After 84 years, it entered Africa again Why was the 57th World Table Tennis Championships held in Durban

The 57th World Table Tennis Championships, which is fiercely fighting, is the event entering Africa again after 84 years

Why Durban?

"This is a historic moment in table tennis." When South Africa's Dean Levy and Senegal's Ibrahim Dior faced each other in the first round of the World Table Tennis Championships, the ITTF wrote in an article on its official website.

Since its opening on May 5, Beijing time, the 20 World Table Tennis Championships (single) being held in Durban, South Africa, is in full swing and exciting. According to the schedule, this World Table Tennis Championships will usher in the mixed doubles final on May 2023, Beijing time, and the first championship of the event will be born. The elite Chinese players are fighting on all fronts to win the championship.

Compared with the thrilling process of the championship process, the World Table Tennis Championships, a world competition with a history of nearly 84 years, has returned to Africa after <> years, which is also of concern.

When the 1939 World Table Tennis Championships first came to Africa and settled in Cairo, Egypt, table tennis held hands with the African continent for the first time, leaving a good story for the world sports - at that time, the Egyptian king presented a silver trophy "Egyptian Cup" to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). In every subsequent World Table Tennis Championships, this trophy will be passed on to the host city of the next competition, becoming a symbol of unity and friendship in world table tennis.

Time flies, nearly 90 years have passed, the World Table Tennis Championships once again to start the journey to Africa can be said to be expected. In October 2020, at the ITTF Annual Congress, Durban, South Africa, defeated Düsseldorf, Germany (10 votes) with 90 votes and successfully won the right to host the World Table Tennis Championships. Joe Karim, then chairman of the South African Table Tennis Committee, could not hide his excitement: "I would like to thank the table tennis family and the ITTF for their trust and support to our team, city and government. I believe that all those who support and trust us feel very proud, and we will live up to the trust to hold a World Table Tennis Championships final that satisfies everyone. ”

After several years of preparation, it can be said that both Durban and South Africa have made a lot of efforts for the successful holding of this World Table Tennis Championships. According to the TV broadcast of the matches, the Durban International Convention Centre, which hosted the tournament, has been renovated, with a total of 8 tables in the two competition venues and a good viewing angle of the spectators. According to media reports, South Africa has made careful preparations for various players participating in the World Table Tennis Championships, such as each team arriving at King Saka International Airport in Durban, which will be warmly welcomed by performances with local characteristics.

The warm on-site atmosphere of this year's World Table Tennis Championships impressed Steve Denton, CEO of ITTF Group: "We can feel the unique enthusiasm of the African people, who have really done a lot of amazing work to make this competition run smoothly and give the table tennis family a very different experience." ”

Compared with the preparation and upgrading of hardware facilities such as venues, the World Table Tennis Championships chose Durban, and more importantly, the promotion of table tennis as a sport in the vast Africa has given new important opportunities.

Compared with Asia, Europe and even the Americas, table tennis has a very limited influence and popularity on the African continent. Promoting table tennis in a broader range of the world and improving the overall level of table tennis on all continents is one of the priorities of the ITTF in recent years. Expanding the influence of table tennis in Africa by holding the World Table Tennis Championships, and then promoting the competitive level of African players, is the main consideration for the ITTF to choose Durban to host the World Table Tennis Championships.

Steve Denton, CEO of the ITTF Group, said that it is "of great significance" that the World Table Tennis Championships are held in Africa again after 84 years. "It is very important that the World Table Tennis Championships are held in Durban, South Africa. Table tennis is a global sport, and it is of great significance that we can host the World Table Tennis Championships, the largest table tennis event, in Africa and in Durban, South Africa. ”

As one of the traditional powers of table tennis, China has always played an important role and played an important role in the process of promoting table tennis by the ITTF.

Before the opening of the Durban World Table Tennis Championships, the Chinese team was invited to send two coaches, Liu Zhiqiang and Li Dacheng, with training equipment to help the South African table tennis team prepare. "We exchanged a lot of questions about table tennis techniques and tactics, as well as physical training during training, and solved their technical problems in a targeted manner, and the effect is good so far." Liu Zhiqiang said in an interview.

Simon Gallogolo, head coach of the men's team of the South African table tennis team, said: "We are very lucky to be guided by the coach of the Chinese table tennis team. We are very excited to establish a long-term exchange between the table tennis teams of the two countries. ”

In addition to the host team benefiting from hosting the World Table Tennis Championships, more African teams and players have also grown in the increasing table tennis exchanges.

In this World Table Tennis Championships, Nigerian player Aruna is undoubtedly one of the most noteworthy African players. A two-time African champion, Aruna reached the men's singles quarterfinals at Rio 2016, becoming the first African player to advance to the quarterfinals of the Olympic table tennis event. In 8, he broke into the top 8 in the World Table Tennis Championships in Houston. This year, Aruna became the first African player to finish in the top eight of a WTT Grand Slam. His performance in this tournament is worth looking forward to.

In the African Cup of Nations table tennis tournament that ended earlier this year, the Egyptian team swept the men's and women's singles championships, especially Egypt's Hannah Gaud, who won the women's singles championship, is only 14 years old, showing the strength and potential of Egypt's players.

"African table tennis is changing, and the rise and improvement of a new generation of players shows that the future of African table tennis is promising." Steve Denton said that table tennis has changed a lot in the past few years, "The 2021 World Table Tennis Championships were held in Houston, which is the first time since 1939 that we have held the World Table Tennis Championships outside Asia and Europe. I hope that in the future, the World Table Tennis Championships can go to Latin America or Oceania, and it is very important for table tennis to become a global sport. (Workers' Daily reporter Li Yuanhao)