Danilo Faso is the reigning U13 European champion.

“My gold in Zagreb is the happiest moment in my table tennis life so far,” says the 13-year-old when compass-tt.com meets him and his father for an interview a few weeks after Danilo became a supporting member of the compass team.

The path to gold at the U13 European Championships was pretty easy, apart from one match against a French player.

“I was trailing 0:1 and 2:8,” Danilo recalls. “But I managed to turn the game around.”

Danilo Faso is born to play table tennis. His mother Yuliya Markova and his father Marco Faso met while playing in a table tennis hall in Palermo. Yuliya was a top junior in Ukarine and was a member of the national team before moving as a professional to France. Marco was among the top 100 players in Italy.

When Danilo was five years old, he started to play a little.

“Danilo didn’t play that much at first,” says Marco Faso. “His mum was a player and coach at the club and I also played and coached. Danilo wanted to be with us and therefore spent a lot of time in the hall.”

In the beginning, Danilo only played a few hours a week, then almost every day and for the last three years or so, he has been at the table for around 20 hours a week.

“I play for about two and a half hours in the morning and the same in the afternoon,” says Danilo. “After five such sessions, I take a break and then another five before the next break.”

And school? Don’t you go to school someone would ask? “I do school online. My father is a teacher and helps me with my studies.”

Marco Faso adds:

“When Danilo started school, we lived in France and when his table tennis became more serious, he had the opportunity to learn online with support from home. So we kept this approach. Although we have been living in Terni in the centre of Italy for two years, he still goes to French school.”

One of Danilo’s skills at the table is that he always finds a way to score points. He is quick in his reactions.

“I like to fight,” he explains his passion for table tennis. “I like to play better, to make progress. I love to win!”

Danilo receives very good table tennis training in Terni. The environment at the centre is professional.

His mum is behind him at every training session. When he travels abroad around eight times a year, his father is always by his side, and when he is travelling with the national youth team, the association’s coaches are of course also there.

“You have to think about a lot of things during the tournaments. Eating, resting and sleeping properly, preparing yourself mentally for the matches. To make room for your studies. I’ve played at a good level myself, so I know a bit of table tennis. And I know when I need to be gentle with Danilo – and when I need to push him.” added Danilo’s father.

Danilo also has a little sister, Milena, who is eight years old and is also a great table tennis talent. That sounds like table tennis around the clock for the family.

“Yes, more or less,” says Marco. “In the beginning it was just fun, now it’s more interesting, but also harder. The focus of Danilo’s training is currently on the physical part. He still needs to get stronger. We know that you have to build a team around the upcoming stars, and that’s what we’re trying to do around Danilo now.”

compass Managing Director Daniel Zwickl is delighted with the newest member in the team of talents that compass supports:

“He is already a young champion and is also achieving good results at U15 and U17 level. We are delighted to welcome him to compass. We will do everything we can to help him grow and realise his potential. We appreciate his humbleness, his very strong motivation and also the great support he receives from his family. We hope to work very closely with him to help him develop.”