World Championships | 27 Feb 2018
Draw Concluded for Liebherr 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships
Photo: ITTF
The draw for the Liebherr 2018 Team World Championships has taken place today, 27 February 2018, in Halmstad, Sweden with the help of Swedish table tennis legends Jörgen Persson and Asa Carlsson (formally Svensson).
The top 24 Men's and Women's Teams on earth were drawn into the four groups of six for the first stage of the biggest table tennis event in the world which will take place 29 April to 6 May 2018.
The Swedish Men's Team, were placed in the number one seeds Germany's group together with Hong Kong, Egypt, Romania and Slovenia.
Upon the conclusion of the draw ceremony, Swedish Men's Coach Ulf CARLSSON shared "The draw looks good for Sweden, but no draw at a World Championships will be easy. It is good to avoid China, but then it is more likely we will play them in the second round, so it does not make much of a difference. I am looking forward to my team playing in front of a packed house in Halmstad to support us to win as many matches as possible!"
Defending Champions China will be looking to repeat their success at the last edition of the World Team Table Tennis Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The top seeded Chinese Women's Team will take the lead in Group A comprising of Singapore, Russia, India, Belarus and host Swedish team, whereas the Chinese Men's Team were placed in Group B with Portugal, Brazil, Russia, Czech Republic and DPR Korea.
Fans will be in for another England – Japan epic clash early in the Men' Team group stage in Halmstad. The last two encounters between the two teams have both ended with Japan winning narrowly in dramatic fashion, at the 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships, and at the recently concluded 2018 ITTF Team World Cup.
The top finishing teams from the four groups progress directly to the quarter finals with the second and third teams playing off to join them in the final eight.
The 8-days Liebherr 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships will take place at the Halmstad Arena is set to be one of the biggest World Championships of all time, with the world's best table tennis teams battling it out for the Men's & Women's World Team Championship titles.
