Make no doubt about it. 2018 will go down as a landmark year for relations between North and South Korea. Two summits between their political leaders in April and September concluded with them committing to an ‘era of no war’ as historic divisions between the two nations begin to fade away – no faster than on Table Tennis courts. The ITTF raised attentions to the sporting world by launching a Unified Korean team at the 2018 World Table Tennis Championships formed of players from both sides of the border. The strong sense of harmony between North and South was obvious from the start and an extremely heart-warming sight to behold. That marked just the start of a new Ping Pong Diplomacy initiative led and funded by the ITTF Foundation as North and South Korea joined forces again at July’s Korea Open where JANG Woojin (KOR) and CHA Hyo Sim (PRK) claimed the Mixed Doubles title in front of a proud home crowd in Daejeon. That pride continued to shine throughout the calendar year as Unified Korea ultimately claimed Silver at the ITTF World Tour Grand Finals in the Korean city of Incheon: yet another show of unity which promises for further bridges to be built in the new year and beyond. Table Tennis as a tool for rebuilding international relations is a longstanding aspiration of the ITTF which originally came to the fore in 1971 when an American delegation was invited to play a series of friendship matches in the People’s Republic of China thus giving birth to the world-renowned term ‘Ping Pong Diplomacy.’ Then in 1991 in a move strongly backed by the ITTF North and South Koreans joined for the very first time at the 41stWorld Championships in Chiba Japan. They ultimately defeated China in a landmark moment which saw Korea standing proudly on top of the world. “The ITTF Foundation is very proud of the Unified Korean team. The players are the visible part of a process that exceeds the limits of Table Tennis and the limits of sport ” said ITTF President Thomas Weikert. ITTF CEO Steve Dainton: “This is another small step in the ITTF’s history of helping countries make peace and providing international diplomatic support.” Olympic Champion from South Korea & IOC Member Ryu Seung Min added: “This is not a show but a reality. We need to promote more relations between North and South Korea not just as a one-off but sustainably. That’s the most important thing.”
Mühlhausen truly believes in its chances against UMMC
Two players of German club Steffen MENGEL and Ovidiu IONESCU speak about the upcoming TTCLM quarter-finals German club Post SV Mühlhausen has managed to reach knockout phase in its debut season in the TTCLM as they finished second in Group D last December but their players believe that they are able to go further and win quarter-finals against 2012 TTCLM runner-up TTSC UMMC. “It’s a big success for us to reach the quarter finals. UMMC is the favorite but we did good so far in TTCLM and believe in our chances to cause a surprise ” stated Mühlhausen’s player Steffen MENGEL. His teammate Oividiu IONESCU is aware how Russian team is strong but emphasizes: “I truly believe in our chances in the quarter finals. UMMC is a very strong team but I know the quality of our team and we showed we are able to challenge the best teams of Europe.” UMMC enters knockout stage as Group B winner having 5-1 win-loss record while Post SV Mühlhausen had 3-3 in Group D as the second placed team behind four-time champion Fakel-Gazprom Orenburg. First leg will be held in Germany on January 25th while the second one comes on February 8thin Orenburg.
TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen won the German Cup
In Ulm in front of 4.000 spectators TTF LIEBHERR Ochsenhausen beat SV Werder Bremen 3-1 in the ultimate stage of the Germany’s LIEBHERR Cup Final 2018/19. ASV Grünwettersbach and TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau suffered defeats in the Final four semi finals. For the first time in six years the German Table Tennis Cup has a new owner. Long dominance of Borussia Dusseldorf came to an end. This is the first title since 2004 for Ochsenhausen. On the way to the title MAZUNOV’S team beat TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau. Simon GAUZY who became a father for the first time last Thursday gave Ochsenhausen the lead against Mihai BOBOCICA while Hugo Calderano widened the gap to 2-0 in a duel with Kirill GERASSIMENKO. South Korean JANG Woojin has his premiere in the TTF jersey. “We saw in training that Jang is in good shape and decided to use him in the semifinals ” MAZUNOV said. The World’s no.eleven thanked his coach with a smooth three-goal win against Anders LIND In the final TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen and SV Werder Bremen produced thrilling and close game. JANG Woojin lost against Bastian STEGER in full five games whilst Gustavo TSUBOI streched Simon GAUZY to full distance before French player succeeded. At the press conference Nico STEHLE Managing Director of the organizing Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL) had reason to celebrate: “We produced the world-class table tennis and a great atmosphere and that’s exactly what was offered to viewers today. I would like to thank all the partners and sponsors who help us to provide the best possible framework year after year. Ochsenhausen is a deserved cup winner who has delivered a top team performance. “ SEMI FINAL SV Werder Bremen – ASV Grünwettersbach 3:1 Bastian Steger – Dang Qiu 3:2 (8:11 11:8 4:11 11:6 12:10) Gustavo Tsuboi – Ricardo Walther 3:2 (12:10 15:13 4:11 5:11 11:8) Hunor Szöcs – Bojan Tokic 2:3 (7:11 6:11 12:10 11:6 9:11) Bastian Steger – Ricardo Walther 3:0 (11:6 11:9 11:5) TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen 0:3 Mihai Bobocica – Simon Gauzy 1:3 (11:6 11:13 9:11 10:12) Kirill Gerassimenko – Hugo Calderano 1:3 (6:11 6:11 12:10 9:11) Anders Lind – Jang Woojin 0:3 (9:11 5:11 10:12) FINAL TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – SV Werder Bremen 3:1 Hugo Calderano – Hunor Szöcs 3:1 (9:11 11:5 11:6 11:6) Jang Woojin – Bastian Steger 2:3 (11:7 3:11 5:11 11:6 9:11) Simon Gauzy – Gustavo Tsuboi 3:2 (10:12 11:9 9:11 11:9 11:4) Hugo Calderano – Bastian Steger 3:0 (13:11 11:8 11:3)
Tickets on sale for Liebherr 2019 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships!
Budapest is undoubtedly the place to be this April! Host to the world’s biggest Table Tennis event of the year the city will be showcasing the very best players from across the globe. Of course we are talking about the Liebherr 2019 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships. Held between 21-28 April you can now confirm your attendance with tickets available to buy right here! With a sea of star players and several thousands of visitors expected to gather in the Hungarian capital it’s all set to be an incredible party atmosphere in Budapest. As for the venue the Hungexpo Budapest Fair Center sits right at the heart of one of Europe’s most beautiful cities meaning spectators will be in for a fantastic week of sport and culture. The fan zone will keep visitors entertained with a series of tables where they can try out their Table Tennis skills as well as shop various sports equipment clothing and memorabilia. This is a landmark moment for Budapest – a city steeped in sporting tradition. The Hungarian capital held the World Table Tennis Championships three times back in 1929 1931 and 1950. Now almost 70 years later the big event is back in Budapest again. “We are delighted to be the hosts of such an important sporting event and since many people enjoy Table Tennis in Hungary we hope to have a full house ” said Gabor Ganczer CEO of Hungexpo. These will be the 55th World Table Tennis Championships and the biggest yet as star athletes compete for the globe’s biggest individual prizes in contrast to last year’s team event in Halmstad Sweden where players represented their countries. “It is worth noting that Table Tennis is the sixth biggest of all world championships. Obviously lots of fans will arrive from around Europe but we plan to sell lots of tickets in Asia too ” added Gábor Felegyi Secretary General of the Hungarian Table Tennis Federation. Quick Links: Ticket Sales Event Information ITTF Social: Facebook Instagram Twitter Youtube Weibo LinkedIn
KARACA newly elected President of Turkish TTF
The Extraordinary Congress of Turkish Table Tennis Federation took place in the capital city Ankara on 5th January 2019. Newly elected President of the Turkish TTF is Fatih KARACA. President KARACA was the only candidate and he got 104 votes from 113 delegates. Having stated that he has been working both as a player and a delegate in different committees and executive board Mr. KARACA added: “I was elected as a BoD member in 2012 with the kind decision of Mr. CIMEN and I carried on being the Branch Manager of Istanbul Met. Muni. S.C.(table tennis karate). Then in 2016 I have been the Deputy President for 8 months and now here I am as the president.” President talked about his goals: “We aim to make table tennis more popular among teens and to improve it. We hope to do the best for Turkish Table Tennis with new plans and new ideas. We thank to the previous Presidents for their efforts and aim to improve our country’s position to a much better level. It is our wish to account for their experiences and welcome every single person that gives an effort to raise Turkish table tennis quality. Hope to raise the bar of Turkish TTF with “Development Movement Project” and leave a nice mark in Turkish sport.” The Executive Board members are Ahmet Semih ARINCI Ahmet YAPRAK Ali TANGÖR Cem UĞURLAŞ Gökçe OK Metin BIBERCI Metin KILIK Mustafa AKGÜN Mücahit SOYAK Osman CAN Ömercan KULAKLIKAYA Savaş ERTUFAN Şerif YILMAZ Tayfun ŞIK.
