Dimitrij OVTCHAROV Patrick FRANZISKA or even Dang QIU – who will succeed in year one after Timo BOLL at the National German Championships in Chemnitz? And will Nina MITTELHAM be able to defend her title? Or do her national team colleagues succeed this time?   Questions upon questions all of which will be answered at the 88th edition of the most important tournament in the German national table tennis calendar. For the third time in 2020 Chemnitz will be the venue of the German Championships after 2007 and 2015. As 13 years before the Richard-Hartmann-Halle will be the venue.   The closest circle of title aspirants is led by the current top stars in Germany after Timo BOLL’S retirement from the national championships winning is 13th singles title last year: Dimitrij OVTCHAROV 2017 World Cup winner and former world number one who is currently struggling with the after-effects of a flu the two-time European Games champion Patrick FRANZISKA penholder ace Dang QIU last year’s semi-finalist defending champion in doubles and Portugal Open winner or his doubles partner Benedikt DUDA who was already in great form at the German Open in Magdeburg. In the women’s singles Nina MITTELHAM is the defending champion who could strongly be challenged by the European Doubles Champions Sabine WINTER and Kristin LANG or the young talents in the national team Chantal MANTZ and Yuan Wan.   But that’s not all: The list of German world-class players is long. In the men’s singles national team players Ricardo Walther and Kilian Ort as well as Steffen Mengel the 2013 German Singles Champion also compete with ambitions for precious metal. In the women’s singles talents such as the European Team Champions in Junior Girls led by Franziska SCHREINER and Sophia KLEE as well as the experienced former national team players Tanja KRÄMER and Jessica GÖBEL are expanding the circle of medal candidates. A total of 32 men and women as well as 16 doubles and 16 mixed doubles will compete for the titles on 29 February and 1 March.

National Championships of the Czech Republic will be played in Pilsen from 28th of February to 1st of March. All big names will take part and the title race should be unpredictable although favorites are Pavel SIRUCEK and Hana MATELOVA who claimed their titles last year. Pavel SIRUCEK (Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki) was in a good shape during the Olympic team qualification in Portugal. With his teammates Lubomir JANCARIK (Post SV Mülhausen) and Tomas POLANSKY (1. F.C. Saarbrücken) were close to reaching the olympic games but in the last match the team of Hong Kong China showed higher skill and secured the last spot. SIRUCEK won last two Championships so he is definetly aiming to reach hattrick. In the women´s singles the situation is even more interesting. Hana MATELOVA (Etival ASRTT) is aiming for the 4th title in a row and also 5th in 6 years. She took part at Top 16 Cup in Montreaux and she has been also having great season in doubles with her partner Barbora BALAZOVA from Slovakia. Her biggest opponent will be Dana CECHOVA (MSK Breclav) who is the best player of the Czech extraliga and Karin ADAMKOVA (MSK Breclav) who is also her teammate from representation. „I probably consider myself as a favorite but i definetly won´t put any pressure on myself. I will try to do my best and I will see what the result will be “ said Hana MATELOVA The Czech National Championships will be also a very important test before the World Championships in Busan later this spring and European Olympic Singles Qualification Tournament in Moscow. Last year’s winners (singles) 2019 Pavel Širuček Hana Matelová 2018 Pavel Širuček Hana Matelová 2017 Antonín Gavlas Hana Matelová 2016 Tomáš Konečný Dana Čechová 2015 Pavel Širuček Hana Matelová  

