SCI Mag No.119

A Winter’s Tale

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Zsolt-Georg Böhm eventually finds the missing piece

Byeong An Hun follows a very different course

Redefine the Shape of Strength.

Developed from an unprecedented perspective, with a low-profile, high-density pimple structure. The result of this bold innovation — spin like never before. Lifting the trajectory higher, driving it deeper, elevating the quality of both finishing shots and rally control. Shots transform, new tactics emerge, the path of growth expands. This is where strength takes a new shape.

SWAYTHLING

Issue No.119 / October 2025

Editor & Design: Ian Marshall

Sub Editor: Richard Scruton

Statistics: Günther Angenendt, Matt Solt

Contributors: Ahn Jaehyung, Byeong Hun An, Reto Bazzi, Claude Bergeret, Zsolt-Georg Böhm, Simone Hinz, Scott Houston, Alan Hydes, Jiao Zhimin, Leandro Olvech, Dimitrij

“I believe that with using anti there is a chance that I can become a better player, more successful than before, but of course also there is a big risk if it does not work out as my table tennis career comes to a close”

CONTENTS

Ovtcharov, Pei-Ching Ko, Beatrice Romanescu, Elizabeta Samara, Richard Scruton, Glenn Tepper, Marcio Tovar, World Table Tennis, Laura Wong, Marcos Yamada

Photographs: Ahn Jaehyung, Malcolm Anderson, Butterfly, Christian Heyerdhal, Alan Hydes, International Table Tennis Federation, Rémy Gros, Michael Loveder, Leandro Olvech, Pei-Ching Ko, Mike Rhodes, Manfred Schillings,

Stag, Marcio Tovar, Table Tennis England, World Table Tennis

Published by: Swaythling Club International

Swaythling Club International Executive Committee: Claude Bergeret (President), Reto Bazzi (Deputy President), Jordi Serra (Secretary), Richard Scruton (Treasurer), Zdenko Kriz, Lilamani de Soysa, Gloria Wagener

WEALTH OF OPPORTUNITIES

Invitations to major tournaments

A WINTER’S TALE

A modern day Shakespearean epic

THE MISSING PIECE

Major titles for Zsolt-Georg Böhm

PROFOUND SENSE OF VOCATION

Glenn Tepper reaches target

ABOVE PAR OR BELOW PAR, A WINNING FORMULA

A different course for Byeong Hun An

DIFFERENT ROUTES BUT SAME SUCCESS

Dimtrij Ovtcharov and Elizabeta Samara reflect on their title wins in Yekaterinburg

ITTF FOUNDATION

Initiatives global

REMOTE ISLANDS IN FOCUS

Small nations visit Auckland

Tournament review for July to September 4 6 16 26 36 46 56 66 72 78 82

WE REMEMBER

Swaythling Club members pass away

SWAYTHLING CLUB NEWS

Significant dates IN FOCUS

Claude Bergeret , President of the Swaythling Club International, highlights the opportunities and benefits open to members, both for those who wish to compete against their peers and for those who prefer to watch the very best in action. She looks forward to 2026 and 2027, each year marking a landmark in the sport of table tennis

Wealth of Opportunities

The Swaythling Club International offers members a wide range of possibilities.

Either as a spectator or player, a number of invitations are available to attend several of the world’s leading competitions.

You can be a guest player, participating in the World Masters Championships, likewise in the European Veteran Championships; for each event full hospitality is offered for the duration of proceedings.

Also you can be nominated the lucky and happy Swaythling Club International guest spectator attending future European Championships and next year the World Champion-

ships in London; full hospitality is provided for an agreed number of days!

Such are the advantages of being a member of the club; even if the most important fact is just to be part of this unique association.

Social Media

Keeping up with the times, the Swaythling Club International is now present on Facebook, X, Instagram and You Tube.

Social media may be new to some members; it is the modern way.

The various platforms which are now available not only opens the promotion of the Swaythling Club International to a wider readership; also, we are able to support the efforts of national branches and individual members.

Let us know what you are doing, nothing is unimportant; people are always interested in people. The more contributions we receive the better, do not hesitate!

Years 2026 and 2027

Meanwhile, the forthcoming two years will be very important and festive for the whole table tennis family. The International Table Tennis Federation will celebrate the centenary of its creation during the 2026 World Team Championships in London (Tuesday 28th April - Sunday10th May).

It is a must to be present.

Also, in 2027 the Swaythling Club International will mark its 60th anniversary, the organisation born on Thursday 20th April 1967 in Stockholm!

On this occasion we hope to present a book, dating back to the inaugural World Veteran Championships in 1982, highlighting the many memorable moments that have been witnessed over the years. We hope that all the veteran and master communities will wish to have this book in their personal library.

Magazine & Website

Do not hesitate to send articles and photographs about your activities. Also, historical contributions of a wide ranging nature, as well as items on present day players are welcomed. Each person is unique, you are unique; tell us about your life after your table tennis career is over.

I hope you enjoy reading the magazine; I hope to meet many of you on the occasions of the forthcoming celebrations.

ABOVE

The Organizing Committee for the 2026 World Masters Championships in Gangneung, Korea Republic.

An invitation for ten Swaythling Club International members has been received.

A Winter’s Tale

Written by William Shakespeare,

starting with intense drama, brave decision making but at the end of the day a happy ending.

Now some four centuries later there is another intriguing version of the Bard’s epic and once again it’s all’s well that ends well.

SOURCE Simone Hinz, DTTB

My best tournament definitely was the Grand Smash in Malmö but of course my third place at the Europe Top 16 only three months after changing to anti was an amazing result

Anti-spin rubber, is that not a surface resigned to history? A surface that caused confusion some four decades and more ago when both sides of the racket were the same colour and players stamped a foot to mask the sound.

Perhaps the covering might still be witnessed at local level where styles of play are hardly poetry in motion, but unlikely on the international stage and even more doubtful by a player who is renowned for top spin fluency from both backhand and forehand.

Not so, step forward Sabine Winter; immediately following the Liebherr European Championships in October 2024, the German decided to change to anti-spin on her backhand. Surely there were no alarm bells ringing to cause such drastic action; she had reached the women’s singles quarter-final stage losing to the eventual winner, Austria’s Sofia Polcanova, one round earlier she had beaten the 2015 champion, Romania’s Elizabeta Samara.

Add to fact she made the decision just a month after her 33rd birthday, her style of play well honed, it was a most questionable change, but as they say: “good players adapt”. Winter adapted and has reaped the rewards of her efforts; just over three months after the move, in February she reached the semi-finals of the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup in Montreux. In August she did even better, at the Grand Smash in Malmö she recorded arguably the best performance of her career. She reached the women’s singles quarter-final; one round earlier having beaten China’s Chen Xingtong, at the time listed in third spot on the World rankings!

“My best tournament definitely was the Grand Smash in Malmö but of course my third place at the Europe Top 16 only three months after changing to anti was an amazing result”, reflected Winter. “It gave me confidence that this experiment I started can't be such a bad idea

Sabine Winter reached the penultimate round in Montreux

VINDICATION I CCB EUROPE TOP 16 CUP

Montreux: Thursday 20th-Sunday 23rd February 2025

Qualification

TOP LEFT Round One: Tatiana Kukulkova (Slovakia) -5,7,4,3

TOP RIGHT Round Two: Rachel Moret (Switzerland) 5,8,2

Main Draw

CENTRE LEFT Round One: Natalia Bajor (Poland) -3,-12, 12,9,12

LOWER LEFT Quarter-Final: Sofia Polcanova (Austria) 3,-6,5,11

LOWER RIGHT Semi-Final: Han Ying (Germany) 8,-4,-7,-9

I even think my backhand improved a lot over the years and was solid enough, but against the top players the game was just to fast to get my big strength, the forehand in as much as I wanted

even though a lot of people thought there wasn't really a chance that this could ever work.”

Using such material can be regarded as a ploy to hide a weakness, watching Winter play, her forehand is arguably her strength, but everything is relative, if her backhand was not of a

high quality, she would not be a member of the German national team.

“Well, a lot of people thought I am doing it because my backhand is too weak, but this is not why I did it”, explained Winter. “I even think my backhand improved a lot over the years and was solid enough, but against the top players

VINDICATION I CCB EUROPE TOP 16 CUP

Montreux: Thursday 20th-Sunday 23rd February 2025

Qualification

TOP LEFT Round One: Tatiana Kukulkova (Slovakia) -5,7,4,3

TOP RIGHT Round Two: Rachel Moret (Switzerland) 5,8,2

Main Draw

CENTRE LEFT Round One: Natalia Bajor (Poland) -3,-12, 12,9,12

LOWER LEFT Quarter-Final: Sofia Polcanova (Austria) 3,-6,5,11

LOWER RIGHT Semi-Final: Han Ying (Germany) 8,-4,-7,-9

the game was just to fast to get my big strength, the forehand in as much as I wanted.”

Furthermore, Winter did not have an example to follow; one remembers Italy’s Jamila Laurenti using anti-spin rubber at the 2017 World Junior Championships in Riva del Garda but that is about all.

“I watched some matches of long pip players and Luka Mladenovic, I had the impression that if I could learn to handle the anti, I could use it to get more opportunities for my forehand”, stressed Winter. “I never planned to rely on anti and make points blocking, which is very difficult at international level anyway, especially if you start using it at the age of 32; my

intention was to use the anti to create more chances for my forehand.”

Careful consideration was clearly afforded, it was not a panic decision, Winter understanding that if you use material racket covering there are pros and cons.

“I was of course also aware of the disadvantage material has, but in my head I had a picture of a new game style and the feeling that I could maybe manage to use the advantages of anti for my game and outweigh the disadvantages anti brings with it, like not being able to impart your own spin”, stressed Winter.

A new game style, so how did she see her future?

BELOW

At the 2017 ITTF Europe Top 16 Cup in Antibes, having lost to Li Jie of the Netherlands at the semi-final stage, Sabine Winter beat Austria’s Liu Jia to secure third place

“For me the big advantage is that I can slow the game down and win some time to try and play a big forehand”, explained Winter. “Receiving is very different, for me it improved because I have solutions from my "old" game to serves which often make material players struggle, finding answers to anti serves had been difficult for me before; the big disadvantage is that you can't create your own spin and can only play slow.”

Make no mistake, Winter has adopted a positive outlook, changing to a new style of play is very demanding.

Strokes played using anti-spin rubber can prove most difficult to return, it is a well documented fact; on the other side of the coin playing positively with such a surface, as opposed to just putting the racket in the way of the ball and praying for the best, can prove equally difficult to perfect.

“All the shots with anti are new strokes and have nothing to do with the standard forehand or backhand technique that I have used for 25 years and are pretty embedded in my head”, smiled Winter. “If I would try to play a normal backhand topspin with anti, it would land under the table!”

Technical changes have been needed, arguably during matches she must be more alert than ever before, not play on automatic

“Often you even need to do the opposite of what you have learnt with inverted rubbers; for example, if someone plays a lot of spin you need to open the racket a bit more and not close it like with inverted rubbers”, added Winter. “This was of course very difficult for me at the beginning, and the first training sessions were also mentally very tiring

having to think about each shot and try and get out of my old routine; as soon as my brain got tired, especially when the game got quicker, my old shots and the automatic reactions returned.”

Making changes in her backhand technique is an obvious necessity but that is not he only change to be considered.

“I also had to adapt my forehand to my new style as I was standing a bit closer to the table and using a bit more of a backhand grip than before”, continued Winter. “A few other small details changed which also affected my forehand at the beginning; it’s felt a bit like combining a totally new sport with a sport I had been playing for years.”

Winter has wealth of experience, her career starting when six years old, she played in the loft at home against her father who had broken his leg on a snowboard jump! Sitting in a chair for a few months it was the only sport he could play!

Often you even need to do the opposite of what you have learnt with inverted rubbers; for example, if someone plays a lot of spin you need to open the racket a bit more and not close it like with inverted rubbers

ABOVE

“I guess I would have started table tennis at sometime anyway, as my parents met playing table tennis at university in England”, reflected Winter. “I think I joined a club at the age of seven, but I only trained twice a week as there were lots of other sports, like football, that I enjoyed a lot.”

Later when ten years old under the direction of Bavarian coach, Marta Novotna, with whom Winter still keeps in contact, training was extended to three times per week.

“I think my first event with German cadets was at the age of 13 at the Bratislava Youth Open”

she recalled. “I did quite well, although I didn't win a medal; I remember I was impressed with all the people walking round in shirts with the country names on their backs and I was playing for Germany!”

Progress in the junior ranks, in 2010 Winter was a bronze medallist at the World Team Championships in Moscow and in the girls’ team event at the World Junior Championships in Bratislava.

“I was a little surprised to get into the team in Moscow; when Elke Schall injured herself, I even got to play”, reminisced Winter. “I won

The medallists at the 2017 ITTF Europe Top 16 Cup in Antibes, left to right Petrissa Solja, Li Jia and Sabine Winter

Now I'm having a lot of fun again trying out the new things, figuring out what fits my new playing style; thinking about how to solve the disadvantages of anti, but also finding out how to really use it and the advantages it has for my game

RIGHT

Sabine Winter and Kristin Silbereisen celebrate after winning the women’s doubles title at the 2016 European Championships in Budapest. It was the second time when Winter had won the event, in 2013 she had partnered Petrissa Solja to success in Schwechat

my match in the last 16 and quarter-finals; what a start but it didn't get easier; there's a lot of competition in Germany!”

Most notably, in the last 16 against Romania she beat Bernadette Szocs; in the quarters when facing Hong Kong she overcame Zhang Rui, at the semi-final stage in oppo sition to Singapore, she lost to Wang Yuegu by the very minimal twopoint margin in the deciding fifth game. In the final Wang Yuegu beat both Ding Ning and Liu Shiwen in a 3-1 win against China!

A most impressive World Championships debut but with such an array of talent available for selection, being side lined to the bench in a support role has often been the scenario.

“At the beginning it was just great being part of the team learning from all the experienced players; at some point it wasn't always easy being on the bench, feeling like I was good enough to play, but hardly ever getting the chance to prove it”, explained Winter. “Due continental regula tions, for many years I could not play in such tournaments as the Eu rope Top 16 Cup; I was qualified via the rankings but not allowed to play due to limitations of the number of players per nation.”

Undoubtedly, it was a frustrate ing time for Winter, in most European

countries she would have been the leading player, an automatic selection.

“At one point I thought this is not what I want”, stressed Winter. “I knew with my level I can always be somewhere around top 50 but for the opportunity to make a bigger step I would need to change something.”

“I believe that with using anti there is a chance that I can become a better player, more successful than before, but of course also there is a big risk if it does not work out as my table tennis career comes to a close”, asserted Winter. “I felt I had to try it, well, no risk no fun, and up until now it's been working really well, I'm having a whole lot of fun. I'm very glad I took the plunge

There is a new lease of life, a new

“Yes, I have played for a long time, to be honest I got a bit fed up with it, I had noticed for a while that due to a few reasons coming together, I wasn't really enjoying table tennis anymore”, said Winter. “I felt a lack of motivation and that I needed a new challenge, I thought about anti and had the impression it could suit my playing style, I also believed there was still enough time to learn it even at my

After what is now some two decades of international play, it is quite understandable that a player may decide that enough is enough; for Winter it is the opposite.

“Now I'm having a lot of fun again trying out the new

things, figuring out what fits my new playing style; thinking about how to solve the disadvantages of anti, but also finding out how to really use it and the advantages it has for my game”, continued Winter. “So actually, the change to anti has given me a great challenge and new motivation, I'm ready for the next 10 years!

Now, Winter is a very different player with more strings to her bow.

“My repertoire of shots has increased with anti by about 50 per cent in addition to twiddling the racket”, asserted Winter. “So, I've found the challenge I was looking for; it makes my game more complicated, but if I ever get near

to fully exploiting the possibilities that it opens up and I make the right decisions at the right times, the sky's the limit.”

One player who flew high using anti spin rubber was England’s John Hilton. He won the men’s singles title at the 1980 European Championships, the year of his 33rd birthday, A good age for an anti-spin player?

Winter will just have turned 34 years of age when the 2026 European Individual Championships are held in October in Bratislava. Hilton won at odds of 1000:1, what odds for Sabine Winter?

Much less but might be worth an investment?

ABOVE Bronze in the women’s event at 2022 World Team Championships.

Left to right

Back row: Birgit Schmidt (Physio), Tamara Boros (coach), Han Ying, Annett Kaufmann, Richard Prause (coach), Zhu Xiaoyong (coach)

Front row: Shen Yanfei, Nina Mittelham, Sabine Winter

The Missing Piece

A plethora of medals but a missing decoration; adding the vital award to the collection has proved a major motivating factor in recent years for Zsolt-Georg Böhm, a player who has represented Romania, Germany and most recently Hungary on the international scene. Now some six decades after he first laid bat on ball, the compilation is complete.

ABOVE LEFT

Gold in men’s singles 60 years at the 2025 European Veteran Championships in Novi Sad.

Presentations made by foreground Pedro Moura, President European Table Tennis Union; podium left to right Carsten Egeholt, ZsoltGeorg Böhm, Miklos Nagy and Zvonimir Britka

During his younger days, in men’s singles events at a World or European Championships he never won a title. At the 2022 European Veteran Championships in Rimini, he laid the gremlins to rest, he won men’s singles 60 years; the roll of honour was comprehensive. Later in 2025 in Novi Sad he repeated the feat, having in the same age group succeeded at the 2023 World Veteran Championships in Muscat. Watching him play, there is no doubt more to come.

“I took part in the Veteran Championships because I had not won a major title, European Championships or World Championships, in singles as an active player and wanted to try”,

said Böhm. “The most beautiful moments are the experiences of success; I also greatly enjoy meeting up with old friends and acquaintances; if the competition takes place in an interesting location, it is an additional incentive.”

Böhm, a member of the Swaythling Club International, may well enjoy the camaraderie and friendship at such tournaments but he is a competitor, there is a burning desire to succeed.

The reaction in Novi Sad, when in the final he beat Denmark’s Carsten Egeholt by the very narrowest of margins in the fifth game, underlined that fact and the meaning of the win.

Tribune seating packed to capacity, spectators

I TOOK PART IN THE VETERAN CHAMPIONSHIPS BECAUSE I HAD NOT WON A MAJOR TITLE, EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS OR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, IN SINGLES AS AN ACTIVE PLAYER AND WANTED TO TRY

glued to the action provided the theatre. The backhand close to the table was solid and secure but he was never afraid to step around for a point winning forehand, a clenched fist and head bowed in determined manner greeted every success. Mental strength was endorsed, he was in the zone, single minded.

Victory was secured at the first attempt, the same bowed head and clenched fist was followed by a mini lap of honour, no more than a metre in diameter. Courteously, he shook the umpire’s hand, before making a grateful wave to the crowd in acknowledgement. A slow walk ensued to console a most worthy

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ABOVE RIGHT

A quarter-final finish was the outcome in men’s singles 55 years at the World Veteran Championships in Las Vegas

adversary stooped in desolation. It was only when Böhm returned courtside that he received the congratulations of his supporters, to their credit there was no court invasion. It was the correct way to behave, too often in the modern era players race into the arms of coaches and friends for kiss and a cuddle before paying due respect to officials and opponents. Zsolt-Georg Böhm and cohorts followed the correct protocol.

Böhm, born on Tuesday 17th April 1962 in Sălacea, Romania, the local sports hall now bearing his name, the son of two doctors, encouraged by his father he began playing table tennis at the age of seven. Later, alongside his two years older brother, József, he moved to Cluj Napoca where Farkas Paneth was the coach. Paneth, a member of the Romanian silver medal winning men’s team at the 1936 World Championships, will always be known for his meeting with Alojzy Ehrlich. They confronted each other in the opening match in the group two men’s team fixture between Poland and Romania.

MY FATHER INTRODUCED ME TO TABLE TENNIS, TAUGHT ME THE GAME, AND, AS AN OFFICIAL IN THE TABLE TENNIS CLUB, PAVED THE WAY FOR ME TO GO TO CLUJ WHERE I WAS ABLE TO TRAIN PROFESSIONALLY

The first point lasted no less than two hours and 12 minutes.

Böhm followed his coach’s example but in a more entertaining manner. In the final of the 1990 European Team Championships against Jan-Ove Waldner, he played the rally that was later named the best for several years by the American company Reflex Sports.

“I owe almost everything to my father”, stressed Böhm. “My father introduced me to table tennis, taught me the game, and, as an official in the table tennis club, paved the way for me to go to Cluj, there I was able to train professionally and continue developing”.

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LEFT

The desire to win as strong as ever; in Rome at the 2024 World Masters Championships

Zsolt-Georg Böhm left and right Germany’s Andreas Fejer-Konnerth concluded matters silver medallists

Success in Romania, national titles but a country in disarray. The Socialist Republic of Romania led by President Nicolae Ceaușescu had incurred external debt in the 1970s, the economy suffered, austerity measures were imposed, food shortages followed. Matters concluded at the 1980 European Championships in Bern, Böhm defected to West Germany, to Morfelden-Walldorf near Frankfurt. It was at that stage some confusion regarding his first name started; on many occasions it was GeorgZsolt, on others just Georg.

“My ancestors were Hungarians and Germans; in 1980 I fled to Germany, where the Hungarian name Zsolt was unfamiliar, it was easier to be called just Georg”, explained Böhm. “Since in 1988 when I reflected on my roots, I wanted my full name to be mentioned in the media; my first name appeared there in the wrong order, a correction was only made years later!

The move opened doors and provided the opportunity to compete in the Bundesliga, arguably the strongest club league in the world; soon he represented West Germany, playing no

less than 102 matches for his adopted country between 1982 and 1993.

“World champions Gergely, Jonyer, Klampar and Stellan Bengtsson, they inspired me to play table tennis at a high level; fortunately, I was later able to beat them”, reflected Böhm. “I am grateful to the former managers: Georg Rebmann from Saarbrücken and Manfred Gstettner from Grenzau, because they engaged me.”

Notably Böhm was a member of the men’s team that won the Europe Club Cup of Champions (nowadays the European Champions League) with ATSV Saarbrücken and twice with TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau. Undoubtedly Böhm repaid the faith shown in full, after competing at top level, as the years passed, he continued to do the same.

“I have coached at all levels, from the highest national level, the Bundesliga team in Würzburg, to beginners in kindergarten; several years ago, I ran my own table tennis school”, he added. “I practise table tennis

I PRACTISE TABLE TENNIS ABOUT THREE TIMES A WEEK, I AM PLAYING IN THE GERMAN OBERLIGA, MY AIM TO STAY HEALTHY AND FIT FOR MANY YEARS TO COME

about three times a week, I am playing in the German Oberliga, my aim to stay healthy and fit for many years to come.”

Now, that is quite a schedule for a 63-year-old, who has certainly looked after himself, paying careful thought to his diet.

“Pay attention to a balanced diet, avoid consuming too much fat and sugar and ensure adequate fluid intake”, stressed Böhm. “Counterbalance the physical strain caused by table tennis with targeted exercises, and maintain overall fitness in the areas of endurance, strength, and flexibility.”

Wise words especially as nowadays we live in an increasingly sedentary world, veteran events

in many sports provide opportunities, at the very least for exercise but increasingly are gaining stature in their own right; golf is a prime example.

Table tennis is making undoubted progress; impressive tournament entry numbers reflect the fact.

“Live video streaming of a championship enhances its value, in recent years, this form of information delivery has been used more intensively; for me, nowadays one can only speak of a professional event if it can be followed on the internet”, Böhm explained. “The by now standard SMS notifications before the matches have also added value to the Veteran Championships.”

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ABOVE Zsolt-Georg Böhm in action at the 1985 World Championships

Changes, also he sees changes in players themselves.

“Even in the veterans’ category, table tennis continues to evolve, the proportion of mate rial players is much higher compared to the tournaments for active players”, continued Böhm.

“The standard of play depends on who takes part, since the tourna ments are open to everyone, many players with much room for improvement in their game are in volved; in the later rounds, however, the quality increases, thanks to the pres ence of some former national players.”

ABOVE

Jiang Jialiang faces Zsolt-Georg Böhm at the 1985 United States Open

RIGHT

Winner of men’s singles 60 years at the 2023 World Masters Championships in Oman

FACING

Gold medallist in men’s singles 60 years at the 2022 European Veteran Championships in Rimini

Logically, with health care contin ually improving, the demand for more veteran tournaments should grow, so how can progress be made. Böhm has crystal clear thoughts.

“The timing of when the tourna ments take place should be carefully considered, air conditioning should be available in every hall when out door temperatures exceed 30 de grees”, he stressed. “A thorough inspection of the playing equipment, net height, ensuring the table is not slanted, and making sure there is noth ing in the playing area that players

could trip over, should be carried out before the tournament.”

Ever more professional is the target, an area in which Böhm has a most significant message.

“One could also organise championships in which financial incentives play a role”, he added. How soon before we see prize money. Would more former international players become involved? Is the “Legends Tour” promoted several years ago by Philippe Saive a way forward?

