ARCHANA MAKES HISTORY, FIRST INDIAN TO ENTER QUARTERS of 2015 ITTF World Junior Circuit Finals

Archana Girish Kamath’s epoch-making run at the 11Even Sports 2015 ITTF World Junior Circuit Finals came to an end when top-seed Romanian Adina Diaconu beat the Indian 4-0 in the quarterfinals at the Abhay Prashal here today.

Archana, who became the first Indian to enter the last-eight stages, could not repeat her feat against French girl Pauline Chasselin in the third round which paved the way for her quarterfinal entry. Yet, the Bengaluru girl, who finished fifth, can look up to going a few places higher in her rankings. In addition, the 16-year-old will pocket $1,050 for her efforts.

Archana was completely out of sorts against the attacking Romanian whose backhand winners became the talk of the town. That Adina was not only fast but even furious with her approach against the 14th seeded Indian was evident right from the word go. She ran into a 9-2 in the first game, sounding the alarm bell for Archana.

The pattern continued despite Archana trying to slow down the game as none of her tricks, including backhand topspin services, worked. Interestingly, Adina was in a hurry to finish the match and she made no bones about it. She will take on Park Seri of Korea in the first semifinaltomorrow.

However hard the Indian tried, the 10th standard student from Sadashivanagar’s Poorna Pranja Education Centre in Bengaluru could not counter the pace of Romanian.

“She was too good and I was completely lost,” admitted Indian after the loss. But in the morning, it was a different Archana against Pauline. She was not only attacking but her strategy of feeding her French opponent with long balls helped. Though the French tried to come back when she made it 3-2 in the fifth set, Archana was focused on the job at hand to end Pauline’s ordeal.

“My coach advised me to keep her away from the table and I just followed Sandeep Sir’s instructions. His assessment was precise and he kept telling me to keep Pauling away from the table,” said Archana, praising Sandeep Gupta.

Siddhesh justifies

The two Indian boys, Mudit Dani and Siddhesh Pandey finished thirteen—those in 13-16 brackets are considered 13th—but national champion Siddhesh had a far better junior finals outing than Mudit. Siddhesh, who was a last-minute entrant owing to the pullout by Qatari Abdulrahman Al-Naggar, not only justified his inclusion but even performed beyond expectations. He should have won a couple of close encounters but lacked maturity at crucial junctures.

Mudit, on the other hand, has had wider exposures outside the country and gained entry because of his better world rankings. Yet when it came to performing in the finals here, Mudit fell short of expectations as he failed to take a single game off his opponents in all the matches.

Siddhesh led 2-0 in the consolation match against Germany’s Johah Schile but let his rival off the hook as the German struck a nice rhythm to take the next four games to push Siddhesh to the corner.

Match of tournament

In men’s first quarterfinal, Zhag Kai of the USA surpassed all expectations to beat Taipei’s Chun-Yu Tsai 4-3 in a gripping encounter to earn a semifinal meeting with Japanese Izumo Takuto who sdnt second-seeded Darko Jorgic packing.

In what turned out to be the best match of the tournament so far, the Japanese had everything going for himself as he should have won 4-1, then 4-2 when he led 5-0 and 5-1 in the respective games. But his cardinal blunder was the long ball which kept the Slovenian in the match as he kept returning when he was pushed away from the table. But the 16-year-old Japanese got his focus back in the decider and won with a minimal point to go through.

The other quarterfinals in both categories are slated for tonight.

Results:

Junior Boys:

Quarterfinals: Zhang Kai (USA) bt Chun-Yu Tsai (TPE) 4-3 (7-11, 11-9, 9-11, 5-11, 11-4, 11-4, 12-10), Izumo Takuto (JPN) bt Darko Jorgic (SLO) 4-3 (11-8, 10-12, 11-9, 11-8, 10-12, 9-11, 11-9).

Consolation: Cristian Ple tea (ROU) bt Mudit Dani (IND) 4-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-5, 11-9), Ali Alkhadrawi (RSA) bt Helshan Weerasinghe (ENG) 4-3 (9-11, 5-11, 11-3, 3-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-6), Jonah Schile (GER) bt Siddhesh Pande (IND) 4-2 (7-11, 2-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-7, 11-9), Issac Zauli (BRA) bt Mohammad Abdulwahhab (QAT) 4-2 (12-10, 21-19, 7-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-5).

