Events

Photo: Badminton Photo
Milan Dratva: the balance between structure and creativity
Date: 4/13/2021 4:02 PM
Published by : Sara Gonzalez Martinez (BEC)
Leading the way in the men’s singles category in Slovakia, Milan Dratva is ready to face off with Europe’s top players at the 2021 European Championships. 

We go deeper into his past, present, and future expectations as he prepares to give everything on court at this huge event, and how he’s found strength in structuring and getting creative.

The Slovakian number one men’s singles player has been steadily holding onto the 145th spot in the world rankings and despite having a long period of being far from the court due to the current pandemic, Dratva has been demonstrating his ambition and stability through the consistency of his game in recent tournaments. Speaking about his trainingat the Centre of Excellence, Dratva described how he has noticeably changed his approach.

-Being here I got calmer, smarter, and I matured a little bit. I got my game structured which I didn’t have before. I was the kind of player who did well once and then did bad three times after, now I have more consistency in my game.

Consistency is his way to success. The 24-year-old had a huge breakthrough four years ago when he escalated up the rankings and has persisted and persevered all the way until now. Although having dropped only three positions just recently, today he’s in what could be described as his best we’ve ever seen. Dratva is striving for that final push before the big international event, which means we could see him going all out in the upcoming European Championships. In November last year, when reflecting on the Road to Tokyo, he already had his eyes set on making the most out of the previous months to the Olympics.

-I realise what chances I have when the last months of the Olympic qualification take place and I'm not planning on wasting them, Dratva declared.

Badminton, a family affair
What started as a family project has taken him from the mountainous central European country to the rather flat landscape of Denmark, where he now lives, training at the Centre of Excellence. After trying different sports, it was his parents and brother that decided that they should try badminton, and as time has shown, it was an excellent choice. Dratva made the big move to Denmark at 19 and he’s delighted with the outcome.

- I think it was a really good decision and a really good step for my career, Dratva affirmed.

Despite the fact that he misses his childhood friends and speaking his mother tongue—although for that he has Martina Repiska, a fellow Slovakian who’s also made the CoE her home - Dratva’s years in the Nordic country has seen his career take off and develop not just through exhaustive training sessions, but also by being inspired by both the Danes taking the leadership in the men’s singles and his colleagues at the centre.

-There are a lot of good players not just in the CoE but also Danish national players. Here in the CoE we have a good team and we support each other, Dratva emphasised. 

Creativity as a strength
Structuring his game and taking inspiration from the players from the country where he now lives are not the only things that keep Dratva going. When asked about his favourite hobbies to take a break from the demanding routine, the player describes the arts as a significant part of his life.

 -My number one favourite thing to do is drawing and painting, keeping creative. Sometimes I listen to music, Dratva stated. 

It seems that this connection to artistry is fairly deep, as when questioned on what two things he’d take if stranded on a tropical island, he decided to go not just for a rifle, but also for a music player. We hope he also takes with him his racquet anywhere he goes, so he can continue impressing the crowds with his tactful style.

The 2021 European Championships will take place in Kyiv, Ukraine from 27 April to 2 May. For more information about the 2021 European Championships, click here

All matches can be watched here.
©badmintoneurope.com. All rights reserved.

Related news
29/03/2024
Europeans ready for quarterfinals in Madrid
European favourites out of the...

27/03/2024
EOC Executive Committee awards 2027 European Games to Istanbul
The European Olympic Committee...

27/03/2024
Madrid Spain Masters day 2: Victories, upsets, and excitement on court.
French siblings sweep to victo...

26/03/2024
A first action-packed day unfolds at the Spain Masters
The Madrid Spain Masters 2024 ...

26/03/2024
Spain Masters begins today with an unexpected withdrawal!
Madrid is buzzing with excitem...

25/03/2024
Lane/ Vendy and Marin, victorious at Swiss Open
The Swiss Open concluded this ...

More news