Clear ideas from a player of high pedigree who has displayed that education and professional table tennis can combine. Böhm holds a diploma in physical education, is a state-certified educator, and a qualified Information Technology specialist. Furthermore, he is a writer of sub-

I have always wanted to write, my mother supported me in doing so”, explained Böhm. “In the meantime, I have written two autobiographies and three

The autobiographies were published in 2013 and 2021, the novels in 2018 and

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Olympic Games

Competed in Seoul in 1988; finished in third place in the men’s singles group stage, just one place below main draw qualification. In the men’s doubles, partnering Jürgen Rebel, concluded the first stage in fifth position, thus did not reach the main draw.

World Championships

Played in six World Championships, in 1979 representing Romania, from 1983 to 1991 Federal Germany. Best finish, fifth place in the men’s team event in 1991.

Men’s World Cup

One appearance in 1989 in Nairobi. After qualifying for the main draw, a quarter-final defeat followed at the hands of Belgium’s Jean-Michel Saive, before beating China’s Yu Shentong and Brazil’s Claudio Kano to gain fifth place.

European Championships

Competed in eight European Championships, in 1978 and 1980 for Romania; from 1982 to 1992 for Federal Germany. In 1990 finished men’s team runner up, later progressing to the men’s singles round of 16. In 1992 he secured men’s team third place.

Europe Top 12

Finished 10th in 1988 in Ljubljana, fifth in 1989 in Charleroi.

Europa League Mixed Teams

Finished in second place in 1990, winner in 1991.

European Nations Cup

Staged in Munich, first place in 1991.

European Club Cup

Representing ATSV Saarbrücken, winner in 1986; for TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau, winner in 1987 and 1988.

Open International Tournaments

Won men’s singles titles in 1979 in Greece and 1980 in Guernsey.

European Youth Championships

In 1978 won junior boys’ doubles partnering Simion Crisan, junior mixed doubles alongside Éva Ferenczi.

Federal German National Championships

Won six men’s singles titles; 1982-83, 1985-87 and 1995; won the men’s doubles in 1984 with brother Jozsef Böhm, the mixed doubles in 1990 alongside Jin-Sook Cords. Named “Player of the Decade” by the Federal German Table Tennis Association.

Federal German Ranking Tournament

Secured first position in the Federal German Ranking tournament on six occasions: 1981, continuously from 1983 to 1985 and in 1988 and 1997.

German Bundesliga

Representing ATSV Saarbrücken won the German Bundesliga on three consecutive occasions from 1983 to 1985, for TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau three times in 1987, 1991 and 1994.

German Cup

On duty for ATSV Saarbrücken won the German Cup in 1985 and 1986, for TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau in 1987 and 1993.

Romanian National Championships

1978 and 1979 won the men’s singles title, 1978 added men’s doubles with Jozsef Böhm.

Men’s Rankings

1982 - 1988: no.1 in Federal Germany. 1988: reached no.11 in Europe. 1990: no.25, highest World position.

European Veteran Championships

Gold in men’s singles 60 years in 2022 and 2025, in men’s singles 50 years in 2013. Partnering Andreas Fejer-Konnerth, in 2013 men’s doubles 40 years gold, in 2022 men’s doubles 55 years silver.

World Veteran Championships

Three gold; in 2018 with Traian Ciociu, men’s doubles 55 years. In 2023 men’s singles 60 years and alongside Boris Rosenberg men’s doubles 60 years.

World Masters Championships

In 2024, silver in men’s doubles 60 years with Andreas Fejer-Konnerth, bronze in men’s singles 60 years.

Profound Sense of Vocation

The goal was that every conceivable country, territory or whatever on the world map should become a member of the International Table Tennis Federation, under the guidance of Australia’s Glenn Tepper that goal was achieved

Courses of various formats have for many years been organised by the International Table Tennis Federation; there is nothing new in coach education, match official seminars or similar, they existed well before the advent of the fax machine or desk top computer. The difference is that all now appear under a unified umbrella; a situation that was realised as the Millennium dawned, the man at the helm, Australia’s Glenn Tepper.

The right man for the job, of that there is no doubt; a Swaythling Club member, Tepper sees promoting table tennis as a vocation, not merely a career. Present day opportunities to become involved in the sport, especially in the smaller nations of geographical size, owe much to his endeavours.

In January 1999, a continuous 19-year period of employment with the International Table Tennis Federation began. Adham Sharara, elected

The ITTF Development Program is now recognised as one of, if not the best such initiative among all sports; the online course and equipment databases on ITTF.com show every course and piece of equipment donated since 1999, it is a legacy I feel very proud of

to office as ITTF President, Tepper was appointed Development Officer for ITTF-Oceania. Soon after in January 2001, he assumed the role of ITTF Development Director, before in July 2011 ascending to the position of ITTF Deputy Chief Executive Officer. Officially, employment concluded on Sunday 31st December 2017, a consultancy role continuing until Saturday 30th June 2018.

Three main tasks were presented when assuming the ITTF Development Director role; to build a worldwide development programme, create a coach accreditation system and to have every possible territory on planet earth a member of the International Table Tennis Federation. He succeeded on all three counts.

From nothing to an award-winning development programme was built step by step. The

outcome at the conclusion of his tenure was quite staggering. The initiative had realised no less than 10 full time staff, over 100 part-time course conductors and US$1,200,000 in direct support each year to continents to facilitate more than 120 courses and 30 equipment packages.

“The ITTF Development Program is now recognised as one of, if not the best such initiative among all sports”, explained Tepper. “The online course and equipment databases on

ITTF.com show every course and piece of equipment donated since 1999, it is a legacy I feel very proud of.”

A sense of great pride, well merited, it is the same with the ITTF Coach Accreditation system. The concept now exists in four official languages; in excess of 6,500 coaches have been accredited. Impressive numbers but, arguably even more impressive, with the Falkland Islands recently accepted, ITTF membership now stands at 227.

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At the 2014 Youth

YouTube: Mission 226

“In 1999 ITTF had 180 members; it was always a long-term goal that no International Sports Federation had ever achieved because of the enormity of the task, but also because we wanted to increase our membership in a sustainable way”, reflected Tepper. “The goal was achieved at the 2017 ITTF Annual General Meeting when Cape Verde, Bahamas, Guinea Bisseau and Eritrea officially became members.”

Goals reached, one of the major reasons is that Glenn Tepper understands the value of sport, he

Olympic Games in Nanjing, Glenn Tepper centre with left Leandro Olvech and right Michael Andersson

Treat everyone with humility and respect and it will be returned many times over; while the culture, people and language may differ greatly, many of the same principles can be applied, KIS – keep it simple

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Team manager at the 1985 Commonwealth Championships on the Isle of Man and at the World Championships in Gothenburg

Left to right back row Bob Tuckett, Robbie Javor, Glenn Tepper, Gary Haberl, Ian Irving, Lee Jae Hwa front row Neil Harwood, Myung Hee No, Nadia Bisiach, Jan Tepper, Lorraine

Tichy, Angelo Tabone

has an educational background. In 1982, he completed a three-year Bachelor of Education (Physical Education) degree, and Graduate Diploma in Sports Coaching at the Australian Institute of Sport. He understands that very few achieve high international level, for the vast majority it is being able to play a sport that wherever life takes you, it enables you to make friends of a similar interest and enjoy life.

“I started teaching in an “alternative school” in Melbourne, for children that didn’t fit in a traditional school or had been kicked out of several schools; I was the Physical Education and Outdoor Education Teacher from January 1983 to December 1994 at the Ardoch High SchoolEvangelistria Secondary College and saw the positive impact sport can have on people’s lives”, reflected Tepper. “So, when I started with ITTF it was a logical next step to use table

tennis as a vehicle for social change worldwide”.

Moreover, the International Table Tennis Federation gained a person with great experience in the field of teaching; how you treat your students reflects the nature of the response and thus the level of success achieved.

“Treat everyone with humility and respect and it will be returned many times over; while the culture, people and language may differ greatly, many of the same principles can be applied, KIS – keep it simple”, stressed Tepper.

“My greatest lesson in humility came in 1986, Kerri and I were very honoured to be selected as two of the first internationals to train at the newly opened Butterfly Dohjo; Tamasu Senior greeted us singing Waltzing Matilda and wearing an Australian tie!”

The personal coach for Glenn was Nobuhiko Hasegawa, the 1967 World champion, for sister Kerri it was Shigeo Ito, the winner in 1969.

“At the time Bengtsson and Waldner were dominating world table tennis, in their halting English Hasegawa and Ito would say to us, “Glenn, Kerri you play like Bengdner”; we thought they had blended the names of Bengtsson and Waldner and asked daily “do you mean Waldner or, Bengtsson?” recollected Tepper. “The answer was always “No, no, no Bengdner”; after some days a good Englishspeaking Japanese coach came, so we asked him to clarify, he was slightly embarrassed to tell us “No, not Bengdner, beginner!”

Different cultures, visits to the Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico and to landlocked Malawi in southeast Africa illustrate the need to respect local traditions.

In 2005, after speaking to Ivan Santos and Bladimir Diaz, both major personalities within the Puerto Rico Table Tennis Federation, an introduction to David Bernier, at the time President of the National Olympic Committee, resulted in a special project. Tables, rackets, balls and coaching manuals were be distributed to every school; additionally, two teachers from each

LEFT

The 1989 World Championships in Dortmund

Left to right back row Dennis Makaling, Eddie Kasser, Glenn Tepper, Paul Pinkewich, Lawrie Wharmby front row Nicky Cowley, Neil Harwood, Kerri Tepper, Zhou Lan Sun, Wendy Hughes

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Glenn Tepper, the player

school attended an intensive one-day course. However, there was a major stipulation, Tepper had to be the course conductor!

“Over an intensive week we educated hundreds of teachers; then the second week focused on Puerto Rico coaches”, smiled Tepper. “The friendship with all three continued, I was happy to assist, advise, mentor each of them over many years.”

Advice well received, for Malawi, a rather different outcome. After Tepper had conducted an Olympic Solidarity course, the association’s president, Florianna Massah was perhaps a little two ambitious. Less than three months after the course, against Tepper’s advice, who believed it was too soon, they entered the African Junior Championships.

“They raised funds and a 20 strong group squeezed into a small bus with wooden seats for the 40-hour journey to South Africa, all stayed in one room in a cheap hotel”, recalled Tepper. “Despite not winning a game, let alone a match, they loved having photos with and talking with their African heroes.”

In the under 14 girls’ team event, only four teams entered, so Malawi secured bronze! Delighted they sang all the way home, being

u

Target the youth and give them international exposure early, build a team with a variety of skill sets so that the association could continue even with the loss of a key person

greeted by the local press on arrival. Later, Florianna Massah did take Tepper’s advice; he became the President of the National Olympic Committee and gained Olympic Solidarity support for table tennis.

“We met for the last time at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics where we reflected on his journey”, sighed Tepper. “Sadly, he passed away soon after, but his son Floriano Junior has continued as a player and coach, spending long periods in China, another piece of advice!”

Both Puerto Rico and Malawi illustrate the fact the very first requirement is a passion for the sport. Especially in Puerto Rico, the progress this century has been phenomenal; notably, Adriana Diaz started going to China when only eight years old. In China the table tennis education is complete, in any area where a club, region, country or whatever is trying to make progress, the education factor is paramount.

“Educate yourself on how the top countries in table tennis and other sports achieve success; see how a country with a similar culture as yours or your own country in a different sport achieves success”, stressed Tepper. “Target the youth and give them international exposure early, build a team with a variety of skill sets so that the association could continue even with the loss of a key person; build a relationship with the National Olympic Committee and Ministry of Sport.”

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The role of coach at the 1995 World Championships in Tianjin. Left to right back row Brett Clarke, Paul Langley front row Dennis Makaling, Russel Lavale, Glenn Tepper

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Coach for Tahiti in the 1991 Pacific Games, staged in Lae, Papua New Guinea. Second left, longtime Tahiti Table Tennis Association President Roland Sam, far right Bernard Licheng

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An ITTF Level One Coaches Course, 2005 in Barbados. Members included Evelio Alvarez, Bladimir Dias, Carlos Esnard, Alejandro Gabaglio, Marguerita Felix, Leandro Olvech, Ivan Santos

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October 1998, in Kiribati, the child sitting on the table later played for the Oceania World Cadet Challenge Team

My father was a student of Harry Hopman, a legendary tennis coach, and without an in-depth knowledge of table tennis applied many tennis techniques and strategies to table tennis

A career focused very much on helping others and promoting the sport of table tennis; however, just as with the vast majority the interest began as a player. A rained-out Christmas holiday in Queenscliff was the catalyst, the family spent the entire holiday in the table tennis room. Born and raised in Murtoa, a small

country town of 1,000 inhabitants in the state of Victoria, following in his father’s footsteps, at the time Tepper played both tennis and table tennis; both disciplines continued until university began when table tennis took over.

“High school involved getting up at 4.00 am most weekends either to catch the overland train for training in Melbourne or for my father to drive a group of local players to Melbourne or elsewhere for tournaments”, reminisced Tepper. “We arrived at 8.30 am, 9.00 am to 12 noon was junior pennant, 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm was junior training, and 6.00 pm back on the train, home at 11.00 pm.”

Notably, father was the tennis champion in Wimmera and one of the region’s leading tennis players; unwittingly, he was somewhat ahead of his time.

“My father was a student of Harry Hopman, a legendary tennis coach, and without an indepth knowledge of table tennis applied many tennis techniques and strategies to table

GLENN

My father was a student of Harry Hopman, a legendary tennis coach, and without an in-depth knowledge of table tennis applied many tennis techniques and strategies to table tennis, including using multi-ball before we knew there was a specific word for this type of training

ABOVE LEFT

Ishraq, 2003, empowering Egyptian girls in rural areas through table tennis

YouTube: Ishraq

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South Africa a project, conducted in 2007 in impoverished area

tennis, including using multi-ball before we knew there was a specific word for this type of training”, explained Tepper. “He was my main practice partner and coach up till university.”

A host of Victoria state titles accrued plus continental men’s doubles and mixed doubles success; alas, national boys’ and men’s singles gold proved elusive. He emerged the runner up at the Australian Championships in every possible age group – under 14, under 16, under 18, under 21 – as well as in the Open category!

Over the years from 1982 to 1991, Tepper became a regular member of the Australian team,

gaining notable experience by representing IF Saab in the first division of the Swedish League. He reached second spot in the Oceania men’s rankings, eighth in the Commonwealth and 160 in the World.

He represented Australia at the 1983, 1985 and 1989 World Championships, later being the men’s coach in 1993 and 1995. Unfortunately, father’s dream of all four siblings, Glenn alongside sister Kerri and brothers Jan and Ross combining at a World Championships, never materialised.

Understandably, the memories of World Cham-

ABOVE CENTRE

ITTF Women's Course Conductor Training in Serbia, 2007

BELOW CENTRE Aim for the Stars course in 2021 in Palestine

ABOVE RIGHT

Iran hosted an Olympic Solidarity supported course in 2017

BELOW RIGHT Shiraz, Iran in 2007 with third left Peyman Abelhassani, Iran TTF Education & Training Director

YouTube: Dream Building

pionships remain embedded in the mind, none more so when advised in 1989 in Dortmund by coach Zhou Lan Sun that he had the armoury to beat Jiang Jialiang, the reigning World champion, a right-handed penholder. The theory was that Glenn used both sides of the racket, Jiang Jialiang just one; so, he had a clear advantage!

“I almost believed him for a short time and shot out to a 15-8 lead in the first game”, smiled Tepper. “At that stage Jiang clicked into second gear and took over!”

Later, Tepper assisted Tahiti on a part time basis in the role of national coach from 1991 to 1999, the period during which ITTF duties began; most recently from 2019 to 2021 for the Asian Table Tennis Union, he acted as the Projects Director, the “Aim for the Stars” initiative being universally well received.

Elected to the Table Tennis Australia Hall of Fame in 2020, married to Linda, Tepper now lives in Byron Bay, not too far distant from Gold Coast, the home of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

GLENN

Above par or below a winning formula

Parents, Ahn Jaehyung and Jiao Zhimin, each concluded play medallists in the table tennis events at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games; their perfomances exceeded expectations, well above par.

For their son, Byeong Hun An, if he is to match his father and mother he must be below par. He is a top class professional golfer.

Staged earlier this year in April, at the Augusta Masters, an event at the very pinnacle of sport, Korea Republic’s Byeong Hun An finished in a highly creditable 21st place; earlier, where excellence was also on show, he was prominent at the Rio 2016 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Born in Seoul, now resident in Orlando, United States, a world class golfer, he is amongst the elite of his sport; just as was the situation approaching four decades ago for his parents.

Korean names appear in many different forms, the western world prefers the family name last; father has no problem with that scenario and is perfectly content to be called Jaehyung An.

However, the Americans have gone a stage further, they have invented their own special shortened version for his son, Ben An!

Using the name prevalent at the time Ahn Jaehyung partnered Yoo Namkyu to men’s doubles bronze in Seoul, a success he regards as the greatest of his career. Mother, Jiao Zhimin on duty for China, won women’s doubles silver alongside compatriot, Chen Jing, before securing women’s singles bronze.

Representing China, winning a gold medal is the greatest achievement, silver and bronze feel like failure u

No doubt, the experiences of top level competition have proved invaluable in guiding their son along a sporting professional path, one full of pitfalls. Competing in the greatest show on earth, each witnessed at first hand the weight of expectation, father because he was playing on home soil, mother owing to the fact she was on duty for China, the sport’s superpower.

“Representing China, winning a gold medal is the greatest achievement”, reflected a nostalgic Jiao Zhimin. “Silver and bronze feel like failure.”

Defeat in the women’s doubles final at the hands of Korea Republic’s Hyun Junghwa and Yang Youngja in a full distance duel was undoubtedly a bitter pill to

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Jiao Zhimin at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games, alongside Chen Jing she won women’s doubles silver before securing women’s singles bronze

swallow; nevertheless, Jiao Zhimin does have positive memories of Seoul 1988. “I remember well the food in the athletes’ village was very delicious”, she added. “The theme song “Hand in Hand” also sticks in my mind.”

Models for son to follow, but why golf and not table tennis?

“I played table tennis but just for fun, nothing serious”, smiled Byeong Hun An. “Shakehands grip, I was a beginner, no particular style, I was neither an attacking nor defensive player, I never reached that stage.”

Beginner, let’s say a step higher, watching him play for fun on social media, supervised by his father, left handed, Byeong Hun An displayed a

very technically correct forehand topspin stroke.

The important factor is to their great credit there was no pressure by parents on Byeong Hun An to play table tennis; Jaehyung An was most objective when watching his son, his conclusion incredibly far seeing.

“When he was young, around kindergarten age, I watched him playing with his friends on the playground”, he reminisced. “He was quite slow, and I also observed his athletic abilities, I thought golf would suit him best, so my wife and I decided to guide him into golf.”

Slow, maybe by Jaehyung An’s standards but that is a Korean talking! Over the years players from that nation have portrayed the fastest

footwork of all, grease lightning. Perhaps for lesser demanding eyes from beyond the country’s shores, a glimmer of potential might have been identified?

At seven years of age Byeong Hun An started to play golf; the touch paper had been ignited. There was to be no turning back.

“I went to a driving range where my father played”, recalled Byeong Hun An; the occasion clear in his mind as if it was yesterday.

Make no mistake Jaehyung An is no mean golfer; although he has never played in official tournaments, he did on one occasion record a round of 78 strokes at a local golf course, consider him about a 13 handicap. Worldwide there are far more golfers below that standard than above!

Shall we say he is a more than a reasonable weekend golfer; rather different to his son who by the time he was 14 years old in 2005 was playing off scratch, the year of the big decision.

He was quite slow, and I also observed his athletic abilities, I thought golf would suit him best u

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Facing the camera

Yoo Namkyu left and right Ahn Jaehyung, all smiles after beating Chen Xinhua left and right Wang Hao to book their place in the men’s doubles semi-finals at the 1987 World Championships. They concluded matters bronze medallists, the same as one year later at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games

He moved to the David Leadbetter Academy in Bradenton, Florida; a coach who stands amongst the very elite of golf instructors. Leadbetter focuses on teaching tour professionals and on instructing other coaches in his methods, they then teach his ideas at his academies.

“I was never actually taught by him but by one of the coaches in his academy”, said Byeong Hun An.

However, read the names in any publication of star players who have been students under the Leadbetter umbrella; alongside such illustrious names as Sir Nick Faldo, appear those of Nick Price, Greg Norman, Ernie Els and a certain Byeong Hun An. The Korean stands in illustrious company, he is a prize pupil.

The investment paid dividends, 17 years old, in August 2009, Byeong Hun An became the

youngest-ever winner of the United States Amateur Championship. Now that was some achievement, better than Tiger Woods who was 18 years old when he won in 1994!

He turned professional in 2011 and started his quest to reach the goal he owns today; that of being accepted as a player on the PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association) Tour in the United States.

The Tour concept is at the heart of professional golf but is rather different to World Table Tennis or the previous ITTF World Tour. In order to compete on the PGA Tour, prospective competitors must earn their “Player’s Card”; there are various methods but basically events such as Challenge Tours and the DP World Tour, originally the European Tour, which extends its boundaries beyond the old continent, provide a pathway.

Furthermore, the majority of PGA tournaments are held in the United States; whilst players of different nationalities compete, all live in the country, for many they own a second home.

Each year, only some 10 per cent of events are staged beyond United States borders, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Puerto Rico being notable destinations. In 2025 a total of 297 players, eligible for 39 events, owned a “Player’s Card”, on average about 150 entrants for each event.

Rather differently, World Table Tennis brings open international tournaments under one umbrella, all five continents have the opportunity to stage events. Does this set an example that one day golf may consider?

In 2014 Byeong Hun An won the Rolex Trophy in Geneva; on the DP World Tour he won the

2015 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, England; then in 2024 at the Genesis Championships on home soil in Incheon. Various other worthy finishes and the card was gained.

Add to the yearly calendar, alongside the “Tour” tournaments, there are four majors. Staged in the United States, the Masters, the US Open and the PGA Championships, in the United Kingdom, the Open. Now since 2016, following an absence of 112 years when Canada’s George Lyon, a cricketer, won in 1904 in St Louis, Missouri, golf has returned to the Olympic Games itinerary.

Recently LIV golf appeared on the scene, in direct competition to the PGA Tour, some prominent names have joined but all four majors plus the Olympic Games are currently held by players who compete on the PGA Tour. Rory McIlroy holds the Masters title, J.J. Spaun u

prevailed at the US Open, Scottie Scheffler won PGA Championships and the Open, as well as in 2024 securing gold in Paris.

Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that if like Byeong Hun An you compete on the PGA Tour, you compete at the highest possible level.

Four majors or with the advent of golf returning to the Olympic Games is it five? Undoubtedly in table tennis, since 1988 the Olympic Games is at the very top of the tree.

“Most golfers would say the four majors are more important, but they are all the same to me”, explained Byeong Hun An. “If I don’t win an Olympic medal, it’s not important at all, I have loved playing in two Olympics, I’m very proud of that and if I get to win it one day that would be great!”

Byeong Hun An finished in 11th place in Rio de Janeiro, later 21st in Paris; a total of 60 players competing in each of the men’s and women’s events. In Rio the fact that his parents were Olympians attracted the media, it was reported that he would play the first tee shot at 6.30 am

Most golfers would say the four majors are more important, but they are all the same to me

on the initial day of play, Thursday 11th August. Such a starting time is quite normal in major golf tournaments, one wonders what the response might be from leading table tennis players if they were advised their first match was at such an unearthly hour! Maybe the officials would let them umpire their own matches?

“I was in the first tee time group”, reflected Byeong Hun An. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t me who hit the first shot!”

He was drawn in the same group as Brazil’s Adilson da Silva and Canada’s Graham DeLaet; the first tee shot was executed by Adilson da Silva; somewhat appropriate that a host nation player should be afforded the honour of a lifetime.

An experience to remember, Byeong Hun An is a seasoned professional in a sport where a round of golf can take four, if not five hours, as to a table tennis match being some 30 minutes. However, whatever the length, good preparation is vital; professional golf tournaments are

FACING

Byeong Hun An sheer power, he drives the ball well in excess of 300 yards u

Career is a long way, succeeding early doesn’t mean anything; keep putting one foot in front of the other and you will get there

usually four rounds, Thursday and Friday are focused on making the “Cut”. About the top 70 names, those with the lowest scores, continue to play on Saturday and Sunday in order the determine the leading places.

“Usually, I arrive on Monday morning and play three practice rounds, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday”, explained Byeong Hun An. “Dur-

ing the tournament I arrive to practise about two hours before my tee time.”

Byeong Hun An is at the vanguard of golf in the Korea Republic; very much he sets the standard, the role mode. He has witnessed the highs and lows, the effect is that he possesses wise words to which, players, coaches and parents in any sport should pay heed.

ABOVE LEFT

At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Byeong Hun An centre with left mother Jiao Zhimin and right father

Jaehyung An

“Career is a long way”, he stressed. “Succeeding early doesn’t mean anything; keep putting one foot in front of the other and you will get there!”

A long way and that is most pertinent in golf. The career length is very different to table tennis. Byeong Hun An is 34 years old, an age when international table tennis players consider retirement; in fact for those from Asian countries often it is somewhat earlier. Ma Long on duty for China when 35 years old at the 2024 World Team Championships was somewhat of an exception.