Junior Girls:

Quarterfinals: Adina Diaconu (ROU) bt Archana Girish Kamath (IND) 4-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-4, 11-6), Park Seri (KOR) bt Lin Chia-Hsuan (TPE) 4-0 (14-12, 13-11, 13-11, 14-12).

Consolation: Angela Guan (USA) bt Wu Jiamuwa (AUS) 4-3 (13-11, 7-11, 5-11, 11-4, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4), Tamolwan Khetkhuan (THA) bt Amira Yousry (EGY) 4-0 (11-2, 11-8, 11-4, 12-10), Lin Po-Hsuan (TPE) bt Leticia Nakada (BRA) 4-2 (12-10, 10-12, 11-8, 2-11, 16-14, 11-5), Pauline Chasselin (FRA) bt Bruna Takahashi (BRA) 4-2 (11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9).

China Announces Basic Olympic Lineup

The Olympic Games is less than a year from now and the schedule for the Olympic Asian Qualifier has been set already. This year, there will be a change and it will require the candidates for the Singles event to participate in the qualifier, that is instead of the Olympic third person. Each association can register 2 to 4 players for the competition in Hong Kong. 

Guangzhou Daily. The Asian Olympic Qualifier is already scheduled April this year and the Chinese Team has already disclosed their basic lineup. 

2016 is a critical year for all athletes because of the Olympic Games. For table tennis, the Asian Olympic Qualifier is scheduled on April. 

There are some changes in this year’s qualifier competition. Before, the Olympic third person of every team needs to participate in the qualifier. Now, it should be the candidates for the Singles event who need to participate in the competition. 

According to the rules, each association can register 2 to 4 players. In this case, head coach Liu Guoliang disclosed their basic Olympic lineup. For the men, they are  Ma Long, Zhang Jike, Xu Xin, Fan Zhendong. For the women, they are Ding Ning, Liu Shiwen, Li Xiaoxia, Zhu Yuling,

The qualifier will be held in Hong Kong on April 13 to 17. The deadline of registration for each association will be on June 15. 

2016 Hungary Open's Main Draw Released

The ITTF 2016 World Tour has begun. Yesterday the qualification groups of the 2016 Hungary Open kicked off and today top seeds know their rivals. Chuang Chih-Yuan, Li Pin, Ai Fukuhara, Kasumi Ishikawa and Feng Tianwei will make their debut tomorrow.  The ITTF 2016 World Tour has kicked off with the 2016 Hungary Open. The qualifiers have been decided and the top seeds will see action since tomorrow. Chuang Chih-Yuan, top seed, will play against Iran's Nima Lamian, while Li Pin of Qatar, second seed, will face Sweden's Hampus Soderlund.   
Top players such as Simon Gauzy of France and Kim Donghyun of South Korea will meet Serbia's Marko Jevtovic and Singapore's Chew Zhe Yu Clarence, respectively.   
Other interesting matches of the 1st round: Poland's Wang Zengyi vs Japan's Yuto Kizukuri, France's Romain Lorentz vs Sweden's Jon Persson, Russia's Mikhail Paykov vs Spain's Carlos Machado, Nigeria's Quadri Aruna vs Brazil's Thiago Monteiro, Brazil's Cazuo Matsumoto vs Serbia's Aleksandar Karakasevic, France's Quentin Robinot vs Sweden's Jens Lundqvist.  
 In the women's event Japanese top players will also make their debut. Ai Fukuhara, top seed, will face South Korea's Yoon Hyobin in the first round, while Kasumi Ishikawa will meet Brazil's Lin Gui. Feng Tianwei of Singapore will play against Japan's Natsumi Nakahata, while Mima Ito will face Slovakia's Barbora Balazova.   
 Other interesting matches in the 1st round: Viktoria Pavlovich vs Czech Republik'sDana Checova, Czech Republic's Renata Strbikova vs Hong Kong's Tie Yana, South Korea's Park Youngsik vs Singapore's Zeng Jian, Hong Kong's Lee Ho Ching vs Japan's Mizuki Morizono, Japan's Honoka Hashimoto vs Germany'sPetrissa Solja, Puerto Rico's Adriana Diaz vs Singapore's Lin Ye, South Korea's Seo Hyowon vs Taipei's Cheng Hsien-Tzu.