UMMC takes Mühlhausen seriously
TTSC UMMC coach Tatiana KUTERGINA comments TTCLM quarter-finals draw The 2011/12 TTCLM runner-up Russian club TTSC UMMC showed its strength during the group stage of the ongoing season making 5-1 win-loss record in Group B. They suffered unique defeat in the away game against Walter Wels when they played with just one player (Jonathan GROTH) from their best line-up. TTCLM newcomer from Germany Post SV Mühlhausen (3-3 score) second placed Group D team will be the next opponent of UMMC. They are going to play first quarter-final leg on January 25th in Germany while the second clash is scheduled for February 8th in Verkhnaya Pyshma. Head coach of Russian side Tatiana KUTERGINA is aware that good approach can pave the way to the victory: “Name of the rival is not important on this stage. You must admit that the quarterfinal reach strongest same level clubs. It never happened that we were waiting for somebody as a rival and finally got upset. The team Post SV Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. is new but we know the players we played with them and won. My opinion is that on this stage state of mind combative spirit and absence of injuries are important. All these criteria let us hope for the success with any team.”
TT Dream Building Fund – Applications Open!
Table Tennis is not just a sport but a tool for positive social change now more than ever before thanks to the TT Dream Building Fund. The ITTF Foundation will be listening to your ideas about how to use the sport to make the world a better place. Your aim could be to provide quality education to deprived kids; to bring about understanding between communities; to integrate minorities such as refugees back in society to make the cities they live in more sustainable; to promote gender equality peace and justice to make their lives fairer safer and happier. All of these dreams can become a reality so get sending your ideas now to the ITTF Foundation to make it happen! HOW DOES IT WORK? The ITTF Foundation is to fund projects summing up to more than 150 000 Euros. The project must have a social / humanitarian objective linked to one or more United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) must involve Table Tennis as the tool for change and must explain clearly their aim and why they need funding. A clear Monitoring & Evaluation System will be implemented for the supervision and regular follow-up of the different projects to optimise the support provided by the ITTF Foundation. Each project will last for up to 3 years and have a clear exit strategy defined at the end of its first year. WHO CAN APPLY? The TT Dream Building Fund is open to any legally established and locally recognised non-profit Table Tennis sport or social organisation with a project aimed at bringing about positive change in its local or foreign environment through the means of Table Tennis. The organisation must have a point of contact who speaks English and has access to internet. APPLICATION TIMEFRAME Starting today you can send your proposals to the ITTF Foundation until the deadline of 10 February 2019. Successful candidates will be announced during the month of March 2019. BUILDING DREAMS SINCE 2003 The ITTF has a long history of working in social development carrying out 30 projects in the last 15 years bringing an impact to approximately a quarter of a million people around the world. From contributing to conflict resolution in East Timor to educating and engaging children at schools in Uganda; from integrating refugees into society in Jordan to helping communities emerge from the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. ‘Solidarity through Table Tennis’ – the motto of the ITTF Foundation – is the message that has underpinned all of them. Now it’s your turn to join us in making a difference through table tennis and make all of our dreams a reality. QUICK LINKS: Application form TT Dream Building Fund ITTF Foundation UN Sustainable Development Goals
Colin Clemett celebrates landmark birthday
by Ian Marshall ITTF Today Thursday 3rd January England’s Colin Clemett elected Personal Honorary Member of the International Table Tennis Federation in 2007 celebrates his 90th birthday. The author of “From London to London” the book to celebrate the staging of the 2012 Olympic Games underlined the character of Colin Clemett; hours of painstaking research were undertaken; the result a publication was presented in a logical detailed and clearly understandable manner. Simply he is a mine of information and in a similar vein the man to whom you turn if an answer on a technical matter or to be more accurate any other matter is needed. The concept of the “Lucky Loser” is now very much an accepted aspect of open international tournaments; it was not the situation when the first ITTF World Tour event was