The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is excited to announce the nominees for the 2018 Male & Female Table Tennis Stars & Star Point with the winners to be crowned at the 2018 ITTF Star Awards to be held on 12 December at the Grand Hyatt in Incheon Korea Republic. Now in its sixth edition the Male & Female Table Tennis Star awards represent the most prestigious individual prizes and a celebration of the best male and female players’ international achievements over the course of 2018 as well as their popularity gained among table tennis fans around the world. Fans can now vote for their Star Male & Female Player and Star Point of 2018 here! Voting will end on 19 November 2018 and the results will be combined with the judging outcome by an expert panel which will include their peers and the media to determine the Table Tennis Stars of 2018! The nominees for the Male Table Tennis Star presented by DHS as nominated by the ITTF Athletes’ Commission: Timo Boll (GER): 2018 European Champion; 2018 Men’s World Cup Runner-up; Oldest ever World no.1 at 36 years 11 months. Hugo Calderano (BRA): 2018 Pan American Cup Champion; 2018 Qatar Open Runner-up; First ever Latin American to enter World Top 10. Fan Zhendong (CHN): 2018 Hungarian Qatar & Swedish Open Champion; 2018 Men’s World Cup Champion; End-of-year World no.1. Tomokazu Harimoto (JPN): 2018 Japan Open Champion; 2018 Youth Olympic Games Runner-up; Youngest ever male player to enter World Top 10 at 14 years 10 months. Click here to view the four Male Table Tennis Star candidates! The nominees for the Female Table Tennis Star presented by Nittaku as nominated by the ITTF Athletes’ Commission: Ding Ning (CHN): 2018 Team World Cup Champion; 2018 Women’s World Cup Champion; 2018 World Team Champion. Mima Ito (JPN): 2018 Japan & Swedish Open Champion; 2018 World Team Championships Runner-up; 2018 Team World Cup Runner-up. Li Qian (POL): 2018 European Champion; 2018 European Championships Women’s Doubles Quarter-finalist; First ever Polish player to win gold medal at European Championships. Wang Manyu (CHN): 2018 Hungarian Hong Kong & China Open Champion; 2018 Team World Cup Champion; 2018 World Team Champion. Click here to view the four Female Table Tennis Star candidates! 2018 saw so many amazing shots and rallies that will live long in the memory but only five made the shortlist for Star Point of the year. Check out the cream of the crop here! In addition to the Male & Female Table Tennis Stars and Star Point five other awards will be handed out in Incheon: Male Para Table Tennis Star Female Para Table Tennis Star presented by Stag Table Tennis Star Coach presented by Butterfly Table Tennis Breakthrough Star The nominees for these awards will be announced in the coming weeks. Until then cast your vote now for the Star Male & Female Player and Star Point of 2018 here!
Vote now for your 2018 Table Tennis Stars!
