Sweden’s Peter Karlsson admitted that he was “a bit stubborn” in his playing days, but only in the sense of possessing an unshakeable belief in his own abilities. That unwavering self-confidence was one of the driving forces behind a glittering career in which he won five World table tennis championship titles—four (Dortmund 1989, Chiba (Japan) 1991, Gothernburg ‘93 and Kuala Lumpur 2000--in the men’s team event and one in men’s doubles (’91 with Thomas von Scheele)—and climbed to a career-high world ranking of No. 10 in men’s singles.
The 57-year-old believes the very same trait has largely shaped his successful coaching career for nearly two decades. During his interaction with the media at the South Goa Table Tennis Council in a “meet and greet” event organised by UTT franchise HVR Kolkata Thunderblades on Wednesday, Karlsson was categorical when he said that Indian TT’s next big leap will depend on how effectively it bridges the gap between outstanding junior success and sustained excellence at the senior level.
“India is ranked 13th in the world in the men’s (ranking) and 16th in women. India has achieved amazing results, no doubt. Now it starts to be really, really difficult to take the next step. And there, I think, what Ultimate Table Tennis is doing is fantastic,” he said.
ALSO READ | UTT Season 7 showcases India’s fearless new generation of table tennis stars
But at the same time, the legend, who has worked with Sweden’s leading players, including Mattias Falck, the 2019 World Championships men’s singles silver medallist, besides guiding the careers of Kristian Karlsson and Anton Kallberg, added: “It’s going to be very interesting to see if India can take very good youth and junior players to become good senior players. Because on the youth side, India is doing extremely well. I think if you see the results on the youth side and you convert them into the senior side, India could be top five in the world.”
Praising UTT as an incredible format that has helped Indian paddlers immensely, Karlsson said: “It’s a huge success story. It has brought some of the top foreign players and coaches together, allowing Indian paddlers and coaches to learn a lot.”
Karlsson predicted a bright future for Sweden’s men’s and women’s teams, albeit with a difference. He believes the men’s team has the potential to reach the very top, while the women’s team, though young and talented, is more likely to challenge for medals at the European championships.
“Sweden’s men’s team has a handful of very good players, including Truls Moregårdh (World No. 2), Anton Kallberg (36) and Kristian Karlsson (53), the latter two are good doubles players too. The men’s team (world ranked 3) has a very, very good future. The women’s team is young, but Asia dominates a lot. It will be extremely difficult for European women. Winning medals at the World Championships is extremely difficult, but they can win medals at the European Championships,” he said.
As a coach, Karlsson said simply trying to implement the way he played and expecting his players to do the same would be a mistake, as every player is different.
“My knowledge as a coach is only as much as I can transfer to the players I am helping. So, I need to have a good understanding of all the players and respect them. I cannot think, ‘That was the way I did it. Now I want you to do it this way’—that would be a big mistake. I need to go into the minds of the players and help them. The coaching role is extremely interesting. I love my job,” he said.
Comments
Published on Jul 16, 2026