Liu Shiwen has the support of her Guangdong compatriot Ma Lin

We all need support in whatever we do. For Liu Shiwen, aside from her teammates and coaches, she has the Beijing Olympic champion Ma Lin as her biggest supporter. After she managed to win a place in the lineup for the World Team Championships, Ma Lin has already declared his utmost support for the Guangdong local. He even said he’s going to escort the player into the competition. 

Guangzhou Daily. Liu Shiwen is receiving a big support in her career as of the moment as the Beijing Olympic champion Ma Lin is going to cheer for her in person in Kuala Lumpur. 

Liu Shiwen has already sealed her place in the World Team Championships, and we all know that the next step for her is to earn the qualification for the Olympic Singles. 

“There are only two places for the Singles and there is a lot of competition in the National Team. Pressure and motivation both exist.”Ma Lin said, and with that, he would help Liu Shiwen to convert pressure to motivation. 

Aside from that, Ma Lin has a big trust on the player. For him, despite past records showing Liu Shiwen’s defeat against Singaporeans, Ma Lin still believes on the capacity of Liu Shiwen. 

“Talking about Liu Shiwen’s strength, if she can just perform normally, then her winning percentage is still much higher than foreign opponents.” Ma Lin concluded. 

The 2008 Olympic champion also said that he will personally support and cheer for Liu Shiwen in Kuala Lumpur.  

Detractors and critics made me more determined to win squad trials: Xu Xin

We all need support in whatever we do. For Liu Shiwen, aside from her teammates and coaches, she has the Beijing Olympic champion Ma Lin as her biggest supporter. After she managed to win a place in the lineup for the World Team Championships, Ma Lin has already declared his utmost support for the Guangdong local. He even said he’s going to escort the player into the competition. 

Guangzhou Daily. Liu Shiwen is receiving a big support in her career as of the moment as the Beijing Olympic champion Ma Lin is going to cheer for her in person in Kuala Lumpur. 

 Liu Shiwen has already sealed her place in the World Team Championships, and we all know that the next step for her is to earn the qualification for the Olympic Singles. 

“There are only two places for the Singles and there is a lot of competition in the National Team. Pressure and motivation both exist.”Ma Lin said, and with that, he would help Liu Shiwen to convert pressure to motivation. 

Aside from that, Ma Lin has a big trust on the player. For him, despite past records showing Liu Shiwen’s defeat against Singaporeans, Ma Lin still believes on the capacity of Liu Shiwen. 

“Talking about Liu Shiwen’s strength, if she can just perform normally, then her winning percentage is still much higher than foreign opponents.” Ma Lin concluded. 

The 2008 Olympic champion also said that he will personally support and cheer for Liu Shiwen in Kuala Lumpur.  

Fan Zhendong showed lack of maturity in the Chinese Squad trials: Liu Guoliang

Fan Zhendong has shown a lot of impressive performances in the past that really caught the attention of everyone. However, in this year’s squad trials, the young player Fan Zhendong didn’t quite impress the coaches, especially the head coach Liu Guoliang. According to him, Fan Zhendong showed lack of maturity in the competition. 

Sina Sports. Fan Zhendong only ranked fourth in the squad trials and that means some incompetencies in terms of his abilities as a player. 

At the start of this year, the Chinese Men’s Team had their first round of the selection process for the World Team Championships. Fan Zhendong only ranked fourth, after Zhang Jike and Ma Long. 

“His performance was a bit weak.”  said, thinking that the young player needs to be disciplined said  Liu Guoliang

The head coach pointed out that because of the big improvements from Fan Zhendong, the other main players have also changed their perception on the young player. They definitely would not treat Fan Zhendong as if he is still like a young kid. 

“His techniques, timing, ability to seize the opportunity, and experience all played a big role. The confrontation in the squad trials and in the Super League are not the same. It is even far higher than the average World Tour. This is their real performance.” The head coach added. 

Liu Guoliang still believe that Fan Zhendong is a talented player but still lack the maturity. “For Fan Zhendong, this is his price to pay. He has the strength, the potential, but he is not yet mature.” Liu Guoliang concluded.  

Fan Zhendong lost in 0-5 against Xu Xin and Ma Long. He also lost to Zhang Jike. 

