Olympic champion Ma, Chen to compete

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Updated: February 8, 2023 at 11:44 p.m IS

Panaji (Goa)[India]Feb 8 (ANI): Table tennis (TT) legend and reigning Olympian Ma Long and current women’s Olympian Chen Meng, both from China, are among the top stars of the sports world to descend on India for the World Table Tennis (WTT) Star Contender Goa, from February 27 to 5. March. The tournament will be played at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium.
The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), the parent body of the sport in India, is also a supporting partner of the tournament. The WTT Star Contender Goa is the highest level of TT ever seen in India where the sport’s biggest global superstars will be seen in action.
The 34-year-old Ma, widely regarded as the greatest to ever play the game, is a two-time Olympic champion, and his compatriot and rival Fan Zhendong, the current world champion and world number one, will join the company. in the men’s singles, where Indian TT legend Sharath Kamal and Sathiyan Gnansekaran will also challenge. Other leading lights in the men’s game include Japan’s world number four Tomakazu Harimoto and Sweden’s Truls Moregard sixth, Chinese Taipei’s world number one Lin Yun-Ju and Slovenia’s Darko Jorgic.
In the women’s series, in addition to Chen, her compatriot and world number one Sun Yingsha has confirmed her participation, as well as Japan’s Hina Hayata, Japan’s world number eight Kasumi Ishikawa, Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem and China’s world number nine. world ranking 10. Ying Han from Germany. India’s number one and world number 34 Manika Batra will also try to give them a run for their money on home turf.
World Table Tennis (WTT) has recently released the men’s and women’s singles entry list for the tournament.

Expresses his views on the matter WTT Star Contender Goa, Manika Batra said, “Playing my first World Table Tennis event in Goa will be a great experience. It’s always an honor to play in front of the home crowd and I can’t wait to hear them cheering us all on. We hope to make them proud.”
India’s men’s singles is led by world-ranked 41st Sathiyan, who won men’s singles bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last year and was also part of India’s gold medal-winning men’s team event with a silver. in the men’s doubles series.
“I am excited to play my first WTT Series event in India. The field is incredibly strong so all the matches will be tough. I hope as many fans as possible will come to support us in Goa,” said Sathiyan. publication of the list.
Sathiyan is followed by the legendary and evergreen Sharath Kamal Achanta. Sharath, a gold medalist in the men’s singles, mixed doubles and men’s team events at Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022 in Birmingham and currently ranked 47th in the world, adds stealth and power to India’s challenge.
Some other Indian names like Sreeja Akula, who is the reigning national women’s singles and doubles champion, will compete in the qualifiers with other Indian paddlers, e.g. Reeth Teenison, Diya Chitale, Swastika Ghosh, Harmeet Desai and Sanil Shetty and many others are trying to grab a spot in the main draw of the pageant.
Along with global and Indian superstars, the tournament will also see many top international players competing in India for the first time. Some of the top names include Yukiya Uda, 2018 Asian Games bronze medalist Lee San-Su and CWG 2022 silver medalist Liam Pitchford in the men’s singles. Jeon Jihee, Liu Weishan, Shin Yubin and 2022 Tokyo Olympics women’s team silver medalist Miu Hirano will compete in the women’s singles draw. (LETTER I)