The event gathered together diplomats in Berlin for a one-day sporting event to promote friendship and camaraderie among diplomats, and their families and friends in Berlin.

The Special Guest of Honour of the event was the star German Table Tennis player Timo Boll. A total of 100 participants representing 25 Diplomatic Missions, the Federal Foreign Office and German Bundestag participated and they include Ambassadors, Diplomatic and local staff of Embassies.

The Tournament was conducted at the Multi-sports Hall in Nord – Grundschule, Potsdamer Strasse 7, Berlin 14163.

While China emerged as the Champion Team, India was the Runner-up. The Men’s Singles champion was Mr. Hardy Boeckle, from the Federal Foreign Office. And Ms. Ting Xiang representing Bundestag became the Women’s Singles Champion.

The event was supported by Visit Maldives, Furavalhi Tourist Resort, “Butterfly”, Turkish Airlines, Diletta and Diplomatisches Magazin.  The winners for the lucky draw were Mr. Diih Wietoteh from TTC Duppel, and Mr. Zhang Jianbo from China Embassy. Furavalhi Tourist Resort sponsored a five-nights stay in the Maldives for the two lucky winners.

“This is an on-going journey we started in Beijing when we organized the First Diplomatic Table Tennis Tournament in 2008, to celebrate the Beijing Olympics.  Since then we organized 4 events in the series in China and now we will continue in Berlin.” – Ambassador Ahmed Latheef

The 38-year-old three-time Olympic medallist recently spoke to the Olympic Channel about the prospect of being 39 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – as well as the absence of his retirement plans.

Saying that Boll is not exactly looking forward to ending his career would be an understatement. The German legend has repeatedly shown no signs slowing down – whether that is in competitions against mortal men or the race against time itself.

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Boll brought forward the point about him being “scared” of his potential retirement, and if his fans were to be truthful, they would emanate the same emotions.

“I’m afraid of retirement, I mean, I love my sport and to quit it one day is always tough to think about. I always try to push it away from my mind. I started playing table tennis when I was 4 and never did anything else my whole life. I know one day there will be an end, and I’m quite sure it will be very emotional.” Timo Boll

Another European evergreen Vladimir Samsonov relates well as someone not looking forward to retirement. The 43-year-old Belarusian is seeking to join Boll and company at the Tokyo 2020 party, playing in this week’s European Championships in Nantes, France.

Notably for Samsonov his target is twofold. On the one hand to make his seventh consecutive Olympic Games appearance, his debut being in 1996 in Atlanta. And the other, to possibly end his career with an Olympic medal. Samsonov has admitted there would be no better way to leave the stage of table tennis than having a medal around his neck in the closing ceremony at Tokyo 2020.

In another hot take, Boll talked about the increasing level of European players such as Sweden’s Mattias Falck reaching the 2019 ITTF World Championships final – becoming the first non-Chinese player to do so since 2003 in the men’s singles.

For Boll, he recognizes there will be hurdles in his path to glory, none more so than the Chinese. In his interview, he made it clear that the recent successes of Europeans and other Asian athletes were not an indication of the decline of China’s domination:

“It is not a sign for the end of domination by the Chinese, but rather that the whole level has got more competitive and there are more and more surprises so that’s good for the sport. They (China) have dominated for years – I tried my best to beat them! But they are really tough to beat, as they don’t just have one or two strong players, but they have four or five. One of them is always in exceptional form.” Timo Boll

Take it from the man who has been at the top of his game for almost two decades. His journey may not last forever, but no one can be quite sure when it will eventually come to an end, such is the German legend’s evergreen quality and commitment.

Stay up-to-date on Timo ‘Magic’ Boll’s latest exploits here on ITTF.com and itTV!

They extended Chen Yuanyu and Huang Youzheng the full five match distance.

The quick-fire Chang Yu-An overcame Huang Youzheng in the opening contest (11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 11-8) to give Chinese Taipei the ideal start; Chen Yuanyu, currently listed in top spot on the under 15 boys’ world rankings levelled matters. He accounted for Kao Cheng-Jui but he almost came to grief, he needed the full five games to secure victory only emerging successful by the minimal two point margin in the deciding game (9-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-4, 12-10).

Parity; courtesy of Chuang Chia-Chuan and Kao Cheng-Jui, Chinese Taipei took the lead. They overcame Chen Yuanyu and Huang Youzheng in five games (8-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7). Advantage, Chinese Taipei, playing his third consecutive match, Chen Yuanyu overcame Chang Yu-An (11-9, 10-12, 12-10, 14-12), before in yet another five games encounter, Ka Chen-Jui ended matters by beating Husang Youzheng.

Otherwise, China proved a step ahead the field; not a single individual match was surrendered.

In the cadet girls’ team final, the combination formed by Chen Yi, Sun Xiaomeng and Xu Yi recorded a 3-0 win against Korea Republic’s Kim Nayeong and Lee Yeonhui; by the same margin in the junior girls’ team title decider, Shi Xunyao, Kuai Man and Wu Yangchen overcame DPR Korea’s Kim Kum Yong, Pyon Song Gyong and Pak Su Gyong to seal the title.

