Freddie Mercury had little-known love affair with sport he was 'unbeatable' at before becoming Queen icon
Freddie Mercury was a "really, really good" table tennis player, according to a former producer, who gave a fascinating insight into the former Queen lead singer's little-known talent for the sport.
Mercury, who would have turned 80 on Saturday (September 5), was an accomplished athlete in his youth and excelled in various sports - including boxing and table tennis - before becoming one of the greatest vocalists of all time.
Growing up, he attended St. Peter's School, a boarding school in Panchgani, India, and here, at the age of 10, he became a school champion in table tennis.
In fact, after being awarded the trophy 'Junior All-Rounder', his school report described him as an “unbeatable" table tennis player who was "thoroughly mediocre" at cross-country running.
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Queen band member Brian May previously suggested Mercury could "smash anybody to bits" on a table-tennis table, with several others backing up that claim, including former colleague Reinhold Mack.
Mack, who produced four Queen albums and Mercury’s ‘Mr. Bad Guy’, spoke about working with Mercury during an interview with uDiscover Music.
“He played table tennis a lot with us,” says Mack. “He was a really, really good table tennis player. I could never beat him, and Julian, who is a strong player, said, ‘I can’t beat that guy.’ Freddie was also really good at tennis.
"He was here for nearly two years. We didn’t work every day and if it was nice we would have the excuse not to go in the studio and just spend time having fun in the swimming pool."
Freddie Mercury was a talented amateur boxer in his school days
That previously mentioned school report also described Mercury as an “accomplished boxer".
While attending the school in India, Mercury was part of the Hectics, a band formed by classmates Bruce Murray and Victory Rana, who has previously spoken about Freddie's passion for boxing.
"He (Freddie) was very much of a loner. Happiest when he was playing the piano, or in the art school. But he was also a good sportsman – hockey, athletics, boxing," said Rana.
Murray went on to recall a fight Mercury was involved in, adding: "I remember a boxing match where Freddie was really getting hammered in the ring, and we all kept telling him to concede the fight.
"But, no. Freddie insisted on fighting on till the end, with blood all over his face. He could be very tenacious."
In the past, Mercury admitted to "loathing" cricket and long-distance running, saying he was "completely useless at both", but the atmosphere often changed when boxing cropped up in conversation.
"I could sprint, I was good at hockey, and I was just brilliant in the boxing ring,” he said.
Jack Kenmare