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is excited to announce the nominees for the 2018 Male & Female Table Tennis Stars & Star Point with the winners to be crowned at the 2018 ITTF Star Awards to be held on 12 December at the Grand Hyatt in Incheon Korea Republic. Now in its sixth edition the Male & Female Table Tennis Star awards represent the most prestigious individual prizes and a celebration of the best male and female players’ international achievements over the course of 2018 as well as their popularity gained among table tennis fans around the world. Fans can now vote for their Star Male & Female Player and Star Point of 2018 here! Voting will end on 19 November 2018 and the results will be combined with the judging outcome by an expert panel which will include their peers and the media to determine the Table Tennis Stars of 2018! The nominees for the Male Table Tennis Star presented by DHS as nominated by the ITTF Athletes’ Commission: Timo Boll (GER): 2018 European Champion; 2018 Men’s World Cup Runner-up; Oldest ever World no.1 at 36 years 11 months. Hugo Calderano (BRA): 2018 Pan American Cup Champion; 2018 Qatar Open Runner-up; First ever Latin American to enter World Top 10. Fan Zhendong (CHN): 2018 Hungarian Qatar & Swedish Open Champion; 2018 Men’s World Cup Champion; End-of-year World no.1. Tomokazu Harimoto (JPN): 2018 Japan Open Champion; 2018 Youth Olympic Games Runner-up; Youngest ever male player to enter World Top 10 at 14 years 10 months. Click here to view the four Male Table Tennis Star candidates! The nominees for the Female Table Tennis Star presented by Nittaku as nominated by the ITTF Athletes’ Commission: Ding Ning (CHN): 2018 Team World Cup Champion; 2018 Women’s World Cup Champion; 2018 World Team Champion. Mima Ito (JPN): 2018 Japan & Swedish Open Champion; 2018 World Team Championships Runner-up; 2018 Team World Cup Runner-up. Li Qian (POL): 2018 European Champion; 2018 European Championships Women’s Doubles Quarter-finalist; First ever Polish player to win gold medal at European Championships. Wang Manyu (CHN): 2018 Hungarian Hong Kong & China Open Champion; 2018 Team World Cup Champion; 2018 World Team Champion. Click here to view the four Female Table Tennis Star candidates! 2018 saw so many amazing shots and rallies that will live long in the memory but only five made the shortlist for Star Point of the year. Check out the cream of the crop here! In addition to the Male & Female Table Tennis Stars and Star Point five other awards will be handed out in Incheon: Male Para Table Tennis Star Female Para Table Tennis Star presented by Stag Table Tennis Star Coach presented by Butterfly Table Tennis Breakthrough Star The nominees for these awards will be announced in the coming weeks. Until then cast your vote now for the Star Male & Female Player and Star Point of 2018 here!
Helsingborg to host 2019 ITTF Para European Championships
The ITTF confirms that next year’s Para European Championships will be held at the Helsingborg Arena in Sweden between 15-22 September 2019. Helsingborg won the right to host the tournament after overcoming competition from Halmstad (SWE) Vejle (DEN) and Granada (ESP). The city’s first-class venue – the Helsingborg Arena – already put itself on the sporting map by hosting the 2017 European Veterans Championships and it will now prepare to welcome approximately 300 players expected to take part in the 2019 ITTF Para European Championships which will contribute to qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Next year’s competition will consist of Singles and Team events for physically impaired athletes (classes 1-10) and intellectually impaired athletes (class 11). Petra Sörling President of the Swedish Table Tennis Association said: “The Swedish Table Tennis Association is delighted and very proud to have received the honour of welcoming the European Para family to Sweden and the beautiful city of Helsingborg located in the southern part of our country. “For some time we have been eager to give our own Swedish Para players the opportunity to compete for medals against all the other great European athletes. We shall do our very best to make the 2019 ITTF Para European Championships a most memorable one. Welcome to Sweden!” Next year will mark the 16th edition of the ITTF Para European Championships and the second time that they have been held in Sweden following the 1997 tournament in Stockholm. The Scandinavian nation has staged many Para sport events since introducing table tennis as the only represented sport at the Malmo Open back in 1977.
Helsingborg to host 2019 ITTF Para European Championships
The ITTF confirms that next year’s Para European Championships will be held at the Helsingborg Arena in Sweden between 15-22 September 2019. Helsingborg won the right to host the tournament after overcoming competition from Halmstad (SWE) Vejle (DEN) and Granada (ESP). The city’s first-class venue – the Helsingborg Arena – already put itself on the sporting map by hosting the 2017 European Veterans Championships and it will now prepare to welcome approximately 300 players expected to take part in the 2019 ITTF Para European Championships which will contribute to qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Next year’s competition will consist of Singles and Team events for physically impaired athletes (classes 1-10) and intellectually impaired athletes (class 11). Petra Sörling President of the Swedish Table Tennis Association said: “The Swedish Table Tennis Association is delighted and very proud to have received the honour of welcoming the European Para family to Sweden and the beautiful city of Helsingborg located in the southern part of our country. “For some time we have been eager to give our own Swedish Para players the opportunity to compete for medals against all the other great European athletes. We shall do our very best to make the 2019 ITTF Para European Championships a most memorable one. Welcome to Sweden!” Next year will mark the 16th edition of the ITTF Para European Championships and the second time that they have been held in Sweden following the 1997 tournament in Stockholm. The Scandinavian nation has staged many Para sport events since introducing table tennis as the only represented sport at the Malmo Open back in 1977.
