The World Parkinson’s Table Tennis Championships will be making a return in 2023. Following the resounding success of the previous event held in 2021 table tennis enthusiasts and Parkinson’s disease advocates from around the globe will once again gather to showcase their skills and raise awareness for this neurological disorder. This time the championships will be held as part of the WTT4H Festival set against the picturesque backdrop of the enchanting island of Crete Greece. From November 1st to November 5th 2023 the Heraklion city in Crete will be abuzz with excitement and anticipation as athletes supporters and spectators alike come together to witness this unique and inspiring event. With the aim of promoting inclusivity and encouraging participation the championships feature various categories tailored to different skill levels and age groups. This ensures that players of all backgrounds and abilities have the opportunity to compete and shine on the international stage. Crete known for its stunning landscapes rich history and warm hospitality provides the perfect backdrop for this extraordinary event. https://ittffoundation.org/programmes/tt4health/world-parkinsons-table-tennis-championships

In a dramatic twist at the World Championships in Durban Simon GAUZY and Prithika PAVADE delivered an exceptional performance to defeat the Olympic Games semifinalists and European champions Emmanuel LEBESSON and YUAN Jia Nan. Despite being seeded number three in the Mixed Doubles Event LEBESSON and YUAN failed to progress past the Round of 32. However Gauzy and Pavade’s remarkable comeback from behind secured them a thrilling 3-2 victory (11-8 9-11 5-11 12-10 11-8) over their compatriots. With their inspiring win French hopes for a medal remain alive and strong. In their Round of 16 match GAUZY and PAVADE will face the German pairing of Nina MITTELHAM and QIU Dang. MITTELHAM and DANG displayed their prowess by defeating Lily ZHANG and Jishan LIANG in the Round of 32 with a commanding 11-7 11-5 11-7 victory. Austria’s Sofia POLCANOVA and Robert GARDOS secured their place in the Round of 16 with an impressive 3-1 victory (11-7 12-10 8-11 11-5) over Taiwan’s LI Yu Jhun and HUANG Yan Cheng. Spain’s Alvaro ROBLES and Maria XIAO accounted for Chile’s Nicolas BURGOS and Paulina VEGA (11:4 11;6 11:5). The list of Europeans goes on with Sweden’s Cristina KALLBERG and Truls MOREGARD who overcame Barbora BALAZOVA and Lubomir PISTEJ of Slovkia 3-1 (11:5 11:5 6:11 11:6).

In a thrilling display of skill and determination Andreea DRAGOMAN of Romania and Joao GERALDO of Portugal pulled off remarkable upsets in the opening Round of the 2023 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals in Durban. DRAGOMAN defeated CHEN Szu-Yu of Taipei in a straight games while GERALDO emerged victorious over Liam PITCHFORD of England in a thrilling seven-game battle. Facing heavy odds Andreea DRAGOMAN ranked No. 86 showcased her immense talent and tenacity against the favored CHEN Szu-Yu ranked No. 29. Despite trailing early in the match DRAGOMAN mounted an impressive comeback in the first game eventually securing a game on the scoreboard. Maintaining her momentum the 22-year-old Romanian never relinquished control and closed out the match in style winning in straight games (13-11 12-10 11-2 11-6). Her dominant performance was marked by her ability to control the receive game winning 50% of Chen’s serves while also winning over 65% of her own serves. This significant difference in service effectiveness allowed Dragoman to claim victory amassing 47 points to Chen’s 29. With this extraordinary win Andreea DRAGOMAN now looks ahead to the next round where she will face Ozge YILMAZ in the round of 64. A victory in this match would equal her impressive performance in 2021 where she caused an upset by defeating Petrissa SOLJA en route to the round of 32. Meanwhile in another enthralling match Joao GERALDO secured a stunning upset victory over World No. 23 Liam PITCHFORD. PITCHFORD who reached the Men’s Singles round of 16 at the 2021 World Championships Finals aimed to surpass his previous performance in Durban. However Geraldo had different plans delivering a nail-biting contest that ended with a 4-3 scoreline in his favor (12-10 6-11 11-9 7-11 11-5 5-11 13-11). Right from the outset both players fought tooth and nail for the upper hand. GERALDO gained the early advantage saving a game point at 9-10 to claim the first game. PITCHFORD swiftly responded with a composed display in the second game. However luck seemed to evade PITCHFORD in the third game as he failed to capitalize on a 6-9 lead allowing GERALDO to regain control. The tense battle continued with neither player able to establish a significant advantage leading to a thrilling deciding seventh game. Deep into the seventh game PITCHFORD held a slim 8-9 lead and required just two more points for victory. However GERALDO summoned the energy for a final surge and clinched a dramatic 13-11 win sealing his place in the last 64 and leaving PITCHFORD disappointed with his day’s performance.

