UNIVERSITY is proving a winner for Warrnambool’s Ben Taylor — inside and outside the classroom.
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The Deakin student will represent Australia in table tennis at the World University Games in South Korea in July.
Taylor, 20, is the only Victorian selected in the four-member national team.
The multiple Victorian representative said he was thrilled to wear green and gold for the first time.
“It is awesome really,” he said.
“I am really excited. It is a big event.
“Me and dad were reading up on it. There are 20,000 athletes around the world going.
“There is an athletes’ village, food court. The whole experience … I am going to immerse myself in it.”
Taylor is tempering his personal expectations as he knows the calibre of opposition will be testing.
“I just want to play well and get the experience under my belt. Maybe that can further myself in the Australian ranks,” he said.
“I was talking to someone who went two years ago and their best player just played in the world championships, so I’ll probably have future world champs to play against.”
Taylor said he registered his interest in competing at the World University Games with Table Tennis Australia, which then went through a selection process.
He is playing weekly pennant for Warrnambool Table Tennis Club and travels to Geelong once a week to play in a pennant competition there.
“I feel I am in reasonable form and it’s probably slightly improved since I was named in the team which is good,” he said.
Taylor, who thanked his parents and coach Trevor McDowell for their support, won a team event silver medal at the Australian under 21 national championships in July last year.