2020 ITTF World Tour: Bidding Open!
Unprecedented commercial value immense TV and social media exposure higher prize money and a first-rate professional sports experience: the 2020 ITTF World Tour is set to be the greatest ever and now is your chance to be a huge part of it! That’s right the ITTF is now accepting bids from National Associations who want to grasp this opportunity to host a tournament during the 2020 ITTF World Tour and promote themselves to an ever-increasing global audience. Click here to submit your bid! DEADLINE: 7 December 2018 BIGGEST TOUR IN TABLE TENNIS “The ITTF is inviting all National Associations together with cities and countries around the world to get involved in the biggest tour in table tennis. By attracting the globe’s greatest players the events deliver not only a first-rate professional sports experience but also immense promotional and commercial value to cities. We are looking forward to working with all our hosts and partners to continue the rapid development of the ITTF World Tour.” Vicky Eleftheriade ITTF Competition Director WORLD TOUR FORMAT The 2020 ITTF World Tour consists of six ITTF World Tour events and six ITTF World Tour Platinum events culminating in the ITTF World Tour Grand Finals – the annual showpiece event in which players battle it out for the coveted end-of-year trophy. Meanwhile over US-$ 4 million in prize money is up for grabs across the course of the 13 events. With a limited number of events on offer (four ITTF World Tour Platinum and six ITTF World Tour) competition and interest will be sky high so cities and countries are encouraged to bid big! BIG BENEFITS FOR HOSTS The ITTF World Tour has consistently been a great avenue for countries and cities to gain global reach promotion and recognition: Over 130 broadcast countries Over 2 400 broadcast hours Extensive prime time broadcast globally and potential reach to over 550 million fans & households Over 2.8 million ITTF social media followers globally 100 000 spectators at events 1 378 players on tour To become a part of the world’s biggest table tennis tour go to ITTFWorldTour.com to find out more information and submit your bid!
KUTERGINA: We have never had such superb start at TTCLM
Coach of UMMC comments first three rounds of 2018/19 TTCLM Russian club UMMC has its best ever beginning of TTCLM season making 3-0 after three rounds in Group B by a score 3:0 each. They beat 2016 ETTU Cup winner Stella Sport La Romagne (France) Dekorglass Dzialdowo (Poland) and Walter Wels (Austria) as Jomathan GROTH and Andrej GACINA made 3-0 individual win-loss record each and Alexander SHIBAEV and FANG Bo 2-0. “We have never had such start in European Champions League: three victories by a score of 3:0. Certainly it makes me happy. During the match of Jonathan GROTH (reversed from 0:2 to 3-2 against Walter Wels’ Adam SZUDI) we were irritable for a while. I don’t know what has happened. We couldn’t understand anything and couldn’t help him: something went wrong. However I am happy for this situation because Jonathan managed to overcome himself and finally won! It is a big advantage for him” stated UMMC coach Tatiana KUTERGINA. Alexander SHIBAEV after many seasons in UMMC still looks forward to each TTCLM game: “At present we have a very good team every match we try to play as good as possible. We do not count wins and losses we prepare for every match and we try to win every game with the maximum advantage. As for my last match – I am satisfied there were no nervous moments. All that I planned for myself before match start – I did. I am happy for the result and for the team”.