Conversely, Byeong Hun An, a former student at the University of California-Berkeley, married

to Choi Hee-Jae, two children Sunwoo and Jiwoo, is he not in the peak years of his career?

He has many years left, most notably in 2009 Tom Watson finished in second place in the Open, at the time he was 59 years old.

Emulating parents, winning the precious Olympic Games medal, time is still on his side, Byeong Hun An is now the same age as when Justin Rose won in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, earlier this year Rose was the runner up at the Masters.

Generations apart, three Olympic Games medals in one family; we wait for Los Angeles 2028 and beyond.

ABOVE RIGHT Family day prior to the start of the 2025 Masters. From left to right Jiao Zhimin, Choi HeeJae holding daughter Jiwoo, Byeong Hun An and Jaehyung An with front, son Sunwoo

Different Routes but Same Result

At the 2015 European Championships, Dimitrij Ovtcharov won men’s singles gold without due alarm; Elizabeta Samara emerged the women’s singles champion, her resolve thoroughly tested.

It was a time when I had a great deal of confidence, especially in continental tournaments, two years earlier I had won and also earlier in the year I had won the Top 16 Cup in Baku

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The Romanian women’s team in Yekaterinburg left to right Adina Diaconu, Daniela Monteiro Dodean, Viorel Filimon, Elizabeta Samara, Bernadette Szocs, Cristina Hirici

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Runners up spot for the German men’s team left to right Ruwen Filus, Patrick Baum, Ricardo Walther, Patrick Franziska, Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Jörg Rosskopf

Located on the eastern foothills of the Ural Mountain range and thus geographically in Asia, a decade ago, from Friday 25th September to Sunday 4th October, the city of Yekaterinburg was the host for the 2015 European Championships; a landmark event, no mixed doubles but it was the last time both individual and team events were held on the same occasion. Henceforth the policy has been individual in even numbered years, team in odd numbered years.

True to tradition team events started proceedings; notably, the outcome proved a spur for the eventual men’s and women’s singles winners, both Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Elizabeta Samara, concluded matters with silver medals. Losing in the opening round is always disappointing but when you reach the final, so close to the holy grail and the prize is snatched from your hands, the disappointment is even greater.

The bright side for Ovtcharov was that he had remained unscathed throughout the men’s team event, the only significant problems being against Austria in the final when Stefan Fegerl

had come so close; the minimal two points in the deciding fifth game determining the outcome. Also, at the European Championships two years earlier in Schwechat, Ovtcharov had emerged victorious without ever being extended the full distance; pertinently, in the final he had beaten the redoubtable Vladimir Samsonov in straight games.

“It was a time when I had a great deal of confidence, especially in continental tournaments, two years earlier I had won and also earlier in the year I had won the Top 16 Cup in Baku”, reflected Ovtcharov. “I believed I could make it; for sure it was disappointing to lose in the team final against Austria, but I was pleased to win all my matches and that carried me through to the singles.”

Moreover, at the time 27 years old, an age when a European player may be considered at the peak of their career, Ovtcharov knew what was necessary to win a major title; he was single minded, his preparation thorough.

“Three weeks before the tournament I just focused on good preparation, no matches, no tournaments, physically I was in good shape

and felt very comfortable when I arrived”, added Ovtcharov. “I believed from the start.”

Everything was pointing in a positive direction, for Samara, the scenario was very different; her journey to gold was by different route, less straightforward.

“At the start of the year, I played in the Europe Top 16, nowadays the Europe Cup; I was just coming back from knee surgery, a meniscus operation in November 2014, shortly after winning the Czech Open”, recalled Samara. “The beginning of the season was shaky; at the Top 16 I didn’t make it past the group stage but only a week later, I managed to win in Doha, beating some really well-established players. It truly was a crazy year, but deep down, in Yekaterinburg, I was determined to win a singles medal!”

Notably in Doha she recorded a straight games win in the final against Germany’s Han Ying, having in the opening round almost departed proceedings. Facing Hungary’s Dora Madarasz, she trailed by three games to two, won the sixth by the minimal margin, prior to less dramatically securing the deciding seventh. In Yekaterinburg there were shades of Doha.

“The European Championships began for me in the worst possible way”, sighed Samara. “My very first match, in the team event, ended in a loss but the schedule was packed with so many

matches, so many events, that I didn’t even have the time to dwell on it. I had no choice but to reset quickly, the next day brought another challenge.”

In a 3-1 win against Serbia, Samara was beaten in four games by Andrea Todorovic; two matches later she accounted for Gabriela Feher to seal the win but needed the full five games.

It was very much a portent for the remainder of the team event; when proceedings concluded the record read six wins, four defeats. Added to the Samara dilemma was that in the 3-0 final defeat against Germany, she lost to Shan Xiaona in straight games, the player against whom she had experienced a first-round exit two years earlier at Schwechat.

A lesser character may well have been re duced to the depths of despair, not Samara, she is mentally strong, resilient and found herself in a situation that was not unusual.

At the 2012 Women’s World Cup in Huang shi, in the group stage she lost her very first

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The moment of triumph for Dimitrij Ovtcharov, the European title retained

match of the tournament, beaten by Germany’s Wu Jiaduo. She recovered by overcoming both Singapore’s Feng Tianwei and Hong Kong’s Jiang Huajun, claimed her place in the main draw and promptly reached the final. In a tournament that first saw the light of day in 1996, to this day, Samara is the only non-Asian player to reach the final.

Both players made imposing starts to their singles’ campaigns; Ovtcharov beat Finland’s Benedek Olah in straight games, followed by success in opposition to Sweden’s Anton Källberg, surrendering only the second game. Similarly, Samara accounted few major problems, she commenced her quest with a five games win against Alexandra Privalova of Belarus.

“Against Privalova, I felt strangely comfortable, even though I had never played her before”, explained Samara. “I must admit I was a little afraid because she had produced some incredible performances in recent tournaments; her open, attacking style, so entertaining for the crowd, suited me perfectly.”

An unfamiliar opponent, next in line was a more familiar adversary, Slovakia’s Eva Odorova, a straight games win ensued.

“Facing Eva Odorova brought back memories, our very first match was back in 2008, at the Beijing Olympic qualifiers; then, after this European Championship, we would meet again”, explained Samara. “In this match I was ready to rally with her endlessly, prepared to adapt to her rhythm and absorb her style into my own game.”

Impressive from Samara, it was the same as she accounted for Ukraine’s Tetyana Bilenko and Hungary’s Georgina Pota to reserve her place in the penultimate round.

“Playing Bilenko has always been, and still is, a true pleasure; at that European Championship, I actually managed to beat her twice, once in the team event, and once again in singles”, reflected Samara. “Facing Pota is always a source of fear for me, her style is so unique, so unpredictable; the third game, I think, was the turning point; even though I eventually won 4-1, I can still recall the endless rallies, the countless balls with different spins flying across the table.”

Success without any moments of great concern for her supporters, for Ovtcharov slightly different, against both England’s Liam Pitchford and Panagiotis Gionis of Greece, after four games had been completed, on each occasion it was parity. However, to his great credit, he remained calm, in control of his emotions, moving one gear higher and seizing control.

ABOVE

The runners up, Marcos Freitas left beaten by Dimitrij Ovtcharov in the men’s singles final and right Li Jie who experienced defeat at the hands of Elizabeta Samara

“Liam played very aggressively; level at twotwo, I was able to stay strong until the end of the match”, stressed Ovtcharov. “Against Panagiotis, it was the last match of the day, I was down two games to one; usually I play great against defence, I managed to stay in the match, it took a lot of energy to beat him but at the end I felt ready for the final push.”

Progress to the semi-final stage, against Ovtcharov there was no place to hide as he ended Portuguese hopes, first Tiago Apolonia in straight games, then in the final Marcos Freitas, with just the loss of game two.

“It was for me the best day of the two weeks”, admitted Ovtcharov. “Against Marcos I was a

Against Marcos I was a bit nervous, I’d had good results against him, but I had lost against him in 2002 in Moscow, 13 years earlier; however, in men’s singles it had been different

bit nervous, I’d had good results against him, but I had lost against him in 2002 in Moscow, 13 years earlier; however, in men’s singles it had been different.”

Different, now that is an understatement; in Moscow, Ovtcharov had lost to Freitas in the cadet boys’ singles final at the European Youth

Championships; later at the 2005 World Junior Championships in Linz, he turned the tables and then never looked back.

Most notably earlier in 2015 he had beaten Freitas in the Europe Top 16 final and in the men’s singles penultimate round at the GAC Group World Tour Qatar Open in Doha; runners up

u

Yes, I was exhausted, but during the matches I never felt it, the adrenaline was so strong that it made me forget about fatigue entirely!

spot the end result, beaten by Vladimir Samsonov.

No great times of anguish for German supporters, for Romanian fans there were nail-biting moments, as Samara once again showed her ability to adapt and once again, as earlier in proceedings against Tetyana Bilenko, underlined her high skill level against defensive play.

The host nation’s Polina Mikhailova, a player prepared to change from defence to attack when the opportunity arises, was the semi-final adversary, in the final the rock solid Li Jie of the Netherlands.

“Against Polina I had to be extremely cautious; her game may look risky, but it is, in reality, very solid and secure”, explained Samara. “Again, as against Pota, the third game was decisive, it was tough even though it may have seemed as though I could win easy points.”

A place in the final awaited, in many eyes Li Jie started as the clear favourite; throughout the team event she had remained unbeaten; moreover, in the women’s singles, she had reached the final without ever being stretched the full seven games distance. However, there was an omen for Romania; the previous day at the women’s doubles semi-final stage, Samara and Pota had beaten Li Jie and Poland’s Li Qian in six games.

Most significantly, the physical factor needed to be included; the gap between the conclusion of the women’s doubles final, Pota and Samara losing to Turkey’s Hu Melek and Spain’s Shen Yan fei, was only 90 minutes.

“Yes, I was exhausted, but during the

matches I never felt it, the adrenaline was so strong that it made me forget about fatigue entirely!” explained Samara.

Could Samara follow in the footsteps of compatriots? The late Maria Alexandru had won in 1966 in London, Otilia Badescu had

LEFT Elizabeta Samara celebrates victory, a hard fought win against Li Jie secured the title.

succeeded in 2003 in Courmayeur. Understandably, as the final neared the level of anticipation and excitement rose.

“I still remember those days so vividly, I was in the lounge with my coach, Viorel Filimon, while talking on the phone with my psychologist, Mrs. Mioara Sincan”, recalled Samara. “The President of the Romanian Table Tennis Federation, Cristinel Romanescu, and Beatrice Romanescu kept sending me encouraging messages, never leaving me alone during those two crazy days.”

Encouragement but seemingly not to the liking of Filimon, a man of an earlier generation, brought up in the days when people actually talked to each other! Yes, somehow we managed to live without a smart phone!

“My coach insisted that I put the phone away, close my eyes, and focus only on the final”, smiled Samara. “But words weren’t enough, he eventually had to take the phone from me himself; he wanted me to channel all my energy into my very first European individual final.”

ABOVE Opponents at the quarter-final stage of the women’s singles, Georgina Pota left and right Elizabeta Samara, together in the women’s doubles, runners up spot the outcome u

Then came the unique, unforgettable feeling; that moment when your dream becomes reality, when you see the people who have been with you since childhood standing right beside you, when you step off the podium and say: we did it together

Eventually Filimon was proved correct but not before an astute change of plan was needed. In the final Li Jie led two games to one and then three-two before wise words enabled Samara to assume control.

“It was a true roller coaster, I was trailing threetwo, after she edged the fifth game 14-12; in those moments, I felt like I simply couldn’t win a point, the rallies were beautiful for the audience to watch, but I couldn’t finish them in my favour”, recalled Samara. “At three-two down, I decided to play with more control, the strategy my coach and I adapted on the spot finally worked, even though it was completely different from the original plan we had set before the match.”

Gold, followed by a moment to savour, one that remains for Samara as strong as ever now a decade later.

“Then came the unique, unforgettable feeling; that moment when your dream becomes reality, when you see the people who have been

2015 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

DIMITRIJ OVTCHAROV

Men’s Team

Group B

POLAND 1-3 GERMANY

Daniel Gorak v Patrick Baum -10,-9,-9

Jakub Dyjas v Dimitrij Ovtcharov -5,-9,-6

Wang Zengyi v Patrick Franziska -5,-10,21,10,7

Daniel Gorak v Dimitrij Ovtcharov 9,-9,-6,-1

SPAIN 0-3 GERMANY

Jesus Cantero v Ruwen Filus -5,-11,13,-4

Alvaro Robles v Dimitrij Ovtcharov -2,-5,-9

Carlos Machado v Patrick Franziska -9,-11,-2

UKRAINE 2-3 GERMANY

Kou Lei v Ruwen Filus 8,7,-9,-8,-8

Oleksandr Didukh v Patrick Baum 10,-8,7,-7,-7

Yaroslav Zhmudenko v Patrick Franziska 16,7,4

Kou Lei v Patrick Baum 16,7,4

Oleksandr Didukh v Ricardo Walther -8,-8,-6

with you since childhood standing right beside you, when you step off the podium and say: we did it together”, stressed Samara.

Similarly, for Ovtcharov, it was celebration time, a pivotal moment in an outstanding career.

“A great number of matches in one tournament, 14 in total and I managed to win them all, just as two years before”, concluded Ovtcharov. “Really nice to record back-to-back wins, I ran to the podium, took off my shirt and left it there!”

Meanwhile, for Samara once the curtain closed the celebration was more muted.

“We celebrated not with champagne or a fancy dinner, but with a hearty meal at a fast-food place; together with the people who shaped my career” smiled Samara. “And it couldn’t have been more perfect!”

The destination Burger King; where else? Fit for a Queen!

Quarter-Final GERMANY 3-0 GREECE

Dimitrij Ovtcharov v Panagiotis Gionis -4,5,5,6

Patrick Franziska v Kalinikos Kreanga 9,6,3

Patrick Baum v Konstantin Papageorgiou 9,6,5

Semi-Final

GERMANY 3-1 FRANCE

Dimitrij Ovtcharov v Emmanuel Lebesson 3,8,10

Ruwen Filus v Simon Gauzy 9,-4,-10,9,-7

Patrick Baum v Stéphane Ouaiche 17,9,-5,4

Dimitrij Ovtcharov v Simon Gauzy 5,6,10

Final

AUSTRIA 3-2 GERMANY

Robert Gardos v Patrick Baum -7,-8,8,7,11

Stefan Fegerl v Dimitrij Ovtcharov 10,-17,-7,12,-10

Daniel Habesohn v Patrick Franziska 9,7,-10,-10,5

Robert Gardos v Dimitrij Ovtcharov 8,-8,-8,-5

Stefan Fegerl v Patrick Baum 9,8,6

Men’s Singles

Round of 64: Benedek Olah (FIN) 6,6,7,9

Round of 32: Anton Källberg (SWE) 3,-6,4,6,7

Round of 16: Liam Pitchford (ENG) -4,7,8,-6,3,4

Quarter-Final: Panagiotis Gionis (GRE) -8,10,-4,5,4,9

Semi-Final: Tiago Apolonia (POR) 5,11,9,7

Marcos Freitas (POR) 12,-9,9,4,6

BELOW RIGHT

Celebration at the local Burger King; left to right

Cristinel Romanescu (President of the Romanian Table Tennis Federation) Beatrice Romanescu, Viorel Filimon and Elizabeta Samara

2015 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

ELIZABETA SAMARA

Women’s Team

Group B

SERBIA 1-3 ROMANIA

Gabriela Feher v Bernadette Szocs -4,-9,-8

Andrea Todorovic v Elizabeta Samara 2,-10,7,11

Monika Molnar v Daniela Monteiro Dodean -7,-7,5,-4

Gabriela Feher v Elizabeta Samara 13, -7,-8,9,-3

ROMANIA 3-1 AUSTRIA

Elizabeta Samara v Sofia Polcanova 8,-6,-10,-9

Bernadette Szocs v Liu Jia 8,10,-6,15

Daniela Monteiro Dodean v Amelie Solja 6,3,9

Elizabeta Samara v Liu Jia 8,-6,6,12

ROMANIA 3-0 FRANCE

Elizabeta Samara v Li Xue 9,8,-6,-2,8

Bernadette Szocs v Carole Grundisch -9,2,8,-9,6

Daniela Monteiro Dodean v Xian Yi Fang -9,-5,7,8,7

Quarter-Final

POLAND 2-3 ROMANIA

Li Qian v Bernadette Szocs 9,4,5

Katarzyna Grzybowska v Elizabeta Samara 9,-9,-10,9,-5

Natalia Partyka v Daniela Monteiro Dodean 8,7,-7,-8,-7

Li Qian v Elizabeta Samara 4,-8,9,-10,8

Katarzyna Grzybowska v Bernadette Szocs -6,-6,5,6,-4

Ganna Gaponova v Daniela Monteiro Dodean -6,-8,10,4,-7

Giorgia Piccolin/Debora Vivarelli (ITA) 5,6,4

Li Xue/Xian Yi Fang (FRA) 9,5,6

Shan Xiaona/Petrissa Solja (GER)

Tiago Apolonia (POR) Li Jie/Li Qian

Hu Melek/Shen Yanfei (TUR/ESP) -4,-7,-9,11,-4

Alexandra Privalova (BLR)

Eva Odorova (SVK) 3,9,10,6

Tetyana Bilenko (UKR) 1,8,7,5

Georgina Pota (HUN) 9,-9,12,7,7

Polina Mikhailova (RUS) 10,-6,12, 6,4

ITTF FOUNDATION

ANNUAL REPORT

Diversity and inclusion the theme, the ITTF Founda tion’s annual report for 2024 was published July.

A year of growth and purpose: an almost equal gender balance in all pro grammes (49 per cent fe male, 51 per cent male) was achieved. The pub lication of two Diversity and Inclusion handbooks, plus the active inclusion of refugees (12 per cent) and sen-

iors (25 per cent) underlined the commitment to equity in sport and beyond.

TT Dream Building: no less than 177 applications from 64 countries and territories were received; five were selected to launch the new cycle of community-driven initiatives. A total of 13 such projects were active in 2024; onsite visits to Bulgaria and India were conducted.

TT4ALL: impressive numbers for World Table Tennis Day 2024; overall 812 events in 121 countries and territories, all five continents involved. For the first time the ITTF Foundation’s headquarters in Leipzig played host.

TT4Health: the 2024 World Table Tennis for Health Festival was staged in Maizières-lèsMetz, France. A record 153 participants from 25 countries and territories attended. The occasion marked the launch of the NeuroPong Handbook, providing scientifically backed guidance for adapting table tennis coaching to people with neurodegenerative diseases.

Additionally, all medals at the 2024 Health Festival were made from broken table tennis balls, collected and transformed through 3D printing into sustainable awards.

TT Legacy: two players with Parkinson’s, Steve Morley and Agnes Jan, represented the Foundation at the Rome 2014 ITTF World Masters Championships, over 6,000 able-bodied ath-

Partnerships and global reach: a new Memorandum of Understanding with World Table Tennis and a landmark partnership with Ultimate Table Tennis was

Celebrated names, Sharath Kamal Achanta and Zoran Primorac became ITTF Foundation Ambassadors. Also, there was an increase in donors; 312 individuals and organisa-

REPORT WORLD TABLE TENNIS DAY

World Table Tennis Day 2025 marked the second and final year of the theme Diversity and Inclusion.

Global participation reached new heights, a re markable 845 events across 146 countries and territories, the highest ever! An impressive 95 per cent of events embraced the Diversity and Inclusion theme, engaging over 102,000 participants from all walks of life.

Notably, 60 per cent of events were organised by firsttimers. Celebrations reached across age, gender, and ability, focusing especially on youth (50.3 per cent), women and girls (20.5 per cent) plus people with disabilities (4.4 per cent).

Overall, 32 promoters from 29 countries and territories, championed celebrations across five continents involving more than 8,600 participants from all walks of life. Notably a record of 67

Hosted by the Dream Building Fund alongside Vision Changers Kenya, Nairobi staged the main celebration, tournaments, discussion groups and cultural performances united participants. Meanwhile, through collaboration with Pongmasters for the second consecutive year, 70 new table tennis tables and 132 reviews were mapped globally, boosting community engagement, making the sport more accessible.

Building on last year’s momentum, the Diversity and Inclusion Handbook – Phase 1 and Phase 2 remain available to help organisers create inclusive table tennis environments.

Heartfelt thanks to all our event organisers, promoters, member associations, partners, and participants around the world for your creativity, dedication, and passion.

LEFT

A feeling of warmth in Belarus WATCH

A year of growth and meaningful impact

ITTF member associations joined the extensive celebrations.

ABOVE

The Kenyan capital city of Nairobi was the main focus

GHANA

Addressing educational inequality, an assessment completed in July reported that more than 200 young people had benefited from the three-year long programme EduDrive Table Tennis, organised in the Ghanian communities of Kweikuma and Ofankor.

Slum areas, people living in makeshift shelters, schools lacking materials, attendance low, drop out rate high, an innovative blend of academic support and table tennis was organised in conjunction with the charitable organisations Asoba and NK Foundation, the latter being the brainchild of Nick Kyrgios, the Australian tennis star.

Aiming to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4: quality education, the EduDrive project created a scenario where children could thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Participants regularly benefited from afterschool tutoring in English, Mathematics and Science; the project providing textbooks, pens, uniforms and daily lunches.

Weekly table tennis coaching was conducted by four dedicated coaches; the sessions fostered key life skills such as teamwork, discipline, and self-esteem.

Many participants developed greater social confidence and built lasting friendships through the programme. Additionally, participants enrolled in a national health insurance

scheme, girls’ menstrual hygiene products were distributed.

The overall effect was improved academic performance, English and Mathematics reported a 20 per cent rise, an impressive 94 per cent of students stated that table tennis contributed positively to their academic performance, whilst 96 per cent believed their motivation to stay in school was increased. The average rating for academic motivation driven by table

tennis was 4.31 out of 5; furthermore, the average student attendance rose from 78.47 per cent to 84.16 per cent.

Overall, the project received strong endorsements from parents, guardians, and schoolteachers alike. It was praised not just as an academic booster but also as a development platform that gave children hope, direction, and a sense of belonging.

Now, although the formal Dream Building Foundation support has ended, the collabo-

ABOVE

The project combined playing table tennis with education in the classroom

WATCH Edudrive accelerates education for children in Ghana

ration and commitment with Asoba and NK Foundations continues, the main aims being to expand, increase resources, forge new partnerships, ensure sustainability and gain global recognition.

A video was published, gaining Second Mention d’Honneur at the Sport Movies & TV 2022 – 40th Milano International FICTS Fest, under the category Sport & Society – Sport: Values, Education, and Culture, gaining attention and raising awareness of the social impact of table tennis.

QUINDIO

ABOVE

Smiling faces, all smartly dressed, young people clearly anticipating the chance to play table tennis

READ Experiential Learning in Quindio, Colombia

Located within the “Coffee Triangle”, a region known for high levels of substance abuse, gang activity and drug trafficking, the Colombian city of Quindio was the focus for the Dream Building initiative instigated by Asomujer y Deporte: “Affective Leadership: Empowering Teenagers through Table Tennis”.

Supporting adolescents experiencing human rights violations by gaining knowledge through active learning was the theme; mobilising community leaders to support young people by promoting discussion groups was the method.

Table tennis proved invaluable in teaching the ability to manage emotions, in addition the sport provided safe places for physical activity, increasing participation and enhancing physical health.

Teenagers from four schools in Quindio participated in two-hour table tennis coaching sessions, three times weekly for six months. Each session followed a structured format, technical skills as well as social learning being combined.

Three teenager workshops per group and two parent workshops per group were organised. Topics ranged from sexual and reproductive health to leadership and life purpose. A further

three workshops for administrators, coaches, and educational rights promoters were held to realise the understanding of existing gender barriers and advance the prevention of violence against women.

A full itinerary, an extensive range of activities included playing against a professional player, celebrating International Women's Day, World Table Tennis Day, Safe Sports Day and Disability Awareness Day.

At the end of the project, 70 per cent of students exhibited better teamwork, communication and discipline. No less than 60 per cent had improved levels of hand-eye coordination

and basic sports skills. A handful of the students continued with their table tennis careers, practising in the Quindio Table Tennis League.

A key fact was there was a reduction in gender bias, notably 80 per cent of students improved their knowledge of sexual and reproductive health.

Grateful thanks are extended to Laura Forero (Project Co-ordinator), Auris Espinel (Asomujer y Deporte President and Budget Co-ordinator), Gloria Montoya (Academic and Methodological Co-ordinator), Claudia Garcia (Sports Programme Co-ordinator), as well as to the many volunteers.

ABOVE Practising outdoors combined with classroom lessons proved a most successful formula

ABOVE

A warm welcome in Kapadwanj Kelawani Mandal

RIGHT

A visit to Ultimate Table Tennis

FACING

A photo for the family album, a lecture to enhance knowledge and fun to play table tennis

READ Smashing Barriers Through Table Tennis

KAPADWANJ

A return to India in June, to Kapadwanj Kelawani Mandal for a second occasion to witness the Dream Building Fund project, “Smash Barriers: Every Table is a Playground”. Aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities), the project focused on promoting quality education and ensuring equal opportunities for both boys and girls.

