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Tomáš Švejda: My inspirations are Sukamuljo and Setiawan
Date: 4/19/2020 8:12 AM
Published by : BEC Staff

Tomáš Švejda is one half of the top men’s doubles pair in the Czech Republic, along with partner Jaromir Janacek. Ranked 74 in the world, Švejda, who is just 18, gives us an insight into where he is at right now and the future of Czech badminton.


This year saw Švejda and Janacek reach the semifinal of a Future Series just across the border at the Slovak Open, capping off a busy past two years. Reflecting on this, Švejda says.

- A lot has happened in the last two years and I can't pick a single moment. But almost exactly two years ago, I started a partnership with my doubles partner Jaromír Janáček and together with our coach Radek Votava we started to fully focus on doubles. For me, this also led to a logical decision with my coach, to fully devote myself to seniors, even though I'm still a junior. I've been playing badminton since I was 10, and this decision has helped me a lot. Now I see how this decision soon opened the way for me in senior badminton. 


Despite his young age, Švejda has ploughed on and seems to be forging a clear path to the top. There have been several key milestones that he has already ticked off, explaining these Švejda adds.


- I definitely appreciate the successful qualification for the European Games in Minsk and World Championships in Basel last year. Still, we’re at a stage where we need to play as many good matches internationally as possible. That's why we've also played more Future Series tournaments, where we've managed to get several medal results, including tournament victories at the 2018 Lithuanian International and the 2019 Slovenian Future Series. We also managed to win the national championships twice. 


Indonesian inspiration
Having players gain this experience at a young age reaps benefits in the future, and Švejda understands this well. His pride in what he does is clear to see as he states.  


- We’re a small country, but with a lot of quality players who are successful at international tournaments. We don’t have such training facilities, sparring and the overall system as in the top European countries, but I think it’s up to each player and coach to decide how good they want to be and what they’ll do. The Czech Republic has made a big step forward in recent years, and there are still things that don't work and sometimes it's not easy for doubles players. Even so, I believe we can be among the best European countries. I’m proud to represent the Czech Republic! 


Players often have other players still plying their trade on the circuit that they look up to and are inspired by. Švejda shares his. 


- My big inspiration is Indonesian doubles. Their incredible speed, creativity and relaxation is something to behold. My favourite players are Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo and Hendra Setiawan. Last summer, we were at the Indonesian centre PB Jaya Raya and had the opportunity to train with good pairs. This was a great experience for me, and I took a lot from it! 


I can do what I love
With so much of Švejda’s career yet to come, the potential successes are limitless. But one upcoming target springs to mind for the young Czech star. 


- Our current goal for this year was the European Championships in Ukraine this month, for which we’ve been preparing hard, but it has been postponed due to the current situation. Even so, I believe it’ll still take place this year and we’ll do our best.

Švejda, a promising teenage talent, shows great maturity in his outlook and understanding of what work needs to be put in to keep developing. Asking what he needs to do to challenge the best players in Europe, he responds. 


- There's a lot of work ahead and things we need to improve. We need to be more relaxed, creative and not to have such fluctuations in the matches. So, we have to continue to play more good matches and challenge quality pairs. In training, we need to be more consistent and go for details not only in technique but also in fitness and tactics. I can't forget about sufficient finances; this is always difficult. We don’t have money to travel outside Europe yet. But there are high-quality tournaments and players in Europe now, so there's no need to be too sad. The big support for me is my parents, we have great conditions at the club, and based on the results we have support from federation. Thanks to them all, I can do what I love.


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