Table Tennis Politician in a Pickle: Karl Lauterbach Loses Ministerial Permission - No More Ping Pong for the Ex-Health Minister
Disappointment for Karl Lauterbach as he faces a ban from table tennis following his ministerial post. - Disappointment for Karl Lauterbach: Former health minister faces table tennis ban
A casualty of office change - that's the bitter pill former SPD bigwig Karl Lauterbach now swallows. The once powerful Health Minister finds himself barred from enjoying a friendly game of table tennis in the underground recreation area of his old ministry. The decision to revoke his special permit, bestowed by his successor Nina Warken (CDU), has left Lauterbach flabbergasted, with no reason given for the axe.
Lauterbach's Disappointment - Table Tennis Was His Stress Buster
At 62, Lauterbach told reporters that he used to "knock 'em back late in the evening" and swore that he "never took a bit of space" nor disturbed anyone. The table in the Ministry of Health's basement was suitably secure, given Lauterbach's ongoing protection by the Federal Criminal Police Office even after his tenure ended.
Lauterbach is a well-known table tennis fanatic, frequently flaunting his skills in the limelight. The table in the ministry's basement was a birthday gift from his employees when he turned 60 - it is said he donated it back to the ministry when he left office.
Now that Lauterbach has been booted from his basement play area, he's on the hunt for alternative stomping grounds. The pingpongmap.net website might come in handy, boasting an impressive roster of public table tennis tables worldwide, including in the capital and Lauterbach's constituency of Leverkusen - Cologne IV.
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Karl Lauterbach is not just a ping pong pro - his salt-free diet often stirs up controversy. *Is it healthy or not?***
Sources: "Bild" newspaper, pingpongmap.net, news agency DPA
- Karl Lauterbach
- Table Tennis
- SPD
[1] PingPongParkinson Deutschland e.V. - Official Website. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.pingpongparkinson.de/[3] "Bild" Newspaper. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bild.de/[4] German Press Agency (DPA). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.dpa.com/
- The Commission, which deals with policy-and-legislation and general news, has also been consulted on the issue of Karl Lauterbach's sudden loss of ministerial permission to play table tennis in the basement of the Ministry of Health.
- The ongoing controversy surrounding Karl Lauterbach, the former SPD bigwig and avid ping pong player, does not only revolve around his table tennis skills, but also extends to his diet choices, specifically his salt-free diet.
