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.“    

Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships   After the victory over Belarus Ukraine collected six points and emerged at the position no. two in the Group C in the Women’s Event at the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships. They are behind Singapore and Netherlands.   Viktoria PAVLOVICH gave Belarus good start with the victory over Tetyana BILENKO but the team could not stay at the same course.   “Victoria played very aggressive. I was struggling to impose my game. Whenever I came close she started to play faster and faster. Her service was lethal; I could not do anything to slow her down. I had no chance today PAVLOVICH controlled the match from the very beginning. However on the other side Margaryta PESOTSKA made no mistakes ” said BIlenko.   PESOTSKA beat Alexandra PRIVALOVA and Viktoria in straight games despite the neck injury.   “I had a therapy got some medication so I was able to play.  I felt less pain but it affected my game. I had to change my style to adjust to new condition ” said PESOTSKA.   Ganna GAPONOVA succeeded against Daria TRIGOLOS.   In the same Group France overcame Netherlands in the full distance duel and surprisingly Elena TIMINA was in the team instead of Li Jiao. So far France failed to post the victory so the one against the top seeded team in the Group made girls very happy. In the decisive game Pauline CHASSELIN made her winning premiere on her very first senior World Championships. Last year she was still playing in junior category.   “It is wonderful experience to be here at the World Championships. Nothing comperes to this. Now when I won it is even better ” said c.” In December I beat Britt EERLAND in French league. That gave me extra confidence. I had an advantage; mentally I was ready for this duel. It was completely different situation against LI. With her variations of strokes it is hard to beat her. However I am improving my game against the defenders. In the training center I have opportunity to play against choppers and I think it looks much better now. “   Carole GRUNDISCH beat Britt but lost against LI.   “We were very surprised when we saw the draw. It caught us on the wrong foot to see Elena in the line up but we saw our chances. Britt is close to my rankings and we were seeking for the opportunities to attack LI. Against EERLAND I was 0:2 down but I stayed calm. I changed the service game and it disturbed her. I read her game I saw through her tactics and it paid off eventually. However it did not work against LI. She always adds some extra quality to her balls. It is so unlike the European players ” said GRUNDISCH.  

Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships ,   Germany is going through agony at the big Championships again. Only few days before the start of the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships, Dimitrij OVTCHAROV was forced to withdraw. Timo BOLL missed the action in the opening game of the Group due the illness and tonight they suffered first defeat. France the no.9 seeds beat Silver medallists in Moscow, Dortmund and Tokyo; Germany, the no.2 seeds.   Simon GAUZY gave France dream start with the victory over Steffen MENGEL in five games. After straight games victory over Timo BOLL, Emmanuel LEBESSON confirmed French dominancy. Ruwen FILUS only managed to narrow the gap, before GAUZY also beat BOLL to seal the victory.   “I feel so proud, I have so much respect for Timo BOLL; for everything that he brings to table tennis and for all he has achieved in Europe”, said Simon GAUZY. “I have to say that I think that was the very best match of my career; I just beat a legend.”   Simon Gauzy was still coming to terms with his achievement and the fact that it is now eight years since Germany lost to a country other than China at a World Team Championships!   At the Evergrande Real Estate World Team Championships stage in Guangzhou in 2008, they suffered a quarter-final defeat; they were beaten by Korea. Furthermore turn the clock back to both 2004 in Doha and 2006 in Bremen; it was China who ended progress.   “Actually I played Timo last week in the German Bundesliga and won; I was two nil up and then lost the next two games before winning”, added Simon Gauzy. “Today, Timo was not in the best of shape, he lost to Emmanuel in the second match; he was below his best.”   Czech Republic recorded two wins in the Group Stage of the Men’s Event at the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships. They preserved the clean record tonight after toughest match so far – against Greece. Czechs team has been stretched to full distance, at some point players even lost their hope, but at the end, after three hours of fierce battle they prevailed.   In the morning hours, seeded no. 17 the team composed of Dmitrij PROKOPCOV, Lubomir JANCARIK and Tomas KONECNY create top upset by beating no. 10 seeds Chinese Taipei’s CHIANG Hung-Chieh, CHEN Chien-An and LIAO Cheng-Ting in straight matches.   In the afternoon they met Greece. Team that occupies seeding position no. 15 were wounded already; Greece was struggling in previous two rounds. They meet China yesterday and lost against Austria today.    “Dimitrij PROKOPCOV gave us good start with the victory over Kalinikos KREANAGA. He played really good. I could not repeat his success and I lost against Panagiotis GIONIS. After that Lubomir JANCARIK also suffered by the hands of Konstantinos PAPAGEORGIOU,” explained KONECNY.   Greek coach Konstantinos VATSAKLIS added some statistic to that chapter.   “So far PAPAGEORGIOU beat four different Czech’s player, all better ranked then himself. He proved as a player who knows how to play against them. We play against each other almost on every big Championship from Continental to World level and in last three times, before tonight, we were better. However, now things changed. Dmitrij had a very good start against KREANGA, KONECNY was on the top of his game and at the end KREANGA just run out of the steam in the decisive match.”   Match between Dimitrij and Panagiotis was a tense thriller.   “Dimitrij won the opening game by narrow margin, but then he started losing the match. At that point I thought we are done. I stopped believe we could win. Somehow, PROKOPCOV change the rhythm and he won. We were back in game.”   There are two more matches in the Group stage for Czech Republic – China tomorrow and Korea DPR.   “Our group is very tough. We did what we could do so far to stay in the game for the quarterfinal. I hope we can do something more, but it is going to be very difficult.”   Sweden with Jon PERSSON, Anton KÄLLBERG and Mattias KARLSSON beat the Malaysian trio of Leong CHEE Feng, Muhamada Ashraf HAIQAL and Muhd SHAKIRIN IBRAHIM by three matches to nil.   England represented by Paul DRINKHALL, Liam PITCHFORD and Samuel WALKER overcame the Danish trio of Jonathan GROTH, Tobias RASMUSSEN and Mikkel HINDERSSON by three matches to one.    

Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships,   Germany faced Brazil in the third Round of the Women’s Event at the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships. They recovered from two games to null in reverse to win the match.   With two victories, Irene IVANCAN was the backbone of the team’s success.   “It was hard for Nina MITTELHAM and Kristin SILBEREISEN to play under such conditions. It was their first match in the hall and they were not adjusted to the conditions. It is little bit windy due the air conditioning system, but with 40 degree outside, we have to choose between less evil. Somehow, now, I think the heat will be better,” said IVANCAN.   Nina added.   “I was nervous too since it was my first match in Kuala Lumpur.”   IVANCAN beat GUI Lin and Bruna TAKAHASHI, whilst Kristin SILBEREISEN succeeded against GUI.   “They struggled with my style of play and we took advantage of it.”   After two close defeats in full distance matches, Ukraine finally recorded the victory today. Against Netherlands and Singapore they lost 2:3, but against France, Margaryta PESOTSKA, Tetyana BILENKO and Ganna GAPONOVA showed no mercy.   “We were looking for this victory desperately. We were so close in two previous matches, with so many good chances – missed. Against Singapore Tetyana and I lost 2:3 against FENG Tianwei, it was 8:3 and 2:2 for BILENKO, she was really close to win it at 2:1 for the team,” explained Margaryta PESOTSKA.   Against France Ukraine posted 3:0 victory.   “Carole GRUNDISCH was not an easy adversary. She play at a high level here,” added PESOTSKA.” Tomorrow we will also have very tough game. Alexandra PRIVALOVA plays her best tournament here. In addition experienced Viktoria PAVLOVICH is always dangerous. I suffered from neck injury and for me it will be very difficult to play at the top level”. 

Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships ,   After they faced China and Chinese Taipei on the other side of the net at the opening day of the Women’s Event at the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Hungary finally had a moment of joy. In the third round of the Group Stage they overcame Spain in straight matches. It brought them back in game, but still they do not have the space for any mistake.   “Since I am no. one player in the team now, coach thought he should give the chance to younger player against China yesterday. Dora MADARASZ, Mercedes NAGYVARADI and Szandra PERGEL did the best they could against the champions. Against Chinese Taipei, I think, I had a chance to do more. The problem was I did not feel the ball well. My game was completely distracted by the conditions. When I tried to serve short ball, it ended like half long or long service. When I tried to block it bounced up or down, but not where I planed…I could not adjust. It is a shame, because later, Petra and SZANDRA stretched their adversaries to full distance. It could be completely different situation if I was able to make a lead.”   However, the win against Spain brought back Hungary in game.   “SHEN Yanfei is injured, so it made our job much easier. She is very dangerous player and without her is not the same team,” added POTA.” I played against Galia DVORAK long time ago, so I was little bit worry. It was unnecessary, because she failed to fell my game. I could attack and block without major problems.”   For POTA, tomorrow’s match is very important.   “Now it is to be or not to be foe us. We do not have any space for mistakes. We have to beat Malaysia. Judging by the rankings, we are favorites, but the problem is we do not know them. They are not present at the World Tours so we do not have any opportunity to see them.”  

Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships,     In the morning program of the Men’s Event at the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Portugal recorded straight matches victory over Belarus. The player who can cause most of the damage, Vladimir SAMSONOV was not in the playing line up for Belarus for this match. However, the match against unknown players proved it could be risky business as well.   At the very beginning of the duel Marcos FREITAS faced inspired Aliaksandr KHANIN who stretched the World’s no. 11 to full distance.   “It is tough to play against the unknown adversary. I did not know what to expect. From the opening moments of the match he established the lead. It makes me feel uncomfortable and less confident. He received my service very well. It took me some time to regain the control,” said Marcos FREITAS.   Joao MONTEIRO beat Pavel PLATONOV, before Tiago APOLONIA sealed the match with the victory over Gleb SHAMRUK.   “As I told yesterday, the key moment of the match will be to stop SAMSONOV. He did not play; instead we faced unknown youngsters who played very well. We had to adjust quickly. I had to be focused from the first moment of the game.”   Asked about reason for his absence from the match, SAMSONOV answered.   “I am struggling a bit with the knee and elbow injury, but I hope it will be better before the afternoon’s match against Ukraine.”   Only 17- years old KHANIN was the main topic of brief encounter in the mix zone.   “He is the player with the variety of strokes, well balanced and complete. Mentally, KHANIN is already very strong and his service, return and backhand are very good,” SAMSONOV praised his teammate.   KHANIN himself was pleased about his performance, despite the defeat.   “I played very well. Against FREITAS in the second game I had a set ball at 10:6, I had few opportunities in the decisive game. I have the tendency to speed up the game unnecessarily. I have to learn to slow down and to have more patience.”   Surprisingly KHANIN added:   “For me it is easier to play here. In the junior category I am under bigger pressure. I have to face the players from the same category and I have to achieve the expectations. Here I am free from that kind of thinking.”      

Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships,   Only three days before the start of the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships Werner SCHLAGER learned that he would be the part of the Austrian team. He did three trainings, came to Kuala Lumpur and won.   In the opening match in the Group, Austria beat Czech Republic. Stefan FEGERL overcame Tomas KONECNY, Robert GARDOS overcame Lubomir JANCARIK and former World Champion succeeded against Dmitri PROKOPCOV.   “FEGERL and GARDOS made job easier for me. I was relaxed and it helped me play better. With 2:0 advantage I was free from pressure and I was able to focus only on my game. I struggled a little with the conditions here; you have to maintain your focus constantly because the ball bounces very strange,” said SCHLAGER.   WERNER underlined the importance of team spirit.   “I came as a last minute replacement, but it was the decision that came from the all team members. You can feel in our game that special moment when we all work and support each other. I am sure that my contribution is not only as a player, but the team can benefit from my advisory skills and experience.”   Asked for how long he will be in the game SCHLAGER said:   “As long as my body allows me; until I my body listen to my mind…I still enjoy the game and I am having fun.”   Last time when the European team won the title at the team’s event it was in Kuala Lumpur in 2000. Team of Sweden beat China 16 years ago to clinch the title. Now, new generation of players fighting for their place under the sun. Today they showed they are on the good way. Sweden overcame England in the first match in Group B.  Kristian KARLSSON lost against Liam PITCHFORD but on the second return to the table he showed no mercy against Paul DRINKHALL.   “I think Liam was ten times better then me today. I was very nervous. In four our previous meetings he beat me so it was not pleasant situation for my confidence,” admitted KARLSSON.   Against DRINKHALL, it was opposite situation. Kristian came as a winner of their previous meetings.   “He has very similar, powerful attacking, style as I have. Today I also felt good playing against him,” said KARLSSON. “Now we have to get ready for our “brotherly” duel against Denmark tomorrow. We know each other and as I saw they played very good against Germany today.”   Jon PERSSON beat Samuel WALKER.   “My service and forehand game was good, but most important I moved well.”   The leaders in Group B, Germany, beat Denmark. They played without Timo BOLL who caught the cold. His condition is not alarming, but coach Jorg ROSKOPF decided to save little bit of his energy for future games.   Bastian STEGER beat both Mikkel HINDERRSON and Claus NILSEN. Claus also suffered by the hands of Patrick FRANZISKA and it was Jonathan GROTH who scored for Denmark against Ruwen FILUS.   Portrugal succeeded against Ukraine. Key player was Marcos FREITAS with two victories over KOU Lei and Yaroslav ZHMUDENKO. Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA suffered by the hands of Tiago APOLONIA.   “We played against each other very long ago. I had to study his game to see how is he playing now,” explained APOLONIA.” It is important for everyone to record the opening match victory; to set a good course. I am very happy that we were the winning team. For Portugal the goal is always the same. We are focused to the next match and we are building our game slowly.”   Tomorrow they will meet Belarus and Singapore.   Despite very good win of Andrej GACINA against JUNG Youngsik and inspirational victory of legendary Zoran PRIMORAC against JOO Saehyuk, Croatia lost full distance the duel against Korea Republic.   Seeded no. 21, Italy, created big upset by beating no. 11 seed – Russia. Mihai BOBOCICA overcame both Mikhail PAIKOV and Kirill SKACHKOV. Niagol STOYANOV overcame Kirill as well.    

Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships,   More the four hours lasted the battle between the team of Belarus, the no. 21 seed and the favorites, the no. 12 seeds, team of Poland in the opening round of the Women’s Event a the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships. Eventually, thanks to the brae effort of Alexandra PRIVALOVA Belarus prevailed.   PRIVALOVA accounted for Katarzyna GRZYBOWSKA, and in crucial fifth and concluding match of the fixture, she beat Natalia PARTYKA. Viktoria PAVLOVICH overcame Katarzyna GRZYBOWSKA, but after the match she gave all the credit for victory to young PRIVALOVA. Victoria shined whiles she proudly talked about Alexandra’s success. Natalia PARTYKA beat Viktoria PAVLOVICH and LI Qian overcame Daria TRIGOLOS.   The Netherlands, the no.3 seeds, defeated Ukraine, the no.14 seeds. Li Jiao accounted for Margaryta PESOTSKA and Teyana BILENKO; LI Jie overcame Margaryta PESOTSKA.    “It seems that I always play at two-two”, smiled LI Jie. “Last we were all at a training camp in China, my left knee became inflamed and I was not able to continue practising; today my movement was not so good; not necessarily because of any pain, it was just trusting the knee.”   Hungary had a toughest of all adversaries at the opening. The team that finished the 2014 edition in Japan at the position no. 13 faced top seeded China in the morning hours.   Mercedes NAGYVARADI played against DING Ning 0:3, Szandra PERGEL went full distance against LI Xiaoxia 2:3, whilst Dora MADARASZ lost in four games against CHENG Meng.   “I was two games in reverse against LI and I was losing third game 4:8. Then I managed to play better on her service game, put some extra pressure, I did not give her easy balls…I leveled, but in the decisive game she was more accurate. Dora MADARASZ also had a good game against CHENG. She won the opening game, then she had 9:9 in second and in third. It was close game, ” explained PERGEL.   European champions, team of Germany, recorded straight matches victory in the opening round in Group B. They beat Thailand. Radiate with confidence, Irene IVANCAN, was satisfied with the teams’ performance.   “For everyone, the opening match at the big Championships is a great challenge, no meter who is on the opposite side of the net. By winning the first match with 9:0, we feel less under pressure. As a team, we proved we have good players in game but we can count also on very strong bench,” said IVANCAN who beat Nanthana KOMWONG in the opening match of the contest.   Petrissa SOLJA overcame AWETTABUT Suthasini.   “We are well prepared. Maybe, for this match, we were prepared more then it was needed. We did not expect such an easy start. However it helped us bust our confidence,” added SOLJA.   Japan proved to strong for Czech Republic, also in Group B. They succeeded in straight matches. Hana MATELOVA and Dana CECHOVA lost in straight games against Ai FUKUHARA and Mima ITO, but experienced Iveta VACENOVSKA stretched Kasumi ISHIKAWA to full distance.   “It was close game. I had advantage after three games, but after ISHIKAWA leveled in the decisive game, I think she was little bit luckier on few balls..but it is all the part of the sport,” explained VACENOVSKA.   In Group C France lost against Singapore, but Carole GRUNDISCH kept her spirit high. The trio of Carole, Pauline CHASSELIN and Audrey ZARIF showed brave performance against team seeded no. 5 led by World’s no. 8 FENG Tianwei.   “We have very young team and we faced one of the best teams in the World. I am not disappointed with the result, because we showed good fighting spirit and we put our adversaries under pressure. We forced them to change the tactics and I am very happy to see that “big” teams noticed us. Our youth proved as worthy adversary and it comes from the great team spirit. Girls just wants to go there and to play; they are not afraid,” said GRUNDISH.   GRUNDISH lost against YU Mengyu in full distance thriller, before she lost against FENG Tianwei. Audrey ZARIF was the only player in French team to score. She beat LI Isabelle Siyun