China Amazes Dubai To Win Both Men’s And Women’s World Team Cup Title

China confirmed their status as the best table tennis nation on earth, after winning both the Men’s and Women’s events at the 2015 ITTF World Team Cup, which concluded today in Dubai.

North Korea put up a close battle against the defending Chinese Team in the Women’s Team event. RI Mi Gyong and RI Myong Sun pushed their opponents, LIU Shiwen and ZHU Yuling, to their limits in the both of the first 2 sets of the Teams match.

RI Mi Gyong came back from 0-2 down against LIU in the first set to tie at 2-2, but lost the 5th decider (7-11,4-11, 12-10, 11-9. 9-11) in North Korea’s first appearance in the completion since 1991. The 24 year old shared “We have great memories from here and battled hard in the final. We had chances, but we could not quite do it. We will take inspiration from this event and use it as motivation to take our team forward in the future.”

Similar for North Korean defender RI Myong Sun, who was on track to cause a major upset against world number six ZHU Yuling. However ZHU’s class told in the overcoming RI 3-2 (7-11, 11-6, 9-11, 14-12, 11-5) to the delight of the Chiin the cheers of the crowd at the Al-Nasr Sports Club.

“My match was a big battle. I had to keep my patience and take my chances. I was surprised at her level. They are now a strong challenger to China. I am very happy that I have won my first World Team Cup, and I look forward to many more titles in the future.” shared ZHU who turned 20 yesterday.

DING Ning (CHN) who was named the 2014 Female Table Tennis Star at the DUBAI 2014 ITTF Star Awards held earlier in the week added “It was a tough match, tougher than we expected. I have to congratulate my team mates for winning their crucial matches to give us a 2-0 lead before I played the doubles. It was not easy for them, so I am proud of them. This event was a good chance to give our younger players such as ZHU Yuling a chance to play on the biggest stage and they did very well. This title means a lot to us.”

Grand slam winner LI Xiaoxia (CHN) claims her 5th World Team Cup title today despite not being able to play due to her knee injury, making her by far the most successful athlete in the history of World Team Cup.

In the Men’s Finals, the Chinese Men’s Team swept Team Austria 3-0 to claim the gold medal, without dropping a single game. This is Austria’s first ever Finals appearance and the first a European team has made it to the Finals since 1995.

ITTF World Team Cup

FAN Zhendong and ZHANG Jike overcame Daniel HABESOHN and Robert GARDOS respectively 3-0 in the opening two singles matches. FAN took the first set from HABESOHN (11-3, 11-5 , 11-8). World and Olympic Champion ZHANG Jike however, suffered a scare from Robert GARDOS when GARDOS came back from 2-8 down to level the score at 10-10 in the third game, ZHANG overcame GARDOS 11-7, 12-10, 12-10.

The dynamic duo of ZHANG Jike and XU Xin eventually ended Austria’s dream with a 3-0 (11-3, 11-7, 11-9) win over Austrian pair of Stefan FEGERL and Daniel HABESOHN.

Follow the match, a very satisfied XU Xin stated: “This victory means one more major world title for us, and of course means a lot to our team. The World Team Cup is similar to the Olympic Games in terms of the playing system, and this will probably be the last time we compete in this system before the Olympics hence this is a very valuable opportunity for us here. Austria did very well, we hope they continue to get stronger and push us harder next time.”

17 year old Youth Olympic Games Champion FAN Zhendong, who won his first World Team Cup title here added:

“We played well here in Dubai, and our results proves that our hard work and efforts have paid off well. However, we still cant let our guards down as competition is getting tougher internationally, other national teams are also training hard and getting stronger, so it’s important for us to train even harder to maintain our edge over the rest.”

The bronze medals for the Men’s Team event went to Germany and Chinese Taipei, while Singapore and Japan took home the Women’s Team bronze.

The table tennis world’s focus now turns to the start of the GAC Group 2015 World Tour, which kicks off in Hungary on 28 January 2015.

FEI Appoints Endurance Independent Governance Advisors

The FEI has named three Independent Governance Advisors (IGAs), with the first due to start work this weekend.

FEI 4* judge Roderick Fisher (GBR) will be the first IGA to attend an Endurance event in this new role, travelling to the CEI 3* Dubai (UAE) tomorrow, 10 January.

The IGAs were created following the recommendations of the Endurance Strategic Planning Group (ESPG). The IGAs will travel to CEIs and provide a detailed report to the FEI on the organisation of the competitions, the venue and the course, and the performance of the on-site officials. The IGA will also suggest areas for improvement if required.

The two other IGAs named by the FEI are Carlos Ponferrada (ESP) and Maurizio Stecco (ITA). The three Advisors have been appointed for a period of two years. In accordance with FEI Endurance Rules, during this period they cannot accept any other FEI officiating positions.

The IGAs will be travelling to selected events throughout the year.