Jun Mizutani Won The 2016 Japanese Championships

The Japanese National Team started the new year with their National Championships. the competition lasted for seven days and ended last weekend. Throughout the whole competition, some new names made some surprising performances after defeating main players like Ai Fukuhara and Koki Niwa. However, in the end, the defending champions sealed the title.  

Sina Sports. The Japanese National Team had their National Championships last weekend and the winners are Jun Mizutani and Kasumi Ishikawa. 

The Japanese National Championships lasted for seven days and it was concluded last January 17. As expected, the last events were the final matches of the Singles. 

In the Women’s Singles,Kasumi Ishikawa swept the dark horse, surnamed Kato (加藤杏华) in the semifinals. The dark horse defeated  in the earlier round. In the other half, Miu Hirano overcame her fellow rising star Mima Ito in 4-0 as well. In the finals, Kasumi Ishikawa achieved victory after posting 11-7, 11-4, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9. 

In the men’s division, Zhang Yibo, a former Chinese player also posted some upsets after defeating main players, Koki Niwa and Maharu Yoshimura. He sealed his place in the finals against Jun Mizutani 

But in the final match, Zhang Yibo’s success was blocked after losing to the Japanese pride Mizutani, 9-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-7, 11-6. This is already Mizutani’s eighth Men’s Singles title in the history of the competition. 

Ding Ning: I Don’T Feel That I Am A Leader

Since 2011, Ding Ning has already impressed the coaching staff with her stable performance. According to the head coach, Ding Ning is already considered to be the leader of the Chinese Women’s Team since 2012. Knowing about this, the two-time world champion is very modest to say that she still hasn’t felt it and would want to better assume such responsibility in the near future.  

Sina Sports. Currently, Ding Ning has the most stable performance among the Chinese Women’s Team and this made her become the leader of the team. 

In the recently concluded two rounds of the squad trials of the Chinese Women’s Team, Ding Ning failed to achieve a ticket for the World Team Championships. But despite that, she still didn’t disappoint the coaches. 

In fact, Ding Ning is considered by the coaching staff to be the leader of the women’s team. Knowing about this, Ding Ning tries to be very modest. “I possibly played relatively stable last year but I don’t feel that I am the absolute leader. I am still in the development process.” Ding Ning said. 

Kong Linghui even said that such position has already been given to her during the London Olympics 4 years ago. Now, Ding Ning still maintains an excellent competitive condition and this made the coaching staff to have high hopes on her. 

“I hope that I would be able to assume this responsibility. This is a kind of trust and pressure.” Ding Ning concluded. 

Liu Shiwen Gets Second Ticket To The World Championships

Ding Ning, Wu Yang, Chen Meng and Liu Shiwen gathered together last weekend for another round of the squad trials. The round didn’t last that long and ended in the weekend with Liu Shiwen winning the second ticket for the World Team Championships. She defeated Chen Meng, Wu Yang, and survived a close encounter for Ding Ning. 

Sohu Sports. Last weekend, the Chinese Women’s Team had their second round of their squad trials. The players qualified for the round were Ding Ning, Wu Yang, Chen Meng, and Liu Shiwen. 

In the morning of January 16, Ding Ning swept the defensive player WU YANG in 11-6, 11-8, 11-5. Meanwhile, in the other match, LIU SHIWEN won over CHEN MENG in 3-1. (11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-5). In the second round, Liu Shiwen met Wu Yang and the former scored 11-6, 11-9, 11-9. Ding Ning met Chen Meng and scored 3-1 (11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 12-10). 

For the third round Chen Meng and Wu Yang met each other. The defensive player was in a 2-1 lead but unfortunately a back injury forced her to retire from the match. Eventually, Chen Meng got the win. 

Lastly, Liu Shiwen and Ding Ning had their face-off. It was a challenging match for both players but it was Liu Shiwen who was able to capitalise on her advantage. She scored 11-8, 3-11, 12-10, 8-11, 12-10. 

Eventually, Liu Shiwen became the second player from the women’s team to qualify for the World Team Championships. 

Zhang Jike: I Am Already Healed from injury

Zhang Jike was in such a difficult year last year after encountering a series of problems, from injury to disputes. All of them played a role on his poor performance in 2015. As this year started, Zhang Jike was able to show a better performance in the squad trials. Could this mean that he has already recovered? After the competition, Zhang Jike said that he’s already healed. 