2020 ITTF World Tour Hungarian Open Japanese duo Tomokazu Harimoto (aged 16) and Mima Ito (19) won the respective men’s singles and women’s singles titles at the 2020 ITTF World Tour Hungarian Open in Budapest on Sunday 23rd February. Their success came the day after Japan’s Miu Hirano and Kasumi Ishikawa had secured the women’s doubles top prize Germany’s Benedikt Duda and Patrick Franziska had struck men’s doubles gold and Hong Kong China’s Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem had emerged the mixed doubles champions. Harimoto the top seed entered the action in Budapest with a point to prove. The previous month at the All Japanese National Championships he had been beaten in the men’s singles final by Yukiya Uda. Furthermore the last time he had played in Budapest at the Liebherr 2019 World Championships he had experienced a shock fourth round defeat. In determined fashion debts were settled and gremlins laid to rest; after ending German hopes by beating Benedikt Duda (12-10 9-11 11-6 12-10 9-11 11-4) and Dimitrij Ovtcharov the no.3 seed (11-9 11-8 11-4 11-8) Harimoto then got his revenge over Uda in the final (7-11 11-8 11-2 11-6 11-9) to seal his first international title of 2020. “I was looking forward to this final to take my revenge after this year’s All Japan Championships. After winning the second game I was in control of the match my confidence grew point by point and I started to play at a higher level. I am very happy about the title and the fact I was able to elevate my game to a high level in Budapest.” – Tomokazu Harimoto A fourth ITTF World Tour men’s singles title for Harimoto this was totally new territory for Uda whose previous best on the circuit was a second round exit at last year’s Czech Open. In Budapest he ended European hopes defeating Austria’s Robert Gardos (11-6 7-11 16-18 11-7 11-6 11-7) before overcoming England’s Liam Pitchford the no.9 seed (11-13 11-8 11-5 5-11 11-6 11-7) en route to Sunday’s silver medal finish. While Harimoto got his hands on gold without ever being extended the full seven games distance it was somewhat different for fellow Japanese star Mima Ito top seed in the women’s singles event. In the final against Chinese Taipei’s Cheng I-Ching the no.3 seed down 2-3 in games in the sixth she trailed 2-7 before recovering to win her eighth ITTF World Tour women’s singles title (11-7 1-11 11-6 7-11 2-11 11-9 11-7). “We have played each other a number of times so we know each other’s game really well. It is never easy to come up against her. Game six was very important when I changed the direction of play. For the final game I played stronger and I found my rhythm. I am very happy about taking the trophy here in Budapest.” – Mima Ito Earlier in the event Ito had been required to break down defensive play; at the quarter-final stage she beat colleague Hitomi Sato the no.6 seed (9-11 7-11 11-6 11-8 11-1 11-2) prior to overcoming Germany’s Han Ying the no.14 seed (11-7 11-9 10-12 11-7 11-4). Despite being currently listed at no.10 on the women’s world rankings Cheng I-Ching has never won an ITTF World Tour women’s singles title in over 12 years of trying. After overcoming Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem the no.5 seed (11-8 12-10 13-11 11-4) and ousting Japan’s Kasumi Ishikawa the no.2 seed (9-11 11-4 11-9 10-12 11-7 10-12 11-7) it had looked as though this might be the 28 year old Cheng’s moment of glory. Notably Ishikawa was a player in form having just won the women’s singles title at the ITTF Challenge Plus Portugal Open. Alas it was once again ultimate desperation for Cheng who let her lead slip against Ito in that dramatic final. First tastes of glory In both the men’s doubles and women’s doubles events there would be new names to celebrate success on the ITTF World Tour: Benedikt Duda and Patrick Franziska combined to win their first title as a pair and Miu Hirano and Kasumi Ishikawa would do the same. The no.2 seeds at the final hurdle Duda and Franziska beat India’s Sharath Kamal Achanta and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (11-5 11-9 8-11 11-9). Meanwhile Hirano and Ishikawa the no.4 seeds and runners up three weeks earlier in Germany accounted for Hong Kong China’s Doo Hoi Kem and Lee Ho Ching the no.2 seeds (11-6 11-9 12-10). A women’s doubles silver medal for Doo Hoi Kem however alongside colleague Wong Chun Ting there was gold and a career third ITTF World Tour mixed doubles title as a pair. As top seeds the duo overcame Germany’s Franziska and Petrissa Solja the no.7 seeds (11-6 6-11 11-9 7-11 11-9) in the final. A happy Harimoto family In Budapest Japan had emerged the most prominent nation but there would be even more success for the Land of the Rising Sun at the Swedish Junior and Cadet Open in Örebro which also concluded on Sunday. 11 year old Miwa Harimoto the younger sister of Tomokazu beat Anna Hursey of Wales (11-13 11-6 5-11 11-2 11-4) to win the cadet girls’ singles title just one week after striking gold at the Czech Junior and Cadet Open. The Harimoto family are the first in history to have a brother claim an ITTF World Tour title and sister an ITTF World Junior Circuit title (or vice versa). For both siblings to celebrate on the same day was even more extraordinary.

