The new form of table table – Table Tennis X (TTX) has been launched in style today on the eve of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. TTX is fun cool youthful edgy and can be played on top of a building on the beach in the city centre a nightclub or literally anywhere with a table!This fits in perfectly with IOC President Thomas BACH’s statement yesterday that the IOC wants to take sport to the youth and not wait for them to come to the sport. The TTX ball is bigger and heavier to suit outdoor play simplified rackets with less spin matches will be played in three 2 minute sets instead of first 11 and you can even score more points with ‘winners’ and ‘wild cards’. This is TTX this is a sport for all ages to be played anytime anywhere. The exciting new time-bound format that will amplify the excitement of conventional table tennis by reducing the skills gap between participants and increasing the level of variety and unpredictability to gameplay. Events in the future will be created to appeal to the ever changing lifestyles of the modern era. ITTF President Thomas WEIKERT stated: “This is the table tennis revolution that the world has been waiting for. TTX is for the young and young at heart and takes table tennis to you instead of you having to come to table tennis. The ITTF believes that this can perfectly complement our professional table tennis game as it connects the hobby player that plays with their mates at home to a viable competition format which is designed around having fun. Pick up your bat and go play some TTX.” “It was also a perfect moment for our sport which has been internally criticized for too many changes in recent years. Here we can do many new things experiment with cool new ideas and at the same time allow some time for our professional game to adapt to the recent changes.” The TTX event series will be announced in the coming months with this new exciting brand of table tennis coming to a city near you very shortly. Some basic rules to get you started: Matches are the best of 3 sets 2 minutes each. If the set ends with a tie there is a sudden death point to determine the winner! No restrictions on the serve serve it anyway you like! 2 extra points for a winner (opponent does not touch the ball with their racket) 1 wildcard per player per set! The player must call wildcard before they serve and if the person who calls the wildcard wins that point they gain 2 points. If they hit a winner on a wildcard point you get 4! Have fun and stay cool Be part of the Xcitement! Check out TTX.world for more information! Check out all the photos from the launch here:http://bit.ly/TTXRioLaunch.
Rio 2106 Table tennis by the numbers
2012 – China won all four available gold medals at the London 2012 Olympic Games. It also won all four gold medals in 1996 2000 and 2008. 1988 – Table tennis made its debut at Seoul 1988 and has been present ever since. 24 – China has won 24 out of a possible 28 gold medals in table tennis. Republic of Korea (3) and Sweden (1) have claimed the other four. 19 – DENG Yaping (CHN) is the youngest gold medallist in a singles event. She won women’s singles at Barcelona 1992 at the age of 19 years and 182 days. 7 – Jorgen PERSSON (SWE) Jean-Michel SAIVE (BEL) and Zoran PRIMORAC (CRO) competed at all seven Olympic table tennis tournaments between 1988 and 2012. 4 – Three players have won a record four gold medals in table tennis: DENG WANG Nan (CHN) and ZHANG Yining (CHN). 3 – WANG Hao (CHN) lost the men’s singles final at the Athens 2004 Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games. He has now retired from international competition. 2 – CHEN Jing (TPE silver at Atlanta 1996) and KIM Hyang Mi (PRK silver at Athens 2004) are the only two non-Chinese athletes to have reached the women’s singles final. 1 – The number of gold medals won by non-Asian NOCs in table tennis. Jan-Ove WALDNER (SWE) won men’s singles in 1992. 0 – No athlete has managed to win the men’s singles more than once. Statistics provided by Gracenote Sports.
