Sandra Deaton has been appointed as Table Tennis England Chairman after an open application process. The Chairman was previously voted for by Company Members but as laid down in the Government’s Code for Sports Governance the Chairman must now be appointed by the Board following an open and transparent application process. Three applicants were shortlisted by the Nominations Committee which comprised independent Directors Mark Quartermaine Andrew Nixon and Dee Paterson plus Elected Directors Susie Hughes and Keith Thomas. After interviews Sandra was appointed to serve a four-year term which will begin at the end of the AGM on June 29. This will be her second and final permitted term in office. The nomination and voting process for three Elected Deputy Chairmen will now begin. Full details will be announced in the coming days including a Role Description how to make a nomination how the candidates will be able to make statements about themselves and how the voting procedure will work. Sandra said: “I am extremely honoured and proud to be appointed to serve a second term of office as chairman of Table Tennis England. “It has been an amazing few years chairing a governing body which has moved forward to become a professional organisation which has served to encompass all aspects of the sport and established itself once again as a leading International Association. “I am so fortunate to have a committed Board who continually work together to lead the sport strategically and work with the executive staff and operational delivery team to serve the sport at every level. “We still have lots to do and our focus will be on developing many opportunities to increase participation through enhanced exposure of the sport as well has working with our dedicated players and volunteers through clubs leagues and counties. “Together we can continue to grow our sport and remain ‘a sport for all for life’.”
Can’t miss it! Record TV & Streaming coverage in store for Liebherr 2019 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships
A global viewership for a global game: between 21-28 April the biggest table tennis event of 2019 will be broadcast from Budapest to all corners of the world. Viewers from at least 145 countries will be able to watch the Liebherr 2019 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships on TV while the rest of the world will have daily access to the action from the Hungexpo Budapest on the ITTF’s official live streaming platform itTV. The figures mark an increase on the 122 nations receiving televised coverage of the most recent individual World Table Tennis Championships held in 2017 in Düsseldorf when a total of 355.6 million TV viewers was registered. From the moment that play begins at 10.00 GMT+2 on Sunday 21 April viewers will be able to watch the action on as many as eight tables by tuning into itTV. The ITTF’s official live streaming platform will be providing worldwide coverage of the whole event right up until the epic final matches played on Sunday 28 April. Furthermore 25 national and international TV channels covering at least 145 countries and representing every continent in the world will be broadcasting a busy programme of matches across Tables 1 and 2 from when the main draw begins on Monday 22 April up until the following Sunday (28 April) when the biggest table tennis event of 2019 eventually draws to a close and the final World Champions are confirmed. Among the major TV channels are China Central Television (CCTV) TV Tokyo and Eurosport between them covering all of Europe West/Central Asia China and Japan – the latter nation representing a more crucial market than ever as table tennis interest continues to accelerate with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games just around the corner. CCTV alone will be showing more than 50 hours of live action to the globe’s largest population. Together with all the other broadcasters this will result in a record amount of TV coverage in World Table Tennis Championships history. The TV production will also be next-level with a staggering 18 cameras being used on Table 1 ensuring that every angle possible will be shown around the world. Matches from all four tables in the Main Hall and a further four tables in Hall 2 for an impressive total of eight tables will be streamed live on itTV. What is for sure is that wherever you are between 21-28 April the Liebherr 2019 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships will be brought right to you! Quick Links: International TV Schedule International TV Channels itTV Event Information
The New Expanded World Table Tennis Championships Explained
In 2018 the ITTF Board of Directors approved the expansion of the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships beginning in 2021. Why do we need to expand and what does this mean? Everything you need to know about the new expanded World Table Tennis Championships. Watch the above video to find out! Find out more
Greek aces getting ready in Ochsenhausen
LIEBHERR 2019 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Budapest April 21-28 Greece’s aces worked hard in Ochsenhausen for five days and now they are ready for the challenge at the LIEBHERR 2019 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships in Budapest (April 21-28). Panagiotis GIONIS and Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS the top representatives of Greek table tennis trained in the German club’s modern sports center last week. In the center also worked Brazilian player Hugo CALDERANO Poland’s Jakub DYJAS Germany’s Patrick BAUM and Frenchman Simon GAUZY. The national coach Kostas VATSAKLIS was also in Germany. SGOUROPOULOS the European Champion Under 21 e had another reason for this trip as he will move to Germany next year. He will live and train at Ochsenhausen whilst he will play in the Bundesliga 1 in Grencau jersey. SGOUROPOULOS and his coach spoke to the people of Ochsenhausen about issues related to staying and training. Greece will have a total of seven men and women in the World Championship. In addition to GIONIS and SGOUROPOULOS in the capital of Hungary will play Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS George KONSTANTINOPOULOS Katerina TOLIOU Konstantina PARIDI and Maria CHRISTOFORAKI. For the brothers KOSTANTINOPOULOS will be the first participation in the World Championship. At the bench will be Kostas VATSAKLIS and Kostas KOSTOPOULOS while the leader of the mission will be the president of the Greek Federation Manolis KOLYMBADIS. “We have no aspirations for a very high positions but only participation in the top event is an important experience and honor for every athlete. We go to Hungary to show that we are among the countries that play good modern and spectacular table tennis” said Kostas VATSAKLIS.
