose another year. As a result you graduate from a university at the age of 26-27. Benoit and I were in the army. Loris didn’t serve owing to his French passport. Why is our government so preoccupied with the army? They’d better spend money on sports.

- What do you major in, guys?

Laurent: I’ll become a certified political scientist.

Loris: I study at the School of Economics.

Benoit: Russians make fun of the title of my future occupation… I major in body mechanics. I’ll be producing high-tech prostheses.

- In 2013 you won’t be students already. Would you like to watch the table tennis competition in Kazan?

Loris: With pleasure! It’s warm here. Besides we made friends with most of your volunteers.