Our Team 2025/26
New season - new team! Season one without Timo Boll is season one for Kanak Jha and Yongyin Li in the red Borussia jersey. With Dang Qiu at the top and Anton Källberg as a reliable provider of points, plus Borgar Haug and the two new players, head coach Danny Heister has a powerful team that wants to be at the top again at the end of the 2025/26 season.
Haug has continuously improved since he has been living, training and playing for Borussia in Düsseldorf. He has climbed a good 200 places in the world rankings in the last two years and is now ranked in the top 80. The young Norwegian is a team player and pushes every teammate, even if he is “only” sitting on the bench. Together with Anton Källberg, he forms a strong Scandinavian duo. The Swede is and remains a crowd favorite and a reliable force in the Bundesliga, even if he is now also doing really well internationally and is one of the best 15 in the world. With 18 wins and just three defeats, he played an outstanding 2024/25 Bundesliga first half. Champions League, cup and play-offs included, his record is 25:6!
Our penholder ace Dang Qiu can keep up with that. The 2022 European champion played 20:3. The 28-year-old is now the leader of the team. He's been the best German and best Borussian for some time, but most of the attention has been on Timo Boll. Now all eyes are on the national player.
Kanak Jha and Yongyin Li both fit in perfectly with Borussia's DNA. Jha, who has applied for German citizenship, has already had very good experiences at Staufenplatz. He won his first international tournament here, the WTT Feeder Düsseldorf, which is organized by Borussia. But he is no stranger to the Bundesliga either, having most recently played for Bergneustadt. He is characterized above all by his consistency. He is (still) a little shy, but also a good-humored guy. Li, who is usually called Leo, is Chinese but doesn't play on the WTT tour. While the others travel to the tournaments, he can continue training in Düsseldorf and is also always available to the head coach. He is a perfectionist and is also known from the Bundesliga. The left-hander came to us from the other Borussia (Dortmund).
The goal for this season: to come together and play for the title at the end.
The dynamic penholder ace with Asian precision and German fighting spirit.
People like to talk about the fact that Dang's big breakthrough came late, at the age of 25. That was when he became European champion, played more and more successfully at WTT tournaments and made a leap forward in the world rankings. Born in Swabia, he had already collected international titles as a schoolboy and teenager, but it wasn't seamless when he made the leap into the professional ranks. Today, he is not only the first German-born penholder player, but also one of the best in the world. He also started with the shakehand position. But as his backhand was not so powerful, his father, himself a former Bundesliga player and Chinese national player, suggested that he try the penholder. Fans at the ARAG CenterCourt can see for themselves how well this works and feel his opponents at the table.
Dang Qiu
In the club since: 01/07/2021
All-time record for Borussia: 91:21
Titles with Borussia Düsseldorf:
- German Champion Team 2024, 2023 and 2022
- Winner German Cup 2024
Handness: Right handed
Material
Timber: Timo Boll ALC
Rubber: VH Dignics 09C 5 , BH Dignics 05
World ranking: 13 (1st July 2025)
Highest Ranking: 8 (2023)
Date of birth: 29/10/1996
Nationality: German
Height: 1,80 m
Weight: 78 kg
What makes him happy: "If the people around me are happy, so am I!"
Latest successes:
- Quarterfinals WTT Star Contender Doha 2025
- Quarterfinals WTT Singapore Smash 2025, 2024
- Finalist WTT Champions Macao 2024
- Semifinals WTT Champions Chongqing 2024
- Semifinals WTT Finals 2023
- 1st Place European Games 2023 – Team and Mixed
Greatest successes:
- Olympic Participation 2024 (Singles: 9th place, Mixed: 9th place, Team: 5th place)
- European Champion 2022 – Singles
- Finalist WTT Champions Macao 2024
- World Team Championship Runner-up 2022
- Semifinals WTT Finals 2023
Awards:
- Germany's Table Tennis Player of the year 2022
Anton Källberg
In the club since: 01/07/2016
All-time record for Borussia: 236:79
Titles with Borussia Düsseldorf:
- Winner Champions League 2021, 2018
- German Champion Team 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2018, 2017
- Winner German Team Cup 2024, 2021, 2018, 2017
Handedness: Right handed
Material:
Timber: Dimitrij Ovtcharov Innerforce ALC
Rubber: FH Dignics 09C, BH Dignics 09C
World ranking: 15 (1st July 2025)
Highest Ranking: 12 (2023, 2024)
Date of birth: 17/08/1997
Nationality: Swedish
Height: 1,83 m
Weight: 76 kg
What makes him happy? “Beating Danny at playing cards!”
