As the best table tennis playing nation in the world, China confirmed her supremacy globally after winning the men and women event of the ITTF World Team Championships concluded on Sunday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The final match played at the venue of the eight-day tournament in Shah Alam Stadium witnessed presence of fans from Japan and China who were dressed in either red or white shirts.
The fans raised the roof when one of their adored heroines drew breath and hit a ball.
The task for Japan in such a cauldron of noise, one where Japanese voices were reduced to a quiet whisper, was equivalent to King Canute trying to hold back the incoming tide.
Though China was favored, Kong Linghui, the Head Coach of women team, was took no chances.
At the semi-final stage against Chinese Taipei, he had selected one of the new age players in the guise of Zhu Yuling. The 21 year old is currently listed at no.3 on the Women’s World Rankings.
However, true to the best traditions Chinese thinking, the mastermind selected Liu Shiwen, Ding Ning and Li Xiaoxia; all players who had previously experienced a Women’s World Championships Team final.
Notably, Kong Linghui gave Liu Shiwen, the position of responsibility; she was the first player in action for China. Liu Shiwen emerged victorious 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 over Japan’s Ai Fukuhara.
In the second match involving Japan’s Kasumi Ishikawa and China’s Li Xiaoxia, it was the Chinese that laughed last after being trailed by 2-0 but this did not have great effect as Xiaoxia secured victory (6-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-5).
A hard fought task, equally in the contest that concluded proceedings, there were some testing times for Ding Ning against Mima Ito who continues amaze; the 15 year old won the first game before the reigning World Champion responded to exert her authority on proceedings (8-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-1).
Once again the Corbillon Cup was held aloft by China with Li Xiaoxia gaining the award for being the most valuable player of all. It was the 13th appearance for Japan in the final of a Women’s Team event at a World Championships, the fifth time they had been runners up.
For China it was the 20th time they had secured the title in 25 final visits.
Also in the men, Chinese trio of Xu Xin, Ma Long and Zhan Jike defeated Japan’s Mizutani Jun, Yoshimura Maharu and Oshima Yuya to claim the title for the Asian giant.
Tag: ITTF
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China retains ITTF World Team Championships titles
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ITTF : Nigeria maintains status as China, Japan battle for title
Despite not being able to gain promotion to the Championship Division, Nigeria maintained its status in Division Two as China and Japan battle for title in the finals of the men and women events of the ITTF World Team Championships.
For making it to the quarterfinal round, Nigeria finished eighth in Division Two and 29th place in the world at this year’s tournament held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
For making it the semifinal stage, Egypt is now ranked ahead of Nigeria in the men’s team event while the North African team occupies 27th place in the ranking.
However, the race for Africa’s sole slot in the men’s team event of the Rio Olympic Games continues as Nigeria and Egypt will be hoping to garner points from various tournaments across the globe.
After seven days of competitive action, the eight-day tournament reaches its climax on Saturday as two Asian giants – China and Japan battle for the titles.
To make it to the final in the men’s event, China, the number four seeds, beat South Korea, the number three seeds, 3-0 at the semi-final stage with the trio of Ma Long, Xu Xin and Zhang Jike overcoming Korea’s Lee Sangsu, Jung Youngsik and Jang Woojin to set up a final clash against Japan, who edged out surprised semifinalist – England 3-2 in the second semifinal tie.
Against Korea, it was Xu Xin that gave China the perfect start by beating Lee Sangsu (8-11, 11-2, 11-7, 11-5); he was followed by Ma Long who accounted for Jung Youngsik (11-7, 11-5, 11-8) with Zhang Jike overcoming Jang Woojin (7-11, 11-4, 11-9, 12-10) to end matters.
In the battle for the women title, China will be making its 25th final in its 30th appearances that China has reached the final of the Women’s Team event at a World Championships.
They made their debut in 1953 in Bucharest finishing in seventh place. The Chinese team defeated Chinese Taipei while Japan also edged out Korea DPR to make it an Asian affair. -
ITTF confirms prize money for Lagos Open
World table tennis ruling body, International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has confirmed the prize money for the 2016 Lagos World Tour.
According to ITTF Director of Competition, Karl Jindrak, the Lagos Open as one of the Challenge Series tournaments in the ITTF calendar, the championship holds on May 18 to 22 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, with top players across the world expected to grace the five-day tournament.
As the highest prize money tournament in the Challenge Series of the ITTF World Tour, players will jostle for $46,000 (N13.8m) this year while defending champion, Egypt’s Omar Assar will be making a return to Lagos after the disappointing defeat he suffered against Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri at the ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup in Khartoum, Sudan.
Also, other top players from Egypt who have been part of the championship in the last three years are expected to return to Lagos in their bid to sweep the prize money.
Also, ITTF has listed six events to be competed for and these include singles (men and women); doubles (men and women) as well as U-21 boys and girls.