Sina Sports. Zhang Jike endured a lot of criticisms in 2015 due to poor performance. This time, after showing good results, could this mean that he has already gotten past that stage? 

At the start of this year, Zhang Jike showed good results that impressed his teammates and the coaching staff, including the head coach LIU GUOLIANG. According to Zhang Jike, getting to participate in this year’s World Championships is important for him. 

“At present, the important thing is the Kuala Lumpur World Team Championships because the team’s achievement definitely can improve the players.” Zhang Jike said. 

Since the World Championships is a big competition, the Grand Slam champion is aware of the degree of difficulty. “The difficulty now is big. I just need to adjust myself well because in that case, my fighting spirit and my condition will also become better.” He added.

Recalling 2015, Zhang Jike said that he was such in a difficult year. He was in a series of injuries and at the same time, met a lot of problems. This time, he confidently said some improvements. 

“I am already healed. I will give my efforts in protecting myself well.”Zhang Jike concluded. 

Ding Ning Not Concerned About Winning In The Squad Trials

The defending world champion, Ding Ning was not able to reach the finals of the squad trials of the Chinese Women’s Team. In fact, she only reached the semifinals after losing to Liu Shiwen. In her interview after the match, Ding Ning revealed that she had other concerns in the competition and it was not about winning. 

Sina Sports. The squad trials of the women’s team didn’t end with Ding Ning in the finals. According to her, the result was not her main concern in the competition. 

Although Ding Ning was not able to get the ultimate victory in the squad trials, it didn’t affect the attitude of the core player. 

According to the head coach Kong Linghui, Ding Ning played well in the opening day.“Ding Ning was the best player in the first day. Not only because she won the matches but also because she had some changes.” Kong Linghui said. 

In the group stage, Ding Ning consecutively won against Wang Yidi, Wu Yang and Zhu Yuling. That sealed her seat in the main draw. In the semifinals, she lost to Liu Shiwen in 1-3. Despite loss, the world champion still maintained a positive disposition. 

“In this competition, I didn’t consider so much about the results because this competition is before the Closed Training. What I hoped more was for me to adjust myself and learn in order to prepare for the training.” Ding Ning said. 

Zhang Jike Injured In The Squad Trials

Zhang Jike was able to show a different self in the recently concluded squad trials of the Chinese Men’s Team. He had the strong desire to win and was persistent. According to reports, the Grand Slam champion was injured during the competition but he still adhered. This is something that Liu Guoliang was pleased with. 

Sina Sports. Zhang Jike caught the attention of everyone during the squad trials after performing well in the competition. It was reported that he was injured while playing. 

As the only Grand Slam champion among the active players of the Chinese Men’s Team,Zhang Jike is considered to be the core of the team. However, his performance hasn’t been that steady throughout the years. Just last year, he recorded a series of low-performance matches. 

In the recently concluded squad trials, Zhang Jike found an opportunity and he used it well. It was reported that the young champion was injured but still insisted in the competition. Eventually, Zhang Jike finished second with 8 wins and 1 loss. 

As of now, what Zhang Jike really needs to do is to maintain his momentum and eventually earn his seat in the Olympics Singles. He already once said that his ultimate goal is to defend his Olympic title. 

Chinese Men’S Team In Shenzhen For Closed Training

The head coach of the Chinese Team was impressed with the kind of performance his players showed in last week’s squad trials. According to him, the whole team played like it was a real competition. He can only hope that his players will be able to improve themselves through the competition. In addition, the head coach also revealed their next steps in their preparations for the World Team Championships. 

Sohu Sports. The Chinese Men’s Team has finished their squad trials and now, they are into their main preparation for the World TeamChampionships. 

“The performance of the players were better than what I have expected. They did not consider this competition as just a squad trial. A lot actually hoped that through this competition, they will be able to improve and test themselves.” Liu Guoliang said. 

According to the head coach, the whole men’s team has already arrived in Shenzhen last January 10 for their scheduled Closed Training. There will be an adjustment period for three days. There will be physical rehabilitation and consultation. In the last two days, the team will have their warm-up match. 

The whole team will be coming back to Beijing late of February, and on the 25th, they will be traveling to Kuala Lumpur for the 2016 World Team Championships. 