Latest successes:
- 2nd place WTT Champions Frankfurt 2024
- 2nd place Doubles European Championships 2024
- 2nd place with Team Sweden Olympic 2024
- 3rd place Doubles WTT Singapore Smash
- 1st place Team European Championships 2023 Team
Greatest successes:
- 2nd place with Team Sweden Olympic 2024
- 2nd place Doubles European Championships 2024
- 4x WC-Participant 2021-2017 (Double:17th Place 2019, 17th Place / Team: 3rd Place 2018)
- 7x EC-Participant 2023 (1st place Team), 2021 (2x), 2019, 2017-2015 (Sinlges: 5th Place 2021, 9th Place 2016 / Double: 9th Place 2021, 5th Place 2016 (P. Gerell)/ Mixed: 9th Place 2021 / Team: 3rd Place 2021, 3rd Place 2019, 5th Place 2017, 2015)
- 2nd place WTT Champions Frankfurt 2024
Topspin machine at world-class level with a dose of Scandinavian coolness.
Borussia Düsseldorf has had many good experiences with players from Sweden, and the likeable, good-humored Anton Källberg is no exception. Born in Stockholm, he moved to Germany as a teenager, moved to the Rhine in 2016 and has played one good season after another since then. The crowd favorite has been one of the top players in the league for years.
Technically adept, strategically clever, mentally strong and a three-time Olympian.
Kanak Jha initially emulated his older sister and started playing table tennis at the age of five. Although he was actually more interested in soccer, he quickly showed a talent for table tennis, especially due to his excellent hand-eye coordination and agility, which he brought with him from soccer. At the age of 14, Kanak moved to Halmstad, Sweden, with his sister to train under professional conditions. There he trained five to six hours a day and worked with renowned coaches. This decision was decisive for his development and enabled him to make his international breakthrough. He shares the station and training in Halmstad with Borgar Haug.
Kanak Jha
In the club since: 01/07/2025
All-time record for Borussia: 0:0
Titles with Borussia Düsseldorf:
- none (yet)
Handness: Right handed
Material:
Timber: Super Viscaria ALC
Rubber: Dignics 05
World ranking: 27 (1st July 2025)
Highest Ranking: 19 (2023)
Date of birth: 15/10/2002
Nationality: US-American
Height: 1,72 m
Weight: 71 kg
Latest successes:
- Pan-american champion 2025
- 9th place WTT Singapore Smash 2025
- 9th place World Cup Macao 2025
- 9th place Olympic Games Singles
- Winner WTT Feeder Düsseldorf 2024
Greatest successes:
- Three-time Olympian (2024, 2020,2016)
- Winner American National Championships Singles 2025, 2024, 2019-2016
- 3rd Place Olympic Youth Games 2018
- Winner WTT Feeder Düsseldorf 2024
Borgar Haug
In the club since: 01/07/2023
All-time record for Borussia: 7:15
Titles with Borussia Düsseldorf:
- German Champion Team 2024
- Winner German Cup 2024
Handness: Left handed
Material
Timber: DHS W968
Rubber: FH DHS Hurricane 3, BH DHS Hurricane 8
World ranking: 84 (1st July 2025)
Highest Ranking: 79 (2025)
Date of birth: 21/11/2002
Nationality: Norwegian
Height: 1,73 m
Weight: 66 kg
What makes him happy? "Big forehands!"
Latest successes:
- Final WTT Feeder Doha 2024
- 3rd Place WTT Feeder Olomouc 2024
- German Team Champion with Borussia Düsseldorf 2024
- Norwegian National Champion 2025
- Winner German Cup with Borussia Düsseldorf 2024
Greatest successes:
- Final WTT Feeder Doha 2024
- 3rd Place WTT Feeder Olomouc 2024
- German Team Champion with Borussia Düsseldorf 2024
- Norwegian National Champion 2025-2019
- Winner German Cup with Borussia Düsseldorf 2024
Explosive at the table and passionate on the bench, he is always ready to learn more.
Borgar Haug has arrived in Düsseldorf! The multiple Norwegian champion came to the state capital from the Swedish club Halmstad BTK. Here he improved his world ranking by 200 places and is now in the top 80. He complements the team at the table and in the box - because he cheers on every one of his team-mates with enthusiasm! Coach Danny Heister knows: “He's simply a good guy”.
A PERFECTIONIST AND BIG TIMO BOLL FAN WHO IS ALWAYS GOOD FOR A SURPRISE.
Danny Heister has been active in the coaching business since 2005 and has been head coach at Borussia Düsseldorf since 2010. In his very first year as coach in Düsseldorf, he scored a major coup - in the 2010/11 season, he won the Champions League, the German championship and the German Cup, repeating the triple from the previous year that his predecessor Dirk Wagner had "burdened" him with in his farewell. As the first coach of Borussia, he succeeded in repeating the triple in 2018 and 2021. Meanwhile, Heister won 22 titles as coach with Borussia Düsseldorf (3x Champions League, 1x ETTU Cup, 10x German Team Champion, 8x German Cup Winner). From 2003 to 2007 he was under contract with Borussia as a player.
