Peru's 24-Year Wait Ends: How Passion, Hard Work, and One Portuguese Coach Changed Everything

It's 2024, and Magali Montes is quitting her job as a financial manager to run for an unpaid position: President of the Peruvian Table Tennis Federation. Table tennis gave her everything: a scholarship to study in the US, her first job as an Olympian. "Being an Olympian for many companies is more successful than studying at Harvard," she says. 2025 was the year she wanted to give back.

Her first day was January 1, 2025. The federation had no government funding, over 1 million soles in debt, no password for social media. Everything was on the ground. The first step? A world-class coach.

The Game-Changer

By February 2025, Magali found Francisco Santos, a Portuguese coach who inspired the men's national team to secure team gold, men's doubles gold and silver, and men's singles bronze at the Bolivarian Games.

When Santos arrived, he found talent and passion. The biggest challenge? Making everyone believe that hard work, repeated every day, is the only way forward. "For so many years, almost 10 years, the kids did not have the mentality of working hard with coaches, and they didn't have a plan," Magali explains.

Nano Fernández, a national team member for 12 years, says Santos is very organized. He plans everything, how many hours, where, and when to practice. For the first time, Nano's head coach was advising him on leagues, earnings, and where to go. Santos wasn't just doing his job; he was building a world-class team. "The connection is built through daily training, high standards, and shared responsibility," Santos says. "We create an environment where everyone counts, where commitment is non-negotiable."

The Final

Going into the Bolivarian Games, expectations weren't high. The transformation had just started. Nano started believing Peru could win gold in October, when serious practice began. "I knew we could, but I never thought about 100% obtaining the gold medal. It was a surprise."

The final against Venezuela didn't start well. Nano and Felipe lost the opening doubles 3-0. "The mood was sad, anxious, furious, and bad," Nano recalls. "Thanks to the team, after Rodrigo winning, our mood came up and we managed to control everything."

What did Santos say between matches? "I could play the worst match of my life and he would still have a positive message. Hope," Nano explains. "He was always giving us motivation and positive words. Positive attitude. It's good because for the singles matches we did not hesitate to play our best."

Nano won 3-0 to put Peru ahead 2-1. "After I won this match, I knew we would win. Like I was 100% sure. I did not doubt any of them."

When Felipe clinched the gold, winning 3-2, 11-9 in the fifth set with rallies every point, Nano almost cried. "It was a roller coaster. Emotions. Happiness. Everything. It was probably one of the best sensations. Also in my hometown with my mother, family, all my friends. I remember it as if it was yesterday."

Breaking the 24-Year Drought

Peru hadn't won gold in table tennis at the Bolivarian Games since 2001, 24 years. But this wasn't sudden. "Felipe, Rodrigo, me, we have been in the national team and teammates for 8 years," Nano says. "I knew that earlier or later we would have these results. And we are still very young. We have a long way to walk."

The historic doubles gold, where both finalists were Peruvian, was unbelievable for Magali. "Never in the players' history were there two Peruvian teams in the finals. This is like a model for young players to follow. This is what we're teaching our kids right now: that with effort, you can do better. That Peruvian table tennis has the personality, and it is a country that is going to fight for whatever we want."

The Women's Bronze

Peru isn't only investing in men. The women's team won bronze, with Natzumi Aquije playing a key role. They had a complete training camp with a psychologist, a physical trainer, and a physiotherapist. "Two hours before the important game (semi-finals), we went to the warm-up zone to get ready," Natzumi recalls. Now she feels way more supported. She's not from Lima, and before everything was centralized. Thanks to the new leadership, they've accommodated her to train. "It lets us know that we are not far from being great athletes and table tennis players," she says.

Lima 2027

Lima 2027 is in two years. Santos believes the team can continue to improve. For him, the focus is not on results, but on raising the standard every day. "My goal was and is clear: when I leave one day, I want to leave Peruvian table tennis better than I found it, stronger, more structured, and with a winning mentality."

Nano wants to work hard. It's his dream to win a medal. "A lot of players play in the EU and they are probably in better shape than me. However, I do not take out the chance we can do it. This is the goal. Win medals, and then I think I can sleep in peace."

Natzumi knows it's a very difficult competition because of the level difference. Her goal is to give her best performance, to represent her country well.

From debt and disconnection to continental gold in less than a year. From 24 years without gold to historic doubles dominance. Peru's transformation is about what happens when passion meets infrastructure, when belief meets hard work, when a team that loves table tennis decides to build something together. The journey to Lima 2027 has already begun.