Luckily for the Hungarian national table tennis team, living in the European Union allows them freedom of movement to other EU countries. Were it not for their right to visa-free intra-continental travel, their passports would be stamped beyond all recognition. Although still limited by the COVID-19 pandemic, Hungary's top players are doing everything they can to prepare for the resumption of league play across Europe. The women's team, for example, is playing host to their Polish counterparts for a joint training session. Zoltán Bátorfi, the Hungarian women's coach, described training with Polish team. "They have their bests here," said Bátorfi. "They came with eight players and three coaches. We sat down, discussed with each other what our ideas and expectations were, and we have reached a compromise." This spirit of teamwork, even between rival nations, is not limited to the distaff half. The Hungarian men's team recently spent a week training in Austria, and several members of the team are currently training in Germany. There, the concentration of world-class talent serves as a magnet for more of the same commodity. Péter Muskó, Hungarian men's coach, described working with international players like Brazil's Hugo Calderano and France's Can Akkuzu. "They put one hundred and ten percent into their workouts every single day," said Muskó. "I could not come to training in the morning without Akkuzu being there before the scheduled time. It is this attitude that makes it easier the work for the coaches as well. This is how when there is a common goal." Muskó went on to laud the playing conditions in Ochsenhausen, Germany. "We can train in completely professional conditions," said Muskó. "There are two or three workouts a day, along with a conditioning program. A team, that is unprecedented in Hungary, helps our work. Everyone is watching and observing everyone, everyone is sharing everything with others, everyone is helpful and considers the development of the other a priority." With highly competitive leagues such as the Bundesliga due to resume play in September, Europe's top players are setting aside their rivalries in order to practice together. We can file this along with the preponderance of evidence supporting the value of international teamwork at work. If they keep this kind of behavior up, however, they may soon need stamps on their passports. How else can they get to Tokyo for next year's Olympics?

More at ETTU