Table tennis: a lifelong passion

He is just as much at home in the world of project management as he is in the field of waste management engineering, but there is one place where he arguably demonstrates even greater skill, if you will: he never gets flustered, and that is at the ping-pong table. As Vice Rector for General Affairs at the University of Pannonia, Dr. Róbert Kurdi oversees a wide range of responsibilities; there are segments he coordinates, and he also oversees the excellence center, for example. There are quite a few things at the school that are the focus of his interest, but they are considered “novelty” compared to table tennis, which has captivated him for more than four decades. Even today, he doesn’t treat the ball softly during practices or championship matches, and because he plays in good company, in the company of friends, those athletic moments constantly recharge his batteries. At fifty-one, he has no intention of putting down his racket—and that’s just the way it should be.

Róbert Kurdi graduated from what was then the Industrial Technical High School and later joined the University of Veszprém as a chemistry teacher after working as a chemical technician. Like the institution of higher education itself, he consciously built his identity. The certified educator earned his PhD in 2008, became an assistant professor five years later, and was promoted to associate professor in 2015. Initially, his professional interests centered on computational chemistry; today, they focus on waste management. In recent years, he has held various positions—serving as a key driver of the local economy and and serving as a bridge between various fields—at the university, where in 2024 he transitioned from the position of vice chancellor, a position he had held since 2024, a move motivated in part by the fact that over time he had become familiar with the university’s financial processes. He is currently responsible for the financial affairs of the rector’s office, ranging from personnel matters to the budget, but he also plays a role in supporting grant applications and research and development initiatives. One of his main tasks is coordination, supervising the research conducted through them, to create a kind of link between them so that, over time, as much research as possible can be put to use in the market. Beyond all this, we could also talk to him about the university's excellence center, which conducts research depending on the specific field, but this time we’re “setting sail” with him into waters that essentially bypass—or only partially touch upon—the shores of their unified and dynamically evolving institutions.

Table tennis is one of the most successful disciplines in Hungarian sports; one need only mention Viktor Barna, Ferenc Sidó, Tibor Klampár, István Jónyer, Gábor Gergely, or even Mária Mednyánszky. In the early 1980s, the vice-rector decided to follow in the footsteps of his great predecessors.

— Róbert Kurdi recalls the “golden age,” a period when success soon came his way as well. At county level, he won virtually everything in his age group, even though at that time as many as forty or forty-five competitors would enter a novice or junior competition—whereas now we have to “hunt down” young people for the junior competitions. The athlete, who won gold in doubles and silver in singles at the Student Olympics, later made his debut in Ajka VGV county, NL III, and NL II teams, and then, due to his secondary school studies, moved to Veszprém, where he joined the then-operating Orgona Jutas-Volán, where he played the youth role in team championships at various levels.

– he smiles to himself, then reveals that after the University of Veszprém became his alma mater, he joined the university team and, together with his fellow students, excelled in the county championship. Later, he “switched sides” to Veszprém Rendőr SE, whom he helped advance to NL III. Their quartet there (Róbert Kurdi, Csaba Nyitrai, János Minyó, and Lajos Benkő) transferred to VESC four years ago, where they were provided with a facility and adequate training opportunities. Two years ago, they were able to compete in NL II, where they didn’t achieve much success, so they mostly "move back and forth" between NLIII and the county championships.

– adds the head of department and a member of the VESC executive board, who last year took second place in the combined faculty division at the Hungarian National University and College Championships.

Róbert Kurdi says: he also considers himself lucky in that their university can be considered sports-friendly, so playing table tennis serves as a form of relaxation for them after their work duties. Just as he once did with his studies, he is now able to balance his athletic activities with his university responsibilities; he tries to attend practice twice a week, and weekend tournaments are, so to speak, a must. He used to “play” in the small-sided soccer league for for eight or nine seasons, but today only table tennis remains in his life as a sporting activity. 

"Over the past forty-four years, I’ve only managed to go a few months without ping-pong, which I might not even be able to give up. No, because it has so many positive effects—it requires focus, quick reflexes, and strategic thinking, all while getting the whole body moving. But beyond all that, it helps you forget your daily chores, improves your mood, and is a great social activity when played in good company. However, it is also complex, as it can be mentally and physically demanding. Benák and Palatin are my role models; they’re unbeatable even in the seventh ‘X’ category, and I’d love to be just like them in that regard,”

– notes Róbert Kurdi, who sometimes thinks about how many matches he’s played, how many wonderful experiences he’s had, but even today he still does his best at the table. He enjoys the training sessions; to him, they are at least as important as the actual matches. And his age doesn’t affect him. He still feels the same way about championship matches like he did as a young man: he doesn’t want to let them go—no matter who’s on the other side—he’d win just for that reason alone. It motivates him when there are more of them; they can prepare together and celebrate together. As a sportsman, the vice-rector does what he loves, and he’s still good at it today. There’s no reason for him to put down his racket.

Author: Ferenc Király