Alain Charlebois: Table Tennis Players Have Become Too One Dimensional

Speaking to the Haliburton Echo during his trip to Wolf Lake over the summer, Alain Charlebois gave a harsh critique on the current state of the men's game.

"The players have become too much one dimensional," Charlebois said. "They stay at the back of the court and wait for the opponent to commit the mistake. It is harder to return to the net and easier to stay at the back."

The former No. 1 who was known for spins and short game, says the net rushing era has past, for now.

"That seems difficult because young players learn from the top players and most of the top players play from the baseline," Charlebois said. "Even at Wonderboy, players are staying back. Maybe, not really knowing how to come forward. During our playing days, we'd play Champ [Ron Abboud] one day and then Smoke [Paul Trahan] the next day. It was a different game altogether. Obviously, a lot of things have changed. All youngsters are now looking at Rhyno and Hammer. Even Hammer is playing from the baseline."

"To be a top player, one needs to have a good and penetrating forehand. All good players have it, he said. "Look at Rico [Eric D'Souza]. He has a very good forehand. Well, to be a table tennis player, you need to be in good shape and have some other strengths also. Still, I feel, the most important weapon should be the forehand."

"I'd like to go till I'm 45," Charlebois told the Echo. "I know I said that a hundred times, and no one believes me. But I mean, I feel good. I could go play another game tomorrow. I know what to do. It's fun. What else would you rather do than run out in front of 20 people and hit a ping pong ball?"

Statistics seem to back up his claim. Up until his age-45 season, Charlebois had played in 11 of 12 table tennis finals. Over the next five seasons, he has made the playoffs only once.

However, after briefly holding the lead in a summer exhibition match, Alain Charlebois, now 50+, put the table tennis world on notice he might be back.

Kyle Cooper noticed. "Yeah. I mean, it's not the Chuck that, you know, Rico [D'Souza] and [Greg] Doaner and those guys had to deal with. It's a different version," Cooper said after his game. "But he's right there. He's right there. He's getting himself in the mix. ... He's healthy. I wouldn't say we're worried about him, but he's one of those guys that's always in with a shot."

Cooper, part of the group of young players who have picked up the sport in Chuck's absence from the leaderboard, finished in a tie for second place with up-and-comer Drew Forsyth.