2007 World Team Cup in Magdeburg, Germany
October 5, 2007

Kong Linghui

Courtesy of ITTF China’s Kong Linghui and Liu Guoliang, Korea’s Yoo Nam Kyu and Germany’s Richard Prause all competed at the Men’s World Team Cup in Atlanta, GA, USA in August 1995.

It was the last occasion that the event was held; today, just over twelve years later they are all present as the World Team Cup returns to the calendar of the International Table Tennis Federation. The competition is being staged in the German city of Magdeburg to Sunday October 7, 2007.

In 1995 the men in question were players in 2007 they are coaches.

Test Event
Twelve years ago the tournament was very much a “Test Event” for the forthcoming Olympic Games in 1996 and the Chinese stars did not gain top marks; in fact, by their standards, their grades were low.

However, when they re-sat the examination one year later they emerged with honors. At the Atlanta Olympics, Liu Guoliang won the Men’s Singles title and partnered Kong Linghui to Men’s Doubles gold.

Twelve Years Ago
In 1995, China fielding a squad of Ding Song, Kong Linghui, Liu Guoliang, Wang Tao and Xiong Ke, had to settle for fifth place in a tournament won by the Korean trio of Kim Taek Soo, Lee Chul Seung and Yoo Nam Kyu.

Germany finished in second place with Steffen Fetzner, Richard Prause and Jörg Rosskopf on duty, while in the bronze medal position came Japan and the United States. Japan was represented by Ichiro Imaeda, Koji Matsushita, Toshio Tasaki and Ryo Yuzawa, while for the United States the players in action were James Butler, Cheng Yinghua and David Zhuang.

Remote
Much water has passed under the proverbial bridge and twelve years later on the chances of the Chinese Men’s Team finishing in fifth place are about as remote as an English summer without rain or the Sahara Desert turning into an ice cap in mid August.

The winners of the Swaythling Cup at the Liebherr World Team Championships in Bremen in 2006 have come fully armed; Ma Lin, Wang Hao, Wang Liqin and Chen Qi form the quartet of players on duty in Magdeburg.

Strong Contender Tag is Litotes
A team that comprises the top three players on the current ITTF Men’s World Rankings in the form of Wang Hao, Ma Lin and Wang Liqin plus Chen Qi, ranked eight, a player who can perform at a quite incredible level, is to say the least a strong contender for gold.

Describing the Chinese team as favorites is an understatement, it is litotes.

In Magdeburg it will be Liu Guoliang who guides their fortunes with Kong Linghui assisting the Chinese Women’s team.

Coaching Roles
Meanwhile, Yoo Nam Kyu, a gold medalist twelve years ago, will guide the Korean team of Oh Sang Eun, Ryu Seung Min, Joo Se Hyuk and Lee Jung Sam with Richard Prause at helm of the German squad comprising Timo Boll, Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Christian Süss and Bastian Steger.

Still Players
Players in 1995 and coaches in 2007 but there are four players who were players in 1995 and are players in 2007; they are Austria’s Werner Schlager, the Czech Republic’s Petr Korbel plus the French duo of Patrick Chila and Christophe Legout.

Teams
Austria: Werner Schlager, Chen Weixing, Robert Gardos, Bernhard Presslmayer
China: Ma Lin, Wang Hao, Wang Liqin, Chen Qi
Czech Republic: Petr Korbel, Marek Klasek, Tomas Pavelka, Antonin Gavlas
France: Damien Eloi, Patrick Chila, Christophe Legout, Emmanuel Lebesson
Germany: Timo Boll, Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Christian Süss and Bastian Steger
Hong Kong: Li Ching, Ko Lai Chak, Cheung Yuk, Leung Chu Yan
Korea: Oh Sang Eun, Ryu Seung Min, Joo Se HYuk, Lee Jung Sam
Russia: Alexei Smirnov, Fedor Kuzmin, Kirill Skachkov, Mikhai Paykov

First Stage
Friday October 5, 2007
13.00 Group A: China vs Russia; Hong Kong vs France
13.00 Group B: Korea vs Czech Republic; Germany vs Austria
19.00 Group A: China vs Hong Kong; Russia vs France
19.00 Group B: Korea vs Germany; Czech Republic vs Austria

Saturday October 6, 2007
13.00 Group A: China vs France; Hong Kong vs Russia
13.00 Group B: Korea vs Austria; Germany vs Czech Republic

The teams finishing in first and second places in each group progress to the semi-finals.

Second Stage
Saturday October 6, 2007
19.00 Semi-Finals: 1st Group A vs 2nd Group B; 1st Group B vs 2nd Group A

Sunday October 7, 2007 14.00 Final