The visit was combined with attendance at season six of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) in Ahmedabad where the UTT finals were being staged. Thanks to a dedicated booth being organised, the ITTF Foundation was able to explain its vision and in particular promote the World Table Tennis for Health Festival.

Present at the tournament were ITTF Foundation staff members, Leandro Olvech and Lina Kühlein, alongside Vita Dani, Governing Board Member and UTT Chair; all travelled to Kapadwanj.

In each community, the chance was afforded to witness table tennis sessions facilitated by committed local teachers and volunteers; the visitors were able to interact with 35 young people and 15 parents.

The impact of the project was undeniable; the

stories quite moving. One mother had allowed her daughter to travel to Delhi to participate in a table tennis tournament, some believed that to be dangerous, but it opened the eyes of others. They allowed their children to participate in tournaments, thus broadening horizons and building self-confidence.

Self-belief was a key factor, notably with encouragement in group sessions more participants and facilitators gained the confidence to speak in English.

A presentation from the Kapadwanj Kelawani Mandal team offering insights into the project’s achievements, challenges, and future direction, concluded proceedings.

BELOW

Members of the meeting in Pune gathered socially as a group in addition to attending more formal occasions

FACING

Intense discussion was very much the order of the day

READ Empowering Girls

Through Sport: Safe Pathway Workshop in India

Promotes Gender Equality and Positive Coaching

PUNE

Part of the ongoing “Girls Positive and Safe Coaching Pathway” initiative, led by TAFISA (The Association for International Sport for All), supported by Nike, and in collaboration with the Dani Sports Foundation, the ITTF Foundation co-hosted a transformative hybrid workshop in Pune, India.

Facilitated by Mayssa Bsaibes from the ITTF Foundation and Aniketh Mendonca from the Dani Sports Foundation, with supervision from Julia Tappendorf, TAFISA Regional Trainer, the workshop brought together 18 participants from diverse organisations and professions.

Gender equality and safe sporting environments at local level have not been promoted in the region; the meeting provided a catalyse for change. Participants explored coaching beyond performance, seeing it as a tool for social transformation.

One of the workshop’s core discussions centred on the societal and cultural pressures that influence girls’ confidence, especially regarding body image and self-esteem. Participants examined how appearance-based teasing, body talk, and performance anxiety manifest in sports settings, and how they can respond sensitively and constructively.

A place for mutual learning and shared commitment, participants left not only with new knowledge and strategies, but also a renewed purpose: to use their roles to uplift girls and protect their well-being through sport.

Post-workshop, participants will review the provided resources and apply them within their own communities and coaching environments.

Additional workshops are planned in cities across India, aiming to build a wider movement for gender-equitable, safe, and inclusive coaching practices.

WORLD TABLE TENNIS DAY 2026-2027

Endorsing the path followed by the ITTF Foundation and the shared vision of the entire ITTF Group family, celebrating health and wellbeing is the theme for World Table Tennis Day in both 2016 and 2017.

Through the TT4Health programme and initiatives such as the World Table Tennis for Health Festival, it has been demonstrated how table tennis can improve lives, support physical activity, enhance mental health, and strengthen social bonds. The new theme builds on that foundation, highlighting the transformative power of table tennis in people’s health.

Taking effect immediately, the aim is to raise even greater awareness of the role table tennis can play in creating healthier, happier communities worldwide; to amplify this message, the ITTF Foundation is launching the campaign #TTMovesYou, celebrating table tennis not just as a game but as a global movement for healthier bodies and stronger minds.

Anticipations on the rise, thousands of participants expected; Thursday 23rd April 2026, World Table Tennis Day is the chance to show that #TTMovesYou! READ

Remote Islands in Focus

Scott Houston, Oceania

Table Tennis Federation’s

Chief Executive Off icer and Swaythling Club

International member, reports on initiatives in Auckland and Tonga designed to support the continent’s geographically small member associations

Interview time for Nauru’s Sharky Itaia

TOP LEFT

Tammi Agari (Papua New Guinea)

TOP CENTRE

Tracey Mawa (Vanuatu)

LOWER LEFT

Geoffrey Loi (Papua New Guinea)

LOWER CENTRE

Left to right

Ocean Belrose, Sharky Itaia, Maria Poila, Tammi Agari,

Tracey Mawa, Geoffrey Loi, Joshua Yee, Hongbo Liang

Representing remote islands in the Pacific Ocean, immense distances apart, in late August the Oceania Talent Team gathered in Auckland, New Zealand; the itinerary a five-day training camp followed by two days of competition.

Led by Oceania Development Officers, Ocean Belrose and Hongbo Liang, the party comprised three men: Sharky Itaia (Nauru), Geoffrey Loi (Papua New Guinea), Joshua Yee (Fiji) and three women: Tammi Agari (Papua New Guinea), Tracey Mawa (Vanuatu), Maria Poila (Cook Islands).

The training camp focused on building technical, tactical and mental skills, the short-term aim to advance the quality and quantity of players from Oceania; the long-term goal to increase the number of Oceania member associations who qualify for benchmark events such as the World Championships and the Olympic Games.

It’s the taking part that counts, it is a well-worn phrase but never truer than at the Auckland Open, the tournament that concluded proceedings.

Success in terms of winning was sparse but success in terms of gaining experience and motivation was immense. The tournament provided valuable match practice for players who usually face difficulties in accessing regular quality competition.

In true Oceania style, throughout the week the players built up great camaraderie and returned home having forged a strong bond between team members.

“I am very pleased with the players’ commitment during the training camp, and with their participation in both the training camp and the Auckland Open”, reflected Belrose. “It has given them valuable knowledge and international experience; it has been a real pleasure to coach them throughout this week.”

There is definitely untapped potential in Oceania, our players face difficulties to leave their home country with cost of travel and geographic isolation providing significant barriers

Equally, Liang was in a most optimistic frame of mind.

“There is definitely untapped potential in Oceania, our players face difficulties to leave their home country with cost of travel and geographic isolation providing significant barriers”, he stressed. “We need to continue to invest in their development if we are to lift the level throughout Oceania; I hope this trip has provided the players with a great experience and they return home motivated to go to the next level.”

Significantly, the venture was supported by the

Australian Government through its PacificAus Sports partnership with the Australian Olympic Committee, created to provide Pacific athletes with access to high-performance training and elite competition. Without this financial support, the Oceania Talent Team trip to Auckland would not have been possible. ITTF-Oceania is pleased to provide opportunities for senior athletes and hopes that this initiative will become an annual occurrence.

It should be noted the funding is only for athletes aged over 18 years old, and is not available for athletes from Australia, New Zealand, French territories and United States territories.

TOP RIGHT Maria Poila (Cook Islands)

LOWER RIGHT

Joshua Yee (Fiji)

A successful venture completed in Auckland, the next mission was to a far different shore.

The only Oceania country which is a Kingdom, Tonga hosted a two-week Oceania Development Program initiative from Tuesday 9th to Tuesday 23rd September, the destination the capital city of Nuku’alofa, located on the island of Tongatapu.

Situated in the Polynesian region of Oceania, Tonga’s closest neighbours are Fiji, Wallis and Futuna, Samoa, American Samoa, Cook Islands and Niue. Tonga comprises more than 170 islands, of which 45 are inhabited by more than 100,000 people. The Oceania Development Officer, Ocean Belrose, and the Smash Down Barriers Program Manager, Cherry Harvey, were the experts on duty.

A broad focus across the two-week visit formed the itinerary:

• Training camp for para players who are preparing for the 2025 ITTF-Oceania Para Championships

• Training camp for able-bodied players and for business house players

• Refresher sessions for the ITTF Level One coaches

• Introductory umpiring sessions

• Governance workshop with the Tonga Table Tennis Federation Board

• Meetings with key dignitaries including the Minister of Tourism and the Australian High Commissioner

• Visiting a disability centre

• Organising a tournament

The Tonga Table Tennis Federation became an ITTF Member Association in 1997 and has featured regularly at continental events, proving a most valuable contributor to table tennis in Oceania.

More recently, through the support of the Australian Government, the Federation is one of three Oceania countries to be a partner of the Smash Down Barriers Program, a crucial part of local operations.

Currently ITTF-Oceania enjoys a close working relationship with Tonga and looks forward to providing ongoing assistance in the years ahead; ITTF-Oceania thanks the International Table Tennis Federation for their ongoing support of the Oceania Development Program.

Including Tonga, the visit was the 12th completed under the auspices of the Oceania Development Program.

ABOVE

A wide range of ages and abilities attended proceedings in Tonga

BELOW LEFT

Training sessions for paralympic players were included

BELOW RIGHT

The experts Cherry Harvey left and right Ocean Belrose make friends in Tonga

We Remember

Biriba

Ubiraci Rodrigues da Costa, a member of the Swaythling Club International, always known as Biriba, passed away on Thursday 25th September, he was 80 years old.

He is the Brazilian with whom Hugo Calderano is compared; a player who following his exploits at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and this year at both the Men’s World Cup and World Championships has surpassed the achievements of his fellow predecessors. He has every right to be acclaimed the greatest Brazilian, greatest Pan American table tennis player of all time.

However, when considering successes as a teenager, the man born in Săo Paulo on Tuesday 26th June 1945 has no equal. Furthermore, it is arguable that for a player so young, Biriba had no equal in any sport!

Before reaching 16 years of age, he had beaten three men’s singles world champions!

At the 1961 World Championships staged in early April, in the men’s singles fourth round, Biriba beat the reigning world champion Rong Guotan, the player who two years earlier in Dortmund had overcome Hungary’s Ferenc Sido, to hold aloft the St Bride Vase.

A remarkable feat, an incredible achievement, one that stands alongside any other in the world of sport. Rong Guotan, by winning in Dortmund had become China’s first ever world champion in any sport. Furthermore, he was playing on home soil in Beijing, the first time ever China had hosted the celebrated event.

Also, you can add to the astonishing nature of the occasion that he was the more experienced player, at the time 23 years old; Biriba was a mere 15 years of age!

Not required to compete in the opening round, in round two Biriba beat the host nation’s Li Jensu in straight games before recording a four games win in opposition to Romania’s Adalbert Rethi. Facing Rong Guotan, he recovered from a two games to one deficit to secure victory. Biriba was beaten in the next round, the quarter-finals, by Hu Taopen, also from China; nevertheless, it was a major achievement to progress so deep into the event.

Notably, Rong Guotan was not the first world champion Biriba had beaten.

Earlier, the 50th anniversary of Japanese immigration to Brazil had been celebrated in 1958. A committee was formed whose task was to organise events to mark the occasion; in conjunction with the Săo Paulo Table Tennis Federation, it was decided to invite Ichiro Ogimura and Toshiaki Tanaka.

They were the dominant players of the era. In 1954 in the Wembley Arena, Ichiro Ogimura had been crowned world champion, before the following year in Utrecht, Toshiaki Tanaka had secured the title. In the next two World Championships, 1956 in Tokyo and 1957 in Stock-

ABOVE

Biriba, a right handed penhold grip player at the 1959 World Championships in Dortmund

holm, they had met in the final, the result honours even. Ichiro Ogimura prevailed on home soil, Toshiaki Tanaka in the Swedish capital city.

Agreement was reached for the visit; in July 1958 they played in several cities in the State of Săo Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Parana. The impact on Brazil was huge, large crowds rising to 10,000 in number, the local hero, a 13-year-old boy weighing 50 kilos.

Facing Tanaka, Biriba won four matches, lost three, against Ogimura it was one victory, five defeats. Media frenzy, nobody thought for one moment that a boy not yet in his teenage years could beat such famous names.

Instant stardom, in 1958 Pele, Maria Bueno and Biriba were considered the three greatest Brazilian sportsmen and sportswomen of the year. All-time greats, in that year, under the cap-

taincy of Hilderaldo Bellini, whose statue stands outside the Maracană stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil had won the FIFA World Cup, it was the tournament when Pele, 17 years old at the time, announced his arrival, in the eyes of many the greatest footballer who ever lived.

Likewise, Maria Bueno had made her presence felt in the tennis world, in 1958 she won the women’s singles at the Italian Open; during her career she won 19 Grand Slam titles including Wimbledon three times and the United States Open on four occasions.

Recognising the achievements, Butterfly launched the Biriba racket, still used today.

Undoubtedly, the wins against Ichiro Ogimura, Toshiaki Tanaka and Rong Guotan stand out but they were not the only successes that raised the eyebrows.

ABOVE RIGHT

ABOVE LEFT

Biriba with Bowie Martin, racket promotion in Washington 1964

In illustrious company, Biriba centre with left Pele and right Maria Bueno

ABOVE

the action during breaks in play for the Harlem

At the 1959 World Championships in Dort mund, in the men’s team event, Biriba beat Ber nard Bukiet and Leonard Cooperman in a 5-4 win against the United States.

Similarly, Brazil recorded the same margin of victory in opposition to Romania, a fix ture in which Biriba accounted for Tiberiu Kovaci, Radu Negulescu and Adelbert Rethi.

Earlier, in 1958 in Caracas, he won the men’s singles event at the South Amer ican Champion ships, later he won in 1960 in S Paulo and 1964 in Lima, to this date the youngest player ever to secure the title.

Moreover, other than a Bra

Add to the list five times Brazilian champion and the opponent for Richard Bergmann in breaks during the Harlem Globetrotters basketball matches, it is a remarkable list of success for a young man who started to play table tennis when six years old.

He played at Club Beira Mar founded by his father, the premises situated on the floor above his bakery; a very beginning, he used a wooden racket with no

A visitor noted his abilities and in-

zilian colleague, he never lost to a Latin Ameri-

Richard Bergmann left and right Biriba provided

Globetrotters basketball matches

RIGHT

Biriba in1964 at Prince George's Plaza Table Tennis Club in Washington

vited him to join Unidos Clube of Săo Paulo. Only eight years old, within six months alongside his 12-year-old brother, Ubirajara, he was the cadet doubles champion in Săo Paulo.

Quick success for Biriba, but why the name?

At three years of age because his name was Ubiraci, he was known as Biri-Biri. At the time, Biriba was a dog, the mascot of Botafogo Football Club in Rio de Janeiro, his father's assistant began to call him Biriba. At first, he did not like the name but when table tennis success began, it was the name the press used.

Like Pele, christened Edson Arantes do Nascimento, the name Biriba was media friendly and lasted the tests of time.

Forever etched in the annals of sport, a Brazilian hero, a true legend, never forgotten, sadly departed but his achievements live for ever.

Biriba rest in peace.

LEFT

Biriba at the 1958 South American Championships

RIGHT

Biriba left with right elder brother Ubirajara

Career Highlights

1961 World Championships – Beijing

Men’s Singles

Round One: bye

Round Two: bt Li Jensu (CHN) 21-16, 22-20, 21-12

Round Three: bt Adelbert Rethi (ROU) 21-18, 21-17, 1321, 22-20

Round Four: bt Rong Guotan (CHN) 19-21, 21-18, 15-21, 21-16, 21-15

Round Five: lost to Hu Taopen (CHN) 21-18, 21-14, 21-16

South American Championships - Titles

1958 Caracas, Venezuela

Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles (Jackes Roth), Mixed Doubles (Nackma Cruz), Men’s Team (Batista Boderone Alberto Kurdoglian, Jackes Roth)

1960 Săo Paulo, Brazil

Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles (Jackes Roth), Mixed Doubles (Emiko Takatatsu), Men’s Team (Waldemar Duarte, Alberto Kurdoglian, Jackes Roth, Ivan Severo)

1964 Lima, Peru

Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles (Alberto Kurdoglian, Mixed Doubles (Bartira da Costa), Men’s Team (Waldemar Duarte, Alberto Kurdoglian, Luiz Mauro, Manoel Medina) Note: Alberto Kurdoglian was always known as Betinho; Bartira da Costa is Biriba’s sister

Janos Takacs

A former member of the Swaythling Club International, Janos Takacs passed away on Tuesday 2nd September; he was 71 years old.

The year 1979 was the pinnacle of his career.

Alongside, Gabor Gergely, Istvan Jonyer, Tibor Klampar and Tibor Kreisz he was a member of the Hungarian outfit at the World Championships in Pyongyang; a tournament of legendary status, Hungary beating China in the first stage and then in the final to lift the Swaythling Cup.

Takacs fulfilled very much a support role, Zoltan Berczik, the Hungarian coach, preferring the “big three” Gergely, Jonyer and Klampar time and again.

Later in the tournament Takacs more than made his presence felt; he reached the men’s singles third round losing to Japan’s classic de-

fender, Norio Takashima; in the mixed doubles partnering Zsuza Olah, it was farewell at the same stage. The pair lost to the reigning world champions, the French duo of Jacques Secretin and Claude Bergeret.

In the same year on Tuesday 30th January, he reached no.20 on the world ranking.

Additional to his efforts in 1979, he won 11 national titles; at club level he represented BVSC (1966–1974 and 1976–1986), Honvéd Szondi SE (1974–1976), Spvg Steinhagen (1986–1987), ATSV Saarbrücken (1987–1989), TTC Frickenhausen (1989–1990), SpVgg Ludwigsburg (1990–1992) and TSV Gornsdorf (1993–1999).

Later he moved to Geneva in Switzerland, he competed in the World Veteran Championships and until ten years ago represented Carouge / Geneva.

Born on Sunday 5th December 1954 in Budapest, a member a golden age for Hungary, Janos Takacs has a special place in the history of table tennis.

ABOVE Janos Takacs, forever a special place in the history books, a member of the Hungarian men’s team at the 1979 World Championships in Pyongyang

Ursula Stulemeijer-Artz

Ursula Stulemeijer-Artz, member of the Swaythling Club International passed away on Friday 5th September, she was 87 years old.

A stalwart of table tennis in the Netherlands, Stulemeijer-Artz participated in a total of 67 international matches as well as competing at the World and European Championships.

She won the women's singles and women’s doubles national titles in 1962, later in 1964 she regained the women’s singles crown and in 1965 the women’s doubles.

Alongside Nora van Megen, Stulemeijer-Artz won bronze in the junior girls' doubles at the first European Championships in 1955, the first players from the country ever to win a medal at a European or World title tournament. They remained the only pair from the Netherlands to gain such an achievement until the 1976 European Youth Championships in Mödling when Bettine Vriesekoop and Addie Snijders secured cadet girls’ team silver.

The death of Ursula Stulemeijer-Artz follows the passing of compatriot Sonja Heltzel, she died at the end of last year on Thursday 5th December, she was 71 years of age.

Heltzel played in three European Youth Championships, two European Championships and one World Championships; she represented the Netherlands in 64 international matches and participated in 30 international tournaments.

She started her table tennis career in 1963 as a 10-year-old talent in the Amsterdam region and played her last match in 1987; she reached a total of 14 finals – women’s singles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles – at the national championships.

Silvio

Magni

Silvio Magni, a valued member of the Swaythling Club International, died on Friday 18th July aged 82 years.

A man of many interests, both sporting and cultural, somewhat a good food and wine connoisseur, he was very much known as a man of vision. First a player, later he became coach and manager of the Italian Table Tennis Federation.

Ursula Stulemeijer-Artz, medallist at the inaugural European Youth Championships

RIGHT

Silvio Magni, very much a step ahead in his thinking

The Most Memorable Year of All

Whatever else he achieved, the year 1971 will always hold a special place in the life of Alan Hydes.

Staged in Singapore in March, he competed in the first ever Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships. He departed with three titles. Alongside Trevor Taylor and Tony Clayton, all three left handers, he was a member of men’s title winning team. Later he partnered Trevor Taylor to men’s doubles gold and Pauline Piddock to mixed doubles success.

A welcome visitor was Victor Barna, the pair delighting those present by playing an exhibition match.

Preparing for the trip, a regular location for physical training was Oakwell, the football ground where Barnsley, his home town team, play.

On Saturday 9th August, he returned, he was a special guest at the Division One English Football League match between Barnsley and Bur-

ton Albion; moreover, he departed a very happy man, a goal in the 93rd minute gave Barnsley a 3-2 win!

Following the inaugural Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships, the immediate next stop was the Japanese city of Nagoya for the World Championships, the tournament when China invited western nations to their shores following a period of isolation owing to the Cultural Revolution.

Ping Pong Diplomacy was born; and still lives strongly in the heart and mind of Alan Hydes.

On Friday 19th September, he was a guest at a reception held at the Chinese Embassy in London to mark the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

FACING

A guest at the Chinese Embassy in London on Friday 19th September. Alan Hydes centre alongside staff members left Wang Ping and right councillor Sheng Du

ABOVE RIGHT

In the manager’s seat at Barnsley Football Club on Saturday 9th August

BELOW

Victor Barna left blows the ball back to right Alan Hydes at an exhibition match held at the 1971 Commonwealth Championships in Singapore

Landmark Birthday

A member of the Swaythling Club International and for many years integral to the Swedish national team, Marita Neidert celebrated her 80th birthday on Friday 19th September.

She started playing table tennis when 10 years old, her father, who worked for the railway, organised a table tennis table to be placed in the waiting room at Ottebol station in her hometown of Arvika.

Rapid progress, very soon she was playing for Fiskeviks IF in Arvika (1956–62). Later she represented Leksbergs BTK (1962–69), Sparvägens GoIF (1970–79), Halmstads BTK (1980–82), Melleruds BTK (1983–86) and Falkenbergs BTK (1987–2017).

Commencing in 1962, in a period of 10 years, she reached nine Swedish National Championships women’s singles finals, winning on five consecutive occasions between 1966 and 1970. Additionally, she won eight women’s doubles titles with four different partners: Eva Fredenlund (1963, 1967, 1968, 1970), Lena Rundström (1966), Birgitta Radberg (1969, 1977) and Siv Petersson (1971).

Meanwhile, beginning in 1961 she competed in five World Championships and four European Championships.

Later Marita continued to play veteran table tennis, in 2017 at the European Veteran Championships in Helsingborg, partnering Estonia’s Mare Kabrits, she won women’s doubles 70 years.

Presently, she lives in Falkenberg, has one daughter Madeleine (born 1964) and four grandchildren.

At the peak of her career Stiga produced a racket bearing the name of Marita Neidert

Proud Tradition in Santos

On Friday 8th August, Santos Municipal Table Tennis Day was celebrated, the occasion being the result of an initiative proposed to the local authorities in 2012 by Swaythling Club International member, Marcio Tovar. The first gathering being one year later in November 2013. Table tennis in Santos, located in the Brazilian state of Săo Paulo, dates to 1940, the Marian congregation of churches providing popular homes for the sport.

A journey back in time

2025 First Baptist Church of Săo Vicente boys’ team Paulo Matos, Marcio Ricoy, Bento Silva, Samuel Gracino, Cristiano Campos, Samir Assam, Valdir Silva

1968 Sport Club Senador Feijó Team, Brazilian club champions Lin Chung, Nelson Rico, Jorge Moreira, Marcio Tovar

1953 International Regatas Club, Santos champions Flávio Lagarcha ; Danilo Aniceto, Lidio Tovar

1941 Blue Star Team Santos City champions Moisés Stipanovich, Nilo Faustino, Faustino Pedro, Lidio Tovar, Flávio Carvalho, Elcio Pelegrini

1940 Students Centre Team, Santos City champions Pedro Carvalho, Juliano Silva, Alfredo Bastos, Bruno Silva, Lidio Tovar, Milton Arando, Silvio Oliveira

2025 First Baptist Church of Săo Vicente girls’ team Vitoria Diniz, Vitoria Ricoy, Camila Ricoy, Ana Cristina

The

dynamic opening ceremony in late September for the China Smash tournament staged in Beijing

IN FOCUS IN FOCUS

A review of international tournaments staged in July, August, September 2025

World Table Tennis

Tested but Top Names Merit Status

Commencing with the United States Smash staged in early July in Las Vegas, the record of China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha may not have been perfect, but when the counterpart tournament concluded in Beijing in October, there was sufficient evidence to endorse the fact that each merited top billing in the world order.

Wang Chuqin won the men’s singles title in Las Vegas, before succeeding at the Champions Macao and at the Beijing Smash. In his country’s capital city he completed the full house. He partnered Sun Yingsha and Lin Shidong to respective mixed doubles and men’s doubles gold.

The one final to escape his clutches came at the Champions Yokohama in August when beaten by Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto, the player he had overcome to claim the top step of the podium in Las Vegas.

Macao, the decision went in favour of Sun Yingsha; in Beijing, Wang Manyu prevailed.

Repeat finals, not in Yokohama, in the women’s singles, Wang Manyu was beaten in the second round by Chen Yi, Sun Yingsha in the final by colleague Chen Xingtong.

Familiarity, even more so; they are regular doubles partners, they won Malmö, having been runners up in Las Vegas. Moreover, when apart there was success, Wang Manyu partnered Kuai Man to gold in Beijing. Kuai Man is undoubtedly a name to note and, being left handed, a valuable doubles partner. Joining forces with Lin Shidong the duo won the mixed doubles at both the United States and Europe Smash tournaments.

RIGHT

Wang Chuqin won men’s singles titles in the United States, Macao and Beijing

FACING ABOVE

Hugo Calderano won the men’s singles title in

Honours even between Wang Chuqin and Tomokazu Harimoto, it was very similar for Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu who encountered each other for the umpteenth time. In fact if you search the records, since junior days, in international competition they have now met on over 40 occasions.