Yongyin Li
In the club since: 01/07/2025
All-time record for Borussia: 0:0
Titles with Borussia Düsseldorf:
- none (yet)
Handness: Left handed
Material
Timber: Butterfly Mizutani ZLC
Rubber: FH DHS Hurricane 3, BH DHS Hurricane
Date of birth: 21/06/2002
Nationality: Chinese
Height: 1,73 m
Weight: 71 kg
What makes him happy: "There's so much to choose from, but I'm going for table tennis!"
Yongyin Li does not take part in international tournaments.
Danny Heister
In the club since: 01/07/2010
Titles with Borussia: Winner Champions League 2021, 2018, 2011; Winner ETTU-Cup 2012; German Team Champion 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2018-2014, 2012, 2011; Winner German Cup Team 2024, 2021, 2018-2013, 2011
Function: Head coach
Date of birth: 18/11/1971
Nationality: Dutch
What makes him happy: "Titles and the way towards them with a team"
Greatest successes (as Player and Coach):
- Winner Champions League 2021, 2018, 2011 (with Borussia)
- Winner ETTU-Cup 2012, 2007 (with Borussia)
- German Team Champion 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2011 (with Borussia)
- Winner German Cup 2024, 2021, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2011 (with Borussia), 1997 (with Gönnern)
- 3x Olympia-Participant 2004 Athen, 2000 Sydney, 1996 Atlanta
- 12x WC-Participant
- Multiple EC-Participant (3rd Place Double 2002 with Keen)
- 5th Place Pro Tour Final Singles 2002
- Winner English Open Doubles 1999 (with Keen)
- 11x Dutch Champion Singles
- 15x Dutch Champion Doubles
“DANNY CAN'T LOSE AND THAT'S WHY HE DOES EVERYTHING TO AVOID IT.”
(Timo Boll)
Danny Heister has been active in the coaching business since 2005 and has been head coach at Borussia Düsseldorf since 2010. In his very first year as coach in Düsseldorf, he scored a major coup - in the 2010/11 season, he won the Champions League, the German championship and the German Cup, repeating the triple from the previous year that his predecessor Dirk Wagner had "burdened" him with in his farewell. As the first coach of Borussia, he succeeded in repeating the triple in 2018 and 2021. Meanwhile, Heister won 22 titles as coach with Borussia Düsseldorf (3x Champions League, 1x ETTU Cup, 10x German Team Champion, 8x German Cup Winner). From 2003 to 2007 he was under contract with Borussia as a player.
Andreas Preuss
In the club since: 01/07/1984
Function: Manager
Date of birth: 30/03/1962
Nationality: German
Andreas Preuß is "Mister Borussia Düsseldorf". He joined Borussia as a player at a young age, later took over the manager's position from Wilfried Micke, swapped it for the coach's chair in 1999 and returned to the manager's seat in 2006.
Preuß stands for seriousness and integrity and leads the club very successfully without any scandals. In addition to the seven Champions League triumphs, Preuß's greatest successes include winning the German championship in 2003 with an inexperienced squad (average age of 22) and the four triples in 2010, 2011, 2018 and 2021.
During his time as coach and manager, he signed Jörg Roßkopf, Vladimir Samsonov (who became world number 1 during his Borussia era), Michael Maze and, last but not least, Christian Süß, Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Timo Boll, Anton Källberg and Dang Qiu.
Alexander Schilling
In the club since: 2002
Function: Managing Director
Date of birth: 23/07/1974
Nationality: German
The sports science graduate has worked for Borussia Düsseldorf for 23 years. Having previously held management positions in the Bundesliga and public relations, he has been Borussia's Managing Director since January 1, 2024.
Melanie Berg
In the club since: 2023
Function: Press spokeswoman
Date of birth: 09/03/1974
Nationality: German
The sports management graduate has been Borussia's press officer and responsible for the club's public relations work since January 1, 2024.
Dr. Antonius Kass
Date of birth: 26/04/1963
Nationality: german
Marital status: married, three kids
Function: Orthopedic and sport-therapeutic support
In the club since: 2004
Adress: Benderstraße 10, 40625 Düsseldorf
Website: www.kass.de
"Toni" Kass is concerned for the orthopedic and sport-therapeutic support of the Borussia-Pros since season 2004/05. He makes sure by little "minor ailment" and by bigger injuries that the players will get convalesce and that they can go back on the table again.