European champions LI Qian targets podium in Budapest
Liebherr 2019 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Budapest April 21-28 Actual European champion in Women’s Singles event LI Qian of Poland is looking forward to Liebherr 2019 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Budapest April 21-28 where she is going to fight for her place at podium. Tarnobrzeg’s player took Women’s Doubles bronze four years ago in the Chinese city of Suzhou playing beside Netherlands’ LI Jie and now hopes she is ready to repeat that exploit in the upcoming days in Budapest. “I am not in top shape but also not really bad. Just feel it is normal average… My goal is of course to win the medal in doubles” stated LI Qian who predicts like many others Chinese players in the finals of singles events. Speaking about strongest medal contenders from Europe LI Qian explained: “I think players as POLCANOVA SZOCS or SAMARA have a big chance to reach medal places.” Regarding younger players capable to create upsets in Budapest LI sees in that role two rising stars from China: “WANG Manyu for example or SUN Yingsha are able to surprise favourites”. LI Qian will face another big challenge just a week after Liebherr 2019 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships as her club KTS Enea Siarka Tarnobrzeg of Poland plays ECLW final against Dr. CASL from Croatia.
SAMARA is heating up in Bucharest
LIEBHERR 2019 World Championships LIEBHERR 2019 World Championships is only few days away and most of the players fine-tune the game and finalise the trainings and preparations for the global gathering. Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania is not exception to the rule. Romania’s star is in Bucharest at the trainings. “The whole national team is together men and women; we also have good sparing partners. Everything is going according the plan. I am getting into my best shape ” said SAMARA. Elizabeta was not happy with her performance at the beginning of the year. “I had a bad start of the season. I struggled with the virus infection and I needed almost a month to recover. However at the final of the Polish league last week we took the title with KTS Enea Siarka Tarnobrzeg and I am very happy with my performance. Things are going well. “ The competition in Budapest will be fierce. SAMARA is seeded at the position no. 17 in the Singles Event and at the position no. 8in Women’s Doubles with Bernadette SZOCS. “It is hard to talk about medals in Singles when you have so many Chinese players at the list. In addition Japan is on the rise with very good players. My hopes are stronger in doubles.” In Alicante SAMARA reached quarterfinal but she underlined that she feel much better now. “We are all highly motivated and I hope we can make a good result in Budapest. I am looking forward start of the competition ” stated Elizabeta SAMARA. For Romania will also play: Bernadette SZOCS Adina DIACONU Daniela MONTEIRO DODEAN Irina CIOBANU Ovidiu IONESCU Cristian PLETEA Hunor SZOCS and Rares SIPOS.