In the peak years of their careers, in the

Once again the immense depth of the Chinese women’s team underlined; a fact further endorsed by the fact that Zhu Yuling, the 2017 Women’s World Cup winner, recovered from illness, is surplus to requirements. Appearing in the colours of Macao; in Las Vegas, she won the women’s singles.

Titles, for Chinese players who have succeeded at the very highest level; it was the same for two names who have proved a match for the sport’s major power. Brazil’s Hugo Calderano, beaten by Wang Chuqin in the Macao final,

UNITED STATES SMASH, LAS VEGAS

Thursday 3rd - Sunday 13th July

Men’s Singles

W: Wang Chuqin (CHN) RU: Tomokazu Harimoto (JPN)

Women’s Singles

W: Zhu Yuling (MAC) RU: Chen Yi (CHN)

Men’s Doubles

W: An Jaehyun/Lim Jonghoon (KOR)

RU: Alexis Lebrun/Felix Lebrun (FRA)

Women’s Doubles

W: Kuai Man/Wang Yidi (CHN)

RU: Sun Yingsha/Wang Manyu (CHN)

Mixed Doubles

W: Lin Shidong/Kuai Man (CHN)

RU: Lim Jonghoon/Shin Yubin (KOR)

Full Details: United States Smash

WTT CONTENDER LAGOS, NIGERIA

Tuesday 22nd - Saturday 26th July

Men’s Singles

W: Anders Lind (DEN) RU: Tomislav Pucar (CRO)

Women’s Singles

W: Honoka Hashimoto (JPN) RU: Sreeja Akula (IND)

Men’s Doubles

W: Sathiyan Gnanasekaran/Akash Pal (IND)

RU: Leo de Nodrest/Jules Rolland (FRA)

Women’s Doubles

W: Kim Nayeong/Ryu Hanna (KOR)

RU: Hana Goda/Dina Meshref (EGY)

Mixed Doubles

W: Jules Rolland/Prithika Pavade (FRA)

RU: Akash Pal/Poymantee Baisya (IND)

Full Details: WTT Contender Lagos

WTT CONTENDER BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

Tuesday 22nd - Sunday 27th July

Men’s Singles

W: Hugo Calderano (BRA) RU: Mizuki Oikawa (JPN)

Women’s Singles

W: Miwa Harimoto (JPN) RU: Cheng I-Ching (TPE)

Men’s Doubles

W: Kazuki Hamada/Hiromu Kobayashi (JPN)

RU: Ankur Bhattacharjee/Payas Jain (IND)

Women’s Doubles

W: Miwa Harimoto/Satsuki Odo (JPN)

RU: Hitomi Sato/Sakura Yokoi (JPN)

Mixed Doubles

W: Hugo Calderano/Bruna Takahashi (JPN)

RU: Harmeet Desai/Yashaswini Ghorpade (IND)

Full Details: WTT Contender Buenos Aires

counterparts were the subject of discussion, Japan was the nation to note. At Contender events, they were here there and ev erywhere.

In Spokane, Washington, where back-to-back tourna ments were staged in early August; in the first Kaho Akae lost to colleague Saki Shibata in the women’s singles final, in the second she reversed the decision.

Later, at the end of the month in Olomouc, Kaho Akae won the women’s singles having part nered Misuzu Takeya to women’s doubles gold.

Tables turned, not an unusual occurence for Saki Shibata. Partnering Hitomi Sato, in the first Sokane tournament, the duo experienced defeat in the final when opposing Asuka

WTT STAR CONTENDER FOZ DO IGUAÇU, BRAZIL

Tuesday 29th July - Sunday 3rd August

Men’s Singles

W: Hugo Calderano (BRA) RU: Benedikt Duda (GER)

Women’s Singles

W: Miwa Harimoto (JPN) RU: Miyu Nagasaki (JPN)

Men’s Doubles

W: Benedikt Duda/Dang Qiu (GER)

RU: Manush Shah/Manav Thakkar (IND)

Women’s Doubles

W: Miwa Harimoto/Satsuki Odo (JPN)

RU: Kim Nayeong/Ryu Hanna (KOR)

Mixed Doubles

W: Satoshi Aida/Honoka Hashimoto (JPN)

RU: Manush Shah/Diya Chitale (IND)

Full Details: WTT Star Contender Foz Do Iguaçu, Brazil

WTT FEEDER SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES

Tuesday 5th - Friday 8th August

Men’s Singles

W: Leo de Nodrest (FRA) RU: Park Gyunhyeon (KOR)

Women’s Singles

W: Saki Shibata (JPN) RU: Kaho Akae (JPN)

Men’s Doubles

W: Irvin Bertrand/Jules Rolland (FRA)

RU: Keishi Hagihara/Yuhi Sakai (JPN)

Women’s Doubles

W: Asuka Sasao/Anne Uesawa (JPN)

RU: Hitomi Sato/Saki Shibata (JPN)

Mixed Doubles

W: Satoshi Aida/Hitomi Sato (JPN)

RU: Keishi Hagihara/Kaho Akae

Full Details: WTT Feeder Spokane

BELOW

Kaho Akae won at

Sasao and Anne Uesawa; in the second it was role reversal. Later in September in Cappadocia, the duo added to their women’s doubles collection.

Success for the Land of the Rising Sun, moreover, in every continent on the itinerary. Miwa Harimoto won the women’s singles and with Satsuki Odo the women’s doubles in Buenos Aires and in the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu. Later, the duo reached the final in Malmö, losing to the redoubtable partnership of Sun Yingsha and

A wide variety of stamps on the passport, the same for Honoka Hashimoto; she journeyed to Africa where she won the women’s singles in Lagos. Later, in South America, in Foz do Iguaçu, she partnered Satoshi Aida to mixed

Returning to Asian soil, she claimed the women’s singles top prize in the Kazakhstan city of Almaty and once again with Hitomi Sato, enjoyed the women’s doubles success.

WTT CHAMPIONS YOKOHAMA, JAPAN

Thursday 7th - Monday 11th August

Men’s Singles

W: Tomokazu Harimoto (JPN) RU: Wang Chuqin (CHN)

Women’s Singles

W: Chen Xingtong (CHN) RU: Sun Yingsha (CHN)

Full Details: WTT Champion Yokohama

WTT FEEDER SPOKANE II, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES

Saturday 9th - Tuesday 12th August

Men’s Singles

W: Park Gyuhyeon (KOR) RU: Park Ganghyeon (KOR)

Women’s Singles

W: Kaho Akae (JPN) RU: Saki Shibata (JPN)

Men’s Doubles

W: Park Gyuhyeon/Woo Hyeonggyu (KOR)

RU: Jang Minhyeok/Lee Hoyun (KOR)

Women’s Doubles

W: Hitomi Sato/Saki Shibata (JPN)

RU: Asuka Sasao/Anne Uesawa (JPN)

Mixed Doubles

W: Kim Woojin/Yang Haeun (KOR)

RU: Jishan Liang/Sally Moyland (USA)

Full Details: WTT Feeder Spokane II

WTT FEEDER VIENTIANE, LAOS

Monday 11th - Friday 15th August

Men’s Singles

W: Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (IND) RU: Ryoichi Yoshiyama (JPN)

Women’s Singles

W: Lee Daeun (KOR) RU: Yoo Yerin (KOR)

Men’s Doubles

W: Ho Kwan Kit/Yiu Kwan To (HKG)

RU: Kwan Man Ho/Li Hon Ming (HKG)

Women’s Doubles

W: Karen Lyne/Tee Ai Xin (MAS)

RU: Wu Jia-En/Wu Ying-Syuan (TPE)

Mixed Doubles

W: Hung Jing-Kai/Wu Ying-Siyuan (TPE)

RU: Javen Choong/Karen Lyne (MAS)

Full Details: WTT Feeder Vientiane

EUROPE SMASH, MALMÖ, SWEDEN

Tuesday 5th - Friday 8th August

Men’s Singles

W: Truls Moregard (SWE) RU: Lin Shidong (CHN)

Women’s Singles

W: Sun Yingsha (CHN) RU: Wang Manyu (CHN)

Men’s Doubles

W: Wong Chun Ting/Baldwin Chan (HKG)

RU: Lin Shidong/Huang Youzheng (CHN)

Women’s Doubles

W: Sun Yingsha/Wang Manyu (CHN)

RU: Miwa Harimoto/Satsuki Odo (JPN)

Women’s Doubles

W: Lin Shidong/Kuai Man (CHN)

RU: Lim Jonghoon/Shin Yubin (KOR)

Full Details: Europe Smash

WTT FEEDER PANAGYURISHITE, BULGARIA Wednesday 20th - Sunday 24th August

Men’s Singles

W: Cédric Nuytinck (BEL) RU: Vladislav Ursu (MDA)

Women’s Singles

W: Kasumi Kimura (JPN) RU: Anastasiya Dymytrenko (UKR)

Men’s Doubles

W: Chang Yu-An/Lin Yen-Chun (TPE)

RU: Florent Lambiet/ Cédric Nuytinck (BEL)

Women’s Doubles

W: Lee Zion/Elena Zaharia (KOR)

RU: Nicole Arlia/Miriam Carnovale (ITA)

Mixed Doubles

W: Daito Ono/Kotona Okada (JPN)

RU: Sota Noda/Mika Tamura (JPN)

Full Details: WTT Feeder Panagyurishte

WTT FEEDER OLOMOUC, CZECHIA Wednesday 27th - Sunday 31st August

Men’s Singles

W: Noshad Alamiyan (IRI) RU: Harmeet Desai (IND)

Women’s Singles

W: Kaho Akae (JPN) RU: Yoo Yerin (KOR)

Chen Xingtong prevailed in Yokohama

Noshad Alamiyan was victorious in Olomouc

The top prize for Truls Moregard on home soil in Malmö Success for Cédric Nuytinck in Panagyurishte

Men’s Doubles

W: Yuto Abe/Sota Noda (JPN)

RU: Nima Alamian/Noshad Alamiyan (IRI)

Women’s Doubles

W: Kaho Akae/Misuzu Takeya (JPN)

RU: Natalia Bajor/Anna Brzyska (POL)

Mixed Doubles

W: Kazuki Yoshiyama/Yuna Ojio (JPN)

RU: Vladislav Ursu/Alexandra Chiriacova (MDA)

Full Details: WTT Feeder Olomouc

WTT CONTENDER ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN

Tuesday 2nd - Sunday 7th September

Men’s Singles

W: Shunsuke Togami (JPN) RU: Zhou Qihao (CHN)

Women’s Singles

W: Honoka Hashimoto (KOR) RU: Qin Yuxuan (CHN)

Men’s Doubles

W: Xu Yingbin/Yuan Licen (CHN)

RU: Sora Matsushima/Shunsuke Togami (JPN)

Women’s Doubles

W: Honoka Hashimoto/Hitomi Sato (JPN)

RU: Shi Xunyao/Qian Tianyi (CHN)

Mixed Doubles

W: Huang Youzheng/Shi Xunyao (CHN)

RU: Xue Fei/Qian Tianyi (CHN)

Full Details: WTT Contender Almaty

WTT CHAMPIONS MACAO

Tuesday 9th - Sunday 14th September

Men’s Singles

W: Wang Chuqin (CHN) RU: Hugo Calderano (BRA)

Women’s Singles

W: Sun Yingsha (CHN) RU: Wang Manyu (CHN)

Full Details: WTT Champions Macao

WTT FEEDER ISTANBUL, TURKEY

Thursday 11th - Monday 15th September

Men’s Singles

W: Vladimir Sidorenko (AIN) RU: Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (IND)

Women’s Singles

W: Kyoka Idesawa (JPN) RU: Sibel Altinkaya (TUR)

Men’s Doubles

W: Lubomir Pistej/Jakub Zelinka (SVK)

RU: Maksim Grebnev/Lev Katsman (AIN)

Women’s Doubles

W: Elizabet Abraamian/Vlada Voronina (AIN)

RU: Tatiana Kukulkova/Barbora Varady (SVK)

Mixed Doubles

W: Shunsuke Okano/Kyoka Idesawa (JPN)

RU: Pang Koen/Ser Lin Qin (SGP)

Full Details: WTT Feeder Istanbul

WTT FEEDER CAPPADOCIA II, TURKEY

Tuesday 16th -Saturday 20th September

Men’s Singles

W: Yukiya Uda (JPN) RU: Yuhi Sakai (JPN)

Women’s Singles

W: Hitomi Sato (JPN) RU: Asuka Sasao (JPN)

Men’s Doubles

W: Yuhi Sakai/Hayate Suzuki (JPN)

RU: Le Ellsworth/Pang Koen (SGP)

Women’s Doubles

W: Hitomi Sato/Saki Shibata (JPN)

RU: Loy Ming Ying/Ser Lin Qian (SGP)

Mixed Doubles

W: Shunsuke Okano/Kyoka Idesawa (JPN)

RU: Tugay Yilmaz/Ece Harac (TUR)

Full Details: WTT Feeder Istanbul

CHINA SMASH BEIJING, CHINA

Thursday 25th September - Sunday 5th October

Men’s Singles

W: Wang Chuqin (CHN) RU: Felix Lebrun (FRA)

Women’s Singles

W: Wang Manyu (CHN) RU: Sun Yingsha (CHN)

Men’s Doubles

W: Lin Shidong/Wang Chuqin (CHN)

RU: Chen Junsong/Zhou Qihao (CHN)

Women’s Doubles

W: Kuai Man/Wang Manyu (CHN)

RU: Hina Hayata/Joo Cheonhui (JPN)/KOR)

Mixed Doubles

W: Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha (CHN)

RU: Huang Youzheng/Chen Yi (CHN)

Full Details: China Smash Beijing

Wang Manyu won in Beijing

Honoka Hashimoto won in Lagos, then in Almaty Gold for Hitomi Sato in Cappadocia

World Table Tennis Youth

ABOVE

Rin Mende enjoyed success in North America, she won the under 19 girls’ singles and with Bosman Botha the under 19 mixed doubles in Mississauga, San Francisco and Fremont

Rin Mende Yet Again the Star Turn

Winner of the under 19 girls’ singles titles earlier in the year at the WTT Youth San Francisco II tournament in April; same again in June in Helsingborg, as the year progressed, Japan’s Rin Mende was once again the name to note.

She repeated the feats in Mississauga in August, before in September winning in San Francisco and then in Fremont. Furthermore, on each of the three occasions she partnered Bosman Botha from the United States to under 19 mixed doubles gold.

Impressive from Rin Mende, it was the same from Chinese Taipei’s Wu Yuan-Kai. He secured under 13 boys’ singles titles in Otocec, Varazdin, San Franciso and Fremont. Furthermore, in San Francisco he partnered colleague Lu Yu-En to under 15 mixed doubles gold. Additionally, in San Francisco he emerged the under 15 boys’ singles runner up, a finish also achieved earlier in the under 13 age group in Bangkok.

Rin Mende and Wu Yuan-Kai very much set the standard for their colleagues. On duty for Japan Miku Matsushima won the under 17 and under 15 girls’ singles events in Hong Kong, Aoba Takahashi enjoyed under 17 girls’ singles success in San Francisco and Fremont.

Meanwhile, Coco Muramatsu prevailed in the under 15 girls’ singles events in Otocec and Varazdin; one step lower, in Hong Kong she was the under 15 girls’ singles and with Soma Ono in the under 19 mixed doubles runner up. Later in September, it was the same outcome in the under 19 girls’ singles in San Francisco, again silver.

Not to outdone by his female colleagues, Ryuusei Kawakami won the under 17 boys’ singles in Malmö, the under 19 boys’ singles in Varazdin and with Sachi Aoki, the under 19 mixed doubles in Skopje.

Similarly, on duty for Chinese Taipei, Lin ChinTing won under 17 boys’ singles titles in Vientiane and Fremont; Sie Jhih-Chen captured under 13 girls’ singles gold in Vientiane and Bangkok. Meanwhile Chen Chi-Yun and Chen Min-Hsin secured under 19 and under 17 girls’ singles top prize in Bangkok and Luxembourg respectively.

Stand out performances, it was the same from Korea Republic’s Lee Seungsoo and Heo Yerim as it was from China’s Li Hechen and Zhou Qihui.

Lee Seungsoo won the under 15 boys’ singles titles in Malmö and Skopje, being the under 17 boys’ singles runner up in Varazdin. Similarly,

WTT YOUTH CONTENDER CARACAS, VENEZUELA

Tuesday 1st - Friday 4th July

U19 Boys’ Singles

W: Carlos Rios (VEN) RU: Juan Gonzalez (ECU)

U19 Girls’ Singles

W: Prisha Goel (IND) RU: Chloe Fraser (TTO)

U19 Mixed Doubles

W: Jesus Tovar/Dakota Ferrer (VEN)

RU: Carlos Rios/Nathacha Mata Aponte (VEN)

U17 Boys’ Singles

W: Sudhanshu Maini (IND) RU: Jesus Tovar (VEN)

U17 Girls’ Singles

W: Chloe Fraser (VEN) RU: Stuti Kashyap (ANT)

U15 Boys’ Singles

W: Alejandro Martinez (CUB) RU: Emmanuel Salcedo (VEN)

U15 Girls’ Singles

W: Paola Zerpa (VEN) RU: Karolayn Maldonado (ECU)

U15 Mixed Doubles

W: Alejandro Martinez/Karolayn Maldonado (CUB/ECU)

RU: Angel Hernandez/Sofia Criollo (VEN)

U13 Boys’ Singles

W: Jonas Golding (VEN) RU: Joaquin Marin (VEN)

U13 Girls’ Singles

W: Alondra Gonzalez (VEN) RU: Valeria Santaella (VEN)

U11 Boys’ Singles

W: Lucas Ewald (BRA) RU: Tommy Golding (VEN)

U11 Girls’ Singles

W: Loriad Pineda (VEN) RU: Maria Rios (VEN)

Full Details: WTT Youth Contender Caracas

WTT YOUTH CONTENDER ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN

Wednesday 23rd - Saturday 26th July

U19 Boys’ Singles

W: Aleksei Samokhin (AIN) RU: Alan Kurmangaliyev (KAZ)

U19 Girls’ Singles

W: Divyanshi Bhowmick (IND) RU: Zlata Terekhova (AIN)

U19 Mixed Doubles

W: Li Ki Ho/ Yuen Sum Lok (HKG)

RU: Shokhrukh Iskandarov/Arujan Kamalova (UZB)

U17 Boys’ Singles

W: Priyanuj Bhattacharyya (IND) RU: Abhinandh Pradhivadhi (IND) U17 Girls’ Singles

W: Heo Yerin (KOR) RU: Kim Yeonseo (KOR)

U15 Boys’ Singles

W: Sora Okada (JPN) RU: Liao Yu-Qi (TPE)

U15 Girls’ Singles

W: Lu Yu-En (TPE) RU: Ananya Muralidharan (IND)

U15 Mixed Doubles

W: Cheng Min-Hsiu/Lu Yu-En (TPE)

RU: Liao Yu-Qi/Chen Ruei-Ling (TPE)

U13 Boys’ Singles

W: Matev Manankov (AIN) RU: Ho Feng-En (TPE)

U13 Girls’ Singles

W: Liao Yu-Ching (TPE) RU: Eleonara Shiieva (UZB)

U11 Boys’ Singles

W: Khusen Iskandarov (UZB) RU: Amir Shiriev (UZB)

U11 Girls’ Singles

W: Munisa Masharipova (UZB) RU: Zlata Stadnik (KAZ)

Full Details: WTT Youth Contender Almaty

Heo Yerim clinched under 19 and under 15 girls’ titles in Skopje, having earlier been the runner up in both disciplines in Malmö.

Equally imposing Li Hechen won the under 19 boys’ singles events in Otocec and Varazdin, Zhou Qihui donned the under 15 girls’ singles crown in Malmo, the under 19 girls’ singles in Varazdin, immediately following she was the under 17 girls’ singles runner up in Otocec.

Increasing the gold medal col lection month by month, India’s Div yanshi Bhowmick and Thailand’s Thita phat Preechayan pur sued the same path.

Winner of the cadet girls’ singles title at the Asian Youth Championships in early July, later in the same month she claimed the under 19 girls’ singles title in Almaty. Soon after in August in Amman, she won the under 17 girls’ singles and with com

WTT YOUTH CONTENDER HONG KONG

Monday 28th July - Sunday 3rd August

U19 Boys’ Singles

W: Chen Kai-Cheng (TPE) RU: Tsai Tien-Yu (TPE)

U19 Girls’ Singles

W: Chen Chia-I (TPE) RU: Chen Chi-Yin (TPE)

U19 Mixed Doubles

W: Kenyu Hiratsuka/Kokomi Ishida (JPN)

RU: Soma Ono/Cocona Muramatsu (JPN)

U17 Boys’ Singles

W: Chang Jui-Yang (TPE) RU: Tsai Tien-Yu (TPE)

U17 Girls’ Singles

W: Miku Matsushima (JPN) RU: Lu Yu-En

U15 Boys’ Singles

W: Yu Yi-Ching (TPE) RU: Hsu An-Pao (TPE)

U15 Girls’ Singles

W: Miku Matsushima (JPN) RU: Cocona Muramatsu (JPN)

U15 Mixed Doubles

W: Ukyo Kobayashi/Aoba Takahashi (JPN)

RU: Yu Yi-Cing/Kuo Yo-Hsuan (TPE)

U13 Boys’ Singles

W: Yusei Shibata (JPN) RU: Wong Tsz Ho (HKG)

U13 Girls’ Singles

W: Wakana Enomoto (JPN) RU: Nanami Kiho (JPN)

U11 Boys’ Singles

W: Chen Kai Xin (TPE) RU: Pan Yue (HKG)

U11 Girls’ Singles

W: Angela Yuan (AUS) RU: Poon Tsz Ying (HKG)

Full Details: WTT Youth Contender Hong Kong

patriot Atharva Nawarange the under 15 mixed doubles. Advance forward one month, in September, alongside Ananya Muralidharan, also from India, it was under 15 girls’ doubles gold.

Not to be overshadowed, in August, Thitaphat Preechayan secured the under 15 boys’ singles title in Vientiane, before in September enjoying under 15 mixed doubles success alongside Kulapassr Vijitviriyagul in Bangkok. Soon after in San Francisco he claimed under 15 boys’ singles gold under 17 boys’ sin-

Asian players attracting the attention; however, there was one European in particular who shone, Slovakia’s Samuel Arpas flew the flag for the old continent, won the under 19 boys’ singles in both Mississauga and in Batumi.