KUTERGINA: We have never had such superb start at TTCLM
Coach of UMMC comments first three rounds of 2018/19 TTCLM Russian club UMMC has its best ever beginning of TTCLM season making 3-0 after three rounds in Group B by a score 3:0 each. They beat 2016 ETTU Cup winner Stella Sport La Romagne (France) Dekorglass Dzialdowo (Poland) and Walter Wels (Austria) as Jomathan GROTH and Andrej GACINA made 3-0 individual win-loss record each and Alexander SHIBAEV and FANG Bo 2-0. “We have never had such start in European Champions League: three victories by a score of 3:0. Certainly it makes me happy. During the match of Jonathan GROTH (reversed from 0:2 to 3-2 against Walter Wels’ Adam SZUDI) we were irritable for a while. I don’t know what has happened. We couldn’t understand anything and couldn’t help him: something went wrong. However I am happy for this situation because Jonathan managed to overcome himself and finally won! It is a big advantage for him” stated UMMC coach Tatiana KUTERGINA. Alexander SHIBAEV after many seasons in UMMC still looks forward to each TTCLM game: “At present we have a very good team every match we try to play as good as possible. We do not count wins and losses we prepare for every match and we try to win every game with the maximum advantage. As for my last match – I am satisfied there were no nervous moments. All that I planned for myself before match start – I did. I am happy for the result and for the team”.
Mima Ito and Fan Zhendong reign supreme at the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open
Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open The Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open concluded in some style for those to claim gold on Sunday in Stockholm. Having pulled off a number of comeback wins earlier in the weekend Mima Ito took her final match by storm seeing off Women’s World no. 1 Zhu Yuling with an emphatic 4-0 scoreline (11-3 11-3 11-5 11-8) to claim her sixth career ITTF World Tour title. The result capped off an extraordinary tournament for the Japanese star who had overcome in breathtaking fashion two other heavyweights of the Chinese Women’s game: World no. 6 Liu Shiwen in the quarter-finals (12-10 7-11 7-11 5-11 13-11 11-4 11-8) and World no. 2 Ding Ning in the last four (3-11 7-11 12-10 11-6 11-9 11-8). Now ranked seventh in the world and sitting fourth in the World Tour standings Mima Ito underlined yet again the threat she poses to China’s elite. After all the 18-year-old arrived in Stockholm already boasting a glistening track record against top Chinese opposition having beaten Liu Shiwen at the World Team Championships in Halmstad in May and seen off Chen Xingtong and Wang Manyu en route to Japan Open glory in June. Needless to say if she can keep up such impressive form Mima Ito will be flying her country’s flag as a serious contender for the ultimate prize at Tokyo 2020. Coming off the back of last month’s World Cup victory in Disneyland Paris Fan Zhendong showed again on Sunday just why he is the Men’s World no. 1 by beating compatriot and no. 2 seed Xu Xin 4-1 in the final (11-7 14-12 13-11 9-11 11-9). In doing so Fan Zhendong reversed last year’s result between the same two finalists. Since that defeat the 21-year-old has lost just once in Singles events on the international stage: against Ma Long at the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour China Open in Shenzen. In the Women’s Doubles Sun Yingsha celebrated her 18th birthday in style partnering Chen Xingtong to a 3-1 victory over unseeded duo Liu Gaoyang and Zhang Rui (11-5 9-11 11-7 11-6) for their third ITTF World Tour title of the year. Meanwhile in the Men’s Doubles Sweden’s Mattias Falck and Kristian Karlsson were beaten 2-3 by Chinese Taipei’s Liao Cheng-Ting and Lin Yun-Ju (10-12 11-8 11-8 6-11 13-11) to deny the home nation of final day glory. The race to qualify for the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals in Incheon Korea will conclude with the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Platinum Liebherr Austrian Open in Linz held between 8-11 November (qualifying between 6-7 November). Quick Links ITTF World Tour standings Swedish Open Full Results Photo Album ITTF Social: Twitter Facebook Instagram Youtube
