Croatian Silver Medalist: Now I will learn Croatian language

Croatian table-tennis representative Ruiwu Tan, who caused a massive shock at this weekend’s European Championship in Denmark by picking up the silver medal for Croatia, says that it is about time after 9-years that he started learning the Croatian language.

Tan, the China born Croatian passport holder, lost in the final on Sunday to German Timo Boll, nevertheless it was one of Croatia’s greatest successes in the sport in a long time.

“I did not expect to go so far, when I arrived to prepare for the European Championships in Porec, I was not in great form. But preparations were great, practising against Austrian’s, Hungarian’s, some Slovenes and Karakasevic from Serbia. When the European Champs stated my form grew each match,” said Tan in fluent english, who now plans to beef up his Croatian lessons, writes Vecernji list.

“He has been here since 2003 and he knows only how to swear in Croatian. He has to find a Croatian language teacher urgently,” said Croatia’s legendary Olympic medal winning table tennis player Zoran Primorac.

“I will get someone to teach me the language,” smiled Tan, who lives near Sljeme mountain  in Zagrebs and says that he is a huge fan of the meat dish cevapi.