Student becomes pingpong great with help from locals

Any elementary schooler can tell you that 68 is greater than six.

Walter Shur, who is 81 and has been playing pingpong for 68 years, has consistently beaten senior Calvin Young, who has been playing for six years, in tournaments at UNC and in friendly matches.

But Shur’s streak could end at any moment, as he believes Young is on a path toward pingpong greatness.

“He has everything needed to be an absolutely top player,” said Shur, who serves as Young’s mentor and frequent competitor.

Young, a 22-year-old senior business and computer science major from Apex, has been perfecting his pingpong game since he was a junior in high school, acquiring a professional coach, local competition and a formidable topspin forehand along the way.

Young said he learned to play pingpong by emulating what he saw in YouTube videos.

“Amazing,” Shur said when he heard that, shaking his head in disbelief. “I don’t think there’s a limit to how good he could be.”

Upon arriving at UNC, Young attempted to start a club pingpong team, but couldn’t find enough interest among students to sustain it.

He signed up to play in a tournament at UNC and expected to do well considering the level of competition among his peers.

“I thought it was going to be a breeze for me to take it,” said Young of the tournament. “But then Walter showed up.”

Shur — who was one of the best junior players in the nation some decades ago, won the Texas state championship twice and was a top 10 racquetball player while in his sixties — encouraged Young to come to the Seymour Center, one of Orange County’s senior centers, to find better competition.

“All of them are really talented players,” Young said. “I really enjoy coming here and getting my butt whooped.”

Last summer Young landed an internship at Google Inc., in California, where he unexpectedly acquired a professional coach in addition to future job prospects.

Shashin Shodhan, 31, who made the U.S. Olympic table tennis trials in 2000 and barely missed making the team, served as Young’s first formal coach and saw the student’s game improve immensely.

Over the summer, Young perfected his offensive style of play, in which he attacks with strong forehands and heavy topspin.

“I serve it short and play a few short shots until my opponent gives me one I can jump on,” he said.

When playing against Young on Saturday, Shur was often backed up as far as possible from the table and simply lobbing back returns rather than playing more aggressively.

Shodhan said only a small number of players can make a living from the sport, which is not particularly profitable in North America.

“It’s actually easier to make a living as a coach,” he said. “As a player, only the top hundred in the world can make a living.”

Despite his talent, Young would likely have an especially difficult time breaking into the sport considering his late start.

“He would have to put in a lot of time because a lot of players who are top in the nation have played from a very young age, and Calvin is starting late,” Shodhan said.

While the Olympics will remain a distant dream for the senior, he plans to continue to work on his game in California, where he has a job lined up with Google for after graduation.

“It’s probably the best region in table tennis in the U.S.,” said Shodhan, who runs a pingpong club in the area and coaches players as young as 7 years old. “We have leagues, lots of tournaments, lots of good players. It’s quite good.”

Shodhan said he’s excited to see where Young’s career will take him.

“I could definitely see him being competitive,” Shodhan said. “I see talent in him. He works hard.”

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.