Adolfo López (Torrelavega, 2006) is one of the greatest promises of national badminton and one of the great reasons why CB Oviedo leads the national club ranking. Fresh from an international championship in Portugal, he has put down roots in the Principality and dreams of playing with the best. He is on his way to it.
–Why badminton and not other more popular racket sports such as tennis or paddle tennis?
–I started playing at school, as an extracurricular activity, because my mother told me to sign up. The coaches saw what they had and took me to the Torrelavega Schools, and from there I started playing and winning tournaments and moving up the level until, in the end, the option arose to come to Oviedo.
–It didn’t take long for the Spanish team to notice you.
–They called me for the first time to go to a tournament in Slovenia. I was at home and my parents sent me the call. She was only thirteen years old. It was a spectacular moment, I didn’t expect it. Fortunately, I have continued to go further, even in Europeans. That gives you motivation to continue improving and raising your level.
–When did you decide to change Torrelavega for Oviedo?
–Here is the El Cristo Technical Center, I came to train one specific day until, while I was in 1st year of ESO, at 12 or 13 years old, a job option opened up for my father in Oviedo. So I decided to try to get into the center, and I succeeded. It was a great change not only on a personal level, but also in my preparation as a badminton player: I went from training three days a week to doing six, every day except Sundays.
–And then he arrived at CB Oviedo.
–Yes, in 2019. It is another rhythm, another quality of people, you see everything from another perspective, how the coaches see it, very happy. Yes, in 2019. It is a different pace, players of a different quality, coaches who see the game very well… I am very happy with the decision I made to come to this club.
–In September he was at the U-19 World Cup, which was held in Spokane (Washington state, United States). An unforgettable experience.
–When the national team chose me to go, I was very happy, it is very difficult to compete at that level. We weren’t able to win medals, but I loved the experience, I learned a lot from watching how people from other countries play.
–Define yourself as a player.
–I consider myself a player with character, I have a lot of attitude on the court, I put a lot of will into every game I play and, in general, in everything I do.
–He says he is a very willful player.
–You have to work with motivation every day, train hard, even if you are weak in spirit. Having a good attitude is very important: if you are very good, but you get frustrated, your level will drop and you will get worse.
–In what aspects of your game do you think you need to improve?
–In the mental part, precisely. I usually get angry when I see that something doesn’t work out or I see that things don’t go the way I want. I have to try to change that, I must avoid getting frustrated.
–You usually play doubles. How important is chemistry with your partner?
-It’s fundamental. You have to talk a lot with your teammate, there is a lot of strategy, the plays are prepared. Depending on the shot your partner makes, you have to cover one area or another of the field. It’s much more tactical than it seems.
–What objectives are set in the medium and long term?
–In the medium term, next year I have the European and U19 World Championships, and I would like to be in both. In the long term, my goal is to be in an absolute World Cup and in the Olympic Games.
2023-12-11 03:26:39
#long #term #goal #Olympic #Games