OVTCHAROV: My big goal is a medal in the team and in the singles event
OVTCHAROV and SAMSONOV are expected to face off each other as early as the quarterfinals Second seeded in the men’s singles event reigning Olympic Champion ZHANG Jike (CHN) has ended up with a tough draw to defend his title at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The world number four have been drawn to the same half of the draw as CHEN Chien-An (TPE) Stefan FEGERL (AUT) and Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (GER) all of whom have beaten him on the international stage over the past year. World number nine Vladimir SAMSONOV (BLR) who has also defeated ZHANG in the past falls in the same half as well. Best friends off court and teammates at the Russian League current and former European Champions OVTCHAROV and SAMSONOV are also expected to face off each other as early as the quarterfinals. The legendary SAMSONOV commented: “OVTCHAROV and I are best friends and we are teammates as well we know each other very well. But it’s competition so we will all do our best to fight for a medal here.” The German men’s team have won medals in the past two Olympic Games where the team event was held but Rio will not be easy for them as they will face the strong team of Chinese Taipei led by world number seven CHUANG Chih-Yuan followed by the winner of Austria and Portugal both of which defeated them in the past two European Champions to claim Team Champions. “My expectations were high last Olympics. I was the eighth seed but if the draw was not on my side it would have been tough. I was lucky with the draw I only had opponents I could beat and I took my chances. This time I have the same expectations but better seeding. I’ll have to play a top Chinese player at the earliest at the semi- final stage. There’s a lot of strong players from the beginning but my big goal is a medal in the team and in the singles event but the pressure is more on me than four years ago of course.” On his Germany teammate Timo BOLL: “Timo is a few years older now the last years I’ve been able to beat him quite often but he’s still very strong. Everything that he did for German table tennis in his best times he gave Europe and the rest of the world hope you can beat China. I am lucky to have him in my team and I have learned a lot from him.” On whether he voted for BOLL in the competition to determine the German flagbearer: “I was one of the first!” On the prospect of beating the Chinese: “I think it would improve the confidence of the rest of the world. I mean the Chinese have been very consistent since 2004 they’ve taken all the huge titles. The Chinese are very strong but there is a lot more pressure as MA Long (CHN) has mentioned.” On the Chinese coach encouraging MA Long to drink alcohol in order to relax: “Maybe I should try (laughs). If it works for the world No.1 it can’t be too bad. To relax I prefer music and taking some walks in nature to calm down but I’m world No.5 and he’s No.1 so if it works well for him we’ll see.” Top seed and hot favourite in the women’s singles event China’s DING Ning will face few of the world’s best defenders on her way to securing an Olympic Gold having LI Jie (NED) and HAN Ying (GER) in her half of the draw. In her previous encounters with LI and HAN at the 2016 World Team Championships and the 2015 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals respectively DING had faced difficulties against both defending players only to win by a narrow margin in the end. DING who is known to be weaker against defenders shared after the draw “It’s going to be a test on my ability against defending players this time in Rio and I am fully prepared for it!” Fans are in for a treat in the women’s team event and could expect an epic clash between Germany and Japan in the semifinals. The two teams faced off each other earlier at the 2016 World Team Championships in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia where Germany first beat Japan in the group stage but the Japanese girls came back to avenge their loss in the quarterfinals. The Rio 2016 Olympic table tennis event will be held from 06-17 August 2016 at Riocentro Pavilion 3.
USA to Host 2016 ITTF Women’s World Cup in Philadelphia
October 7-9 2016 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania The 2016 ITTF Women’s World Cup will be held at the United States for the first time ever as the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) announced that USA Table Tennis has bee selected to host the prestigious event from October 7-9 2016 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. The state-of-the-art Liacouras Center on the campus of Temple University will host the World Cup which features the best 20 women’s table tennis players on earth. This will be the first time an ITTF World Cup singles event has been hosted on North American soil. The United States previously hosted the World Team Cup (1992 – Las Vegas NV) and the World Junior Championship (2007 – Palo Alto CA). ITTF President Thomas WEIKERT stated: “The ITTF can’t wait to bring the Women’s World Cup to Philadelphia and to the United States for the first time. The USA is a key market for the ITTF and table tennis with many up-and-coming young talents making way onto the international stage. We hope that this big event will help further develop the sport in the USA!” “On behalf of USATT and all of the millions of table tennis enthusiasts in the United States I would like to thank the ITTF for selecting us to host the most prestigious women’s table tennis event in the world this October” commented USATT CEO Gordon KAYE. “To be able to host this field of very talented women most of whom will also be competing at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games