Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Kuala Lumpur   Germany booked the place in the quarterfinal of the Women’s Event at the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Kuala Lumpur and within the period of 24 hours they will meet Japan again in the duel for the medal. In the Round of 16 they beat Korea Republic in straight matches.   Sabine WINTER gave the dream start for the team from Europe. She beat SEO Hyowon.   “The most important thing was to find the right draw. We wanted to avoid the situation where SOLJA will play against the player with the defensive style; we wanted IVANCAN to play against PARK and me against SEO. We get it all but with this combination there were no space for mistakes. Only 3:0 could help us finish the job. Any extension of the match could lead us in completely opposite direction ” explained WINTER.   It was not easy to play under such pressure.   “I won two opening games but the game became closer from the third one. I did few mistakes; I played under greater pressure knowing how important for the team is to win this match ” added Sabine.   Petrissa SOLJA beat YANG Haeun in straight games.   “We played so many relies yesterday and I expected much harder job today. However it seams YANG was too much nervous and I seized the opportunity to finish the match fast. I was very focused because there were no space for mistakes ” explained SOLJA.   Irene IVANCAN needed four games to beat PARK Youngsook.   “We got the draw where our chances were 70 percent in favor to win we could not let the chances slip away. SABINE did a great job at the beginning. For me coming after 2:0 lead was very big help. It gave me extra confidence whilst my adversary was on enormous pressure. I felt it in her game from the very beginning. After two games she was going nowhere. She had to risk in order to try to set the match in different pace. She added some extra pressure; won the game but I adjusted and sealed the match eventually ” explained IVANCAN.  

Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships   In the fantastic twist at the edge of almost ruthlessly fast defeat Netherlands turns their despair into the great victory. Dutch team booked their place in the quarterfinal of the Women’s Event at the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Kuala Lumpur by beating Austria in full five matches after they recovered from the 0:2 in reverse.   The match went in strange direction from the very beginning. Seeing LI Jie and LI Jiao loosing by straight games is not an everyday situation. LIU Jia and LI Qiangbing left two top Dutch players without any chances.   “I have no explanation for what happened in the arena.  We knew it is going to be difficult but who can even think of 0:3. I guess we gave our best day earlier against Singapore. We lost full distance match and we missed our big chance. We hoped for one more but it did not come. We came here to win the medal we fought very hard but then we have been drawn to China in the quarters. It is huge disappointed ” said Elena TIMINA.” When LI Jiao entered the court she told me she is so empty; she cannot move her legs. Someone might thing that we gave up the match but it was not the case.”   With fast 2:0 and 10:3 in the opening game of the match between Sofia POLCANOVA and Britt EERLAND Austria was in driving seat. However Britt thought differently.   “I had a great problem adjusting to the windy conditions in the hall. Whenever I tried to serve short ball it went long. Finally I had to give up the tactics and to play more on my feelings ” said EERLAND.   From the moment when she faced first set ball against her Britt won 9 points in the row.   “I promised myself I will not go with 0:3 at least. I just played the ball for the ball and I took my chances. POLCANOVA become nervous whilst I played more and more relaxed. She beat me in three previous occasions and I study her game very well. I knew what I had to do.”   Asked to explain what happened POLCANOVA just shook her head in disbelief.   “I do not know what happened. I lost my focus in the first game and after that I was under huge pressure. We were 2:0 up but I knew if I lost the match our chances will be 50/50 afterwards.”  

2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships   Romania concluded their journey at the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Kuala Lumpur among top 12 teams. In the Round of 16 of the Women’s Event they suffered defeat by the hands of DPR Korea in straight matches.   “I am so tired. We ha to wait until 1 AM last night to see the outcome of the draw and we were playing first match in the morning. I need a good sleep now ” admitted Elizabeta SAMARA who lost against KIM Song I. “Generally I am not very unhappy with the outcome of the tournament. If I had the chance to choose from Netherlands South and North Korea our today’s adversary will be the last choice but at the end we met our goal. We wanted to go out from the Group to the main draw and we succeed.”   SAMARA was also satisfied with her performance in Malaysia.   “Yesterday I play very well against Hungary; I had two match balls against Taipei…Under the present circumstances it all ended well. We are struggling with the conditions here. It is very windy and you do not know where the ball will go. In addition you do not know against whom you are going to play. A lot of players are “hiding” here. Everybody calculate the points and everything is under influence of Olympics rankings. I am so anxious to reach the month of May to see the final rankings and to have some break. I do not want to calculate. I had came to play Europe Top 16 Cup despite a lot of cancelation from the other players I played here and I am coming to Qatar to defend my title.”   Romanian coach Viorel FILIMON spoke about team’s performance.   “We had our good moments but then we went down” explained FILIMON. “Bernadette was two-one and 10-9 ahead she had match point and missed her chance. For sure we knew they had two defenders in their team; previously we have played quite well against defenders. The Koreans were very focused and we had no knowledge of them. We had never played them before.”

