Viktor Barna
Encyclopedia
Viktor Győző Barna (24 August 1911, in Budapest, Hungary – 27 February 1972) was a Hungarian and British
champion table tennis
player.
in Hungary at the time he changed his name to a Hungarian sounding name. In September 1939, during the outbreak of the Second World War, he and his wife were in America. Barna returned to Europe, in order to fight against the Nazis. He joined the British army as a parachutist, and fought in Yugoslavia. After the British withdrew from Yugoslavia, Barna remained in England. After the war he settled with his wife in London. He became a British national in 1952. Later he became a representative for the Dunlop
Sports Company and continued traveling the world in this capacity. It was during one of these tours in 1972 that he succumbed to a heart attack in Lima, Peru.
In 1957 he published the book "How to win at Table Tennis" (London: Pitman) ISBN 9780273416999 Amazon
in 1981.
Barna was inducted into the International Table Tennis Foundation Hall of Fame in 1993.http://www.ittf.com/museum/HallofFame.pdf
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
champion 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.
Personal life
Barna's birth name was Győző Braun, but because of anti-SemitismAnti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
in Hungary at the time he changed his name to a Hungarian sounding name. In September 1939, during the outbreak of the Second World War, he and his wife were in America. Barna returned to Europe, in order to fight against the Nazis. He joined the British army as a parachutist, and fought in Yugoslavia. After the British withdrew from Yugoslavia, Barna remained in England. After the war he settled with his wife in London. He became a British national in 1952. Later he became a representative for the Dunlop
Dunlop Sport
Dunlop Sport is a tennis, squash, golf, badminton, clothing, travel and bicycle equipment brand, that specializes in sporting goods.After Dunlop Holdings was acquired by BTR plc in 1985, Dunlop Sport was combined with the Slazenger brand which Dunlop had acquired in 1959 to form Dunlop Slazenger...
Sports Company and continued traveling the world in this capacity. It was during one of these tours in 1972 that he succumbed to a heart attack in Lima, Peru.
Writing
In 1962 he published the book Table Tennis Today (London: Arthur Barker) and in 1971 Your Book of Table Tennis ISBN 9780571093458.In 1957 he published the book "How to win at Table Tennis" (London: Pitman) ISBN 9780273416999 Amazon
Halls of fame
Barna, who was Jewish, was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of FameInternational Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame was opened July 7, 1981, in Netanya, Israel. It honors Jewish athletes and their accomplishments from anywhere around the world....
in 1981.
Barna was inducted into the International Table Tennis Foundation Hall of Fame in 1993.http://www.ittf.com/museum/HallofFame.pdf
See Also
- List of table tennis players
- List of select Jewish table tennis players