Likewise, in the contest that brought the day to an end, in the junior boys’ team gold medal contest, Xu Yingbin, Xiang Peng and Liu Yeb showed no charity when facing India’s Raegan Alburquerque, Manush Utpalbhai Shah and Anukram Jaim.

Play in the individual events begins on Thursday 5th September.

The 2019 ITTF-ATTU Asian Table Tennis Championships begin on September 15 and when the dust settles on September 22, one team each in the men’s and women’s competitions will have tickets for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. With such high stakes, let’s take you through the athletes on the teams with their sights set on that elusive prize.

Team China

It’s hard not to start a thread of favorites without considering the behemoth that is Team China. Led by current World no.1 and 2 in Xu Xin and Fan Zhendong, the men’s team comprises of exquisite names such as Lin Gaoyuan, 2019 ITTF Challenge Plus Portugal Open winner Liang Jingkun, and the prodigious 19-year-old Wang Chuqin.

Team China’s men’s line-up is very evenly matched by the women’s team, for whom leading the charge will be another World no.1 in Chen Meng, with an elite list of athletes by her side. ‘The Queen of Hearts’ Ding Ning brings her experience as does 2019 World champion Liu Shiwen, 2019 ITTF World Tour Qatar Open winner Wang Manyu and the rising star Sun Yingsha.

Team India

From the subcontinent, India’s men’s side has a few notable names about to ply their trade in Yogyakarta. Harmeet Desai, who helped India to men’s team gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, will have his winning compatriots Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Sharath Kamal Achanta and Amalraj Anthony by his side. Newcomer Manav Vikash Thakkar has finally graduated to the senior’s party after winning his fourth career ITTF World Junior Circuit Boys’ Singles title in November 2018.

For the women’s team, Indian fan favorite Manika Batra will lead the country’s efforts in conjunction with her 2018 Commonwealth Games women’s doubles gold medal winning teammate in Madhurika Patkar, while Archana Girish Kamath, Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee complete the roster.

Team Japan

The Japanese men will have a strong list of names competing in Indonesia, none more so than the in-form Tomokazu Harimoto. The 2019 ASAREL ITTF World Tour Bulgaria Open winner will be the perfect speed demon to attack opponents when brothers Maharu Yoshimura and Kazuhiro Yoshimura reduce the pace of the match. 19-year-old left-handed attacker Yukiya Uda and the experienced Takuya Jin complete the line-up.

Competing in the women’s team event will be the effervescent Miyu Kato and Miu Hirano, with the latter player having won the Asian Championships women’s single’s title in 2017. Helping them along with their immense quality will be ITTF Challenge Thailand Open winner Hitomi Sato, Saki Shibata and double Olympic Games team medallist Kasumi Ishikawa (silver in 2012, bronze in 2016).

Team Korea Republic

The South Korean side taking part in the Asian Championships next week will have some household names in their ranks. Jeon Jihee has long been a role model for aspiring young players across the country, and the career highlights of Suh Hyowon are always inspiring. The upcoming kid on the block, Shin Yubin will have Yang Haeun and Lee Eunhye lending their experience.

For the men’s team competition, veterans Jeoung Youngsik and Lee Sangsu have been most impressive over the past few months on the World Tour. The team will also field An Jaehyun – bronze medallist at the 2019 World Table Tennis Championships in Budapest –  and attackers Jang Woojin and Kim Minhyeok.

Team Chinese Taipei

Women’s singles quarter-finalist at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Cheng I-Ching will lead the line for Chinese Taipei, with her team comprising of Chen Szu‐Yu, shakehand grip attacker Liu Hsing‐Yin, and hugely experienced Cheng Hsien‐Tzu and Su Pei‐Ling.

After earning his first ITTF World Tour men’s singles title at the 2019 Czech Open in Olomouc, Lin Yun-Ju will be one to watch out for when the Chinese Taipei men’s team lines up. Assisting his efforts will be Chen Chien‐An, Peng Wang‐Wei and Wang Tai‐Wei.

Team Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s athletes have had marvellous performances throughout this year, especially the mixed double’s titles they secured at the 2019 Korea and Australia Opens. One of those winners, Wong Chun Ting, will be a part of the team in Yogyakarta, alongside doubles partner Ho Kwan Kit, Lam Siu Hang, Ng Pak Nam and Kwan Man Ho.

The other half of the mixed doubles champion duo, Doo Hoi Kem, will be leading the women’s team alongside her doubles’ partner Lee Ho Ching, and other teammates like Chau Wing Sze, Soo Wai Yam Minnie and Zhu Chengzhu.

Team Thailand

Last but not least, Thailand’s Supanut Wisutmaythangkoon has recently shown he can be extremely good at out waiting the opposition to claim important victories. This attitude might just be the key to causing major upsets with which his compatriots Pattaratorn Passara, Komgrit Sangpao, Padasak Tanviriyavechakul and Yanapong Panagitgun would agree.

For the women’s team, 2016 Olympic Games competitor Suthasini Sawettabut will need to channel her leadership qualities and take charge of a talented squad which includes Suthasini’s double’s partner Orawan Paranang, her sister Jinnipa Sawettabut, and close friend Nanthana Komwong.

So, which national squad is the strongest? Find out here on ITTF and itTV!