Perfect 2016 World Team Championships   The meters in Group B of the Men’s Event at the Perfect 2016 World Team Championships concluded in very unexpected fashion.  With five wins out of five rounds France secured the top of the standings in the Group. Germany faced greatest setback in past three editions and by match ratio failed to secure the main draw place. They finished fourth in the group.   In the last duel in the Group Germany beat Sweden and earned eight points in all same as England and Sweden but between the three nations concerned they had the inferior match ratio; Sweden (5:4) gained the verdict ahead of England (4:4) and Germany (4:5).   “We were without Timo BOLL who is ill and will go home tomorrow but the other players have step up and respond they didn’t; we were not good enough” said Jörg ROSSKOPF. “We beat Sweden to finish but we lost to France and England the players had their chances they must take the chances; disappointing but now we look forward and prepare for the Olympic Games let’s hope no more illnesses or injuries.”   France overcame Denmark 3:0 in the last match in Group. Benjamin BROSSIER beat Tobias RASMUSSEN; before Tristan FLORE accounted for Claus NIELSEN (and Quentin ROBINOT defeated Mikkel HINDERSSON.   England recorded the same margin of victory against Malaysia. Paul DRINKHALL beat Muhamad Ashraf HAIQAL Liam PITCHFORD accounted for LEONG Chee Feng before Sam WALKER ended matter by overcoming Muhd Shakirin IBRAHIM.

Perfect 2016 World Team Championships   In Group D in Men’s and Women’s Events both team of Russia at the Perfect 2016 World Team Championships fought for the third position in the Group which led them to the Round of 16. In addition in both groups Hong Kong and Korea sought their way to the top in direct clashes for the top positions.   Korea in Men’s whilst Hong Kong in Women’s Event topped the Group whilst in both categories Russia failed to reach position no. three. Croatia’s men and Austria’s women team progressed in next phase from the position that allows them to stay in the run for the medal.   Croatia overcame Russia in thrilling five matches after Russia recovered from two matches deficit. Andrej GACINA overcame Alexander SHIBAEV and Tomislav PUCAR beat Kirill SKACHKOV before Mikhail PAIKOV set the match into different pace with the victory over Zoran PRIMORAC. Tomislav PUCAR had a chance to seal the math after 2:1 in games against SHIBAEV but once again Russia fought back and they extended the duel to the decisive match. The suspense did not last long. GACINA showed no mercy and he concluded the duel in straight games.   “We opened the match well and despite the close game we managed to establish the lead. We managed that by stayed calm in the crucial moments of the match. Next two matches that Russia won were also very close but we did not lost our spirit after they leveled. In my fifth match the crucial moment was the second game. I established the 2:0 lead and SKACHKOV could not come back ” explained GACINA.   It is great result for the team who entered the competition as a no. 13 seed.   “We did not set any goals but the one. We just wanted to present our best table tennis and to give our best in the court. Everything else was irrelevant. Of course now when we won we are ready for the bigger challenges.”   It was long journey for Austria’s team as well and they did not start it well. Polina MIKHAILOVA beat LIU Jia in very effective way to give Russia dream start. Sofia POLCANOVA leveled the meters by beating Maria DOLGIKH whilst LI Qiangbing wider the gap with one more further victory over Yana NOSKOVA. MIKHAILOVA’s quality as she already proved herself as a star of the Russian team at the European Championships in October last year was not to be denied once again. She showed no mercy against POLCANOVA. However one player was insufficient. In the decisive match DOLGIKH failed to beat LIU Jia.    “I am so happy. By rankings and after our records NOSKOVA is favourite and I know her backhand is very strong. So I played more to middle and her forehand.  It brought the success ” said LI Qianbing.   LIU Jia was delighted after the victory:   “Thanks to my colleagues! They did a great job today. In last match I was very nervous from first until the last point. So I started too much carefully. From second set I tried to attack with more risk. Luckily it brought the success ” said LIU.  