Preliminary entry for the tournament has commenced while the final entry has been fixed for April 18 while no entries will be accepted after midnight on Monday 18th April 2016.
There are indications that top players from Europe and Asia will be gracing this year’s tournament as part of their efforts to garner world ranking points as well as make it to the end-of-the-year ITTF World Tour Finals.
According to the prospectus for the tournament, any player entering for the tournament will agree to abide by all ITTF rules and by the rules and regulations of the Organizing Committee.
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Ahead off ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup:Quadri, Assar are favourites – Idowu
Despite dumping his native country – Nigeria to play for his adopted nation – Congo Brazzaville in the last one decade, Saheed Idowu still believes Aruna Quadri and his arch-rival – Egypt’s Omar Assar are favourites for the title at the ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup.
Idowu, who edged out Seun Ajetunmobi in the round of 16 of the 2015 African Games told Sport ingLife from his base in Portugal that he would not mind halting the ‘status quo’ in Khartoum.
“Everybody is a good player but we have some tougher ones like Aruna Quadri, Egypt’s Omar Assar and El-Sayed Lashin and not forgetting the old warlords, Segun Toriola and Saka Suraju who are very experienced. But I think all of them will see the best of table tennis in Sudan. But on paper and records Quadri and Assar are the title contenders because of their present forms in most of the tournaments they have featured this year. But I am also ready to turn the tide against them,” he added.
For more than nine months in 2015, Idowu spent most of his days in Hubei, China where they (Congo Brazzaville) honed their skills prior to the 2015 African Games.
When the games ended in Brazzaville last September, their months of training paid off as Congo Brazzaville beat Egypt and Nigeria to the overall medals at the multi-sports tournament.
Having played professional in Sweden, Idowu decided to move to Portugal where he now plays for GD Toledos in the Portuguese elite league and few days to the kick off of the 2016 ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup in Sudan, the Nigeria-born Congolese is full of optimistm that the tide will turn to his side this time.
But he is aware of the task ahead of him. “My expectations are to go to Sudan and perform well. But I am totally sure that I will perform well because I have been training in my club for weeks in order to be in top shape for the championship,” he said.
“In Africa, we know ourselves very well and there is no much difference in our style of play. Also table tennis is nobody’s game as it depends on your current form during any competition.”
In readiness for the task awaiting him in Khartoum come February 14 to 15, Idowu said: “Having been selected based on ranking in Africa, I have been tuning up for weeks in my club in Portugal and my teammates have been helpful and I hope this will aid my performance in Sudan.”
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ITTF World Tour: Korean ends Abiodun’s dream
Prior to Bode Abiodun’s inclusion in the 2014 Commonwealth Games team, nobody ever considered the skills of the Portugal-based star to earn a place in the Nigerian national team but Abiodun has shown his worth at the ongoing ITTF World Tour tagged German Open where he has caused the biggest upsets at the tournament.
At present, Abiodun is ranked 236 in the world by world table tennis ruling body and he started his 2016 with a cameo appearance at the Hungarian Open where he tasted two defeats against some of the world’s top players. But at the German Open in Berlin, Abiodun made headlines when he stunned two highly-rated players before being knocked out of the tournament yesterday by an experienced Korean.
Starting his campaign from the lower level of round of 256, Abiodun was exceptional against world number 151, Frenchman, Romain Lorentz as the Nigerian rounded up the European at 14-12,11-9,12-14,11-7,11-5 (4-1) to advance to the round of 128 where he was expected to battle another top rated star, Russia’s Alexey Liventsov, named at no.76. Just like he did against the Frenchman, Abidoun turned the tide as he accounted for the exit of the Russian at 9-11, 11-7, 11-5, 12-10, 11-6 to make it to the round of 64 of the preliminary stage.
However, Abiodun was undaunted when he was pitched against world number 39, Korea’s Minseok Kim and he put up against a good fight but his efforts were thwarted by the skillful Asian who won at 10-12,5-11,6-11,5-11 to end the fine form of the Nigerian.
Abiodun’s wins at the tournament were described by ITTF Publication Editor, Ian Marshall as ‘Notable wins but arguably the biggest upset was that caused by Nigeria’s Bode Abiodun’.
Meanwhile, Aruna Quadri continued his giant stride this year with an outstanding win over world number 30, Sweden’s Par Gerell in the round of 32 of the preliminary round to make it to the 32-man main draw of the competition. Being one of the upsets of the tournament, Quadri ranked 50 in the world may improve on his world rating with this victory.
Being his third match of the competition, Quadri, a quarterfinalist at the Hungarian Open, was a good shape against the Swedish southpaw but it was the Nigerian that prevailed at 15-13,9-11,9-11,11-3,9-11,2-11 (4-2) to become the first qualifiers to make it to the main draw of the competition.