Ma Long Recognised Zhang Jike’S Performance In The Squad Trials

Ma Long had a strong year in 2015 after he won all the important competitions. So when he played in this year’s squad trials, a lot was expected from him, especially against Zhang Jike. But in the competition, he lost. In an interview, Ma Long recognised the performance Zhang Jike had. According to him, he had a good mental state throughout the competition. 

Sina Sports. Ma Long posted a loss against Zhang Jike in last week’s squad trials. So does Ma Long think Zhang Jike has restored his condition? 

“Zhang Jike indeed performed really well today. Being able to win in the game explains that he has invested a lot.” Ma Long said. 

In the eighth round last Saturday, Zhang Jike defeated Ma Long in 5-2.  

“Its the same with what Liu Guoliang said. His desire to win in the competition was very good. He was very mobile in the arena. Although he had a leg injury, his fighting spirit was still much better than before.” He added. 

For Ma Long, he said that he will not put his prior results into his mind as it will just increase his burden in the competition. 

“I feel that it was like high level competition. In fact, when I fought against Zhang Jike, Xu Xin or even Fan Zhendong, my mental state was very good. I will not carry my previous results into the competition. If the burden is so heavy, it will affect my game because our levels are close to each other.” Ma Long concluded. 

ITTF Signs Trophy Partnership Agreement with World Sport Design

The International Table Tennis Federation has signed a partnership agreement with Prague-based trophy company World Sport Design.

World Sport Design, who was also the Official Trophy Supplier of the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals, will be the Official Trophy Supplier of the ITTF from 2016 to 2018, providing trophies for the ITTF Star Awards and ITTF World Tour Grand Finals.

On the cooperation, ITTF President Mr. Thomas WEIKERT expressed: "The trophies at the 2015 Grand Finals were very well-designed, and I am certain that World Sport Design will continue to outdo themselves and produce prestigious trophies fitting the Star Awards and World Tour Grand Finals. We are looking forward to a long and successful partnership."

World Sport Design President Mr. Jiri SMIDL said: "World Sport Design specializes in creation of luxury sports trophies, medals and design sets handmade from glass, precious metals and other materials. This is the start of a long-term cooperation with ITTF, other national federations and sport event organisers. We anticipate the opportunity to deliver our design trophies to more events, with high quality awards to represent real and lasting value for the awarded."

The race to the 2016 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals is on, as the 2016 ITTF World Tour kick starts on20 January 2016 with the Hungarian Open. 

About World Sport Design

World Sport Design is based in Prague, and covers the whole process of trophies creation. We have our own team of designers and glass manufacture. We are ready to prepare designs based on the initial information, manufacture the selected design and deliver the final product directly in place. All our production is handmade and created in limited number based on the requirements of the client. Each piece is original and has its own certification.

Ma Long & Liu Shiwen End 2015 as World Number Ones In ITTF World Rankings

MA Long had the year of his career winning the Qoros World Championships, Liebherr Men's World Cup and GAC Group 2015 World Tour Grand Finals, which made him undoubtedly the best table tennis player on the planet. 2015 marks the sixth anniversary that MA Long first ended the year as world number one back in 2010 and December was the 41st month that the 27-year-old has occupied the top position of the world ranking. On his achievement, MA Long stated: "I am very happy to end 2015 as the World number one again! I am looking forward to showing even better performances in the 2016 Olympic year." Chinese teammates FAN Zhendong and XU Xin finished the year at number two and three respectively, followed by Germany's Dimitrij OVTCHAROV. Olympics champion ZHANG Jike, also from China, is at number five just ahead of Japan's Jun MIZUTANI. Japan's Yuya OSHIMA had the biggest rise in the world ranking in a breakthrough year. At the start of 2015, the now 21-year-old was listed as 71 in the world, moving on 12 months and the rising Japanese superstar is a lofty 18th in the world, and closing in fast on the world's top 10. LIU Shiwen managed to overcome her bitterly disappointing loss in the Qoros 2015 World Championships final to DING Ning, to finish the year as the world's number one women's table tennis player. On her way to finishing world number one for the third time in her career, LIU Shiwen won a record equalling fourth Women's World Cup in a highly successful year for the Chinese player. World Champion DING Ning finished the year in second position on the back of her victory at the year ending GAC Group 2015 World Tour Grand Finals. Compatriot ZHU Yuling finishes the year in third ahead of Japanese superstar Ai FUKUHARA. China's CHEN Meng is next in line at number five, above China's Olympic Champion LI Xiaoxia and Japan's Kasumi ISHIKAWA. 14-year-old sensation Mima ITO finishes a remarkable year, which saw her crowned as the 2015 ITTF Breakthrough Star as the 12th best table tennis player on earth. After a short break for the festive season, the world's best players get back into action at the 2016 ITTF World Tour Hungarian Open, which begins on 20 January 2016 in Budapest, Hungary.