Perfect 2016 World Team Championships   Germany the no. two seeds suffered another defeat on the third day at the play at the Perfect 2016 World Team Championships in Kuala Lumpur. Three times silver medalists at the most recent three editions of the tournament they suffered defeat at the hands of newly promoted England the no.18 seeds.   Paul DRINKHALL beat Bastian STEGER before Ruwen FILUS leveled matters by overcoming Liam PITCHFORD. Sam WALKER added another point to the England’s record by beating Patrick FRANZISKA (11-6 11-5 12-14 11-4) before Liam PITCHFORD succeeded against Bastian Steger.    “I knew BASTIAN was under pressure Germany was down two-one and in the first match he had lost to Paul” said Liam PITCHFORD. “I’ve played him in the German Bundesliga but I’ve lost more times than i have won against him. I made a good start and went two-nil up but the lost the third game in the fourth I was down 5-1. I just stuck in and came through.”   Sam WALKER added:“I had played Patrick in the German Bundesliga and won so I came into the match with some confidence but not too much; he’s a great player” said Sam Walker. “Yesterday helped I won my first match; today I went two-nil ahead I felt I was in a good rhythm I think the key was to stay close and play fast.”   In the same group France beat Sweden in full distance duel.   Father- to -be Emmanuel LEBESSON beat Anton KÄLLBERG and in the deciding match he overcame Mattias KARLSSON.   “My wife is expecting our first child any day now” said Emmanuel LEBESSON. “I really want to be there for the birth; I’ve told to hang on for a few days until I get home! I am always thinking of home but here first place is beyond our expectations; a place in the quarter-final and who knows what may happen. Here we have a great team and Simon is a great leader.”   The Russian trio comprising Grigory VLASOV Alexander SHIBAEV and Kirill SKACHKOV beat Hong Kong. Asian team occupy the no.6 seeded position Russia is the no.11 seeds.    

ITTF Annual General Meeting   At the official press conference held after the ITTF Annual General Meeting during the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Kuala Lumpur ITTF President Thomas WEIKERT informed the media representatives about the key points from the meeting.   Budapest Hungary has been awarded to host the 2019 World Table Tennis Championships. The 55th edition of the world’s biggest table tennis event will be held in the SYMA event hall in the Hungarian capital a venue that last month was approved by top ITTF official as worthy of hosting the individual championships.   ITTF’s President Thomas WEIKERT stated: “This year’s AGM went very smoothly with positive discussion amongst the delegates representing 124 National Associations. Budapest presented a very impressive bid to the members and I am confident that our Hungarian friends will put on a fantastic show for us in 3 years time.”   The Chairman of the ITTF Athletes Commission was voted to be a full member on the ITTF Executive Committee (till now the Commission was represented with voting rights on the Board of Directors and without voting rights at the EC). Thanks to this decision the ITTF Athletes’ Commission Chairman Vladimir SAMSONOV could take his seat immediately in the ITTF Executive Committee as full member.   There were six officials this year receiving the ITTF Merit Award to recognize their outstanding contribution to the ITTF as a volunteer: Khalil AL-MOHANNADI Jean-Francois KAHN Koji KIMURA Zdenko KRIZ George SEGUN and Tony YUE.  

Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships   Led by young star Andrej GACINA and guided by legendary Zoran PRIMORAC Croatia is in the race for the quarter final position in Men’s Event at the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Kuala Lumpur. In Group D they suffered defeats against Korea and Hong Kong but beat Romania and Italy to reach the third position in the group before the last match in first phase.   “We needed just one game to beat South Korea…we were so close. In addition we faced a setback against Hong Kong; TAN Riuwu suffered from hip injury. Luckily the meters went our way afterwards. Romania changed the team completely but we found the good answer to that. PRIMORAC was perfect at the position no. three Andrej GACINA established himself as a truly leader of the team whilst Tomislav PUCAR and Frane KOJIC both showed they matured for the big challenges ” explained coach Zvonimir KORENIC.   Andrej GACINA praised the PUCAR’s game after the victory over Italy’s Mihai BOBOCICA.   “It was the opening match and it gave us great boost. The start was very important. We played against each other last time in 2007 against completely different team and we did not know what to expect ” said GACINA who beat Niagol STOYANOV in the second match of the contest.   Zoran PRIMORAC had a slow start but big fighter concluded the match against Marco RECH DALDOSSO victoriously.   “I am still struggling from the match against JOO Saehyuk. My arm hurts and it distracted me last night from the sleep. I could not have a rest; I was trying to find the good position but failed. I started today’s match little bit nervous and I needed the time to settle into the rhythm against Marco ” explained PRIMORAC.   In 1987 in New Delhi PRIMORAC played his first ever World Championships and he won two medals in Doubles and Team’s Event. Now in 2016 he is still full of energy and motive to compete at the highest level.   “I play because I enjoy it. Not to beat some record or to be at the Olympics for the eighth time. The right feeling is the one I feel now – there is no other place I would rather be than here. I love to play and there is no better place but World Championships. On top of all we have a good team spirit nice boys in the team. IT is real pleasure to be in Kuala Lumpur.“