Lukáš Šembera has returned to training and is looking forward to the Czech International Championships in Prague and the European Championships in the Netherlands

Lukáš Šembera is undoubtedly one of the best Czech wheelchair players. He won the Czech Open and Polish Open and is the only Czech player with experience from the 2018 European Championships in France. After a year break, Lukáš returned to training and is looking forward to the Czech Para Badminton Emil Open in Prague and the European Championships in the Netherlands. Lukáš has played 2 tournaments on the world circuit. Lukáš competed at the Spanish Open 2018 after several months of training. Back then he didn't have many chances against more experienced opponents. In Denmark 2019 he registered his first winning match in doubles on the world circuit with his Polish teammate Jakub Sikorski Codi. We interviewed Lukasz to find out his current goals and motivations for training.

Why did you decide to return to badminton?

Because I missed the sport that has always been a part of my life. I am also motivated by my next participation in the European Championships, which will be in the Netherlands after 5 years. I am also looking forward to the Czech Open, which I managed to win without training in 2021. I am aware that the level of opponents is increasing, so I no longer dare to come to a tournament without regular training. I will compete in singles, doubles with Zbyněk Sýkora and in a mix with Natalia Grzyb from Poland.

What goals did you set for yourself at the mentioned tournaments?

I'm looking forward to playing a tournament again after a long time. The one in Prague will be much better than we used to have in the Czech Republic. My goal is definitely a medal, we'll see.

How are you preparing at the moment and will your preparation before the two tournaments mentioned above come to a head?

I train regularly with my personal trainer Tomáš Voves. We are improving our technique, I still feel big reserves. But with the tournament coming up we are also playing a lot of matches and specific game situations. I also sometimes play with my neighbour, who is not a competitive player, so I can outplay him. I also work out and attend rehab with a physiotherapist.

How do you manage to balance work, sport and family? I guess it's no secret that your son Nikolas was born.

It's true, he makes us happy. Of course it's more demanding, I can't train as much as I always wanted to, but I still manage to set aside some time for sport. With 2 tournaments to go, it drives me forward to train and be well prepared. See you the last weekend of May in Prague.