is incredible. We look forward to an amazing event highlighting the great sport of table tennis and the top female athletes from around the world” concluded KAYE. The ITTF Women’s World Cup is the one of the most prestigious events on the international table tennis calendar with top table tennis players qualifying through their respective Continental Cups together with the current World Champion one host player and a wildcard. A list of currently qualified players is below. Tickets will go on-sale on Friday August 5 2016 at 10:00am ET at http://www.liacourascenter.com/events or by calling +1 800-298-4200. Phone orders are only accepted from 10:00am – 5:00pm ET Monday – Friday. Qualified Players (through August 1 2016): World Champion: DING Ning* (CHN) 2016 ITTF-Europe Top 16 Cup: SHEN Yanfei (ESP)* HU Melek (TUR)* and LIU Jia (AUT)* 2016 ITTF-Africa Top 16 Cup: Dina MESHREF (EGY)* Nakheel 2016 ITTF-Asian Cup: LIU Shiwen (CHN)** FENG Tianwei (SIN)* and TIE Yana (HKG) 2016 ITTF-Latin American Cup: Lady RUANO (COL) 2016 ITTF-Oceania Cup: Zhenhua DEDERKO (AUS) 2016 ITTF-North America Cup: WU Yue (USA)* *2016 Olympians
Seeding Confirmed for Rio 2016 Olympic Table Tennis Event
World Champions Ding Ning and Ma Long leads the Olympic seeding at Rio 2016 Table Tennis event The seeding for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Table Tennis event has been determined after the announcement of the ITTF August 2016 World Rankings with reigning World Champions MA Long (CHN) and DING Ning (CHN) leading the seeding in the Men’s and Women’s Singles event respectively. World number one MA who has swept all major Men’s Singles titles in 2015 has his eyes set on Gold on his Olympic Singles debut in Rio to become the fifth male table tennis Grand Slam Champion in history. The road to Gold will not be a smooth one for MA as he will have to fend off tough challengers including teammate Current Olympic Champion ZHANG Jike who will be the second seed in Rio. The world number four will be aiming for a consecutive Olympic Gold to complete his second table tennis Grand Slam. Hot contenders for the Olympic medals Germany’s Dimitrij OVTCHAROV Japan’s Jun MIZUTANI and Chinese Taipei’s CHUANG Chih-Yuan filled up the remaining spots in the top five seeding and will be looking to topple the Chinese’s dominance in Rio. In the Women’s Singles World number two DING will look to avenge her loss in the Women’s Singles Final at the London 2012 Olympic Games against compatriot LI Xiaoxia to earn her first Grand Slam title. 2010 World Team Champion and world number four FENG Tianwei (SIN) takes the one place ahead of the third seeded reigning Olympic Champion LI Xiaoxia (CHN). Japan’s Kasumi ISHIKAWA and Ai FUKUHARA occupies the fourth and sixth seeding places respectively while Germany’s HAN Ying taking the fifth seed on her first quest for an Olympic medal. All 70 Men’s and 70 Women’s Olympians will be drawn at the Draw Ceremony set to take place on 3 August 12:00 local time at Riocentro Pavilion 4. The Rio 2016 Olympic Table Tennis event will be held from 06 – 17 August 2016 at the Riocentro Pavilion 3.
Season kick off in Austria
Pre-Selection Camp I – Stockerau 2016 (July 26th – August 2nd ) The first Pre-selection camp in new season of ETTU / ITTF – Europe Eurotalents Project Talent Identification & Selection started in Austria. The young players 16 of them from 7 countries are together from July 26th .  ”Perfectly organized by Stanislaw FRACZYK (UTTC STOCKERAU) and with experts help from Ferenc KARSAI Attila HALMAI Levente ARANYOSI players and their coaches enjoyed quality time together. The conditions are very good and the atmosphere is the fantastic ” stated ETTU Development Manager Eurotalents TI&S prof. Neven CEGNAR. Next step is Pre-Selection Camp II in Kiskunfelegyhazi. For the Hungarian’s camp we broke the record in ETTU / ITTF – Europe Eurotalents Project Talent Identification & Selection program – 47 players from 17 counters already send their aplications.
The ITTF Renews Double Fish for Four More Years
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) through it’s marketing partner TMS International have extended it’s deal with table tennis equipment manufacture for four more years. The deal which now runs until 2020 continues Double Fish’s tradition of being the official table supplier at the prestigious World Tour Grand Finals which will be held this year in Doha Qatar on 8-11 December. TMS International’s Managing Director Anders THUNSTROM stated:”TMS International is very happy to extend the agreement with Double Fish for the World Tour Grand Finals until 2020 (2017-2020). Double Fish has now been the Official Table supplier for the World Tour Grand Finals since 2004 and it was a priority for us to extend with with Double Fish for another four years. I also take it as confidence and satisfaction from Double Fish towards TMS and the World Tour Grand Finals to make the commitment for another Olympic cycle.” ITTF’s President Thomas WEIKERT was equally pleased with the resigning of ITTF’s long term partner: “Double Fish has always been a very solid and reliable partner for the ITTF so I am very happy they will continue as the table sponsor at the World Tour Grand Finals. For the World Tour Grand Finals they have provided us with some veryaestheticallypleasing tables and we look forward to some more amazing designs over the next four years.” General Manager of Guangzhou Double Fish Sports Goods Group Corporation Limited YE Yiqiang added: “I would like to express our sincere thanks to ITTF and TMS for their trust and support in our company. We are really happy to extend our cooperation with ITTF and TMS. For the coming four years we will continue to provide high-quality equipment for the World Tour Grand Final.”