Six players selected in Luxembourg at the ETTU Hopes Selection Camp
7 – 14 April 2019 Luxembourg The European Table Tennis Union Development Program has selected top 3 girls and 3 boys to take part in the ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge 2019 but also in the final Eurotalents Selection Camp in Slovenia’s Otocec in October 2019. Selected players are: Romania’s Mei Bianca ROSU Greek Lemonia GAINTANTZI and Spain’s Maria BERZOSA in girls category. In boys category most successful players were Israel’s Uri ALMOR Romania’s Luca OPREA and Belarus Nikon Shutov. Evaluation team on dutu gathered CHEN Bin (China from CTTC) LIU Jia Yi (Singapore CTTC) CHENG Xia (Luxembourg CTTE-E) Martin Ostermann (Luxembourg CTTC-E) and Neven CEGNAR (ETTU). Girls: Mei Rosu Bianca (ROU) 156 points Gaintantzi Lemonia (GRE) 155 points Berzosa Maria (ESP) 154 points Sadikovic Enisa (LUX) 147 points Molnar Kendra (HUN) 144 points Singeorzan Cristina (ROU) 142 points Scibraniova Magdalena (CZE) 140 points Santa Comba Maria (POR) 139 points Boys: Almor Uri (ISR) 164 points Oprea Luca (ROU) 161 points 3. Shutov Nikon (BLR) 159 points Lei Balazs (HUN) 155 points Moravek Jindrich (CZE) 152 points Moro Edgar (LUX) 151 points Abiodum Tiago (POR) 134 points Olheiro Tiago (POR) 133 points
FRANZISKA: “It’s always important to have a good start”
Liebherr 2019 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Budapest April 21-28 The 2015 World Championships quarter-finalist Patrick FRANZISKA is ready for the new big challenge at the forthcoming Liebherr 2019 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Budapest April 21-28. The 26-year-old German travels to Hungary with a lot of confidence bearing in mind his recent achievements: Men’s Doubles silver (with Timo BOLL) at the 2019 Qatar Open and fantastic games in the 2018/19 Bundesliga semi-finals where he was crucial man in Saarbrucken’s win over reigning champion Borussia Dusseldorf. He won all four points against Timo BOLL’s side. “My current shape is quite good. I haven’t been injured in a while and I played good results lately” stated Patrick FRANZISKA current world no. 18 whose best Men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles results at World Championships are Round of 16 (Dusseldorf 2017) and Round of 32 (Paris 2013) respectively. He has big expectations in all three competitions playing alongside Timo BOLL (Doubles) and Petrissa SOLJA (Mixed Doubles). “It’s always important for me to have a good start. It takes me a little bit time to bring my body to the right temperature so I have to be very focused from the first round. I think Timo (BOLL) and me have a chance to win a medal but it depends also on the draw. We reached a 2nd place in Qatar lately but we won’t be high seeded. In Mixed Petti (SOLJA) and me play better and better each tournament and we could practice a little bit also. I’m looking forward to play in each competition.” Speaking about strongest medal contenders FRANZISKA stated: “The Chinese are the favourites. They won every title over the last years and they are still the ones to beat if you want to win a medal. I think Europe has many fantastic players and I see the chance for European players to get medals.” Regarding younger players capable to make big breakthrough in Budapest? “We have many younger players especially in Europe who can upset favourites I think. DANG Qiu from Germany for example qualified for his first WCH and I think he can upset some favourites ” responded Patrick FRANZISKA.
Matilda EKHOLM aims her career best results in Budapest
Liebherr 2019 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Budapest April 21-28 Two years ago in Dusseldorf Sweden’s Matilda EKHOLM has been upset twice in the opening round of the Liebherr 2017 World Table Tennis Championships in the Singles and Doubles event but she managed to reach Mixed Doubles quarter-finals playing alongside her compatriot Mattias KARLSSON. Actual world no. 30 is looking forward to her 8th consecutive individual World Championships to be held in Budapest (April 21-28) hoping that she will be able to surpass her best results: last 16 in Singles (2015) last 32 in Doubles (2007 and 2015) and quarter-finals in Mixed Doubles (2017). “I have small injury in my shoulder but general feeling is good. I hope I can fight for medal in Doubles and Mixed Doubles and to reach Top 16 in Singles. Yes I will have a chance especially in Mixed Doubles and Doubles but of course it will not be easy” stated Matilda EKHOLM who will be no. 10 seed in Women Doubles playing together with her teammate from TTC Berlin Eastside Georgina POTA of Hungary. EKHOLM considers China’s DING Ning and FAN Zhendong strongest title contenders in Women’s and Men’s Singles respectively. Regarding younger players able to upset favourites she explained: “WANG Manyu is maybe even favorite to win gold medal. She is very strong and fast playing a very modern style. Missing in singles will be the young Hina HAYATA who lately beat LIU Shiwen she is in superb shape at the moment.”
Second title in four weeks for Dr. CASL
National Championships Croatia Current European Champions League Women champion Dr. CASL successfully defended its title in the National Championships of Croatian (HEP Superliga) as it beat twice in the final Varazdin 4:1 at home and 4:0 away. Four weeks ago they lifted the trophy of the Croatian Cup. “Second leg was a tough ending of the season in the domestic league bearing in mind all the problems we had. But we managed to defend both titles in Croatia and reach ECLW final twice in a row. There is no pressure at all as we already won everything we could. My only wish for all my players is to stay healthy after 2019 World Championships. After HEP Superliga final we can turn our focus on the ECLW final against Tarnobrzeg “said Dr. CASL President Martin-Tino CASL and stressed that Dr. CASL is the most successful Croatian club in all sports and the unique Champions League winner from that country in this century.
