North Korea and South Korea have told the umpires that they don’t want to compete on the table against each other here in Halmstad Sweden when they walked into the court for their Liebherr 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships quarter-final match.   Instead both teams requested that they want to form a unified Korean Team to compete together in the semi-final which will be held 4th of May at 11:00am against either Japan or Ukraine.   The decision for the unified team was a tripartite one between the leaders of the North and South Korean Table Tennis teams and the ITTF.   ITTF President Thomas WEIKERT who was chairing the ITTF Board of Directors meeting at the time stated: “When I informed the Board of Directors about this development the unified team received a standing ovation from the delegates who showed their sign of support to this historic move.”   The move follows the North and South Korean leaders’ pledge for “lasting peace” to the Korea peninsula just last week which portrays that table tennis is perfect medium to be promoting peace through sport.   President of the Table Tennis Association of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea JU Jong Chol stated: “this is the result of the strong support provided by the ITTF and IOC. We will do our best to get more successful results internationally in a joint effort between North and South Korea.”   Korea Table Tennis Association Vice President and IOC member RYU Seungmin said “This is a big historical decision for both our countries. This is Table Tennis history so we are very happy. I would like to thank the ITTF for their strong support. This is an important statement to promote peace between our countries through Table Tennis.”   The last time that a Unified Korea team played the World Table Tennis Championships was 1991 in Chiba Japan where they shocked defending Champion China to be crowned World Champions.   It has been a big year for the two Korean countries joining forces after they made history by marching together in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games earlier in Pyongchang which was the most significant sign of unity in international sport since the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships. It is thanks to the IOC that North Korea is participating here in Halmstad due to their Olympic Solidarity support.

LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships Nerves wrecking Round of 16 in Women’s Event at the LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships Austria vs. German y went in favor of Austria’s team. After five matches nop. Seven seeds progressed to the quarterfinal. They will play against China for tye medal.   Sofia POLCANOVA’s played pivot role in Austria’s success. She overcame Sabine WINTER in the opening match and Petrissa SOLJA on second exit to the table. In both occasions she was forced to go full distance.   “I started good and had 2 games to null lead but after that point Sabine started to play really well. She lift her game to the next level. WINTER leveled and I started to think that I have to win this one; it will be great to give my team advantage at the start to ease the pressure I thought ” said POLCANOVA.   Against SOLJA it was opposite situation. Sofia was two game in reverse and she was forced to change her tactics.   “Petty is very dangerous player. For me it is very difficult to play against her since she is lefthander. Not only that I was 0:2 down but it was 1:5 in the third game. Than I started toi play more aggressive on her forehand and to move better. It paid of. The win in third game gave me confidence ” said POLCANOVA.   LIU Jia played decisive match against Sabine WINTER.   “I was under pressure. I guess I though too much about the importance of this match. When I cleared my thoughts it was better ” said LIU.

LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships Third time the luck. Ukraine finally reached the quarterfinal of the Women’s Event at the LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships. In the Round of 16 they overcame no. 8 seeds Singapore after fierce battle in five matches.   FENG Tianwei started the match in expecting fasion. She overcame Tetyana BILOENKO 3:0 before Ganna GAPONOVA leveled the match. Ganna beat YU Mengyu in five games.   “After I beat Georgina POTA yesterday I realized I could face everyone. Everything was possible. Against YU I was forced to go full distance but I was not afraid. I maintained the high level of play. I was not thinking “I can win” I though “I should win”. I believed in me ” said GAPONOVA.   At 1:1 Margaryta PESOTSKA showed she can cope with pressure.   “I was very confident. My service/return game was very strong and I can be almost satisfied with my forehand. I managed to stay focused ” said PESOTSKA.   The burden of the decisive match was on the shoulders of Tetyana BILENKO.   “YU Mengyu hardly gave me the opportunity to attack her. The most important point in the decisive game came after the attack but it was one of the few opporutunities that I had. It proved as a good decision ” stated BILENKO.   DPR Korea halted Russia’ progress to the quarterfinal. KIM Song I KIM Nam Hae and CHA Hyo Sim prevailed in straight matches against Yana NOSKOVA Polina MIKHAILOVA and Mariia TAILAKOVA.    

LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships   The battles in the Men Championships Division in Group B and C concluded after the morning session at the LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships. China and England progressed directly to the quarterfinal as a teams who booked the top position in their respective groups.   In Group B Brazil and Portugal reached the positions no. two and three respectively whilst in Group C Japan and Chinese Taipei finished second and third.   China won all five duels in their group in straight matches. Brazil upset Portugal and launched themselves into the position no. two leaving Portugal’s players at the spot no. three. In the last round Portugal overcame Czech Republic 3:1. Pavel SIRUCEK beat Marcos FREITAS to secure only point for his team. Joao GERALDO and Joao MONTEIRO prevailed against Lubomir JANCARIK and Tomas KONECNY whilst in fourth match Marcos beat JANCARIK.   Czech Republic is fourth whilst Russia is fifth in Group B.   England beat the odds and reached the top spot in Group C. They left behind Japan at the position. No two and Chinese Taipei at spot no. three. They succeeded in all five matches in their Group. Last in line to suffer was the team of Belgium 3:1. Liam PITCHFORD overcame both Florent LAMBIET and Cedric NUYTINCK but Cedric managed to beat Paul DRINKHALL. Samuel WALKER overcame Robin DEVOS.   Eventually Belgium is fourth and Belarus is fifth in Group D.        

LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Halmstad   Big decisions to drive global table tennis forward were made today 1 May at the 2018 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Annual General Meeting held during the LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Halmstad Sweden.   The meeting chaired by ITTF President Thomas WEIKERT was attended by 135 associations who had unanimously approved that the 2020 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships be awarded to Busan Korea after Ekaterinburg Russia and San Jose USA withdrew from the race.   Both Russia and USA have declared their intention to bid again for the World Championships in the coming years.   Thomas WEIKERT stated “The entire AGM was impressed about the quality of the Busan bid. I am certain that our Korean colleges will do an amazing job at hosting an spectatcular World Championships that will inspire millions across the world to play and enjoy table tennis. We look forward to welcoming back USA and Russia  to again big for the world’s biggest table tennis event soon.”   For the first time the ITTF presented a Strategic Plan for the next six years to its members. The Strategic Plan which was accepted by the AGM combined the input of all global table tennis stakeholders with over 2 500 people taking the chance to add their input.   Table Tennis. For all. For life. This is the new vision adopted by the ITTF in its Strategic Plan which embodies ITTF’s overall strategy detailed in the 24-page document created with the assistance of Deloitte an internationally renowned consulting company. The key five strategic priorities that will form the pillars of ITTF’s direction are: Organisation & Governance High Performance & Development International Events Promotion & Revenue.   The ITTF presented the ITTF Foundation which will be tasked to evolve our award-winning Development program with a strong focus on Corporate Social Responsibility activities to promote solidarity through table tennis.   WEIKERT added “Today was a historic day for the ITTF. My Executive Committee and I are very happy with the key decisions made by the AGM. Our team has been working hard for positive change to take the ITTF to the next level. We believe that these four decisions will have a profound impact on the ITTF in a myriad of different levels.”  

LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships   The teams that will contest the knockout phase of the LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships have been determined. After three days of intense battle in the round robin phase China Japan and Korea Republic all secured all five victories to top their respective Groups (A B & D) to qualify directly to the quarter-finals.   Romania was able to come in first in Group C but not without difficulties. The European Champions who had lost to Netherlands earlier on the first day due to their coach Viorel FILIMON being late for the coin toss resulting in the team having to play with their default team according to alphabetical order. This meant their top two players Bernadette SZOCS and Elizabeta SAMARA had to miss out on the action and Romania eventually lost 1-3 to Netherlands.   Determined to finish first in the group to advance directly to the quarter-finals a pumped up Romanian trio of SZOCS SAMARA and Daniela DODEAN MONTEIRO were in top form to secure both victories today against third seed Chinese Taipei 3-0 and the talented DPR Korea 3-1 against all the odds.   After an emotional victory against DPR Korea SAMARA stated “After what happened against the Netherlands it took us awhile to regain our focus. Once we did we were determined to fight and not let this setback send us home early. We play our best when the pressure is on and our backs are against the wall. This is what us Romanians do.”   The final round of the Men’s Team group stage will be played tomorrow 2 May 2018 to determine the final standings in each group and the top 12 teams who will make it to the Men’s Team main draw.   Top seeded Germany China and Korea Republic as well as England who caused one of the biggest upsets in World Championships history beating Japan remained unbeaten to guarantee they all finish first in their group and have a direct passage to the quarter-finals.   11 teams are still in the running for the 8 spots that play off for the quarter-final positions so all is to play for today.   The 72 teams here in Halmstad are split into three divisions with the top 24 teams in the Championship Division battling to become World Champion. The first stage of the event consists of the 24 teams being split into four groups of six teams. The top two team in the group progresses straight the quarter-finals while the second and third placed team having to play a knockout in the last 16 to make their way into the quarter-finals.

LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships   In the Women’s Event at the LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis ChampionshipsGermany prevailed against Luxembourg in straight matches. Russia halted Sweden in the morning sessions of the day three in Halmstad.   Petrissa SOLJA beat NI Xia Lian Sabine WINTER overcame Sarah De NUTTE whilst Nina MITTELHAM prevailed against Danielle KONSBRUCK.   “I am very happy with my performance against NI Xia Lian. Recently I work a lot with my sister. The trainings with her helped me against experienced NI. That was very hard match. Also Sabine was under pressure because Sarah improved a lot recently. She is gained some experience by working with us in Dusseldorf. It was 3:0 at the end but it was harder then the results predict ” said SOLJA.   Hosts suffered by the hands of Russia’s players but they did not leave the court without great fight. In five matches Matilda EKHOLM is still unbeaten. Polina MIKHAILOVA beat Linda BERGSTROM to give her team good start before Matilda beat Yana NOSKOVA. Mariia TAILAKOVA overcame Jennifer JONSSON but again Matilda leveled the match in the duel against Polina. At the end in the decisive duel Yana overcame Linda.   “Yana is our hero. She did it! Our dream come true. Neither of had the chance to play in the top 12 in the second phase of the World Championships. This is the first time for our generation. So many times we were so close and finally we did it ” said Polina.   Girls praised the adversaries’ qualities.   “Martilda play like she is on fire. She is unbeaten here. We could not count that we will beat her in Halmstad so we were focused on other matches. There was no place for mistake but Linda is very dangerous player so we did not take anything for granted. I was under pressure in the first match. If I had lose it it will be 2:0 for Sweden because Matilda was next in line. Mentally it will be very difficult to recover from that” added Polina.   The biggest pressure was on NOSKOVA’s shoulders. She had to prove her class in the decisive match.   “Last time at the World Championships when we were playing for the place among top 12 I was in the same situation. My match was decisive if I had won it we could move forward otherwise we will finish in play offs and I lost it. Now when I lost the opening game all those memories flashed before my eyes. I could not even look at the bench thinking what is in minds of other girls. I know I had to win this one. Even second game was close but I recovered. Then in fourth game it was 7:6 they called for the time out; soon it was 10:7 and still I was not allowed to relax. Linda is the kind of player who never gives up ” said Yana NOSKOVA.  

LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships   After controversy defeat against Netherlands in Group C Romania is back on winning tracks. European champions and no. 6 seeds overcame Chinese Taipei no. three seeds at the LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships. They proved once again like so many times in past three days that no favorites are safe in Halmstad.   Not only odds but the way the results went was against Romania. Against CHENG I-Ching Elizabeta SAMARA was two games down before she recovered to win. Same story has been seen in the duel between CHEN Szu-Yu and Bernadette SZOCS. Whilst Daniela MONTEIRO DODEAN concluded her match in four games.   “We were so angry after the defeat against Netherlands. We came here as European champions with only one motive on our mind: to reach quarterfinal and to play for medal. Netherlands was one of the adversaries that we knew we had to beat in order to achieve our goal ” said SAMARA.   Before defeat against Netherland Romania has beaten Czech Republic. Yesterday they overcame Poland as well. Triumph over Chinese Taipei brought them back in game for the top spot in the group and secured the second place at least.   “It was very hard. I was two games down and I never have beat her before. Bernie was in the same position against CHEN Szu-Yu. It was very close but we had to win. We did not have any other option but the victory ” said SAMARA.   In the match against Czech Republic Daniela twisted her ankle.   “She is all right now thanks to our physiotherapist. He is doing magic ” said SAMARA.   Belarus overcame Commonwealth champions team of India. It is their first victory after defeat against China Russia and Sweden. Viktoria PAVLOVICH overcame Mouma DAS Nadezhda BOGDANOVA prevailed against Manika BATRA and Daria TRIGOLOS beat Madhurika PATKAR.   “Those new balls made life so much easer for my adversaries. Now is much easier to play against players with defensing style. Everyone can beat us. New balls left us without our main weapon ” said PAVLOVICH.” Everyone talks here about young BATRA but I think that our young girls also deserve attention. They are very good and they already proved it. We had few misfortunate defeats but I think that our youngsters will have very good future.”  

LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships   No. one seeds team of Germany proved to strong for Sweden in the third round of the Men’s Event at the LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships but England stayed in the winning course by beating Japan.   Patrick FRANZISKA put Kristian KARLSSON on severe pressure in the opening match and forced Patrick to go full distance but after FRANZISKA sealed the match – 11:2 in the last game it became a one-way track for the Germans. “We know each other very well. I think we played six times in the last seven months. It is always tough against him but I tried to stay focus play my game and I’m happy that I won ” said FRANZISKA.   Timo BOLL beat Mattias KARLSSON in straight games concluded each 11:8. Dimitrij OVTCHAROV needed one more to overcame Anton KALLBERG.   “We have a great team and we are motivated to go far in the tournament. Sweden is a key opponent so we are very focused. Mattias is a very unusual player on the tour; you don’t have often the chance to play against this style. The fact that we played many times last year was maybe a small advantage for me. Against him it is all about little things little placements. I think I did a great job ” stated BOLL.   OVTCHAROV :“The last three sets were very close. It was a tough match but I am satisfied of my performance especially because I had a long break due to an injury. So I am very pleased I could win against Anton. Of course we want to win the gold medal we are very determined. Timo and I had an extraordinary good run at the end of the past year and now also Patrick is playing very well. Unfortunately I got injured but the good think is that it is a long tournament and I feel that I’m playing better and better at every match. I hope I can get my pic at the end of the tournament.”   England continued to make upsets at the Championships. Next in line to fall was Japan seeded at the position no. three at the Championships.  Seeded no. 12 team of England avenged the defeats to Japan in the semi-finals of the last edition of World Championships and at the ITTF Team World Cup in London in February.   It started well for Japan. World’s no 11 Jun MIZUTANI beat best ranked player in England’s team Paul DRINKHALL ranked at the position no 52. They went full distance before pendulum has swung. Liam PITCHFORD overcame Tomokazu HARIMOTO in straight games. Next in line was Sam WALKER who posted sensational victory over World’s no 11 Koki NIWA. He also needed only three games before MIZUTANI played another five games thriller. However this time he lost it to PICHFORD.   Title holders China beat Brazil in straight matches and same score line was after the duel Austria vs. France. After defeats against Croatia and Republic of Korea Austria is back in game. Stefan FEGERL beat Emmanuel LEBESSON Daniel HABESOHN overcame Simon GAUZY whilst Robert GARDOS prevailed against Can AKKUZU. They lost only one game in the process.   Portugal lost against Brazil earlier this morning but against Russia they showed no weak points. Belarus led by Vladimir SAMSONOV overcame Singapore also in straight games.    

LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships   Despite the fact that match of the second round of the Women’s Event at the LIEBHERR 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships did not enter to agonizing fifth match the duel between Sweden and Belarus meets the highest standards.   Sweden won and the back bone of this success was Matilda EKHOLM who overcame both Viktoria PAVLOVICH and Nadezhda BOGDANOVA   Speaking of her victory over PAVLOVICH EKHOLM said: “Defensive players are all different so you cannot adopt the same tactic against them all. It depends on the backhand’s rubber or their playing style. But I played so many times against Vika so I knew what I had to do and it worked. She’s a really good player; in that sense it wouldn’t have made sense if I won easily. I knew I had to fight on every point. “   In her second match of the day Matilda needed only three games to overcame BOGDANOVA: “I still feel a little bit tired. I struggled a lot with her serve today which made me nervous. But I finally managed to receive better and I could win. At the end of the set when the game is very tight I try to focus on my serve or my return. The first shot is the most important.”     Explaining her role as a leader of the team Matilda said: “As leader of my team I don’t give lot of advices. I just think that my teammates follow and learn for me in some things. Nevertheless I give sometimes some technical advices at the practice.”   Only point for Belarus has been won by Daria TRIGOLOS. She overcame Jennifer JONNSON   “I was just thinking about what I had to do and also enjoying the game. I feel very good here in Halmstad with this atmosphere. I am happy to participate to such a wonderful competition ” said Jennifer.   Viktoria suffered twice in the duel. Linda BERGSTROM prevailed in four games.    “We started very good against Singapour yesterday; unfortunately we lost at the end. It was important that we still keep going. Last time I lost 0-3 against her at the Champions League in February but it was very close so I knew I would have a chance but I wasn’t expecting to win.”   Austria beat Ukraine in straight matches in their third match at the Championships after they already prevailed against US and Hungary. Sofia POLCANOVA LIU Jia and Amelie SOLJA prevailed against Ganna GAPONOVA Margaryta PESOTSKA and Tetyana BILENKO.   At age of 54 NI Xialian lead Luxembourg to the victory over Brazil. She secured two points against Jessica YAMADA and Bruna TAKAHASHI. Sarah DE NUTTE beat TAKAHASHI to record third point.   After controversy that surrounded their match against Netherlands yesterday Romania secured second win in their Group. They overcame Poland. Pivotal role in their success was played by Elizabeta SAMARA who overcame Katarzyna GRZYBOWSKA-FRANC and Natalia PARTYKA. Bernadette SZOCS overcame PARTYKA whilst LI Qian prevailed in five games match against Daniela MONTEIRO DODEAN.