Canada in Tokyo – Jeremy Hazin – Table Tennis

The saying ‘Never meet your heroes’ did not apply to Canadian table tennis player Jeremy Hazin.

His sporting idol is Chinese great Ma Lin, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and nine-time world champion of the sport, and Hazin checked off meeting him at an early age.

“I watched his final international game live before he retired,” Hazin said from a pre-Olympic training camp in Portugal. “It was in Paris when I was just 13 years old and I got a photo with him.”

Lin is the only male player in history to win Olympic gold in singles, doubles and the team competition, but Hazin himself was making history during his encounter with the legend.

Hazin became the youngest-ever Canadian player to play at the world championships at age 13, and that was the catalyst for his Olympic dream.

Eight years on, Hazin is set to realize that dream when he represents Team Canada at Tokyo 2020.

“It feels really good. All the work I have put in over the last 10 years, since I was a little kid, has paid off,” Hazin said.

Hazin is still only 21 years old and has a few more records to his name, including becoming the youngest men’s national champion four years ago.

“This was a very important step on my path,” Hazin said. “Being national champion really motivated me a lot to keep going.”

Hazin explained that the motivation is sometimes difficult to find while playing in North America, due to the lack of opportunities and opponents compared to his counterparts on the circuit in other parts of the world.

“There is not a lot of infrastructure,” Hazin said. “In China or Europe you have many young kids training to become the best in a big group environment.

“It is very hard for me. Every kid in North America starts with private lessons where they pay by the hour.”

Although Hazin has considered relocating to develop his game, and he has undertaken numerous camps across the globe, the sacrifices he has made in his young career mean that is not yet on the table.

“I have already taken three gap years in achieving this dream,” Hazin said. “At the moment I am just focusing on the Olympics and then starting university.”

The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have hit Hazin the same as everyone else, and the product of Richmond Hill, Ont. has been left frustrated by the lockdowns limiting his access to training facilities. But that has not stopped him developing his game.

Hazin leaves nothing to chance, analyzing videos of his matches to determine his strengths and weaknesses, as well as putting plenty of emphasis on the mental game.

“That has a big impact, especially in table tennis,” Hazin said. “Everyone can hit the ball really fast and move their feet really fast. It’s all about mental strategy.

“It’s the one who can think and who is willing to take the risks and not be nervous (who’s going to win).”

The men’s singles competition, featuring Hazin, gets underway on July 24 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.

Listen to the full interview – https://iono.fm/e/1076990