An elated Quadri said: “The experience of the German Open is very helpful for the ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup and the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The standard of the German Open is very high and one of the best of the world preparations for the top events as ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup and the Olympic Games. My motivation for the Africa Cup is become one of the two best players of the competition.”
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Quadri, Abiodun for ITTF World Tour in Hungary
Nigeria’s players will be present when the first International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Tour tagged Hungarian Open serves off tomorrow with Aruna Quadri and Bode Abiodun competing in the men’s singles and doubles events.
Already, Quadri has been listed among the 32 seeded players in the men’s singles while Abiodun will begin his campaign from the preliminary stage in order to secure a place in the main draw.
However, before joining his compatriot, Quadri will lead his team – Jura Morez against Angers Vaillante in the French Premier League.
The 2014 ITTF Star Player who departed his based in Lisbon, Portugal to France yesterday is hoping for another good outing against the star-studded Angers Vaillante side made up of top players like Sweden’s Jen Lundqvist and Jon Persson as well as France’s Christophe Legout and China’s Chen Jian.
“I think I want to do well in the ITTF World Tour this year and reclaim my title in Africa as well as help Nigeria to do well at the World Championship. These are my priorities for this year and I believe with more hardwork and God’s grace, it will be achievable,” Quadri told NationSport.
In the list of seeding, Quadri is rated number six and he will be campaigning from the main draw while he partner Abiodun to compete in the doubles event.
The Hungarian Open is one of the major series tournament in the ITTF World Tour and it will take place in the capital city of Budapest from Wednesday January 20 to 24.
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Olympics: Nigeria, Egypt battle for continental slot
The battle to clinch the continental sole ticket in the team event of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will be between Nigeria and Egypt as the two nations slug it out at the 2016 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Team Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
In the latest team ranking released by the world table tennis ruling body, Nigeria is ranked below Egypt and the performance of the team in Malaysia will determine its fate.
In the Olympic ranking for the men’s team, Egypt is rated 28 while Nigeria occupies 33rd place based on the performance of each team in the last one year.
Nigeria was able to close the gap on Egypt a bit following its victory over the Egyptian team at the 2015 African Games.
In the women rating, Nigeria is still playing second fiddle to Egypt with the North African placing 32 while Nigeria is ranked 36th.
According to ITTF Publications Editor, Ian Marshall, team with the highest rating in every continent including the top ranked in the world will get automatic qualification for the team event.
Once the qualified players list has been determined by the ITTF Olympic Singles Ranking, the process to decide the 16 teams for the Men’s Team and Women’s Team events will kick-start.
A team comprises three players with each is continent – Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, Oceania – is entitled to be represented.
The first step is the highest listed National Olympic Committee from each continent on the May 2016 ITTF Olympic Team Ranking list, with a total of two qualified athletes for the singles events, receives an additional place from the Team Quota. The name of the player to fill the additional place is at the discretion of the relevant National Olympic Committees.
If within a given continent no National Olympic Committee has two qualified athletes for the singles events, then the highest ranked team, based on the May 2016 ITTF Olympic Team Ranking list, with one athlete qualified, will receive two additional places from the Team Quota.
For the singles events, continental tournaments like the African Games and Qualifying tournament will determine the players that will make it to Rio from Africa.Marshall said by April, a total of 40 men and 40 women will have qualified while the next step in the process is the ITTF Olympic Singles Ranking Qualification.
Commencing from January 2016, a monthly Olympic Singles Ranking, considering only eligible athletes for the Olympic Games, is published.
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Nigeria draws Madagascar, 14 others in 2016 Davis Cup tournament
Despite its late withdrawal from the 2015 edition of the Davis Cup tournament, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) soft-pedal on possible sanction for Nigeria after drawing the west African giant with highly-rated Madagascar, Morocco and 13 others in the Africa Zone Group III of the championship.
It was few days to the kick-off of the 2015 edition of the tournament in Cairo, Egypt that Nigeria made it withdrawal known to the world tennis ruling body and there were speculations that the West African side would be penalised. But with the conduct of the draw, it is clear that Nigeria may not be sanctioned after all.
However, Nigeria’s quest for promotion to Group II will continue again in 2016 as they are expected to battle Group II relegated sides, Madagascar and Morocco and 13 others for places in the elite division.
According to ITTF, the 2016 edition of the Group III of the Africa zone will hold on the clay courts of the Antanarivo University in Madagascar on July 13 to 16 with 16 teams aiming for the two promotion slots available.
Besides the top rated teams like host – Madagascar and Morocco, other nations expected at the four-day tournament are Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Congo DRC, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Mozambique, Namibia and Rwanda.
The 16 countries are expected to be drawn into four groups while the matches will be played in round robin format with the winners of each group engaging in play-off against each other to determine the two nations that will be promoted to Europe/Africa Zone Group II in 2017.
