Pelayo Novo: From the soccer ball to the chair tennis racket

His fall from a third floor, when he was concentrated with Albacete for a match, overwhelmed the world of football. The life of Pelayo Novo (Oviedo, 29 years old) changed radically on March 31, 2018. He was admitted to Zaragoza for 51 days, but it was at the Toledo National Paraplegic Hospital where he realized that he would never play football again. Difficult news to assimilate and more so for a young man who had fought so hard to become a professional footballer. “The human being adapts to the circumstances that he has. It is logical that it takes time because there are times when it is bad. I managed to get out of that and now I am having a great time. I have set up a dog grooming salon with my partner in Oviedo called Dogs N'Roses. And I have also decided to train in administration and finance “, he declares.

Sport is still very present in his life. It has served as a starting point to embark on a new journey. Pelayo Novo takes his first steps in chair tennis And now, as if he were a child, he learns day by day from the best (Martín de la Puente, Dani Caverzaschi or Quico Tur): “I had always trained physically, but it was difficult to understand that the head is also trained. I will continue going to tournaments and the future will tell if I want to dedicate myself to it or not. The mobility of the chair is the hardest to control. Watching videos and talking to people, I try to do better and better. I have had a good progression since the first tournament, one that I played in Seville. “

The Oliver Puras Memorial, which took place in Miranda de Ebro, was his second contact with the highest level competition. In a city that you will always remember. And it was in Anduva, and with the Elche shirt, where he scored his first goal as a professional footballer. “It was an unforgettable year, because we were first from matchday 1 to matchday 42. We won that match and it brought me good memories to see the field again … but past water does not move mills. Now I am focused on the present and on tennis. I always like to play the points, that are long, arrive forced and return the ball even if I end up losing it. That is my mentality, “Pelayo highlights.

Patience

The Asturian has a long way to go, but there is no lack of enthusiasm to try to reach the level of play of the best national tennis players and dream of higher levels: “I think I would be ready to be a professional. I came to Oviedo when I was 17 years old. Soccer begins as a game and changes a lot when it becomes your profession. One of my mistakes was that. It seems silly, but you still think you are a teenager. If I became a tennis pro, now I would understand that difference. “Amen he will fight for it.