Paris 2024 Paralympics | Para badminton : Jürgen Klopp, renowned supporter for Wojtek Czyz

New Zealand Para badminton player Wojtek Czyz took to the court on Thursday October 29 at the Arena Porte de la Chapelle. In the stands, his friend and former Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp came to cheer him on.

Here's a name we didn't necessarily expect to see this morning at the Arena Porte de la Chapelle for the Para badminton events: Jürgen Klopp. The German soccer coach, who recently left Liverpool, was on hand to support his long-time friend Wojtek Czyz. A former footballer, Czyz suffered a knee injury which led to the amputation of the lower part of his left leg. It was at this time that he befriended the famous coach, who was just starting out in his profession.

Already a four-time Paralympic champion (in the 100m, 200m, and twice in the long jump), the man competing for New Zealand has set himself the challenge of competing in the Para badminton events at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in 2021.

A successful gamble for Wojtek Czyz, as he entered the competition this Thursday, August 29. "I started from absolutely zero. You should have seen me two years ago - people were thinking, 'what the heck is this guy doing?' Now I am on a stage with the world's best players as the first-ever representative of New Zealand in para badminton. It makes me incredibly proud", he explained.

Two smiling friends despite defeat

This morning, the New Zealander faced one of the favorites in the SL3 men's singles, Great Britain's Daniel Bethell. Despite being largely dominated (21/5, 21/2), Wojtek Czyz was able to count on the support of his friend Jürgen Klopp: "I'm really happy to see him [...] We talk a lot about the Paralympics. He is a big fan of it - to see what people can achieve and how hard the competition is. He will enjoy being there and I look forward to giving him a good show."

After an initial appearance in the mixed zone, the Para badminton player returned, this time accompanied by Jürgen Klopp, who was full of praise for him: "How was it to watch him? Great [...] Being here, I stood next to Elena, his incredible wife, and we both had tears in our eyes because I know sport is always about the result and winning, but there’s much more behind that story, and being here is always so touching that I couldn’t get my head around it". The German coach even added : "It’s the most inspiring story I’ve ever heard in my life".

In front of journalists, Jürgen Klopp took the opportunity to promote Paralympic sport: "I think we all are ready to watch much more than we show".

For his friend Wojtek Czyz, the tournament continues as he takes on Ukraine's Oleksandr Chyrkov this Friday, August 30.