Nigeria’s maiden appearance in the Davis Cup was in 1974, while the best putting for Nigeria was in 1988 and 1989 when it reached the semifinals stage in Group I.
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ITTF lists two Nigerian umpires for Rio 2016 Olympic, Paralympic Games
Nigeria will not only has its players in action at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, two of its foremost umpires, John Peters and Cecilia Arinye have been confirmed by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) as match officials for the multi-sports championship in Brazil.
With Aruna Quadri and Funke Oshonaike already confirmed for the Rio Olympic Games, the certified ITTF blue badge umpires, Peters and Arinye will be among the 47 umpires listed by the world table tennis ruling body for the tournament.
Globally, few umpires make it to the Olympic Games but again this has confirmed Nigeria’s relevant in table tennis with Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria being the only countries in Africa having its officials at the games.
Peters, who is among the longest serving umpires in Africa, will officiate at the Olympic Games while Arinye, who is the Director of Sports, University of Lagos will be in action at the Paralympic Games.
The duo has joined the list of few umpires in the world to make it to the Olympic while the late Patience Ikeme-Iwuno was among the four umpires selected from Africa for the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Peters, who started his officiating career in the 1970s became an international umpire in 1980 and he has officiated at various African Games including the 2015 edition in Congo Brazzaville was also at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland while Arinye, an ex-international is also an experienced umpire who has officiated in various international tournaments across the globe was also part of the umpire team at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Besides Peters and Arinye, Algeria’s duo of Mouhssene Yahia-Cherif and Abdellah Boudjehem will handle proceedings in Olympic and Paralympic Games respectively while Egypt’s pair of Magdy Edriss and ElSaied Ragab will be on duty as well in Brazil.
According to the President, African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Khaled El-Salhy, the listing of umpires from Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria again confirmed the giant stride made by the these countries in terms of officiating.
For the list of umpires for Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Africa (3), Europe (7), Asia (6), Latin America (3), North America (2) and Oceania (1) totalling 22 while for the Paralympic Games, Africa (3), Asia (7), Europe (8), Latin America (3), North America (2) and Oceania (2) making it 25 officials.
However, South Africa’s Rodrique Volkwyn is the Deputy Referee for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
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Quadri inspires Morez to first win in French League
- Gives up on title chase
The atmosphere was tensed and both teams knew what was at stake but it was Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri that saved the day for Jura Morez as the team claimed their first win to steer off relegation zone in the premiership division of the French Table Tennis League.
Being the sixth match of the league, Morez are rooted on the bottom of the league table having lost all their previous five matches but things changed for better on Tuesday after Quadri and Wang Zhen performance in the encounter against Rouen took the team from the bottom of the league table.
From the start of the tie, Zhiwen He Cheng could not withstand Jesus Cantero Juncal as the Chinese-born Spaniard lost 7-11, 12-10, 13-11, 9-11 to give Rouen a 1-0lead.
However, Quadri restored the match for Morez as he battered Tan Ruiwu 11-9, 11-8, 12-10. Wang Zhen increased the lead for Morez as he overcame compatriot Shi Wei Dong 11-7, 12-10, 10-12, 11-6.
As an inspiration to the team, Quadri took the lead beyond their opponent as he was stretched to limit by Jesus Cantero Juncal but it was the 2014 ITTF Star Player that have an edge with 3-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7, 12-10 win.
Despite Zhiwen second loss, Wang Zhen completed the 4-2 rout by Morez as he walloped Tan Ruiwu 11-9, 11-6, 11-3 to give Morez overall 4-2.
According to Quadri, the win has taken the pressure off the team. “There was a little sign of relief after our first league win last night. It was not an easy win for us as both teams fought harder for about four hours. The fans were so happy for the win. I was so happy last night for contributing to team success. I felt so great for winning two matches for my team as well and this will not get to my head as I will continue working harder. After losing first five matches, it’s going to be very difficult to contest for the title but we are not losing hope. Our focus now is to keep improving individually in order not to relegate,” he admitted.
He added: “The win means that we are going out of relegation zone step by step and we will surely remain in first league. It also means that we are now moving to position nine from position 10.”
The Oyo State-born athlete admitted that playing in the French league would surely improve his game. “I must confess, there is a big difference, French league comprises of top 100 players of the world while Portuguese league has no player in top 100 except me.
Playing in the league has really improved my game step by step.
Here in France nobody is sure of victory against any player but in Portugal I am always sure of victory against some certain players.”“My target is to lift the team more than their position last season.
One of my targets is also to give my best and convince the team fans and team president in order to have another opportunity to play in the same team next season. Another target is to win above 50 percent in my matches and I really believe that it’s very possible as am now getting used to the system of play in French league,” he explained.