Mima Ito and Fan Zhendong reign supreme at the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open
Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open The Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open concluded in some style for those to claim gold on Sunday in Stockholm. Having pulled off a number of comeback wins earlier in the weekend Mima Ito took her final match by storm seeing off Women’s World no. 1 Zhu Yuling with an emphatic 4-0 scoreline (11-3 11-3 11-5 11-8) to claim her sixth career ITTF World Tour title. The result capped off an extraordinary tournament for the Japanese star who had overcome in breathtaking fashion two other heavyweights of the Chinese Women’s game: World no. 6 Liu Shiwen in the quarter-finals (12-10 7-11 7-11 5-11 13-11 11-4 11-8) and World no. 2 Ding Ning in the last four (3-11 7-11 12-10 11-6 11-9 11-8). Now ranked seventh in the world and sitting fourth in the World Tour standings Mima Ito underlined yet again the threat she poses to China’s elite. After all the 18-year-old arrived in Stockholm already boasting a glistening track record against top Chinese opposition having beaten Liu Shiwen at the World Team Championships in Halmstad in May and seen off Chen Xingtong and Wang Manyu en route to Japan Open glory in June. Needless to say if she can keep up such impressive form Mima Ito will be flying her country’s flag as a serious contender for the ultimate prize at Tokyo 2020. Coming off the back of last month’s World Cup victory in Disneyland Paris Fan Zhendong showed again on Sunday just why he is the Men’s World no. 1 by beating compatriot and no. 2 seed Xu Xin 4-1 in the final (11-7 14-12 13-11 9-11 11-9). In doing so Fan Zhendong reversed last year’s result between the same two finalists. Since that defeat the 21-year-old has lost just once in Singles events on the international stage: against Ma Long at the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour China Open in Shenzen. In the Women’s Doubles Sun Yingsha celebrated her 18th birthday in style partnering Chen Xingtong to a 3-1 victory over unseeded duo Liu Gaoyang and Zhang Rui (11-5 9-11 11-7 11-6) for their third ITTF World Tour title of the year. Meanwhile in the Men’s Doubles Sweden’s Mattias Falck and Kristian Karlsson were beaten 2-3 by Chinese Taipei’s Liao Cheng-Ting and Lin Yun-Ju (10-12 11-8 11-8 6-11 13-11) to deny the home nation of final day glory. The race to qualify for the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals in Incheon Korea will conclude with the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Platinum Liebherr Austrian Open in Linz held between 8-11 November (qualifying between 6-7 November). Quick Links ITTF World Tour standings Swedish Open Full Results Photo Album ITTF Social: Twitter Facebook Instagram Youtube
Silver for Mattias FALCK and Kristian KARLSSON
Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open Swedish pairings Mattias FALCK and Kristian KARLSSON clinched silver in the Men’s Doubles Event at the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open. In the final Chinese Taipei’s LIAO Cheng-Ting and LIN Yun-Ju the no.4 seeds were better (12-10 8-11 8-11 11-6 13-11). It was for Mattias FALCK and Kristian KARLSSON their fourth career appearance in an ITTF World Tour Men’s Doubles final; in 2015 they won in Poland in 2012 they were the runners up in the Czech Republic the same fate as they were to experience five years later in Qatar. Rather differently for Liao Cheng-Ting and Lin Yun-Ju it was their first such excursion but their 10th appearance of the year on the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour more than any other pairing; most significantly it was success. Youth Olympic Games gold medallists at opposite ends of the table it was SUN Yingsha the winner one month ago in Buenos Aires who partnered CHEN Xingtong to success in the Women’s Doubles final. Occupying the no.7 seeded position; they beat LIU Gaoyang who had won in Nanjing and ZHAO Rui a pair who had been required to compete in the qualification tournament. Confronting their Chinese national team colleagues they succeeded in four games (11-5 9-11 11-7 11-6); thus Sun Yingsha had a double celebration she struck gold on her 18th birthday.