The highly anticipated ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals 2023 has commenced marking a historic moment as the tournament returns to African soil after 84 years. Over the next week Durban amidst its vibrant soul and culture becomes the stage for showcasing table tennis excellence and igniting excitement among players fans and organizers. To mark the beginning of this highly anticipated event a spectacular opening ceremony was on display in the presence of ITTF President Petra SÖRLING South African Table Tennis Board President Joe CARRIM and the Premier of the KwaZulu-Natal Province Nomusa DUBE-NCUBE with vibrant dance acrobatic performances stunning costumes celebrating the heritage and diversity of the city. The official theme song of the World Championships “Durban is the place to be ” was also unveiled with a live performance by Kyle DESAI and King LICIOUS setting the tone for the tournament. President SÖRLING said in her opening speech “Africa boasts the youngest population among continents and it is increasingly important to empower the younger generation to shape the future of sports. Starting right here celebrating the diversity of Durban.” “It has not always been this way. While in 1956 the ITTF recognized the non-discriminatory South African Table Tennis Board as the governing body in South Africa paving the way for other sports organizations to take similar initiatives the South African Table Tennis Board could not send teams to any international events for decades. Today I am immensely proud to open the World Championships in South Africa.” The event started with a symbolic African duel as South Africa’s youngest player Dean LEVY faced Senegal’s Ibrahima DIAW setting the stage for the Men’s Singles round of 128 signifying the triumphant return of the World Championships to Africa. In the Women’s Singles at 49 years old Olufunke OSHONAIKE a mother of two and the oldest African player in the tournament expressed her joy in participating in this unique event. She shared “Hosting this event in a beautiful African city is a source of happiness. I congratulate the achievements of fellow Africans like Omar Assar and Quadri Aruna and I hope the women players excel as well!” Held at the Durban International Convention Centre from 20 to 28 May the World Championships will not only exhibit thrilling matches but also provide an exciting fan experience. Spectators and the people of Durban will have the opportunity to actively participate in table tennis themselves with many tables spread around the venue to engage in casual matches with family and friends.

The draw for the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals Durban 2023 took place yesterday marking a historic moment as the event returns to African soil for the first time in 84 years. The stage is set for an extraordinary tournament showcasing the best table tennis talents from around the globe and cementing the growth of the sport in Africa. The draw held at the Coastlands Musgrave Hotel unveiled the paths that 128 players in Men’s and Women’s singles along with 64 pairs in each of the doubles categories will navigate in their pursuit of glory. The straight knockout format also promises exciting match ups from the opening day on 20 May till 28 May. For the Men’s singles there could an early rematch of the 2021 final as defending champion FAN Zhendong of China and Truls MOREGARD of Sweden were seeded in the same side of the draw. Continental hopes for Africa will rest on top players Quadri Aruna (NGR) and Omar Assad (EGY). Best ranked European player in Women’s singles Sofia POLCANOVA of Austria could meet Europe’s no. 2 HAN Ying of Germany in the Round of 16. Full draw you can see here

A total of seven men and women players will represent the Czechia at the World Individual Championship in South Africa which is three more than the previous Championship in Houston two years ago. The coaches for the team are Josef PLACHÝ and XU Kai. In the singles category Lubomír JANČAŘÍK Tomáš POLANSKÝ Hana MATELOVÁ and Kateřina TOMANOVSKÁ have secured their spots in the competition. Additionally there will be four doubles pairs competing. In the men’s doubles Pavel ŠIRUČEK will partner with Jiří MARTINKO who will be making his first appearance at the World Championship. Tomáš POLANSKÝ will team up with Slovenian player Darko JORGIC. In the women’s doubles the experienced duo of Hana MATELOVÁ and Barbora BALÁŽOVÁ of Slovakia will participate along with Kateřina TOMANOVSKÁ and Zdena BLAŠKOVÁ. Zdena BLAŠKOVÁ is the second newcomer from the Czechia team to compete in the World Championship.