Since joining the BEC Centre of Excellence (CoE) last January, men’s singles player Milan Dratva has gradually moved up 60 places to achieve a career-high ranking of 143.
The Slovakian athlete has improved many aspects of his game during the pandemic and is even more eager to work towards getting among the top players in the world.
- I've been working a lot on my vision and tactical abilities lately, in combination with some technical details which should help me become a much more consistent player. I am dying to finally test it out in a tournament!
-Motivation has never been an issue, I love training for badminton. I'm not losing my patience, instead, I'm getting ready to play my best badminton when the circuit resumes.
Dratva also opened up about his family and friends.
-I wasn't lucky enough to do so [visiting his family], last time I've seen them was during Christmas 2019. But I have some very close friends in Denmark who are a delight to be around in these times.
Future plans
The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics has not affected his long-term goals.
-I realise what chances I have when the last months of the Olympic qualification take place and I'm not planning on wasting them.
A message for the fans
-Continue playing and following badminton, the sport deserves it. It's a beautiful game that doesn't get nearly as much attention as it deserves outside Asia.