Ilija Lupulesku
Encyclopedia
Ilija Lupulesku is a former Yugoslav
and now Serbia
n table tennis
player who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics
, in the 1992 Summer Olympics
, in the 1996 Summer Olympics
, in the 2000 Summer Olympics
, and in the 2004 Summer Olympics
. He compeeted for USA from 2004 to 2006 including 2004 Summer Olympics
. Ilija Lupulesku played his first game of table tennis at age nine in his small hometown of Uzdin, Yugoslavia. After seeing other children playing at his local school, Lupi picked up a paddle and began what would become his life's ambition. Despite his love and talent for soccer, Lupi, under the watchful eye of first coach Jon Bosika, committed himself to training and by age 14 was the top player on the Yugoslavian Junior National Table Tennis Team.Over the next 12 years, Lupi would rise through the ranks of the world's best players and become one of the largest celebrities in his native Yugoslavia.
. In 1991 regarded as one of the best players in the sport and also made up one-half of what many at the time called the greatest doubles team ever. Between 1989 and 1991, Lupi and doubles mate Zoran Primorac reached the semifinals or finals of every major tournament in the world. But by the end of 1991, war ripped through the region and the Croatian Primorac and Yugoslavian Lupulesku were no longer permitted to play together. While Primorac moved on to live and play in Belgium, Lupi remained in Yugoslavia and joined the military, where he continued to train.
Four years later he competed as an Independent Olympic Participant
but was eliminated in the first round in singles and in the quarterfinals in doubles.
In 1996 and 2000 he competed for Serbia and Montenegro and in 2004 he participated for the United States. He thus competed under four different flags, a label shared by Serbian shooter Jasna Šekarić
.
From 1992 to 1997 he was married to Jasna Fazlić
.
and has embraced his role as Killerspin's resident mentor. He is also arguably one of the top two or three best players on U.S. soil.
Lupi has a message for young players who have a desire to one day compete at a world-class level: "Young players need to practice hard, as many as four hours a day and also do something for physical conditioning, for speed" Lupulesku says. "After one year of training, young players need to compete somewhere in tournaments. It doesn't matter where. You need to face many different players because if you do not face players with different styles, it is very hard to become a good player yourself." "When I was young, just starting, I played all the tournaments I could. When you play tournaments you will lose in the beginning, but that's ok. After a time you will gain important experience from those tournaments and you will start to beat some good players. If you only practice and do not play tournaments, you will never know how good you really are."
He is one of seven table tennis players to have competed at the first five Olympics since the sport was introduced to the Games in 1988. The others are Swede Jörgen Persson
, Croatian Zoran Primorac
, Belgian Jean-Michel Saive
, Hungarian Csilla Bátorfi
, Swede Jan-Ove Waldner
, and German Jörg Roßkopf.
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
and now Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
player who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
, in the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
, in the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
, in the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, and in the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. He compeeted for USA from 2004 to 2006 including 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. Ilija Lupulesku played his first game of table tennis at age nine in his small hometown of Uzdin, Yugoslavia. After seeing other children playing at his local school, Lupi picked up a paddle and began what would become his life's ambition. Despite his love and talent for soccer, Lupi, under the watchful eye of first coach Jon Bosika, committed himself to training and by age 14 was the top player on the Yugoslavian Junior National Table Tennis Team.Over the next 12 years, Lupi would rise through the ranks of the world's best players and become one of the largest celebrities in his native Yugoslavia.
Early career
In 1988 he won the Seoul Olympic silver medal in the men's doubles together with Zoran PrimoracZoran Primorac
Zoran Primorac is an accomplished male table tennis player from Croatia. He is considered to be among the best European players in the last 25 years .-Biography:Primorac was born in Zadar and started playing...
. In 1991 regarded as one of the best players in the sport and also made up one-half of what many at the time called the greatest doubles team ever. Between 1989 and 1991, Lupi and doubles mate Zoran Primorac reached the semifinals or finals of every major tournament in the world. But by the end of 1991, war ripped through the region and the Croatian Primorac and Yugoslavian Lupulesku were no longer permitted to play together. While Primorac moved on to live and play in Belgium, Lupi remained in Yugoslavia and joined the military, where he continued to train.
Four years later he competed as an Independent Olympic Participant
Independent Olympic Participants at the 1992 Summer Olympics
During the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, athletes from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Macedonia competed as Independent Olympic Participants. Macedonian athletes could not appear under their own flag because their NOC had not been formed...
but was eliminated in the first round in singles and in the quarterfinals in doubles.