Russian Table Tennis Players Cleared to Play at 2016 Olympic Games
Alexander Shibaev & his Russian teammates will be playing at Rio 2016. After careful review of the criteria set up by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on 24 July 2016 following the release of the McLaren report the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has determined that the three Russian athletes qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will be allowed to compete. ITTF’s investigation of the matter included individual test analysis of these players outside the Russian anti-doping system and confirmation by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that none of the concerned players were implicated in the McLaren findings released on 18 July 2016. ITTF believes that the provided evidence meets the requirements of the IOC and confirms the eligibility of the three qualified Russian players Polina MIKHAILOVA Maria DOLGIKH and Alexander SHIBAEV to play at Rio 2016. If ITTF’s ongoing testing program and/or further findings from Prof. McLaren’s extended mandate reveals any potential anti-doping rule violation or wrongdoing the ITTF will take immediate action to investigate and take sanction within the framework of the World Anti-Doping Code and the ITTF’s applicable regulations. The ITTF will continue to take doping issues very seriously and do everything in its power to ensure that table tennis stays clean not just at the Olympic Games but in all levels of table tennis. The Olympic table tennis event runs between 6-17 August at Riocentro Pavilion 3.
LIU Jia Austrian flag bearer in Rio Timo BOLL one of candidates in Germany
The 2005 European Champion in Women`s Singles Event leads Austrian Olympic Team represented by 68 athletes One star of European table tennis is already elected as a flag bearer for the August 5th opening ceremony of Rio 2016 Olympic Games but one more could join her in the next five days. LIU Jia is set to lead Austrian Olympic Team during the ceremony while Timo BOLL is one of five candidates of German Olympic Committee. LIU Jia approaches to her fifth consecutive Games reaching each time Round of 32 in the Women`s Singles Event: Sidney 2000 Athens 2004 Beijing 2008 and London 2012. Her best team`s result is the 7th place in Beijing 2008. She won gold medal in Women`s Singles Event of 2005 European Championships in Aarhus. As LIU Jia German star will inscribe his fifth Games after one quarter final (Athens 2004) and three Round of 16 (Sidney 2000 Beijing 2008 London 2012). Regarding Team Events six times individual European champion has silver from 2008 and bronze from 2012. He has a chance to become first ever table tennis player-flag bearer in German sport. Election of the flag in Germany was entrusted to the fans who can vote until August 2nd. Beside Timo BOLL candidates are twice Olympic champion in field hockey Fürst MORITZ Olympic champion in eventing (equestrian) Ingrid KLIMKE the2008 modern pentathlon Olympic champion Lena SANBORN and the team`s gold medalist of the 2012 Games in Cycling Kristina VOGEL. Four years ago in London the German flag at the opening ceremony was carrying the player in field hockey Natasha KELLER. Basketball super star Dirk NOWITZKI was in that role in Beijing 2008.
New Women’s Team Super Cup will be held in Berlin
The European Table Tennis Union and TTC Berlin Eastside are pleased to announce the new Women’s Team Super Cup will be held in Berlin on Saturday 25thand Sunday 26th August 2017. This new event will focus on exciting technical and presentation innovations to present a modern state of the art sport. Europe’s top women table tennis athletes will show their skills and enjoy the opportunity to present the sport to a wider audience. “In our quest for finding new ways to play and present our sport to new audiences I am excited about the idea for this new Women’s Team Super Cup event. TTC Berlin Eastside’s and our common strive is for the innovation that our sport needs. ETTU and the club will work very closely together in our aim to surprise not only the table tennis family but even more so to attract new audiences. I surely hope that this event in Berlin will be the start of an inspiring future for women’s table tennis ” said European Table Tennis Union President ronald KRAMER. TTC Berlin Eastside President Alexander TEICHMANN expresed his pleasure to work together with ETTU on new project. “TTC Berlin Eastside sees this cooperation as an ETTU appreciation for the work that European clubs have done for many years. It also justified the Union and the clubs’ common will to find improvements in the presentation of the club matches in order to attract new audience to our fascinating sport. The new Women’s Team Super Cup is the first step on our common path to the better table tennis ” said TTC Berlin Eastside President Alexander TEICHMANN.
