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Howard Kennedy's Dov Katz on combining life as a corporate partner with an international table tennis career

I recently returned from the Maccabiah Games, the Jewish Olympics, winning bronze for Great Britain in the men's table tennis team event. The Games are held every four years and are the third largest sporting event in the world with more than 10,000 competitors from 60 countries competing in more than 30 sports.

Participating in an Olympic environment and winning a medal were the culmination of many years of hard training and dedication. I fell in love with table tennis at the age of seven when I was talent-spotted at a local youth club in West Hampstead. Inspired by my father, who used to play for Poland's junior team, I travelled up and down the country and around the world from the age of 11 until 18, participating in domestic national tournaments and county competitions. I also represented Maccabi England and Great Britain at a number of international events.

At the same time I had also decided that wanted to pursue a career in law, and enrolled to study European Law, French and Spanish at university in Bristol. Despite academic pressures and the assorted distractions of university life, I still managed to compete for Avon county and then for Creteil, one of the strongest table tennis clubs in France while doing internships at Paris law firms. I also competed in Brussels while on an internship at the European Commission, but as my responsibilities grew, it became harder to combine the two disciplines.

With my sporting pursuits not being quite as lucrative as a legal career, my priorities began to shift as I established myself as a lawyer. Table tennis took a back seat until six or seven years ago, when I was asked to take over the running of Jewish table tennis in the UK.

Since then, in my spare time I have organised, managed and led teams in Antwerp, Italy, North America and Israel. Achievements of recent years include being awarded the title of Jewish Sportsman of the Year 2004 and winning the national team championships in 2006. These days I compete for Brighton in the British League Division One, the equivalent of the Coca-Cola Championship in footballing terms.

Having sponsored the table tennis squad at this year's Jewish Olympics, Howard Kennedy will, I hope, play a continued part in my table tennis involvement. While it is often a challenge to combine my table tennis with the long working hours of a career in law, my firm has been very supportive.

And my circle of contacts within the table tennis fraternity often throw up excellent opportunities for marketing and business development. Indeed, many of my clients participate in teams that I am involved in, and it's surprising how many high-profile individuals play the sport - for example, Goldman Sachs CEO Michael Sherwood.

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