Sharath Kamal will make in two years his ‘maiden’ appearance in the 77th Senior National and Inter-State Table Tennis Championships

Hyderabad, January 5: The cat and mouse game is, more or less, over. And, finally, Achanta Sharath Kamal will make in two years his ‘maiden’ appearance in the 77th Senior National and Inter-State Table Tennis Championships, beginning at the Kotla Vijay Bhaskara Reddy Indoor Stadium from tomorrow.

It’s very good news for all his colleagues in the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB), those who follow him avidly in the country and the sport itself. That is the kind of aura Sharath’s presence can induce to this edition, apart from charging the normally-somber mood of spectators in the stadium.

Sharath had last played the senior nationals at Patna. In fact, he had even skipped the Inter-Institutional championships because of his commitments abroad. Then injury prevented him from competing in major international events, including the Commonwealth Championships at Surat last month.

PSPB, the men’s team title holders, has received a shot in the arm and Sharath is the value addition to the formidable unit that already has national champion Soumyajit Ghosh, Anthony Amalraj, Harmeet Desai and G. Sathiyan in it. In other words, the combination makes a very heady cocktail for any opposition in fray here.

It is the kind of solidity which most teams dream about. However hard they try, none of the 31 teams in fray can snatch from PSPB’s grip the Barna Ballack Cup which has been theirs for several years in a row. 

Even their women team members are likely to keep a tight hold on the Jayalakshmi Cup, which they lost momentarily at Raipur a few years ago before regaining it. With Manika Batra, Mouma Das, Ankita Das, K. Shamini and Pooja Sahasrabudhe in their ranks, it will be difficult for others to close in on it.

Yet, this edition can ring in changes and for the better. With quite a lot of players unable to turn out for their institutional teams, most of them have opted to play for their states. This portends a nice, gentle message to even the mightiest PSPB that keep a watch on their performance.

West Bengal has a nice mix of youth players in Anirban Ghosh, Arjun Ghosh and Rohnit Bhanja. So do Railways a highly-talented Ravindra Kotiyan, Anirban Nandi and Souvik Kar and Tamil Nadu, bolstered by the return of R. Abhishek, has Sushmit Sriram, Nikhil Suresh and Anandh Raj Rajan. Even Rajasthan, winners of Youth team title this season, has Abhishek Yadav, Sudhanshur Grover, Pankaj Vishwakarma and Vivek Bhargava. Mind you, the first two named are PSPB players but don’t come in the top-five rankings and hence they are appearing for Rajasthan.

The case is, more or less, similar in the women’s team affairs. West Bengal has put up a strong team with the likes of Mousi Paul, Ayhika Mukherjee, Krittwika Sinha Roy and the Railways veteran Anindita Chakraborty. With their institutions not having qualified, they have preferred to play for the state. One cannot discount Maharashtra’s A team, led by Divya Deshpande and Madhurika Patkar. They have two youngsters in Senhora D’Souza and Charvi Kawle for right company. The North Bengal, too, has managed to pull Takeme Sarkar with Sukanya Bose, Sagarika Mukherjee and Anuska Dutta-all good youth players and could become the bugbear of some top teams.

The split of Andhra and Telangana may not have done any good to both teams in the previous edition, but with experienced Nikhat Banu and in-form youngsters like Varuni Jaiswal, Naina and Sreeja Akula the hosts can expect some kind of an improvement in team showing. However, Andhra will continue to bear the brunt and would like to bet their last penny on Shailu Noorbasha to help them.