LEFT Wu Yuan-Kai won under 13 boys’ singles titles in Otocec, Varazdin, San Francisco and Fremont. Also, in San Francisco he partnered Lu Yu-En to under 15 mixed doubles gold

WTT YOUTH CONTENDER VIENTIANE, LAOS

Wednesday 6th - Saturday 9th August

U19 Boys’ Singles

W: Hung Jing-Kai (TPE) RU: Kwon Hyuk (KOR)

U19 Girls’ Singles

W: Kim Minseo (KOR) RU: Wu Jia-En (TPE)

U19 Mixed Doubles

W: Tsai Tien-Yu/Wu Jia-En (TPE)

RU: Hung Jing-Kai/Wu Ying-Syuan (TPE)

U17 Boys’ Singles

W: Lin Chin-Ting (TPE) RU: Kwon Hyuk (KOR) U17 Girls’ Singles

W: Peng Yu-Han (TPE) RU: Kim Minseo (KOR)

U15 Boys’ Singles

W: Thitaphat Preechayan (THA) RU: Cheng Yuan-Lun (TPE)

U15 Girls’ Singles

W: Seo Ayeong (KOR) RU: Sie Jhih-Chen (TPE)

U15 Mixed Doubles

W: Lee Hangyeol/Kim Minseo (KOR)

RU: Yu Yi-Cing/Kuo Yu-Hsuan (TPE)

U13 Boys’ Singles

W: Lee Junho (TPE) RU: Lee Juchan

U13 Girls’ Singles

W: Sie Jhih-Chen (TPE) RU:Thuyatorn Meekaew (THA)

U11 Boys’ Singles

W: Thame Ratanawachirin (THA) RU: Bu Kee Ren (SGP)

U11 Girls’ Singles

W: Kridlada Choompuwiset (THA) RU: Boonyaporn Meekaew (THA)

Full Details: WTT Youth Contender Vientiane

WTT YOUTH CONTENDER MISSISSAUGA, CANADA

Thursday 14th - Sunday 17th August

U19 Boys’ Singles

W: Samuel Arpas (SVK) RU: Abdulbasit Abdulfatai (NGR) U19 Girls’ Singles

W: Rin Mende (JPN) RU: Mandy Yu (USA) U19 Mixed Doubles

W: Bosman Botha/Rin Mende (USA/JPN)

RU: Abdulbasit Abdulfatai/Sukurat Aiyelabegan (NGR)

Under 17 Boys’ Singles

W: Kef Noorani (USA) RU: Yashraj Shah (USA)

Under 17 Girls’ Singles

W: Mandy Yu (USA) RU: Abigail Yu (USA)

Under 15 Boys’ Singles

W: Sanuka Herath (CAN) RU: Abhinav Shirbhate (USA)

Under 15 Girls’ Singles

W: Olivia Huang (CAN) RU: Alexus Lee (CAN)

Under 15 Mixed Doubles

W: Kef Noorani/Abigail Yu (USA)

RU: Daniel Liang/Cindy Zhu (CAN)

Under 13 Boys’ Singles

W: Jaden Jia (USA) RU: Daniel Liang (CAN)

Under 13 Girls’ Singles

W: Amber Lin (CAN) RU: Melissa Jia (CAN)

Under 11 Boys’ Singles

W: Aaron Mingran Wang (CAN) RU: Kevin Yang (CAN)

Under 11 Girls’ Singles

W: Olivia Wang (CAN) RU: Emily Xin (CAN)

Full Details: WTT Youth Contender, Mississauga

WTT YOUTH CONTENDER AMMAN, JORDAN

Thursday 14th - Sunday 17th August

U19 Boys’ Singles

W: Harkunwar Singh (IND) RU: Kushal Chopda (IND) U19 Girls’ Singles

W: Setayesh Iloukhani (IRI) RU: Divyanshi Bhowmick (IND) U19 Mixed Doubles

W: Li Ki Ho/Yuen Sum Lok (HKG)

RU: Abhinandh Pradhivadhi/Ananya Muralidharan (IND)

Under 17 Boys’ Singles

W: Li Ki Ho (HKG) RU: Faraz Shakiba (IRI)

Under 17 Girls’ Singles

W: Divyanshi Bhowmick (IND) RU: Vaishnavi Jaiswal (IND)

Under 15 Boys’ Singles

W: Mobin Amiri (IND) RU: Abdulaziz Al-Abdulla (QAT) Under 15 Girls’ Singles

W: Ananya Muralidharan (IND) RU: Ankolika Chakraborty (IND)

Under 15 Mixed Doubles

W: Atharva Nawarange/Divyanshi Bhowmick (IND)

RU: Abdulrahman Al-Taher/Nihal Al-Qahtani (KSA)

Under 13 Boys’ Singles

W: Yousuf Hanifa (KSA) RU: Rakan Al-Zoubi (JOR)

Under 13 Girls’ Singles

W: Athmar Naser (IRQ) RU: Sarrinah Shaikh (QAT)

Under 11 Boys’ Singles

W: Salah Allam (EGY) RU: Andya Mohammed (IRQ)

Under 11 Girls’ Singles

W: Racha Loghraibi (QAT) RU: Alia El-Baz (QAT)

Full Details: WTT Youth Contender Amman

Thitaphat Preechayan won in Vientiane and San Francisco Samuel Arpas succeeded in Mississauga and Batumi

EUROPE YOUTH SMASH, MALMÖ, SWEDEN

Thursday 14th - Sunday 17th August

Under 19 Boys’ Singles

W: Ryuusei Kawakami (JPN)

RU: Ankur Bhattacharjee (IND)

Under 19 Girls’ Singles

W: Qin Yuxuan (CHN) RU: Heo Yerim (KOR)

Under 15 Boys’ Singles

W: Lee Seungsoo (KOR) RU: Zhou Guanhong (CHN) Under 15 Girls’ Singles

W: Zhu Qihui (CHN) RU: Heo Yerim (KOR)

Full Details: Europe Youth Smash

WTT YOUTH CONTENDER OTOCEC, SLOVENIA

Thursday 28th August - Wednesday 3rd September

Under 19 Boys’ Singles

W: Li Hechen (CHN) RU: Sun Yang (CHN) Under 19 Girls’ Singles

W: Sachi Aoki (JPN) RU: Yan Yutong (CHN)

Under 17 Boys’ Singles

W: Tang Yiren (CHN) RU: Kwon Hyuk (KOR) Under 17 Girls’ Singles

W: Ding Yijie (CHN) RU: Zhu Qihui (CHN)

Under 15 Boys’ Singles

W: Zhou Guanhong (CHN) RU: Yu Haiyang (CHN)

Under 15 Girls’ Singles

W: Cocona Muramatsu (JPN) RU: Kokomi Ishida (JPN)

Under 13 Boys’ Singles

W: Wu Yuan-Kai (TPE) RU: Alexander Malov (ESP) Under 13 Girls’ Singles

W: Lee Yeseo (KOR) RU: Zsofia Fegyver (HUN)

Under 11 Boys’ Singles

W: Luke Wang (SGP) RU: Samuel Win (AUS) Under 11 Girls’ Singles

W: Liu Xinqi (SGP) RU: Adele Vaskova (SVK)

Full Details: WTT Youth Contender Otocec

WTT YOUTH CONTENDER VARAZDIN, CROATIA

Thursday 28th August - Wednesday 3rd September

Under 19 Boys’ Singles

W: Li Hechen (CHN) RU: Sun Yang (CHN) Under 19 Girls’ Singles

W: Zhu Qihui (CHN) Chen Min-Hsin (TPE)

Under 17 Boys’ Singles

W: Ryuusei Kawakami (JPN) RU: Lee Seungsoo (KOR)

Under 17 Girls’ Singles

W: Mao Takamori (JPN) RU Ding Yijie (CHN)

Under 15 Boys’ Singles

W: Yu Haiyang (CHN) RU: Chen Yizhou (CHN)

Under 15 Girls’ Singles

W: Cocona Muramatsu (JPN) RU: Liu Yu-En (TPE)

Under 13 Boys’ Singles

W: Wu Yuan-Kai (TPE) RU: Alexander Malov (ESP)

Under 13 Girls’ Singles

W: Adela Brhelova (CZE) RU: Zsofia Fegyver (HUN)

Under 11 Boys’ Singles

W: Samuel Win (AUS) RU: Lovro Posilovic (CRO) Under 11 Girls’ Singles

W: Celestine Capati (SGP) RU: Liu Xinqi (SGP)

Full Details: WTT Youth Contender Varazdin

Cocona Muramatsu struck gold in Otocec and Varazdin Zhou Qihui struck gold in Malmö and Varazdin

Li Hechen in form in Otocec and Varazdin

Two titles for

WTT YOUTH STAR CONTENDER SKOPJE, MACEDONIA

Friday 5th - Sunday 7th September

Under 19 Boys’ Singles

W: Shunto Iwaida (JPN)

RU: Abhinandh Pradhivadhi (IND)

Under 19 Girls’ Singles

W: Heo Yerim (KOR) RU: Ding Yijie (CHN)

Under 19 Boys’ Doubles

W: Choi Jiwook/Lee Jungmok (KOR)

RU: Li Hechen/Tang Yiren (CHN)

Under 19 Girls’ Doubles

W: Sachi Aoki/Mao Takamori (JPN)

RU: Choi Nahyun/Yoo Yerin (KOR)

Under 19 Mixed Doubles

W: Ryuusei Kawakami/Sachi Aoki (JPN)

RU: Daniel Berzosa/Maria Berzosa (ESP)

Under 15 Boys’ Singles

W: Lee Seungsoo (KOR) RU: Ritvik Gupta (IND)

Under 15 Girls’ Singles

W: Heo Yerim (KOR) RU: Liu Ziling (CHN)

Under 15 Boys’ Doubles

W: Zhou Kaien/Zhou Guanhong (CHN)

RU: Kenya Hiratsuka/Soma Ono (JPN)

Under 15 Girls’ Doubles

W: Divyanshi Bhowmick/Ananya Muralidharan (IND)

RU: Liu Ziling/Zhao Wangqi (CHN)

Under 15 Mixed Doubles

W: Chen Yizhou/Jiang Yiyi (CHN)

RU: Ma Yeongmin/Lee Haelin (KOR)

Full Details: WTT Youth Contender Skopje

Chen Min-Hsin won the under 19 and under 17 girls’ singles titles in Luxembourg

WTT YOUTH CONTENDER BANGKOK II, THAILAND

Wednesday 10th - Saturday 13th September

Under 19 Boys’ Singles

W: Soh Yoshida (JPN) RU: Hung Che-Yen (TPE)

Under 19 Girls’ Singles

W: Chen Chi-Yun (TPE) RU: Lee Dahye (KOR)

Under 19 Mixed Doubles

W: Tsai Tien-Yu/Kung Mu-Tzu (TPE)

RU: Bhudej Panfueng/Khemisaar Derujijaroen (IND)

Under 17 Boys’ Singles

W: Kohaku Nakano (JPN) RU: Lin Chin-Ting (TPE)

Under 17 Girls’ Singles

W: Chen Chi-Yun (TPE) RU: Kulapassr Vijitviriyagul (IND)

Under 15 Boys’ Singles

W: Cheng Yuan-Lun (TPE) RU: Shunta Harasawa (JPN) Under 15 Girls’ Singles

W: Miku Matsushima (JPN) RU: Chen Chih-Yen (TPE) Under 15 Mixed Doubles

W: Thitaphat Preechayan/Kulapassr Vijitviriyagul (THA)

RU: Hsu An-Pao/Chen Chih-Yen (TPE)

Under 13 Boys’ Singles

W: Ryuya Kojima (JPN) RU: Wu Yuan-Kai (TPE)

Under 13 Girls’ Singles

W: Sie Jhih-Chen (TPE) RU: Kanan Komatsu (JPN)

Under 11 Boys’ Singles

W: Hinata Kawaguchi (JPN) RU: Chothirun Nantachaiwut (THA)

Under 11 Girls’ Singles

W: Ho Ai Lin (TPE) RU: Avni Janghu (IND)

Full Details: WTT Youth Contender Bangkok II

WTT YOUTH CONTENDER LUXEMBOURG

Wednesday 10th - Saturday 13th September

Under 19 Boys’ Singles

W: Takumi Tanimoto (JPN) RU: Hayato Mori (JPN) Under 19 Girls’ Singles

W: Chen Min-Hsin (TPE) RU: Karen Shimamura (JPN)

Under 19 Mixed Doubles

W: Ivan Kahn/Elinor Davidov (NED/ISR)

RU: Noah Hersel/Lorena Morsch (GER)

Under 17 Boys’ Singles

W: Hayato Mori (JPN) RU: Lee Hong An (MAS)

Under 17 Girls’ Singles

W: Chen Min-Hsin (TPE) RU: Lorena Morsch (GER)

Under 15 Boys’ Singles

W: Lee Hong An (MAS) RU: Tien Nghia Phong (GER)

Under 15 Girls’ Singles

W: Amelie Jia (GER) RU: Veronika Pryschchepa (UKR)

Under 15 Mixed Doubles

W: Tien Nghia Phong/Lotta Rothfuss (GER)

RU: Samuel Kuhl/Rheazhu (GER)

Under 13 Boys’ Singles

W: Simon Clin (FRA) RU: Jeffrey Wei (GER)

Under 13 Girls’ Singles

W: Emma Li (GER) RU: Temperance Tang (BEL)

Under 11 Boys’ Singles

W: Hachim Tissafi Idrissi (FRA) RU: Junde Lang (GER)

Under 11 Girls’ Singles

Not held

Full Details: WTT Youth Contender Luxembourg

Heo Yerim in Skopje

WTT YOUTH CONTENDER SAN FRANCISCO III

Wednesday 17th - Saturday 20th September

Under 19 Boys’ Singles

W: Daniel Tran (USA) RU: Chulong Nie (AUS) Under 19 Girls’ Singles

W: Rin Mende (JPN) RU: Cocona Muramatsu (JPN) Under 19 Mixed Doubles

W: Bosman Botha/Rin Mende (USA/JPN)

RU: Tanish Pendse/Stuti Kashyap (USA/ANT)

Under 17 Boys’ Singles

W: Cheng Min-Hsiu (TPE) RU: Thitaphat Preechayan (THA) Under 17 Girls’ Singles

W: Aoba Takahashi (JPN) RU: Lee Dahye (KOR)

Under 15 Boys’ Singles

W: Thitaphat Preechayan (THA) RU: Wu Yuan-Kai (TPE) Under 15 Girls’ Singles

W: Liu Yu-En (TPE) RU: Chen Chih-Yen (TPE) Under 15 Mixed Doubles

W: Wu Yuan-Kai/Lu Yu-En (TPE)

RU: Benaiah Seah/Janelle Chiang (SGP)

Under 13 Boys’ Singles

W: Wu Yuan-Kai (TPE) RU: Zane Ong (SGP) Under 13 Girls’ Singles

W: Anya Shanbhag (USA) RU: Chevelle See (SGP)

Under 11 Boys’ Singles

W: Ali Afrakhteh (USA) RU: William Jin (USA) Under 11 Girls’ Singles

W: Shreya Srinivasan (USA) RU: Sie Cai Yin (SGP)

Full Details: WTT Youth Contender Singapore III

WTT YOUTH CONTENDER BATUMI, GEORGIA

Thursday 18th - Sunday 21st September

Under 19 Boys’ Singles

W: Samuel Arpas (SVK) RU: Gorkem Ocal (TUR) Under 19 Girls’ Singles

W: Shriya Anand (IND) RU: Elinor Davidov (ISR) Under 19 Mixed Doubles

W: Alan Kurmangaliyev/Karolina Holda (KAZ/SGP) RU: Rohan Dani/Prisha Goel (ENG/IND)

Under 17 Boys’ Singles

W: Nathan Doussinet (FRA) RU: Pavol Kokavev (SVK) Under 17 Girls’ Singles

W: Ankolika Chakraborty (IND) RU: Trushti Sood (IND)

Under 15 Boys’ Singles

W: Yhali Zagori (ISR) RU: Alexey Markin (KAZ) Under 15 Girls’ Singles

W: Ankolika Chakraborty (IND) RU: Trushti Sood (IND) Under15 Mixed Doubles

W: Assylkhan Magsumbekov Mariya Lukyanova (KAZ) RU: Yali Mor/Yana Zhadzko (ISR/AIN)

Under 13 Boys’ Singles

W: Nurdaulet Azamatuly (KAZ) RU: Aras Aydin (TUR)

Under 13 Girls’ Singles

W: Zhaniya Bekmukham (KAZ) RU: Kavya Gupta (IND)

Under 11 Boys’ Singles

W: Lavi Natishanski (ISR) RU: Aliakbar Mirzaliyev (AZE)

Under 11 Girls’ Singles

W: Mehin Mirzabalayeva (AZE) RU: Elene Kobalia (ENG)

Full Details: WTT Youth Contender Batumi

WTT YOUTH CONTENDER FREMONT, UNITED STATES

Monday 22nd-Thursday 25th September

Under 19 Boys’ Singles

W: Cheng Hong-Yu (TPE) RU: Lin Chin-Ting (TPE) Under 19 Girls’ Singles

W: Rin Mende (JPN) RU: Lee Dahye (KOR)

Under 19 Mixed Doubles

W: Bosman Botha/Rin Mende (USA/JPN)

RU: Chulong Nie/Kavyaa Madaan (AUS)

Under 17 Boys’ Singles

W: Lin Chin-Ting (TPE) RU: Cheng Hong-Yu (TPE)

Under 17 Girls’ Singles

W: Aoba Takahashi (JPN) RU: Kokomi Ishida (JPN)

Under 15 Boys’ Singles

W: Benjamin Lau (SGP) RU: Aditya Das (SGP) Under 15 Girls’ Singles

W: Chen Chih-Yen (TPE) RU: Isabella Luo (USA) Under 15 Mixed Doubles

W: Benaiah Seah/Janelle Chiang (SGP)

RU: Tristan Yee/Chong Zi Sian (SGP)

Under 13 Boys’ Singles

W: Wu Yuan-Kai (TPE) RU: Zane Ong (SGP) Under 13 Girls’ Singles

W: Chevelle See (SGP) RU: Anya Shanbhag (USA)

Under 11 Boys’ Singles

W: Cheng Hao-Chung (TPE) RU: Allen Mao (USA)

Under 11 Girls’ Singles

W: Sie Cai Yin (SGP) RU: Chloe Lim (SGP)

Full Details: WTT Youth Contender Fremont

Generations apart: in Bangkok, Aira Matsushima, born 2015, nine years old, shakes hands with Nils Sandberg now 86 years of age

Regional / International

Anniversary in Ostrava

An anniversary tournament, the European Youth Championships staged in mid July in Ostrava marked 70 years since the inaugural event was held in June 1955 in Stuttgart; now an established annual platform for aspiring teenagers, few such events, if any, can match its history.

Nowadays and ever since 1987 in Athens, the itinerary comprises the full gambit of 14 events, seven in the junior category, seven in the cadet age group, a far different cry from the first ten tative endeavour when gender equality was not high on the sporting agenda. Five competi tions in the under 18 age group, three for boys: team, singles, doubles; two for girls: singles, doubles.

Each year, new names are added to the roll of honour, in Ostrava it was quite poignant. Anna Hursey, by winning the junior girls’ singles, set a whole new standard for Wales; only on one previous occa sion had a player from the principality, a founder member of the International Table Tennis Federation, ever reached a European Youth Championships final. In 2000 in Bratislava, Adam Robertson emerged the junior boys’ singles runner up, beaten by Romania’s Constantin Cioti.

A first for Wales and in the junior boys’ singles only a third for Hungary, a fact which raises the eyebrows; in the past seven decades the Magyars have spawned some rather prominent names; those of Istvan Jonyer, Gabor Gergely and Tibor Klampar roll off the tongue. Now, the name is David Szantosi, he follows in the footsteps of Robert Varadi who won in 1956 on home soil in Opatija and Janos Jakab who prevailed in 2004 in Budapest.

Outstanding performances from Szantosi and Hursey, in the cadet age group it was the same from Italy’s Danilo Faso, he finished just one short of a full house. Alongside Guilio Campagna, Pietro Campagna and Francisco Trevisan it was boys’ team gold; later he enjoyed boys’ doubles success in harness with Trevisan, prior to claiming the boys’ singles top prize. The only errant experience was in the mixed doubles when partnering Germany’s Josephina Neumann, a last 16 exit was the outcome. A disappointment for Germany but there was cadet success, Koharu Itagaki won the girls’ singles.

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS ABOVE

Anna Hursey BELOW

David Szantosi

Aspiring young players in action from the old continent; it was very similar soon after in August at the Euro Mini Championships in Schiltigheim, France, then in September at the Europe Under 13 Championships in Kosta,

In Schiltigheim, on home soil, Pietro Campange won the under 13 boys’ singles, Lisa Zhao the under 13 girls’ singles; the respective under 11 crowns were worn by Ukraine’s David Drobov and Lithuania Koja Tvorogai.

Meanwhile, in Kosta, represented by Simon Clin, Tim Escudier, Albane Rochut and Lisa Zhao, France won the mixed team event; Tim Escudier and Albane Rochut secured mixed doubles gold, Spain’s Ladislav Mayorov emerged the boys’ singles winner, the girls’ singles title was claimed by Switzerland’s Michelle Wu.

A wealth of activity in France and Sweden; it was the same in Germany. In July, Rhine Ruhr hosted the FISU World University Games, honours shared. Chinese Taipei secured the men’s team event, Japan the women’s version. Competing as an independent athlete, Vladimir Sidorenko gained men’s singles gold, a feat he repeated in September at the WTT Feeder Istanbul; China’s Zhao Shuang emerged the women’s singles winner.

EUROPEAN YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS, OSTRAVA, CZECHIA

Friday 11th - Sunday 20th July

Junior Boys’ Team

W: Romania (Dragos Bujor, Iulian Chirita, Robert Istrate, Luca Oprea)

RU: Portugal (Tiago Abiodun, Clement Laine, Rafael Kong, Tiago Olhero)

Junior Girls’ Team

W: France (Nina Guo Zheng, Leana Hochart, Jade QuynhTien, Alexia Nodin)

RU: Ukraine (Daria Kovalova, Veronika Matiunina, Alina Ovriakh, Olha Ponko, Veronika Vasylenko)

Junior Boys’ Singles

W: David Szantosi (HUN) RU: Marcel Blaszczyk (POL)

Junior Girls’ Singles

W: Anna Hursey (WAL) RU: Veronika Matiunina (UKR)

Junior Boys’ Doubles

W: Tiago Abiodun/Iulian Chirita (POR/ROU)

RU: Dragos Bujor/Robert Istrate (ROU)

Junior Girls’ Doubles

W: Nina Guo Zheng/Leana Hochart (FRA)

RU: Veronika Matiunina/Matilde Pinto (UKR/POR)

Junior Mixed Doubles

W: Daniel Berzosa/Veronika Matiunina/ (ESP/UKR)

RU: Iulian Chirita/Anna Hursey (ROU/WAL)

Cadet Boys’ Team

W: Italy (Giulio Campagna, Pietro Campagna, Danilo Faso, Francesco Trevisan)

RU: Turkey (Kuzey Gundogdu, Kenan Kahraman, Görkem Öçal, Ahmet Sahan)

Cadet Girls’ Team

W: Germany (Koharu Itagaki, Amelie Jia, Josephina Neumann, Anna Walter)

No player concluded proceedings with more than one title. Hong Kong’s Baldwin Chan and Yiu Kwan enjoyed men’s doubles success, China’s Han Feier and Wang Xiaotong reserved the top step of the women’s doubles podium, Shunsuke Okano and Kyoka Idesawa collected mixed doubles gold.

Busy times in Europe, it was similar in Africa; the standout names being Tunisia’s Wassim Essid and Egypt’s Mariam Younes. In Lagos at both the ITTF Regional Youth Championships and ITTF Africa Youth Cup, Essid won the under 19 boys’ singles, a feat matched in the counter part girls’ event by Younes.

Success for Egypt and Tunisia, very much leading lights in the continent, notably in the under 15 age group there was gold for Algeria and Uganda. At the Re gional Youth Championships, Algeria’s Bilel Zouitene won the boys’ singles, Tania Morice the girls’ singles; repre sented by Patience Anyango, Jemimah Nakawala and Patra Nasirumbi, Uganda secured the under 13 girls’ team title. Later at the Youth Cup, Tania Morice re peated her girls’ singles suc cess, Uganda’s Joseph Sebatindira secured the boys’ singles title.

Promising names for the future, earlier in July it had been the more estab lished players on duty. At the South African Regional Championships in Namibia, South Africa had completed a clean sweep of titles, Luke Abrahams the men’s singles winner, Da nisha Patel the women’s singles champion. Likewise, at the West

RU: France (Lou-Anne Bocquet, Eva Lam, Albane Rochut, Lisa Zhao)

Cadet Boys’ Singles

W: Danilo Faso (ITA) RU: Görkem Öçal (TUR)

Cadet Girls’ Singles

W: Koharu Itagaki (GER) RU: Hanka Kodet (CZE)

Cadet Boys’ Doubles

W: Danilo Faso/Francesco Trevisan (ITA)

RU: Louis Fegerl/Ladimir Mayorov (AUT/ESP)

Cadet Girls’ Doubles

W: Nina Guo Zheng/Leana Hochart (FRA)

RU: Veronika Matiunina/Matilde Pinto (UKR/POR)

Cadet Mixed Doubles

W: Noah Tessier/Lou-Anne Bocquet (FRA)

RU: Lukas Wang/Koharu Itagaki (GER)

Full Details: European Youth Championships BELOW

Africa Regional Championships in Lagos, Nigeria dominated; Matthew Kuti won the men’s singles, Ayoke Ojomu the women’s singles.

Similarly, there was no shortage of action in the Americas, the United States making their presence felt. At the Junior Pan American Games in Asuncion, they won the girls’ team title, Nandon Naresh the boys’ singles; Brazil claimed boys’ team gold, Puerto Rico’s Edmarie Leon attained the girls’ singles top prize to complete the prize list.

Soon after, at the Pan American Regional Youth Championships in Rosario, only in the under 19 age group did the United States not achieve a full house; Canada won the girls’ team event, Brazil’s Leonardo Iizuka, the boys’

Similarly, at the Pan American Under 11 and Under 13 Championships in Guatemala, the United States finished just one title short of a clean sweep; Brazil’s Gustavo Avelar and Artur Jacob proved the thorn in the side, they attained under 13 boys’ doubles success. Near but not near enough, that was not the situation at the Central American Regional Under 11 and Under 13 Championships in Belize, Guatemala claimed every title on offer.

Imposing from Guatemala, in Asia it was the same from Kazakhstan and India. At the Central Asia Regional Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan won both men’s and women’s team titles; at the South Asia Regional Team Championships it was the same Kathmandu for India.

