Laszlo Bellak

Laszlo Bellak
Full name	Bellák László
Nationality	Hungary United States
Born	(1911-02-12)12 February 1911 Budapest, Hungary
Died	20 September 2006(2006-09-20) (aged 95) Miami, Florida
Medal record Men's table tennis Representing Hungary World Championships Silver medal – second place 1938 Wembley Doubles Gold medal – first place 1938 Wembley Mixed Doubles Gold medal – first place 1938 Wembley Men's Team Silver medal – second place 1937 Baden Men's Team Bronze medal – third place 1936 Prague Men's Team Bronze medal – third place 1935 Wembley Doubles Gold medal – first place 1935 Wembley Men's Team Silver medal – second place 1934 Paris Singles Bronze medal – third place 1934 Paris Mixed Doubles Gold medal – first place 1934 Paris Men's Team Silver medal – second place 1932 Prague Doubles Silver medal – second place 1932 Prague Men's Team Bronze medal – third place 1931 Budapest Mixed Doubles Gold medal – first place 1931 Budapest Men's Team Silver medal – second place 1930 Berlin Singles Bronze medal – third place 1930 Berlin Doubles Gold medal – first place 1930 Berlin Men's Team Silver medal – second place 1929 Budapest Doubles Silver medal – second place 1929 Budapest Mixed Doubles Silver medal – second place 1928 Stockholm Singles Bronze medal – third place 1928 Stockholm Doubles Gold medal – first place 1928 Stockholm Men's Team

Laszlo Bellak (February 12, 1911 – September 20, 2006) was a Hungarian and American table tennis player.

Table tennis career

He represented Hungary 59 times in international competition. He won 21 medals at the World Championships, seven of which were gold. This included six wins as a member of the Hungarian National Team that won the Swaythling Cup in 1928, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1935, and 1938. Bellak moved to the United States at the start of World War II, and enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in India and Burma. He was decorated three times, and was honorably discharged with the Victory Medal, attaining the rank of Sergeant. He won the U.S. Men’s Singles title in 1938, the U.S. Men’s Doubles in 1937, 1939, and 1943, and the U.S. Mixed Doubles in 1941. He also won three English Open titles.

Halls of Fame

Bellak was inducted into the USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame in 1980 and the International Table Tennis Foundation Hall of Fame in 1993. Bellak, who was Jewish, was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. He was inducted into the Florida Table Tennis Hall of Fame in 1996.

Book

He authored Table Tennis—How A New Sport Was Born: The History of the Hungarian Team Winning 73 Gold Medals (1990).

See also

• List of select Jewish table tennis players

External links

• Jews in Sports bio