So, as for team championships in both sections, one may not see a miracle happening as yet with PSPB teams determined to give their best shots at the titles-the finals scheduled for Friday. However, one will definitely see authentic thrillers in the singles events from the fourth day-the motivating factor being the Rs, 9.58 lakh prize money, the coveted singles crowns and valuable ranking points.

According to Competition Manager Ganeshan Neelakanta Iyer, STAG equipment-flooring, table and white balls-will be put to use in the championships. A.S. Kler will be the chief referee for the championships and he will be assisted by three deputies-T.G, Upadhya, MJS Dileep Kumar and A. Satheese. They will all have the support of 45 other technical officials, including Blue Badge, international and national umpires.

Teams have been divided into eight group based on last year's performance and only two teams qualify for the second stage, the knockout, from each group.

The matches begin at 10 a.m. with the formal inauguration slated for 4 p.m. The chief guest at the opening ceremony will be Bandaru Dattatreya, Union Minister for Labour and Employment and also the chairman of the Organising Committee. Padma Rao, Hon’ble Minister for Excise and vice-chairman of the Organising Committee and K. Kavitha, Member of Parliament, will be the guests of honour. 

Ding Ning triumphs at 2015 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals

 Success at the fifth attempt, the runner up on four previous occasions, at last Ding Ning won the Women’s Singles title at a Grand Finals.

On the evening of Sunday 13th December at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals in the Portuguese capital city of Lisbon, Ding Ning, the no.4 seed, beat Chinese National Team compatriot, Chen Meng, the no.10 seed, to arrest the title.
She won in six games (13-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-2, 9-11, 11-7) and thus ended a sequence of being the runner up.
Prior to the duel in Lisbon, she had reached the final on four occasions; on each occasion she had been the bridesmaid.
At the 2009 Grand Finals in Macau, when only 19 years old, she had been beaten by her more experienced compatriot Guo Yan, before on three consecutive occasions experiencing defeat at the hands of Liu Shiwen, likewise from China.
She was beaten by Liu Shiwen in London in 2011, the following year in Hangzhou before at the 2013 Grand Finals, staged in January 2014 in Dubai once again having to give second best to her colleague
There was a debt to settle and there was another score to settle.
Ding Ning had lost their most recent meeting prior to the contest in Lisbon; it was somewhat the same against Chen Meng.
Earlier, Ding Ning had beaten Chen Meng at the 2012 Grand Finals and on the GAC Group World Tour in Austria in 2013; Earlier this year in February she had also won in Kuwait.
However when they met just under six months ago at the semi-final stage of the Women’s Singles event in Japan, the verdict had gone the way of Chen Meng.

Ma Long wins GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals for fifth time

 World champion, World Cup victor; Ma Long added to his list of successes by winning the Men’s Singles title at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals in the Portuguese capital city of Lisbon on the evening of Sunday 13th December.

The top seed, at the final hurdle, he beat Chinese National Team colleague, Fan Zhendong, the no.3 seed, to arrest the title in a scintillating final that will live long in the memory of those present in the Pavilhão Multiusos de Odivelas.
He succeeded by the very narrowest of seven game margins (12-10, 12-10, 11-13, 7-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-9)


The first three games in the final saw very little to choose between the two players, either could have been three-nil ahead; the outcome was that Ma Long was one game to the good.

It was at that stage, matters changed in favour of Fan Zhendong; who by making full use of the table, creating angles, forced Ma Long out of position on several occasions.

Superb in the rallies, Fan Zhendong won the third, fourth and fifth games; in the sixth he led 4-1. It appeared he was en route to a stunning victory.

Understandably Ma Long called “Time Out” but he looked tired, it did not appear to be the razor sharp Ma Long we had seen in Halmstad at the Liebherr Men’s World Cup.


Nevertheless, to his great credit, Ma Long fought, he dug deep, he dug very deep and levelled matters at 8-all; there was a renewed vigour in his step; he won the next point, a deciding seventh game beckoned.

In the seventh game at the change of ends, Fan Zhendong was in the ascendancy, he led 5-2; was there one last effort from Ma Long?


The answer was in the positive. Leading 6-3, Fan Zhendong elected for “Time Out”; it seemed a quite reasonable decision at the time but one he may now regret.

Ma Long won the next seven points; at 10-6 he held four match points, Fan Zhendong won the next three points but he could not make it four in a row. Ma Long, victorious sank to the floor, victorious, exhausted.