Vladimir Sidorenko won the men’s singles title at the FISU World University Games, later he did the same at the WTT Feeder Istanbul

SOUTH AFRICA REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA

Saturday 12th - Monday 14th July

Men’s Team

W: South Africa (Luke Abrahams, Liam Beukes, Cuten Lodewyk, Chetan Nathoo)

RU: Angola (Elizandro Andre, Delcio Cassule, Francisco Fernandes, Domingos Manuel)

Women’s Team

W: South Africa (Lailaa Edwards, Musfiquh Kalam, Danisha Patel, Rochica Sonday)

RU: Angola (Isabel Albino, Eugenia Simoes, Kailane Sousa, Ruth Tavares)

Men’s Singles

W: Luke Abrahams (RSA) RU: Chetan Nathoo (RSA)

Women’s Singles

W: Danisha Patel (RSA) RU: Rochica Sonday (RSA)

Full Details: South Africa Regional Championships

CENTRAL ASIA REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN

Monday 14th July - Wednesday 16th July

Men’s Team

W: Kazakhstan (Kirill Gerassimenko, Aidos Kenzhigulov, Iskender Kharki, Alan Kurmangaliyev, Sanzhar Zhubanov)

RU: Uzbekistan (Khurshid Akhmedov, Diyorbek Dilshodov, Shokhrukh Iskandarov, Temurbek Nurmonov)

Women’s Team

W: Kazakhstan (Zauresh Akasheva, Anel Bakhyt, Zhanerke Koshkumbayeva, Sarvinoz Mirkadirova, Albina Zhaxylykova

RU: Uzbekistan (Asel Erkebaeva, Arujan Kamalova, Adelina Khasanova, Markhabo Magdieva)

Full Details: Central Asia Regional Championships

WEST AFRICA REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, LAGOS, NIGERIA

Wednesday 16th July - Saturday 19th July

Men’s Team

W: Nigeria (Abdulbasit Abdulfatai, Muizz Adegoke, Mathew Fabunmi, Matthew Kuti, Taiwo Mati)

RU: Côte d'Ivoire (Jean Pierre Bayala, Ben Moussa Dosso, Kizito Oba Oba, Odilon Vanie)

Women’s Team

W: Nigeria (Sukurat Aiyelabegan, Kabirat Ayoola, Favour Ojo, Ajoke Ojomu, Aishat Rabiu)

RU: Benin (Lyntia Agueh, Ziadath Akadiri, Stecy Amadji, Berenice Honvo, Madinath Yessoufou)

Men’s Singles

W: Matthew Kuti (NGR) RU: Abdulbasit Abdulfatai (NGR)

Women’s Singles

W: Ajoke Ojomu (NGR) RU: Sukurat Aiyelabegan (NGR)

Full Details: West Africa Regional Championships

FISU WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES, RHINE RUHR, GERMANY

Thursday 17th - Thursday 24th July

Men’s Team

W: Chinese Taipei (Feng Yi-Hsin, Huang Yan-Cheng, Kao Cheng-Jui)

RU: China (Chen Junsong, Sun Zheng, Zeng Beixun)

Women’s Team

W: Japan (Sukura Aoi, Kyoka Idesawa, Kotomi Omoda)

RU: China (Wang Xiaotong, Wang Yiyun, Zhao Shang)

Men’s Singles

W: Vladimir Sidorenko (AIN) RU: Maksim Grebnev (AIN)

Women’s Singles

W: Zhao Shuang (CHN) RU: Huang Yu-Jie (TPE)

Men’s Doubles

W: Baldwin Chan/Yiu Kwan To (HKG)

RU: Shunsuke Okano/Yuma Tanigaki (JPN)

Women’s Doubles

W: Han Feier/Wang Xiaotong (CHN)

RU: Yang Yiyun/Zhao Shuang (CHN)

Mixed Doubles

W: Shunsuke Okano/Wang Xiaotong (JPN)

RU: Zheng Beixun/Han Feier (CHN)

Full Details: FISU World University Games

ITTF AFRICAN REGIONAL YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS, LAGOS, NIGERIA

Sunda 27th July - Sunday 3rd August

Under 19 Boys’ Team

W: Nigeria (Abdulbasit Abdulfatai, Quadri Atunwon, Mathew Fabunmi, Matthew Kuti)

RU: Tunisia (Youssef Aidli, Wassim Essid, Adem Khaloufi, Mohamed Khaloufi)

Danisha Patel won women’s team and women’s singles gold in Windhoek

Gold on home soil for Matthew Kuti

Under 19 Girls’ Team

W: Egypt (Yara El-Badawy, Habiba El-Basoumy, Mariam Younes, Nour Zaki)

RU: Nigeria (Kabirat Ayoola, Favour Ojo, Kadijat Okanlawon, Aishat Rabiu)

Under 19 Boys’ Singles

W: Wassim Essid (TUN) RU: Jodie Galant (RSA)

Under 19 Girls’ Singles

W: Mariam Younes (EGY) RU: Habiba El-Basoumy (EGY)

Under 19 Boys’ Doubles

W: Abdulbasit Abdulfatai/Mathew Kuti (NGR)

RU: Wassim Essid/Mohamed Khaloufi (TUN)

Under 19 Girls’ Doubles

W: Malak Abdelshakour/Nour Zaki (EGY)

RU: Jemimah Nakawala/Judith Nangonzi (UGA)

Under 19 Mixed Doubles

W: Badr Mostafa/Mariam Younes (EGY)

RU: Yassin Gaber/Nour Zaki (EGY)

Under 15 Boys’ Team

W: Nigeria (Tobi Adebakin, Hussein Adeoye, Victor Joseph, Marvelous Joseph )

RU: Egypt (Mohamed Abdelhalim, Yahia El-Moursi, Ahmed El-Sabbagh, Asser Sameh)

Under 15 Girls’ Team

W: Uganda (Patience Anyango, Jemimah Nakawala, Patra Nasirumbi)

RU: Tunisia (Mariam Brahimi, Nour Brahimi, Ela Saidi)

Under 15 Boys’ Singles

W: Bilel Zouitene (ALG) RU: Asser Sameh (EGY)

Under 15 Girls’ Singles

W: Tania Morice (ALG) RU: Jade Morice (ALG)

Under 15 Boys’ Doubles

W: Mohamed Abdelhalim/Asser Sameh (EGY)

RU: Aylan Goudjil/Bilel Zouitene (ALG)

Under 15 Girls’ Doubles

W: Jade Morice/Tania Morice (ALG)

RU: Hanin El-Ewa/Farida Thabet (EGY)

Under 15 Mixed Doubles

W: Amir Essid/Ela Saidi (TUN)

RU: Tobi Adebakin/Aishat Rabiu (NGR)

Full Details: ITTF Africa Regional Youth Championships

SOUTH ASIA REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, KATHMANDU, NEPAL

Wednesday 30th - Thursday 31st July

Men’s Team

W: India (Ronit Bhanja, Anirban Ghosh, Akash Pal, Abhinandh Pradhivadhu, Divyansh Srivastava)

RU: Nepal (Rajeev Chikanbanjar, Dahal Gananjaya, Maharjan Rubin, Kapali Sanyog, Gadal Sujan)

Women’s Team

W: India (Syndrela Das, Taneesha Kotecha, Krittwika Roy, Selena Selvakumar, Sayali Wani)

RU: Sri Lanka (Bimandee Bandara, Tamadi Alagiyawadu, Lesanya Kulappuwawadu, Maneesha Gusthighgha)

Full Details: South Asia Regional Championships

CENTRAL AMERICA REGIONAL UNDER 11 & UNDER 13 CHAMPIONSHIPS, BELMOPAN, BELIZE

Monday 4th - Saturday 9th August

Under 13 Boys’ Team

W: Guatemala 1 (José Mendez, Joseph Ruiz)

RU: Costa Rica 1 (Gabriel Corrales, Isaac Rivera)

Under 13 Girls’ Team

W: Guatemala 1 (Camila Linares/Marta Salazar)

RU: Guatemala 2 (Genesis Ruiz, Roselin Vasquez)

Under 13 Boys’ Singles

W: José Mendes (GUA) RU: Melvin Münoz (ESA)

Under 13 Girls’ Singles

W: Camila Linares (GUA) RU: Marta Salazar (GUA)

Under 13 Boys’ Doubles

W: José Mendez / Joseph Ruiz (GUA)

RU: Kim Leo Hajun/José Osario (GUA)

Under 13 Girls’ Doubles

W: Camila Linares/Salazar (GUA)

RU: Ximena Chavez/Marina Matute (ESA)

Under 13 Mixed Doubles

W: José Mendez/Camila Linares (GUA)

RU: Joseph Ruiz/Marta Salazar (GUA)

Under 11 Boys’ Team

W: Guatemala 1 (Omar Ixcaragua, Aitor Morales)

RU: Costa Rica 1 (Emilio Castillo. Andres Ortiz)

Under 11 Girls’ Team

W: Guatemala 1 (Yasmin Aranki, Valeria Ortiz)

RU: Guatemala 2 (Sofia Mejia, Maria Merida)

Under 11 Boys’ Singles

W: Omar Ixcaragua (GUA) RU: Aitor Morales (GUA)

Under 11 Girls’ Singles

W: Maria Merida (GUA) RU: Yasmin Aranki (GUA)

Under 11 Boys’ Doubles

W: Omar Ixcaragua/Aitor Morales (GUA)

RU: Emilio Castillo, Andres Ortiz)

Under 11 Girls’ Doubles

W: Yasmin Aranki/Valeria Ortiz (GUA)

RU: Ariana Sanchez/Lia Solis (CRC)

Under 11 Mixed Doubles

W: Aitor Morales/Valeria Ortiz (GUA)

RU: Omar Ixcaragua/Yasmin Aranki (GUA)

Full Details: Central American Regional Under 13 & Under 11 Championships

Wassim Essid prevailed at the ITTF Africa Regional Youth Championships and later at the ITTF African Youth Cup

ITTF-AFRICAN YOUTH CUP, LAGOS, NIGERIA

Monday 4th - Tuesday 5th August

Under 19 Boys’ Singles

W: Wassim Essid (TUN) RU: Muizz Adegoke (NGR)

Under 19 Girls’ Singles

W: Mariam Younes (EGY) RU: Nour Zaki (EGY)

Under 15 Boys’ Singles

W: Joseph Sebatindira (UGA) RU: Sharif Nsereko (UGA)

Under 15 Girls’ Singles

W: Tania Morice (ALG) RU: Jemimah Nakawala (UGA)

Full Details: ITTF-African Youth Cup

JUNIOR PAN AMERICAN GAMES, ASUNCION, PARAGUAY

Saturday 16th - Thursday 21st August

Men’s Team

W: Brazil (Felipe Arado, Leonardo Iizuka)

RU: Puerto Rico (Steven Moreno, Enrique Rios)

Women’s Team

W: United States (Satya Aspathi, Tashiya Piyadasa)

RU: Brazil (Beatriz Fiore, Karina Shiray)

Men’s Singles

W: Nandan Naresh (USA) RU: Leonardo Iizuka (BRA)

Women’s Singles

W: Edmarie Leon (PUR) RU: Natalie Chan (CAN)

Men’s Doubles

W: Felipe Arado/Leonardo Iizuka (BRA)

RU: Nandan Naresh/Victor Ying Xie (USA)

Women’s Doubles

W: Beatrix Fiore/Karina Shiray (BRA)

RU: Edmarie Leon/Kristal Melendez (PUR)

Mixed Doubles

W: Carlos Rios/Dakota Ferrer (VEN)

RU: Enrique Rios/Kristal Melendez (PUR)

Full Details: Junior Pan American Games

PAN AMERICAN REGIONAL YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS, ROSARIO, ARGENTINA

Sunday 24th - Sunday 31st August

Under 19 Boys’ Team

W: Brazil (Felipe Doti, Leonardo Iizuka, Lucas Romanski, Hamilton Yamame

RU: Puerto Rico (Yadier Lopez, Jerall Montijo, Steven Moreno, Enrique Rios)

Under 19 Girls’ Team

W: Canada (Natalie Chan, Emily Liu, Nelina Murdanaigum, Jessie Xu

RU: Puerto Rico (Valentina Davila, Edmarie Leon, Alahia Medina, Kristal Melendez)

Under 19 Boys’ Singles

W: Leonardo Iizuka (BRA) RU: Lucas Romanski (BRA)

Under 19 Girls’ Singles

W: Sally Moyland (USA) RU: Kristal Melendez (PUR)

Under 19 Boys’ Doubles

W: Felipe Doti/Leonardo Iizuka (BRA)

RU: Nandan Naresh/Daniel Tran (USA)

Under 19 Girls’ Doubles

W: Edmarie Leon/Kristal Melendez (PUR)

RU: Hildy Chen/Sally Moyland (USA)

Under 19 Mixed Doubles

W: Steven Moreno/Edmarie Leon (PUR)

RU: Nandan Naresh/Sally Moyland (USA)

Under 15 Boys’ Team

W: United States (Jayden Cai, Kyler Chen, Kef Noorani, Maxim Mouchinski)

RU: Brazil (Flavio de Souza, Leandro Ferreira, Vinicius Rech, Vitor Thiofilo)

Under 15 Girls’ Team

W: United States (Satya Aspathi, Tiana Piyadasa, Irene Yeoh, Abigail Yu)

RU: Canada (Flavio de Souza, Leandro Ferreira, Vinicius Rech, Vitor Thiofilo)

Under 15 Boys’ Singles

W: Kef Noorani (USA) RU: Kyler Chen (USA)

Under 15 Girls’ Singles

W: Abigail Yu (USA) RU: Irene Yeoh (USA)

Under 15 Boys’ Doubles

W: Kyler Chen/Kef Noorani (USA)

RU: Jayden Cai/Maxim Mouchinski (USA)

Under 15 Girls’ Doubles

W: Satya Aspathi/Tiana Piyadasa (USA)

RU: Irene Yeoh/Abigail Yu (USA)

Under 15 Mixed Doubles

W: Kyler Chen/Abigail Yu (USA)

RU: Kef Moorani/Irene Yeoh (USA)

Full Details: Pan American Youth Championships

Lisa Zhao won the under 13 girls’ singles in Schiltigheim

Gold in Lagos for Joseph Sebatindira

EURO MINI CHAMPS, SCHILTIGHEIM, FRANCE

Friday 29th - Sunday 31st August

Boys 2012

W: Pietro Campagne (FRA) RU: Shusuke Shegeta (JPN)

Girls 2012

W: Lisa Zhao (FRA) RU: Ela Yonter (TUR)

Boys 2014

W: David Drobov (UKR) RU: Mark Voronoi (UKR) Girls 2014

W: Koja Tvorogal (LTU) RU: Avelina Dirment-Nuñez (FRA)

Full Details: Euro Mini Champs

PAN AMERICAN UNDER 11, UNDER 13 CHAMPIONSHIPS, ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA

Wednesday 3rd - Wednesday 10th September

Under 13 Boys’ Team

W: United States (Xianliang He, Andrew Huang, Jaden Jia, Chirag Pradhan)

RU: Brazil (Gustavo Avelar, Artur Jacob, Israel Junior, Eduardo Keunecke)

Under 13 Girls’ Team

W: United States (Angel He, Anagha Kasichainula, Emma Yang, Abigail Yu)

RU: Guatemala (Camila Linares, Genesis Ruiz, Marta Salazar, Roselin Vasquez)

Under 13 Boys’ Singles

W: Chirag Pradhan (USA) RU: Xianliang He (USA)

Under 13 Girls’ Singles

W: Angel He (USA) RU: Olivia Wang (CAN)

Under 13 Boys’ Doubles

W: Gustavo Avelar/Artur Jacob (BRA)

RU: Josué Perez/Boris Villavicencio

Under 13 Girls’ Doubles

W: Anagha Kasichainula/Abigail Yu (USA)

RU: Angel He/Emma Yang (USA)

Under 13 Mixed Doubles

W: Jaden Jia/Abigail Yu (USA)

RU: José Mendez/Camila Linares (GUA)

Under 11 Boys’ Team

W: United States (Sayan Jafar, Jacob Kordus, Allen Mao, Saivaishnav Senthilkumar)

RU: Brazil (Ranieri Araujo, Lucas Ewald, Luis Ferreira, João Lima)

Under 11 Girls’ Team

W: United States (Natalie Chang, Beier Hsiung, Holly Huang, Karina Xiao)

RU: Peru (Fernanda Hernandez, Gia Kcomt, Angela Paredes, Ana Wei)

Under 11 Boys’ Singles

W: Jacob Kordus (USA) RU: Allen Mao (USA)

Under 11 Girls’ Singles

W: Karina Xiao (USA) RU: Holly Huang (USA)

Under 11 Boys’ Doubles

W: Jacob Kordus/Allen Mao (USA)

RU: Ranieri Araujo/Luis Ferreira (BRA)

Under 11 Girls’ Doubles

W: Natalie Chang/Beier Hsiung (USA)

RU: Holly Huang/Karina Xiao (USA)

Under 11 Mixed Doubles

W: Sayan Jafar/Natalie Chang (USA)

RU: Tommy Golding/Loriadni Pineda (VEN)

Full Details: Pan American Under 11, Under 13 Championships

EUROPEAN UNDER 13 CHAMPIONSHIPS, KOSTA, SWEDEN

Wednesday 24th - Sunday 28th September

Under 13 Mixed Team

W: France (Simon Clin, Tim Escudier, Albane Rochut, Lisa Zhao)

RU: Switzerland (Arthur Loustalot, Silas Stadler, Enya Hu, Michelle Wu)

Under 13 Mixed Doubles

W: Tim Escudier/Albane Rochut (FRA)

RU: Simon Zsigmond/Zsofia Fegyver (HUN)

Under 13 Boys’ Singles

W: Ladislav Mayorov (ESP) RU: Alexander Malov (ESP) Under 13 Girls’ Singles

W: Michelle Wu (SUI) RU: Ela Su Yonter (TUR)

Full Details: European Under 13 Championships

First place for Ladislav Mayorov

Success for Pietro Campagne at the Euro Mini Champs

Michelle Wu, the under 13 girls singles winner in Kosta

Para Table Tennis

Koreans Set the Standard

Players from Korea Republic, in particular Park Jincheol, Kim Gitae and Yoon Jiyu, proved very much in evidence at ITTF Para tournaments during the three-month period commencing with the Challenger Kaohsiung in early July.

In Kaohsiung, Park Jincheol won men’s singles class 2 and with the adversary he beat in the final, Cha Sooyong, men’s doubles class 4. Later in the month at the ITTF World Para Elite Nakhon Ratchasima he performed an exact copy, adding mixed doubles class 4 silver alongside Seo Suyeon. Runners up spot with Seo Suyeon, at the ITTF World Para Elite Spokane, in the same category, it was gold; the win coming after securing yet another men’s singles class 2 title.

Titles followed by more titles, it was no different from Yoon Jiyu. In Kaohsiung she won women’s singles class 1-3 and with Kim Junggil, mixed doubles class 4-7; in Nakhon Ratchasima, she prevailed in women’s singles class 3 and alongside Kim Hyeonuk in mixed doubles class 4. Just one errant event, in women’s doubles class 5, partnering Claire Toh, silver was the outcome.

FACING

A full house for Will Bayley at the ITTF Para Elite Spokane

An imposing medal haul, the efforts of Kim Gitae were very similar. Competing in Class 11, he claimed men’s singles and with Kim Changgi, men’s doubles gold in Nakhon Ratchasima; soon after it was same again at the ITTF World Para Challenger Astana and at the Future Tokyo.

Good form in July, Yoon Jiyu followed suit at the ITTF World Para Elite Spokane. She succeeded in women’s singles class 1-3 and with Seo Suyeon in women’s doubles class 5-10. Soon after, in Tokyo in September, she proved totally irrepressible, she completed the full house. She won women’s singles class 2-3, alongside Japan’s Ena Miyazaki, women’s doubles class 10 and once again in harness with Kim Hyeonuk, mixed doubles class 4-7.

Success for Kim Hyeonuk with Yoon Jiyu; there was also success when alone; he won men’s singles class 1 in both Nakhon Ratchasimi and Tokyo, an event in which players from the

RIGHT Park Jincheol enjoyed success in Kaohsiung, then in Nakhon Ratchasima followed by Spokane

ITTF WORLD PARA CHALLENGER KAOHSIUNG, CHINESE TAIPEI

Wednesday 2nd - Saturday 5th July

Men’s Singles Class 1

W: Joo Youngdae (KOR) RU: Jehan Madan (IND)

Men’s Singles Class 2

W: Park Jincheol (KOR) RU: Cha Sooyong (KOR)

Men’s Singles Class 3

W: Baek Youngbok (KOR) RU: Yuichiro Kitagawa (JPN)

Men’s Singles Class 4-5

W: Cheng Ming-Chih (TPE) RU: Kazuku Shichino (JPN)

Men’s Singles Class 6

W: Rungroj Thainiyom (THA) RU: Kazuku Shichino (JPN)

Men’s Singles Class 7

W: Kim Yong Rok (PRK) RU: Katsuyoshi Yagi (JPN)

Men’s Singles Class 8

W: Hayuma Abe (JPN) RU: Takumi Shununobe (JPN)

Men’s Singles Class 9

W: Wong Chi Yin (HKG) RU: Ho Ka Sing (HKG)

Men’s Singles Class 10

W: Su Jin-Sian (TPE) RU: Nariaki Kakita (JPN)

Men’s Singles Class 11

W: Chen Po-Yen (TPE) RU: Hajime Hara (JPN)

Women’s Singles Class 1-3

W: Yoon Jiyu (KOR) RU: Patamawadee Intanon (THA)

Women’s Singles Class 4-5

W: Bhavina Patel (IND) RU: Moon Sunghye (KOR)

Women’s Singles Class 6-7

W: Chiu Kan Shan (HKG) RU: Wong Yue Ching (HKG)

Women’s Singles Class 8

W: Kanlaya Chaiwut-Kriabklang (THA) RU: Yuri Tomono (JPN)

Women’s Singles Class 9-10

W: Tian Shiau-Wen (TPE) RU: Lin Tzu-Yu (TPE)

Women’s Singles Class 11

W: Miyu Yamaguchi (JPN) RU: Li Lydia Yi-Ya (TPE)

Korea Republic excelled. Joo Youngdae emerged the winner in Kaohsiung and As tana.

Men’s Doubles Class 4

W: Cha Sooyong/Park Jincheol (KOR)

RU: Joo Youngdae/Jang Yeongjin (KOR)

Men’s Doubles Class 8

W: Baek Youngbok/Kim Junoh (KOR)

RU: Norakan Chanpahaka/Busree Wawaeni (THA)

Men’s Doubles Class 14

W: Rungroj Thainiyom/Suriyone Thapaeng (THA)

RU: Maksim Nazarkin/Katsuyoshi Yagi (AIN/JPN)

Men’s Doubles Class 18

W: Hayuma Abe/Nariaki Kakita (JPN)

RU: Ho Ka Sing/Wong Chi Yin (HKG)

Men’s Doubles Class 22

W: Chen Po-Yen/Hsieh Fei (TPE)

RU: Kim Changgi/Kim Bogyeom (KOR)

Women’s Doubles Class 5-10

W: Jung Younga/Kang Oejeong (KOR)

RU: An Mihyeon/Moon Sunghye (KOR)

Women’s Doubles Class 14-20

W: Lin Tzu-Yu/Tian Shiau-Wen (TPE)

RU: Anastasia Kostenevich/Elena Litvinenko (AIN)

Mixed Doubles Class 4-7

W: Kim Junggil/Yoon Jiyu (KOR)

RU: Busree Wawaeni/Patamawadee Intanon (THA)

Mixed Doubles Class 10

W: Jang Yeongjin/Kang Oejeong (KOR)

RU: Baek Youngbok/Kang Oejeong (KOR)

Mixed Doubles Class 14

W: Rungroj Thainiyom/Kanlaya Chaiwut-Kriabklang (THA)

RU: Hwang Inchun/Kim Seongok (KOR)

Mixed Doubles Class 17-20

W: Su Jin-Sian/Lin Tzu-Yu (TPE)

RU: Maksim Nazarkin/Anastasia Kostenevich (AIN)

Full Details: ITTF World Para Challenger Kaohsiung

Korean excellence, there was also Japanese. Belgian and Australian excellence on show. Present in class 11, Japan’s Natsuki Wada won the women’s singles title in Ratchasima and at both the Future and Elite tournaments in Spokane. Similarly, in men’s singles class 9, Belgium’s Laurens Devos, suc ceeded in both Spokane tournaments having won earlier in Astana

Not to be overshadowed Australia’s Lei Li Na claimed women’s singles class 8-9 at the Spokane Future, at the Spokane Elite she succeeded in class 9. She made it three in a row by donning the class 7-10 crown at the Oceania Para Championships in Auckland. On all three occasions she partnered Ma Lin to mixed doubles gold, a player in form; in Auckland he won the men’s singles class 9 and with Lucas Milsom men’s doubles class 14-18.

ITTF WORLD PARA ELITE NAKHON RATCHASIMA, THAILAND

Friday 18th - Tuesday 22nd July

Men’s Singles Class 1

W: Kim Hyeonuk (KOR) RU: Joo Yougdae (KOR)

Men’s Singles Class 2

W: Park Jincheol (KOR) RU: Thirayu Chuwawong (THA)

Men’s Singles Class 3

W: Yuttajak Glinbanchuen (THA) RU: Jang Yeongjin (KOR)

Men’s Singles Class 4-5

W: Wanchai Chaiwut (THA) RU: Kim Young-Gun (KOR)

Men’s Singles Class 6

W: Rungroj Thainiyom (THA) RU: Esteban Harrault (FRA)

Men’s Singles Class 7

W: Maksim Nazarkin (AIN) RU: Jean-Paul Montanus (NED)

Men’s Singles Class 8

W: Hayuma Abe (JPN) RU: Phisit Wangphonphathanasiri (THA)

Men’s Singles Class 9

W: Koyo Iwabuchi (JPN) RU: Ho Ka Sing (HKG)

Men’s Singles Class 10

W: Mahiro Funayama (JPN) RU: Krisztian Gardos (AUT)

Men’s Singles Class 11

W: Kim Gitae (KOR) RU: Hajime Hara (JPN)

Women’s Singles Class 1-2

W: Seo Suwon (KOR) RU: Giada Rossi (ITA)

Women’s Singles Class 3

W: Yoon Jiyu (KOR) RU: Dararat Asayut (THA)

Women’s Singles Class 4-5

W: Wijittra Jaion (THA) RU: Jung Younga (KOR)

Women’s Singles Class 6

W: Pang Wing Ka (HKG) RU: Gulmira Gonobina (AIN)

Women’s Singles Class 7-8

W: Sophia Kelmer (BRA) RU: Elena Litvinenko (AIN)

Women’s Singles Class 9

W: Kim Kun-Hea (KOR) RU: Olga Gorshkaleva (AIN)

A clean sweep for Ma Lin, in addition to Yoon Jiyu, an achievement earlier gained by the Czech Republic’s Tereza Cakorova at the European Paralympic Youth Games in Istanbul. She won women’s singles class 9-10, partnering Nela Kemlinkovam women’s doubles class 14-20 and with Filip Prchlik, mixed doubles class 17.