held in 1996 in Kettering England. Following the group stage of play there were vacancies in main draw the Referee was Richard Scruton now Secretary-General of the European Table Tennis Union; it was suggested that the places be filled by “Lucky Losers”. Richard thought for a moment and came up with the solution. “I’ll call Colin” he did; the proposal was approved and very quietly a new concept appeared on the international scene. Colin Clemett is the supreme arbiter. A life member of Table Tennis England he qualified as a County Umpire in 1952 later as a National Umpire in 1956 the ninth name on the list. In 1957 he joined the English Table Tennis Association’s Umpires Committee now known as the Technical Officials Committee becoming the Secretary in 1959. Significantly you will find his name on the programme for the first ever English Closed Championships in 1958. It is a position he held until retiring from office in October 2017; an unbroken stint of 58 years and no doubt well over 200 meetings! Retirement from office I’m not so sure to the best of my knowledge he remains Chair of the Rules Committee for Table Tennis England. Notably he progressed to become a National Referee in 1971 the third on the list. Between 1961 and 1965 he was the Deputy Referee at English Open; in 1966 at the European Championships staged in London he assumed the same role. Later in 1993 he was the Referee at the Indian Ocean Island Games in the Seychelles and in 1997 at the European Small States Games in Reykjavik. Furthermore he fulfilled the role of Technical Delegate at the Olympic Games in 1992 1996 and 2000; also at the 1999 African Games and the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002. Meanwhile for the International Table Tennis Federation he was Secretary of the Rules Committee from 1969 to 1973 and Chair from 1973 to 2003. He was responsible for the introduction of the International Umpire and International Referee qualifications editor of the Handbooks for Match Officials and Tournament Referees. In addition he was the Technical Delegate at the 1992 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games as well as at the 1999 African Games and the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Always voluntary the contribution made by Colin Clemett to the sport of table tennis in a quiet unobtrusive and ultra efficient manner is immense; it cannot be understated.
Metz counts on fighting spirit and spectators
President of French club Philippe BORDES looks forward to the ECLW quarter-finals clash against Linz AG Froschberg “TT Metz is the top European club with a lot of fans who always create a great atmosphere in the hall. Personally I’m looking forward to the great matches between our two teams and a reunion with President Phillipe BORDES in Metz” stated Linz AG Froschberg’s president Gunther RENNER few days ago speaking about the upcoming quarter-finals of the 2018/19 European Champions League Women. President of actual ETTU Cup winner Philippe BORDES agrees with his colleague from Linz that their new encounter in the ECLW will be continuation of both rivalry and friendship between two sides: “We are going to play another time against LINZ … Like the Austrian team Berlin and Tarnobrzeg were also hard teams that gained first position in their groups. As usually Metz TT begins to be known for our fighting spirit and. … spectators! Maybe the people who come to support our team will be the “fourth” player! In any case the first leg in Metz on 25 January will be a big clash. Respect to this great team of LINZ and their strong players”! First leg will be held in France on January 25th while the second one is scheduled for February 8-10th. It will be a third clash between these two teams in last four seasons. Two-time ECLW winner Linz won previous two meetings both in the quarter-final stage. First one in 2015/16 has been decided by just one-point difference – 5:5 in matches (19:19 sets 347:346 points) while the second one in 2016/17 Austrian team won 6-2 on aggregate.
Registrations for European Universities Championships 2019 are open
European University Sports Association (EUSA) and the local organising committees of the European Universities Championships 2019 announced that the registration for 2019 events is open. Table Tennis will be held in Camerino Italy from July 15th to 20th. Please see the event pages for details and contact the national university sports body in your country to register. EUSA look forward to welcoming university teams from all over Europe taking part in the 23 sport events next year: Badminton Basketball 3×3 Basketball Beach Handball Beach Volleyball Combat Sports (Judo Karate Kickboxing Taekwondo) Football Futsal Golf Handball Mind Sports (Bridge Chess) Orienteering Rowing Rugby 7s Sport Climbing Table Tennis Tennis Volleyball and Water Polo.