Luxembourg opened the National Championships season   Most countries will have their National Championships next weekend but in Luxembourg the new title holders are already known. Last weekend Luka MLADENOVIC and Sarah DE NUTTE clinched gold medals in their respective Men’s and Women’s Singles Events.   In the Men’s Singles at the AUDI National Championships 2020 MLADENOVIC (Ettelbréck) overcame Eric GLOD (Wëntger) to secure the title. Christian KILL (Lénger) and Gilles MICHELY (Diddeleng) finished third. There were 62 players on the list.   Sarah (Ettelbréck) overcame Tessy GONDERINGER (Rued) whilst bronze medal was distributed to Julie PONCIN (Houwald) and Martine SIMON (Recken). Seedings included 24 names.   In Mixed Doubles GLOD and Larissa GALES (Wëntger) beat Eric ands Tessy GONDERINGER (Houwald/Rued). Bronze medalists are: MLADENOVI DE NUTTE (Ettelbréck) and KILL Carole HARTMANN (Lénger/Iechternach).   In Men’s Doubles KILL and Yves TONON (Lénger) won gold. They overcame Evgheni DADECHIN and Arlindo DE SOUSA (Éiter-Waldbr/Lénger). Third on the podium were GLOD and Tom COLLE (Wëntger/Lëntgen) and Marc DIELISSEN GONDERINGER (Houwald). In Women’s Doubles the winner are DE NUTTE and GONDERINGER (Ettelbréck/Rued) HARTMANN Larissa GALES (Iechternach/Wëntger) are second. Sarah MEYER and Julie PONCIN (Houwald) and Ariel BARBOSA and Martine SIMON (Iechternach/Recken) are third.      

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has just been informed of the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Busan Korea Republic the host city for the Hana Bank 2020 World Team Table Tennis Championships to be held between 22 – 29 March 2020.   Following breaking news of the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Busan the ITTF has decided to postpone the First Stage draw for the Hana Bank 2020 World Team Table Tennis Championships which was scheduled to take place tomorrow Saturday 22nd February 2020 in Busan.   On Saturday there will be an emergency contingency meeting between the ITTF Senior Management the Korea Table Tennis Association (KTTA) and the city of Busan representatives to further discuss the extraordinary situation. Following the meeting the status of the event will be discussed by the ITTF Executive Committee.   The ITTF has been conducting a site inspection this week in Busan including discussions with KTTA on how to safeguard everyone’s health and safety at the world’s biggest international table tennis event.   The ITTF and KTTA are taking advice from the World Health Organization (WHO) and working with the Korean government to put in place the most robust health and safety measures.   The ITTF and KTTA are continuing to monitor the situation closely and will provide further updates when more information comes to hand.

UN Climate Change News   Young Welsh table tennis phenom Anna Hursey has accepted an invitation to put her determination and growing prominence to work to help save the planet as a Young Champion of the UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action Framework.   Hursey just 13 years old is the youngest ever person to play sport for Wales at a senior level first representing her country at age 10. In her role as Framework champion she will help inspire her peers young athletes and fans to act on climate action.   “I am proud to be a Young Champion and am looking forward to working with UN Climate Change to help set sports on a path to a low-carbon future ” said Hursey.   Born in Carmarthen Wales in June 2006 to British and Chinese parents   Hursey is the youngest athlete ever to compete in the Commonwealth Games at a senior level—representing Wales at the Games in the Gold Coast Australia in 2018 when she was just 11.   More than 110 sports teams and organizations—including at the very top levels of sport—have signed on to the framework agreeing to promote greater environmental responsibility; reduce the overall climate impact from sports; educate for climate action; promote sustainable and responsible consumption; and advocate for climate action through their communications.   In line with these five core principles enshrined in the Framework and the aims of the Paris Climate Change Agreement   Hursey will strive to inspire her fans community and government to raise their climate ambition in a united effort to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.   By signing the Framework sports teams and organizations pledge to play their part to ensure the sports sector is on the path to climate neutrality.   Speaking at the launch of the Framework in 2018 UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa explained that sports organizations and athletes are in a unique position in the race against climate change “because sports touches on every cross-section of society.”   Ranked top in Wales in the under-15 age category and second in the senior division   Hursey reports that her ambition is to become the world’s number-one female table tennis player and win a medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.   She is fluent in Mandarin and English and moved full-time to Tianjin China in 2019 to train with top Chinese players to help fulfill her ambition. She returns regularly to the UK where she has been showcased by the media.