Saint Lucia’s top table tennis player, DeAndre Calderon will be part of a cosmopolitan crew at Bundesliga club TSV Neuried, as the Gros Islet native joins players from Germany, Switzerland, India, and Israel for his second professional go-round in Germany.
A graduate of Castries Comprehensive Secondary School, Calderon will take up a fourth stint at TopSpin Sport Performance TischTennis Academy GbR, a professional training centre in Bad Aibling, Germany. There, he will train with top emerging players from around the world.
He will also join Neuried, promoted last year to the fifth tier of the Bavarian Table Tennis Association. Two years ago, Calderon registered a 13-3 record with DJK Altdorf eV in the Bayerischer TTV Men’s Association Upper League South.
“My previous time in Germany I got off to a slow start,” said Calderon. “But I managed to find myself and play with full confidence after a few games.
“One of my biggest takeaways as a player was learning the importance of adaptability. During a tournament, I always struggled against opponents with unorthodox styles and just different ways of playing. I found myself frustrated, but I realised the need to adjust my strategies midgame rather than sticking rigidly to my usual approach. To address this, I worked on reading opponents’ tendencies and practising drills focused on adaptability. This experience taught me resilience and the value of preparation,” he added.
The reigning Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) men’s champion will be in Germany for five months, his longest stint to date. Calderon, who turned 20 this week, attended an elite development camp in Venezuela last year, which he credits with improving his skills.
“Coming from the Venezuela camp and starting off my 2025 season, I hope to have a high winning percentage in the Bundesliga, and to medal at Caribbean senior championships as well as qualify for PanAm championships,” he said.
Founded in 1972, TSV Neuried is a multisport organisation. Its men’s table tennis division has teams participating in district, provincial, and national competitions; but results have been mixed. The first team has made it to the state league in recent years. Two seasons ago, the highest team just managed to avoid relegation from the district class A. Last season, however, they bounced back with promotion.
Great work, De Andre!