In 1996 and 2000 he competed for Serbia and Montenegro and in 2004 he participated for the United States. He thus competed under four different flags, a label shared by Serbian shooter Jasna Šekarić
Jasna Šekaric
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee" align=center! colspan="4" | Competed as an Jasna Šekarić |- bgcolor="#eeeeee" align=center! colspan="4" | Competed as an Jasna Šekarić |- bgcolor="#eeeeee" align=center! colspan="4" | Competed as an Jasna Šekarić (Cyrillic: Јасна Шекарић, née Brajković (Брајковић) (born...
.
From 1992 to 1997 he was married to Jasna Fazlić
Jasna Fazlic
Jasna Rather ; born December 20, 1970 in Foča, Yugoslavia ) is a former Yugoslav and now American table tennis player who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics, in the 1992 Summer Olympics, in the 2000 Summer Olympics, and in the 2004 Summer Olympics.In 1988 she won the bronze...
.
Recent career
His natural quickness and instincts for the sport combined with unmatched control and a left-handed trickiness have made Lupi one of the world's toughest match-ups and a feared competitor to this day. As the elder statesman of team Killerspin, Lupi has taken on the dual role of player and coach for the team's young stars. While still playing at a world-class level, Lupi is overseeing the training of American phenom Mark HazinskiMark Hazinski
Mark "Haz" Hazinski is an American professional table tennis player. He was born on in South Bend, Indiana and grew up in Mishawaka, Indiana. Hazinski started playing table tennis at the age of nine and is the youngest player to make the US Men's National Table Tennis Team at the age of 15...
and has embraced his role as Killerspin's resident mentor. He is also arguably one of the top two or three best players on U.S. soil.
Lupi has a message for young players who have a desire to one day compete at a world-class level: "Young players need to practice hard, as many as four hours a day and also do something for physical conditioning, for speed" Lupulesku says. "After one year of training, young players need to compete somewhere in tournaments. It doesn't matter where. You need to face many different players because if you do not face players with different styles, it is very hard to become a good player yourself." "When I was young, just starting, I played all the tournaments I could. When you play tournaments you will lose in the beginning, but that's ok. After a time you will gain important experience from those tournaments and you will start to beat some good players. If you only practice and do not play tournaments, you will never know how good you really are."
Results and Accomplishments
- 2005 US Nationals Champion
- 2003 US Nationals Champion
- 2002 U.S. Men’s Singles Champion
- 2002 U.S. Open Elite Singles
- 2001 & 2002 North American Team Champion
- 1990 European Men’s Doubles Champion, 3-time Runner-up
- 1988 Olympic Silver Medalist, Men’s Doubles
- 1987 World Championships Men’s Doubles Finalist
- Two-time European Mixed Doubles Champion, 2-time Runner-up.
- Four-time Yugoslavian Men’s Singles Champion,
- 10-time Men’s Doubles and 10-time Mixed Doubles Champion
He is one of seven table tennis players to have competed at the first five Olympics since the sport was introduced to the Games in 1988. The others are Swede Jörgen Persson
Jörgen Persson
Jörgen Persson is a Swedish table tennis player. In two memorable World Table Tennis Championships finals he faced fellow Swede Jan-Ove Waldner in 1989 and 1991, losing the former and winning the latter....
, Croatian Zoran Primorac
Zoran Primorac
Zoran Primorac is an accomplished male table tennis player from Croatia. He is considered to be among the best European players in the last 25 years .-Biography:Primorac was born in Zadar and started playing...
, Belgian Jean-Michel Saive
Jean-Michel Saive
Jean-Michel Saive is a Belgian professional table tennis player.Born in Liège in a table tennis playing family, Saive was predestined to become a very good table tennis player and began playing as a small boy...
, Hungarian Csilla Bátorfi
Csilla Bátorfi
Csilla Bátorfi is a Hungarian table tennis player. She competed at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1988 to 2004. She won several titles in European Championships....
, Swede Jan-Ove Waldner
Jan-Ove Waldner
Jan-Ove Waldner is a Swedish table tennis player. He is known as "the Mozart of table tennis" and is a legend in his native Sweden as well as in China. In China he is known as 老瓦 Lao Wa - "Old Wa" or 常青树 Chang Qing Shu - "Evergreen"...
, and German Jörg Roßkopf.