Likewise, there was a full house for Great Britain’s Will Bayley, after winning men’s singles class 7 at the Spokane Future tournament, he did the same at the Elite, in class 14, he added the men’s doubles title alongside Theo Bishop, the mixed doubles with Bly Twomey.

Three titles at one tournament, the master of the art was Thailand’s Rungroj Thainiyom, he achieved the feat in consecutive appearances. In both Kaohsiung and Ratchasima, he won men’s singles class 6 and with Kanlaya Chaiwut-Kriabklang, mixed doubles class 14; he added men’s doubles class 14 in Kaohsiung with Suriyone Thapaeng, in Ratchasima alongside Phisit Wangphonphathanasiri.

Women’s Singles Class 10

W: Anastasia Kostenevich (AIN) RU: Janisa Khompast (THA)

Women’s Singles Class 11

W: Natsuki Wada (JPN) RU: Miya Yamaguchi (JPN)

Men’s Doubles Class 4

W: Cha Sooyong/Park Jincheol (KOR)

RU: Peter Lovas/Jan Riapos (SVK)

Men’s Doubles Class 8

W: Wanchai Chaiwut/Yuttajak Glinbanchuen (THA)

RU: Adyas Astan/Yayang Gunaya (INA)

Men’s Doubles Class 14

W: Rungroj Thainiyom/Phisit Wangphonphathanasiri (THA)

RU: Jean-Paul Montanus/Maksim Nazarkin (NED/AIN)

Men’s Doubles Class 18

W: Charlermpong Punpoo/Ho Ka Sing (THA)

RU: Ho Ka Sing/Wong Chi Yin (HKG)

Men’s Doubles Class 22

W: Kim Changgi/Kim Gitae (KOR)

RU: Wan Wai Lok/Yuen King Shing (HKG)

Women’s Doubles Class 5

W: Lee Migyu/Seo Suyeon (KOR)

RU: Claire Toh/Yoon Jiyu (SGP/KOR)

Women’s Doubles Class 10

W: Jung Younga/Kang Oejeong (KOR)

RU: Panwas Sringam/Wassana Sringam (THA)

Women’s Doubles Class 14

W: Gulmira Gonobina/Elena Litvinenko (AIN)

RU: Raisa Chebanika/Yuri Tomono (AIN/JPN)

Women’s Doubles Class 20

W: Olga Gorshkaleva/Anastasia Kostenevich (AIN)

RU: Janisa Khompast/Chayanan Settisrikoedkun (THA)

Mixed Doubles Class 4

W: Kim Hyeonuk/Yoon Jiyu (KOR)

RU: Park Jincheol/Seo Suyeon (KOR)

Mixed Doubles Class 7

W: Busree Wawaeni/Wassana Sringam (THA)

RU: Yuttajak Glinbanchuen/Wijittra Jaion (THA)

Mixed Doubles Class 10

W: Kim Young-Gun/Kang Oejeong (KOR)

RU: Lucas Carvalhalo/Flora Vauthier (BRA/FRA)

Mixed Doubles Class 14

W: Rungroj Thainiyom/Kanlaya Chaiwut-Kriabklang (THA)

RU: Jean-Paul Montanus/Kelly van Zon (NED)

Mixed Doubles Class 17

W: Park Hongkyu/Kim Kunhea (KOR)

RU: Koyo Iwabuchi/Yuri Tomono (JPN)

Mixed Doubles Class 20

W: Kormet Akbar/Olga Gorshkaleva (INA/AIN)

RU: Bunpot Sillapakong/Janisa Khompast (THA)

Mixed Doubles Class 22

W: Yuen King Shing/Wong Ting Ting (HKG)

RU: Wan Wai Lok/wong Pui Kei (HKG)

Full Details: ITTF World Para Elite Nakhon Ratchasima

EUROPEAN PARALYMPIC YOUTH GAMES, ISTANBUL, TURKEY

Friday 25th - Sunday 27th July

Under 23 Men’s Singles Class 1-3

W: Manuel Fortuzzi (ITA) RU: Andrei Soare (GER)

Under 23 Men’s Singles Class 4-5

W: Alexis Badie (FRA) RU: Luc Mangold (FRA)

Under 23 Men’s Singles Class 6

W: Benedikt Müller (GER) RU: Piotr Manturz (POL)

Under 23 Men’s Singles Class 7

W: Krizander Magnussen (NOR) RU: Tahir Sahin (TUR)

Under 23 Men’s Singles Class 8

W: Ludovico Bini (ITA) RU: Borna Zohil (CRO)

Under 23 Men’s Singles Class 9

W: Jan Muska (CZE) RU: Israel Bartelink-Groeneveld (NED)

Under 23 Men’s Singles Class 10

W: Mio Wagener (GER) RU: Lorenzo Magarelli (ITA)

Under 23 Men’s Singles Class 11

W: Milan Kreisz (HUN) RU: Burak Burc (TUR)

Under 23 Women’s Singles Class 1-5

W: Merve Ozsu (TUR) RU: Maeva Olivier (FRA)

Under 23 Women’s Singles Class 6-7

W: Barbora Jablonka (POL) RU: Jenny Slettum (NOR)

Under 23 Women’s Singles Class 8

W: Maike Bannuscher (GER) RU: Olga Martinez (ESP)

Under 23 Women’s Singles Class 9-10

W: Tereza Cakorova (CZE) RU: Maria Migueles (ESP)

Under 23 Men’s Doubles Class 4-8

W: Hugo Nou/Leo Ryding (FRA/SWE)

RU: Kevin O’Callaghan/Andrei Soare (IRL/GER)

Under 23 Men’s Doubles Class 14

W: Piotr Manturz/Marcin Zelinski (POL)

RU: Clément Gambart/Clément Latorre (FRA)

Under 23 Men’s Doubles Class 18

W: Marlon Lopez/Borna Zohil (ESP/HUN)

RU: Hannes Ruderisch/Mio Wagner (GER)

Under 23 Women’s Doubles Class 5-10

W: Evanthia Bournia/Maeva Olivier (GRE/FRA)

RU: Kupra Dedeoglu/Merve Ozsu (TUR)

Under 23 Women’s Doubles Class 14-20

W: Teresa Cakorova/Nela Kemlinkova (CZE)

RU: Olaia Martinez/Maria Migueles (ESP)

Under 23 Mixed Doubles Class 7-10

W: Kevin O’Callaghan/Martina Sande (IRL/ESP)

RU: Hugo Nou/Maeva Olivier (FRA)

Under 23 Mixed Doubles Class 14

W: Benedikt Müller/Nina Reck (GER)

RU: Marcin Zielinski/Barbara Jablonka (POL)

Under 23 Mixed Doubles Class 17

W: Filip Prchlik/Tereza Cakorova (CZE)

RU: Israel Bartelink-Groeneveld/Karin Pracek (NED/SLO)

Under 23 Mixed Doubles Class 20

W: Marlon Lopez/Maria Migueles (ESP)

RU: Mert Caliskan/Binnur Yalcinkaya (TUR)

Full Details: European Para Youth Games

ITTF WORLD PARA CHALLENGER ASTANA KAZAKHSTAN

Wednesday 30th July - Sunday 3rd August

Men’s Singles Class 1

W: Joo Youngdae (KOR) RU: Dmitrii Lavrov (AIN)

Men’s Singles Class 2

W: Rafal Czuper (POL) RU: Rasul Nazirov (AIN)

Men’s Singles Class 3

W: Jang Yeongjin (KOR) RU: Sylvain Noel (ESP)

Men’s Singles Class 4-5

W: Ali Ozturk (TUR) RU: Abdullah Ozturk (TUR)

Men’s Singles Class 6

W: Timur Khusnullin (AIN) RU: Lee Seho (KOR)

Men’s Singles Class 7

W: Michal Deigsler (POL) RU: Kosuke Hemmi (JPN)

Men’s Singles Class 8

W: Nikita Novikov (AIN) RU: Artem Iakovlev (AIN)

Men’s Singles Class 9

W: Laurens Devos (BEL) RU: Iurii Nozdrunov (AIN)

Men’s Singles Class 10

W: Igor Misztal (POL) RU: Shae Thakkar (GBR)

Men’s Singles Class 11

W: Kim Gitae (KOR) RU: Kim Bogyeom (KOR)

Women’s Singles Class 1-2

W: Nadejda Pushpasheva (AIN) RU: Galiya Bespalaya (KAZ)

Laurens Devos won in Astana and in both Spokane tournaments

Women’s Singles Class 3

W: Nergiz Altintas (TUR) RU: Hatice Duman (TUR)

Women’s Singles Class 4-5

W: Alexandra Saint-Pierre (FRA) RU: Jung Younga (KOR)

Women’s Singles Class 6

W: Gulmira Gonobina (AIN) RU: Raisa Chebanika (AIN)

Women’s Singles Class 7

W: Kubra Korkut (TUR) RU: Galina Gorokhovatcenko (AIN)

Women’s Singles Class 8

W: Elena Litvinenko (AIN) RU: Nina Reck (GER)

Women’s Singles Class 9

W: Neslihan Kavas (TUR) RU: Eva Kuts (AIN)

Women’s Singles Class 10

W: Merve Demir (TUR) RU: Anastasia Kostenevich (AIN)

Women’s Singles Class 11

W: Miyu Yamaguchi (JPN) RU: Wong Ting Ting (HKG)

Men’s Doubles Class 4

W: Jang Yeongjin/Joo Youndae (KOR)

RU: Dmitrii Lavrov/Vladimir Toporkov (AIN)

Men’s Doubles Class 8

W: Sylvain Noel/Nicolas Savant-Aira (FRA)

RU: Grigorii Isakov/Yerlan Kaziyev (AIN/KAZ)

Men’s Doubles Class 14

W: Timur Khusnullin/Ali Makhulbekov (KAZ)

RU: Daniil Domanevskii/Maksim Nazarkin (AIN)

Men’s Doubles Class 18

W: Artem Iakovlev/Iurii Nozdrunov (AIN)

RU: Ivan Karpov/Nikita Novikov (AIN)

Men’s Doubles Class 22

W: Kim Changgi/Kim Gitae (KOR)

RU: Fan Ka Ho/Wan Wai Lok (HKG)

Women’s Doubles Class 5-10

W: Jung Younga/Kank Oejeong (KOR)

RU: Nergiz Altintas/Irem Oluk (TUR)

Women’s Doubles Class 14-20

W: Merve Demir/Gloria Wong Sze (TUR/MAS)

RU: Safira Faizutdinova/Altynay Yerzhankyzy (AIN/KAZ)

Mixed Doubles Class 4

W: Dmitrij Lavrov/Alena Kutavina (AIN/KAZ)

RU: Madi Imakov/Galiya Bespalaya (KAZ)

Mixed Doubles Class 7

W: Vladimir Toporkov/Alexandra Vasileva (AIN)

RU: Abdullah Ozturk/Nergiz Altintas (TUR)

Mixed Doubles Class 10

W: Ali Ozturk/Irem Oluk (TUR)

RU: Jang Yeongjin/Jung Younga (KOR)

Mixed Doubles Class 14

W: Daniil Domanevskii/Galina Gorokhovatcenko (AIN)

RU: Maksym Chudzicki/Katarzyna Marszal (POL)

Mixed Doubles Class 17

W: Nikita Novikov/Eva Kuts (AIN)

RU: Iurii Nozdrunov/Elena Litvinenko (AIN)

Mixed Doubles Class 20

W: Artem Iakovlev/Anastasia Kostenevich (AIN)

RU: Marat Surtubayev/Altynay Yerzhankyzy (KAZ)

Mixed Doubles Class 22

W: Fan Ka Ho/Wong Ting Ting (HKG)

RU: Yuen King Shing/Wong Ka Man (HKG)

ITTF WORLD PARA FUTURE SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES

Wednesday 6th - Friday 8th August

Men’s Singles Class 1

W: Victor Reyes (MEX) RU: Kim Kyutae (KOR)

Men’s Singles Class 2

W: Luis Flores (CHI) RU: Guilherme Marcio da Costa (BRA)

Men’s Singles Class 3

W: Florian Merrien (FRA) RU: Jenson Van Emburgh (USA)

Men’s Singles Class 4-5

W: Maxime Thomas (FRA) RU: Boris Travnicek (SVK)

Men’s Singles Class 6

W: Ignacio Torres (CHI) RU: Bobi Simion (ROU)

Men’s Singles Class 7

W: Will Bayley (GBR) RU: Krizander Magnussen (NOR)

Men’s Singles Class 8

W: Clément Berthier (FRA) RU: Alejandro Diaz (ESP)

Men’s Singles Class 9

W: Laurens Devos (BEL) RU: Koyo Iwabuchi (JPN)

Men’s Singles Class 10

W: Gabriel Antunes (BRA) RU: Krisztian Gardos (AUT)

Men’s Singles Class 11

W: Samuel Von Einem (AUS) RU: Takeshi Takemori (JPN)

Women’s Singles Class 1-3

W: Joyce Oliveira (BRA) RU: Thais Severo (BRA)

Women’s Singles Class 4-5

W: Caroline Tabib (ISR) RU: Bhavina Patel (IND)

Women’s Singles Class 6-7

W: Lethicia Lacerda (BRA) RU: Stephanie Grebe (GER)

Women’s Singles Class 8-9

W: Lei Li Na (AUS) RU: Danielle Rauen (BRA)

Women’s Singles Class 10

W: Anja Handen (SWE) RU: Tamano Yamazaki (JPN)

Women’s Singles Class 11

W: Natsuki Wada (JPN) RU: Nanako Hazeyama (JPN)

Men’s Doubles Class 4

W: Peter Lovas/Jan Riapos (SVK)

RU: Iranildo Espindola/Guilherme Marcio da Costa (BRA)

Men’s Doubles Class 8

W: Lucas Carvalhal/Welder Knaf (BRA)

RU: Emeric Martin/Florian Merrien (FRA)

Men’s Doubles Class 14

W: Clément Berthier/Estaban Herrault (FRA)

RU: Paulo Salmin/Israel Stroh (BRA)

Men’s Doubles Class 18

W: Hayuma Abe/Koyo Iwabuchi (JPN)

RU: Alejandro Diaz/José Manuel Ruiz (ESP)

Men’s Doubles Class 22

W: Takeshi Takemori/Shunta Yamamoto (JPN)

RU: Sompong Tampettoem/Master Techo (JPN)

Women’s Doubles Class 14-20

W: Jennyfer Parinos/danielle Rauen (BRA)

RU: Stephanie Grebe/Nina Reck (GER)

Mixed Doubles Class 7-10

W: Lucas Carvalhal/Joyce Oliveira (BRA)

RU: Welder Knaf/Marliane Amaral (BRA)

Mixed Doubles Class 14

W: Paulo Salmin/Lethicia Lacerda (BRA)

RU: Sam Gustafsson/Smilla Sand (SWE)

Mixed Doubles Class 17

W: Luiz Guarnieri/Danielle Rauen (BRA)

RU: Jonas Hansson/Anja Handen (SWE)

Mixed Doubles Class 20

W: Ma Lin/Lei Li Na (AUS)

RU: Gabriel Antunes/Jennyfer Parinos (BRA)

Mixed Doubles Class 22

W: Shunta Yamamoto/Maki Ito (JPN)

RU: Sompong Tampettoem/Phimolphan Deekam (THA)

Full Details: ITTF World Para Future Spokane

Lei Li Na excelled in Spokane and Auckland

ITTF WORLD PARA ELITE SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES

Saturday 9th - Wednesday 13th August

Men’s Singles Class 1

W: Jeong Sanggu (KOR) RU: Tom Matthews (GBR)

Men’s Singles Class 2

W: Park Jincheol RU: Peter Lovas (SVK)

Men’s Singles Class 3

W: Jenson Van Emburgh (USA) RU: Jang Yeongjin (KOR)

Men’s Singles Class 4-5

W: Valentin Baus (GER) RU: Jack Hunter-Spivey (GBR)

Men’s Singles Class 6

W: Ignacio Torres (CHI) RU: Bobi Simion (ROU)

Men’s Singles Class 7

W: Will Bayley (GBR) RU: Kosuke Hemmi (JPN)

Men’s Singles Class 8

W: Aaron McKibbin (GBR) RU: Clément Berthier (FRA)

Men’s Singles Class 9

W: Laurens Devos (BEL) RU: Ander Cepas (ESP)

Men’s Singles Class 10

W: Mahiro Funayama (JPN) RU: Gabriel Antunes (BRA)

Men’s Singles Class 11

W: Chen Po-Yen (TPE) RU: Kim Gitae (KOR)

Women’s Singles Class 1-3

W: Yoon Jiyu (KOR) RU: Giada Rossi (ITA)

Women’s Singles Class 4-5

W: Bhavina Patel (IND) RU: Caroline Tabib (ISR)

Women’s Singles Class 6-7

W: Lethicia Lacerda (BRA) RU: Bly Ywomey (GBR)

Women’s Singles Class 8

W: Sophia Kelmer (BRA) RU: Nina Reck (GER)

Women’s Singles Class 9

W: Lei Li Na (AUS) RU: Danielle Rauen (BRA)

Women’s Singles Class 10: Tian Shiau-Wen (TPE) RU: Anja Handen (SWE)

Women’s Singles Class 11

W: Natsuki Wada (JPN) RU: Kanami Furukawa (JPN)

Men’s Doubles Class 4

W: Peter Lovas/Jan Riapos (SVK)

RU: Jang Yeongjin/Jeong Sanggu (KOR)

Men’s Doubles Class 8

W: Lucas Carvalhal/Welder Knaf (BRA)

RU: Emeric Martin/Florian Merrien (FRA)

Men’s Doubles Class 14

W: Will Bayley/Theo Bishop (GBR)

RU: Martin Perry/Billy Shilton (GBR)

Men’s Doubles Class 18

W: Aaron McKibbin/Joshua Stacey (GBR)

RU: Laurens Devos Ben Despineux (BEL)

Women’s Doubles Class 5-10

W: Seo Suyeon/Yoon Jiyu (KOR)

RU: Jung Younga/Moon Sunghye (KOR)

Women’s Doubles Class 14

W: Bly Twomey/Felicity Pickard (GBR)

RU: Kim Seongok/Lee Kunwoo (KOR)

Women’s Doubles Class 20

W: Lin Tzu-Yu/Tian Shiau-Wen (TPE)

RU: Jennyfer Parinos/Danielle Rauen (BRA)

Mixed Doubles Class 4

W: Park Jincheol/Seo Su-Yeon (KOR)

RU: Federico Crosara/Carlotta Ragazzini (ITA)

Mixed Doubles Class 7

W: Kim Younggun/Yoon Jiyu (KOR)

RU: Kim Junggil/Lee Migyu (KOR)

Mixed Doubles Class 10

W: Lucas Carvalhal/Joyce Oliveira (BRA)

RU: Jang Yeongjin/Moon Sunghye (KOR)

Mixed Doubles Class 14

W: Will Bayley/Bly Twomey (GBR)

RU: Paulo Salmin/Lethicia Lacerda (BRA)

Mixed Doubles Class 17

W: Luiz Guarnieri/Danielle Rauen (BRA)

RU: Jonas Hansson/Anja Handen (SWE)

Mixed Doubles Class 20

W: Ma Lin/Lei Li Na (AUS)

RU: Su Jin-Sian/Lin Tzu-Yu (TPE)

Full Details: ITTF World Para Elite Spokane

ITTF WORLD PARA FUTURE TOKYO

Wednesday 10th - Friday 12th September

Men’s Singles Class 1

W: Kim Hyeonuk (KOR) RU: Nam Kiwon (KOR)

Men’s Singles Class 2

W: Martin Ludrovsky (SVK) RU: Kim Kyunghyun (KOR)

Men’s Singles Class 3

W: Jang Yeongjin (KOR) RU: Baek Youngbok (KOR)

Men’s Singles Class 4-5

W: Kazuki Shichino (JPN) RU: Adyos Astan (INA)

Men’s Singles Class 6

W: Lee Seho (KOR) RU: Samuel Altshuler (USA)

Men’s Singles Class 7

W: Katsuyoshi (JPN) RU: Hwang Inchun (KOR)

Men’s Singles Class 8

W: Peng Weinan RU: Marc Ledoux (BEL)

Men’s Singles Class 9

W: Josh Stacey (GBR) RU: Lucas Milsom (AUS)

Men’s Singles Class 10

W: Komet Akbar (INA) RU: Li Zexin (CHN)

Men’s Singles Class 11

W: Kim Gitae (KOR) RU: Koya Kato (JPN)

Women’s Singles Class 2-3

W: Yoon Jiyu (KOR) RU: Alena Kanova (SVK)

Women’s Singles Class 4-5

W: Jung Younga (KOR) RU: Moon Sunghye (KOR)

Women’s Singles Class 7

W: Chiu Kan Shan (TPE) RU: Kim Seongok (KOR)

Women’s Singles Class 8

W: Yuri Tomono (JPN) RU: Asako Kurashimo (JPN)

Women’s Singles Class 9-10

W: Riri Miura (JPN) RU: Baby Ravi (IND)

Women’s Singles Class 11

W: Ibuki Mawatari (JPN) RU: Natsuki Wada (JPN)

Men’s Doubles Class 4

W: Mitsuhiro Matsuo/Masanori Uno (JPN)

RU: Kim Kyunghyun/Nan Kiwon (KOR)

Men’s Doubles Class 8

W: Yichiro Kitagawa/Ryota Nakamura (JPN)

RU: Genki Saito/Kazuki Shichino (JPN)

Men’s Doubles Class 14-18

W: Hayuma Abe/Koyo Iwabuchi (JPN)

RU: Peng Weinan/Li Zexin (CHN)

Women’s Doubles Class 10

W: Yoon Jiyu/Ena Miyazaki (KOR/JPN)

RU: An Mihyeon/Moon Sunghye (KOR)

Women’s Doubles Class 14-20

W: Asako Kurashimo/Riri Miura (JPN)

RU: Liu Xu/Yuri Tomono (CHN/JPN)

Mixed Doubles Class 4-7

W: Kim Hyeonuk/Yoon Jiyu (KOR)

RU: Baek Youngbok/An Mihyeon (KOR)

Mixed Doubles Class 10

W: Adyos Astan/Tarsilem Tarsilem (INA)

RU: Jeon Tae-Byeong/Moon Sunghye (KOR)

Mixed Doubles Class 14

W: Hwang Inchun/Kim Seongok (KOR)

RU: Choy Hing-Lam/Wong Yue-Ching (TPE)

Mixed Doubles Class 17-20

W: Li Zexin/Liu Xu (CHN)

RU: Nariaki Kakita/Riri Miura (JPN)

Full Details: ITTF World Para Future Tokyo

ITTF OCEANIA PARA CHAMPIONSHIPS, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

Friday 26th - Sunday 28th September

Men’s Singles Class 1-3

W: Chen Junjian (AUS) RU: Vincent Tehei (PYF)

Men’s Singles Class 4-5

W: Jimmy Huo (AUS) RU: Christopher Addis (AUS)

Men’s Singles Class 6-7

W: Matthew Britz (NZL) RU: Jake Ballestrino (AUS)

Men’s Singles Class 8

W: Nathan Pellissier (AUS) RU: Mark Gladney (AUS)

Men’s Singles Class 9-10

W: Ma Lin (AUS) RU: Lucas Milsom (AUS)

Women’s Singles Class 3-5

W: Lisa di Torro RU: Sarah Clarke (AUS)

Women’s Singles Class 7-10

W: Le Li Na (AUS) RU: Yang Qian (AUS)

Men’s Doubles Class 4-8

W: Chen Junjian/Jimmy Huo (AUS)

RU: Matthew Hall/Timothy Johnson (NZL)

Men’s Doubles Class 14-18

W: Ma Lin/Lucas Milsom (AUS)

RU: Nathan Pellissier/Lennard Properjohn (AUS)

Mixed Doubles Class 7-10

W: Christopher Addis/Lisa di Toro (AUS)

RU: James Goulding/Sarah Clarke (AUS)

Mixed Doubles Class 14-20

W: Ma Lin/Lei Li Na (AUS)

RU: Lennard Poroperjohn/Yang Qian (AUS)

Full Details: ITTF Oceania Para Championships

Matthew Britz flew the New Zealand flag high

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