Laszlo Bellak

{{Infobox table tennis player

| name= Laszlo Bellak

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| fullname = Bellák László

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| nationality = {{HUN}}
{{USA}}

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| birth_date = {{birth date|1911|2|12|df=y}}

| birth_place = Budapest, Hungary

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2006|9|20|1911|2|12|df=y}}

| death_place = Miami, Florida

| height =

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{{MedalCountry | {{HUN}} }}

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Laszlo Bellak (February 12, 1911 – September 20, 2006) was a Hungarian and American table tennis player.

Table tennis career

He represented Hungary 59 times in international competition.{{cite web|url=http://www.ittf.com/stories/Stories_detail.asp?ID=10085&Category=&General_Catigory=General&|title=Farewell to the Clown Prince of Table Tennis, Laszlo Bellak (1911-2006)|last=Marshall|first=Ian|date=September 20, 2006|publisher=ITTF News|access-date=June 27, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304103025/http://www.ittf.com/stories/Stories_detail.asp?ID=10085&Category=&General_Catigory=General&|archive-date=March 4, 2016}} He won 21 medals at the World Championships, seven of which were gold. This included six wins as a member of the Hungarian National Team that won the Swaythling Cup in 1928, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1935, and 1938.{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishsports.net/BioPages/LaszloBellak.htm|title=Laszlo Bellak|publisher=International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame|access-date=June 27, 2015}}

Bellak moved to the United States at the start of World War II, and enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in India and Burma. He was decorated three times, and was honorably discharged with the Victory Medal, attaining the rank of Sergeant.

He won the U.S. Men’s Singles title in 1938, the U.S. Men’s Doubles in 1937, 1939, and 1943, and the U.S. Mixed Doubles in 1941. He also won three English Open titles.

Halls of Fame

Bellak was inducted into the USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame in 1980{{cite web|url=http://www.usatt.net/organization/halloffame/bellak1.html|title=Laszlo ("Laci") Bellak--Part I|publisher=USA Table Tennis - USATT Hall of Fame -|access-date=June 27, 2015|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304234040/http://www.usatt.net/organization/halloffame/bellak1.html|url-status=dead}} and the International Table Tennis Foundation Hall of Fame in 1993.{{cite web|url=http://www.ittf.com/museum/HallofFame.pdf |publisher=ITTF |access-date=July 20, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617005939/http://www.ittf.com/museum/HallofFame.pdf |archive-date=June 17, 2011 }}

Bellak, who was Jewish, was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.

He was inducted into the Florida Table Tennis Hall of Fame in 1996.{{cite web|url=http://www.swfloridatabletennis.com/hall_bios.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080224035618/http://www.swfloridatabletennis.com/hall_bios.htm |archive-date=February 24, 2008 |title=Florida Table Tennis Hall of Fame Biographies |publisher=Swfloridatabletennis.com |access-date=June 27, 2015}}

Book

He authored Table Tennis—How A New Sport Was Born: The History of the Hungarian Team Winning 73 Gold Medals (1990).{{cite web |url=http://www.newgy.com/p-232-table-tennis-how-a-new-sport-was-born.aspx |title=Newgy Industries - Table Tennis — How a New Sport was Born |website=www.newgy.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129000616/http://newgy.com/p-232-table-tennis-how-a-new-sport-was-born.aspx |archive-date=2010-11-29}}