Three years ago, Damien Provost left France to live in a poorly lit, flesh-colored cubicle at the Chinese Herald Crusade Church deep in the heart of Chinatown. In order to have Provost train and coach at the club, The New York Table Tennis Federation sponsored his stay. Since the federation closed its doors in 2011, the top-ranked 29-year-old table tennis professional has been staying with a fellow ping pong enthusiast as he journeys to bring the sport to the national forefront.
Currently ranked sixth in the nation, according to the USA Table Tennis League, Provost has consistently been a top ten player in the United States. “I feel like I can do something for the sport in a great country,” says Provost. “It would mean a lot for ping pong to grow in the world’s No. 1 country.”
Although ping pong is generally considered a recreational sport in the United States, the opening of several table tennis clubs, like Slate and King Pong, have popped up in recent years. According to Yelp.com, there are 163 locations to play at in Manhattan alone. The movement to revamp the image of the sport from a kitschy past time to a hip New York nightlife activity – much like what Brooklyn Bowl has done for bowling – is underway. By mixing live music, DJs, booze, and a hint of nostalgia, hip 20-somethings are gravitating towards this trend of making the mundane fashionable.
Provost’s boyish face and ruffled brown hair make him appear younger than he is. As he quietly steps on center court, he becomes even more introverted than usual. With the standard shakehand grip, he latches onto his paddle with his left hand. His lanky body hops side to side, looming over the 9-foot by 5-foot table as he prepares to return the serve. As he glances across the table, he appears to be reading the game rather than preparing to take down an opponent.
His competitor, Mieczyslaw Suchy, comments on his playing style. “Of course, he looks calm of the outside!” he says with a chuckle, “but on the inside – he wants to destroy you.”
The unassuming athlete’s strategy relies on ball placement rather than how the fast the ball reaches the other side. Provost flicks the ball left and right with ease, forcing his opponent to dive for the ball.
Provost plays at SPiN New York, in the Flatiron district, during the Friday tournaments. Playfully dubbed “Dirty Dozen”, these matches do not influence his rating but they do include a cash prize of $500. The nightclub setting is a fun, casual setting in comparison to the strained silence of regulation matches. It offers a glimpse into what a professional ping pong match looks like – with a dash of showmanship.
Provost stays with Edmund Suen, a business developer at Credit Suisse, in his modest Chinatown apartment, who occasionally drives him to and from competitions. Suen volunteers as Regional Tournament Coordinator, organizing tournaments along the East Coast. In exchange for letting him stay, Provost trains him for an hour five times a week. The two have become close friends in spite of the slight language barrier.
“He can barely speak English,” Suen jokes. “I realized his accent got heavier. He has a difficult time expressing himself. Sometimes I finish his sentences for him.”
Provost may be pursuing his dreams in United States but he still considers France his home. He currently splits most his time between New York City and Monaco. A self-described homebody, he spends most of his nights facing the glare of his computer screen – chatting on Skype with his friends and family back home.
He admits he originally fantasized about becoming a professional soccer player. Since his parents were too busy to take him, he missed the selection process for his age division in Le Mans, France. To curb his son’s disappointment, his father introduced him to table tennis. By the age of thirteen, he was competing in finals of the French Nationals.
As for the future of the sport, Provost hopes to start a youth program to get new generations of New Yorkers excited about table tennis.