Misha Zilberman has participated in a lot of tournaments this year. He summarised his 2018 and spoke about his on-court partnership with his mum, as well as his ambitions for the future.
19 – that is the number of tournaments that Misha Zilberman has already been participating in this year. But before the Christmas holidays begin, the Russian-born Israeli is still busy.
The Men’s Singles and Mixed Doubles player is participating in the YONEX/K&D Graphics International Challenge that gets underway from 18-22 December in Orange County, USA.
- I did not count the tournaments I participated in so far, but yes, 19 are a lot. I still have one tournament to play this year, but I will rest for one week after this, Zilberman told Badminton Europe.
- My coach and I are thinking that 2018 was a good year for me. We believe that we improved my game and changed some important things. I am more confident now, for example, when I play in the World Tour, he added.
The goal: the Olympics in 2020
In 2018, Zilberman was able to win the Lagos International in Men’s Singles. Furthermore, he reached the Round of 16 at the European Championships, as well as the quarter-finals at the Spain Masters and the Russian Open.
For the upcoming years, the 29-year-old has specific goals:
- I would like to give a big thank you to the people around me, who motivate me to continue and to try qualifying for my third Olympic Games in 2020.
- As a player, I enjoy analysing my game and try to change it, when I am on court. I start to see the results of the off-court work. This gives me a new drive and the confidence that I am on the right path.
The special partnership with his mum
Next to playing in Men’s Singles, Misha Zilberman is also competing at an international level with his mum, Svetlana Zilberman. The biggest success of the pair, this year, was reaching the quarter-finals at the Lagos International.
- We enjoy playing together, which is the most important thing for me. It encourages us to continue playing together. I think that some players, nowadays, are just playing for the results and do not really enjoy badminton, Zilberman said.
Besides, he revealed to Badminton Europe, what it means for him to participate at an elite level with his mum:
- It is funny that my mum is also my coach off court, we discuss everything together. My mum has always been my biggest role model, especially for my sports career.
- As a coach, she has brought me to the Top 40 in the world. Playing with her is my small part of expressing my respect for her.