Playing the Moldovans at Tennis

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I expected to find this book funny, which it is; I didn't expect to find it illuminating and rather moving, which it is too" ( Daily Mail) Had it been a better film (perhaps by involving others in the production? NB Tony performed most jobs himself to keep costs down), maybe it would have raised more money?

Playing the Moldovans at Tennis by Tony Hawks | Waterstones

Even if you hate tennis and couldn't find Moldova on the map, you'll be charmed. Utterly recommended" ( FHM) I found myself laughing out loud while reading this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes travel memoirs and has a good sense of humor. As the story unfolds, Tony's desire not to let the family down, particularly ten year old Elena, becomes more important than winning the bet itself. I can imagine to be willing to read this book another time *again*. According to my memory and goodreads, I already read it twice in German, but, but! since I don't have the recollection of a second year, I am going to stay with: read twice, once in 2007 in German, once in 2019 in English. In summary, it's an OK film. This is a shame, because Tony Hawks has funded the film himself from his retirement savings. All proceeds (and these will be low) go to a hospital for mentally handicapped that Tony himself has founded in Moldova.

Tony Hawks, is a British comedian and author, famous for his Quizotic travel accounts undertaking bizarre wagers with friends. Hawks performs stand-up comedy, and is a regular on TV and radio panel games in the UK, including I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, Just a Minute, The Unbelievable Truth and Have I Got News for You, although he first came to prominence as one of two resident performers — the other was Jo Brand — on semi-successful BBC monologue show The Brain Drain. Comedian Tony Hawks challenges to individual tennis matches all 11 of the Moldovan footballers who lost to England, 4-0. Tony Hawks needs to beat the odds and the entire Moldovan national football team...at tennis. Adapted from the best-selling book of the same name, Playing the Moldovans at Tennis is the true story of an Englishman's lesson that real victory is found in the most unexpected places.

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Playing the Moldovans at Tennis

Arthur Smith is also a funny guy. He’s a friend of Tony Hawks and has starred alongside him on the comedy circuit and on “Red Dwarf”. He’s also pretty fond of telling Tony he’s not very good at tennis, which upsets Tony because Tony thinks he’s actually rather good at the game. And so it is that one night, whilst watching England beat Moldova 4-0 and after quite a few drinks have been consumed, a bet is made. The bet is as so; that Tony can’t beat the entire Moldovan football team at tennis.A pretty funny account of a weird idea that arose from a bet – playing the entire Moldovan football team at tennis! I much preferred Round Ireland With a Fridge as I simply preferred the concept, but Hawks still writes with a dry humour and a naivety that takes you on his journey with wide eyes and an open mind. Cu siguranță că acum nu este așa „faptul că un actor de comedie din Anglia a venit în Moldova ca să încerce să-i bată la tenis pe fotbaliștii din echipa națională a Moldovei nu este o știre de presă”. It's not nearly funny enough. There are many smiles, but few big laughs. 2. The book is good. It revealed that the author learned a lot about himself from his experience in Moldova. This only vaguely transfers to the screen. 3. The plot is reasonably but not compellingly constructed. If the streaming had stopped half way through (it didn't, it worked well), I am not sure I would have felt any need to find it again to see the end. The distribution model for this film seems largely to be via internet streaming. There appears to be a tour from Tony Hawks of the film and a very limited cinema release. I personally don't believe that the film is anywhere strong enough for a wider cinema release. Even if you hate tennis and couldn't find Moldova on the map, you'll be charmed. Utterly recommended FHM

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Playing the Moldovans at Tennis - Episode

Of course I am not telling you here if Tony was successful and was really able to beat all players. You have to read it by yourself, and I can assure you, it is a very entertaining book. And since there not many books about Moldova, it is still a must-read for anyone who travels there. It’s a fun and an entertaining little read, as Hawks often is, although I don’t think it’s one that I’ll find myself thinking about too deeply in the months and years to come. With that said, reading him writing about Moldova, which was also occupied by the Soviet Union, reminded me of my trip to Latvia. Perhaps thankfully so, the genre recently seems to have abated in popularity, perhaps because the world is now so interconnected, there is less and less tourism possible to be guerilla about.

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pare însă că acest lucru este adevărat. „Prima dată când am devenit vulnerabil și avem mare nevoie de ajutor. La așa ceva moldovenii reacționează!” Peter Moore is another example of similar literature, though perhaps one of the best ones is Daniel Kalder's Lost Cosmonaut: Observations of an Anti-Tourist. What follows is the hilarious report of Tony's adventures mainly in Moldova, with a visit in Northern Ireland (where the football team has a match that would give Tony the opportunity to challenge some players he hadn't met yet.) and an exciting trip to Nazareth where things seem to go wrong for Tony...

Playing the Moldovans at Tennis - Tony Hawks - Google Books Playing the Moldovans at Tennis - Tony Hawks - Google Books

Tony believes the task will be relatively easy and has a cunning plan to use the adventure as material for a next book. However, upon arriving in the former Soviet Republic of Moldova, he discovers the task will be more challenging than expected, as he encounters uncooperative football managers, gangsters, corruption and poverty. Today I am writing a few lines about a rather humorous book by the British comedian Tony Hawks: Playing the Moldovans at Tennis. At the beginning is an eccentric wager: Tony is betting with a friend (after they watched the Moldovan football team in TV losing against England) that he can beat every member of the Moldovan National team in tennis. (It should be mentioned that a short time before his Moldovan adventure he won a bet that included his traveling around Ireland - with a fridge!) The reason why Hawks has the odds against him for writing a travelouge that works (and under no circumstances is capable of writing a great travelouge) is that is simply doesn't have a clue about Moldova. As anyone that succeeds with making a living out of something he doesn't have a clue about, he does not try to behave like he is an expert, he chooses a subject most other people don't have a clue about either and of course it does not hurt that he has a great humor and a lot of good spirit.

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Follow the fortunes of Tony in this hilarious and often moving adventure as it takes him from Moldova, onwards to Northern Ireland, leading to an exciting denouement in Nazareth - and the naked truth of the bet's final outcome ...