“The FEI is diligently proceeding with the implementation of the recommendations made by the Endurance Strategic Planning Group,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos commented. “All three Independent Governance Advisors are highly experienced officials and I am confident that their input will be extremely valuable and will be beneficial for the entire discipline.”

ITTF World Team Cup Kick Starts 2015 in Dubai

The world’s best table tennis players have put away their suits and dresses from the ITTF Star Awards and picked up their rackets for the beginning of the 2015 ITTF World Team Cup starting today in Dubai.

The biennial event invites the top 12 teams, which are made up of six continental teams who qualified as champions of their respective Continental Championships, an additional five teams who finished highest positions at the ZEN-NOH 2014 World Team Table Tennis Championships, plus one team from the host nation United Arab Emirates.

Defending champions China are the favorites in both the men’s and women’s to retain the title, but world number one XU Xin is wary of the emerging Portuguese team:

“Potentially, Portugal will be strong,” he said. “Germany had won the European Championships many times, but last year Portugal won so this means something has changed.”

China’s five-man squad consists of the top four players from the current world rankings, making them the front-runners in the event, but XU said the favorite’s tag comes with responsibility.

China sees Portugal as their biggest threat for gold at the World Team Cup

“As long as you are playing on behalf of China, you are always under pressure,” he said. “We have won many times and could still feel the pressure not only in games, but also in our trainings. That makes us try harder to win the title.”

Along with Portugal, Egypt who made a fairytale run to the semi finals in 2013 will be looking for another strong performance along with Germany and Japan.

Newly crowned 2014 ITTF Female Table Tennis Star and world number one DING Ning will lead the Chinese women’s team’s quest for gold. This task will not be easy, with Singapore, Japan and Romania all vying to cause an upset.

The playing system at the World Team Cup is the same as the team event of the Olympic Games. Each team selects three players, that plays in two singles matches, then doubles, followed by reverse singles, with the first team to win three games winning the match.

The first stage of the competition is a round robin, with the 12 teams being split into four groups of three. The top two teams from each group will progress to the knockout quarter finals!

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Qualifiers’ Preparations Resumes In The UAE

Afghanistan, Ireland and Scotland have arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to participate in a triangular series, which will take place in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from 8 to 19 January, as part of their ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 preparations.

The series is part of the ICC’s High Performance Programme (HPP), which is targeted at assisting the qualifiers prepare for cricket’s pinnacle 50-over tournament.

Afghanistan and Scotland, who are in Pool A of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and will play each other in Dunedin on 26 February, will meet in the opening match of the tri-series on Thursday at the ICC Academy in a competition.

On Saturday, Afghanistan and Ireland will go head to head at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in a day/night fixture, which will start at 1400 (local time), while the same venue will host the final match of the first round between European rivals Ireland and Scotland. Spectator entry for all series matches is free of charge.

The series will be played in a double-league format, with each match carrying One-Day International (ODI) status.

Afghanistan, Ireland and Scotland completed the acclimatisation phase of their ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 preparations in Australia and New Zealand in September-October, and played a series of matches against local sides. Afghanistan played matches in Canberra, Perth and Tauranga and Perth, Ireland played games in Brisbane, Canberra, Christchurch, the Gold Coast and Hamilton, while Scotland played in Christchurch, Hobart and Maroochydore.

Looking ahead to the series, Scotland’s head coach Grant Bradburn said: “This series is obviously important for us to gain valuable match-time as we build towards February. The last few months have allowed the squad to hone our skills, whilst building a strong team environment.

“It’s going to be a great opportunity to test ourselves against Ireland and Afghanistan and I know the guys are itching to get out on the park.”

Ireland coach and former West Indies opener Phil Simmons also spoke about the importance of the series. “It’s a vital series as we look to fine-tune our preparations for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. The facilities and climate are first-class in Dubai, and it’s been a happy hunting ground for Irish cricket in recent years,” he said.

“We’ve just announced our World Cup 15, so there will be a lot of healthy competition within our squad to state their case for a place in the starting line-up.

“We’ve developed a great rivalry over the years with both Scotland and Afghanistan and I’m certain it’ll be a tough, keenly contested tri-series, and one which we’re all looking forward to,” he concluded.

Squads:

Afghanistan – Mohammad Nabi (captain), Nawroz Mangal, Asghar Stanikzai, Samiullah Shenwari, Afsar Zazai (wk), Najibullah Zadran, Nasir Jamal, Mirwais Ashraf, Gulbadin Naib, Hamid Hassan, Shapoor Zadran, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Javed Ahmadi, Usman Ghani, Izatullah Dawlatzai and Hasmatullah Shahidi.

Ireland – William Porterfield (Captain), Andrew Balbirnie, Peter Chase, Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Ed Joyce, Andrew McBrine, John Mooney, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson, Gary Wilson and Craig Young.

Scotland – Preston Mommsen (captain), Hamish Gardiner, Matthew Machan, Josh Davey, Rob Taylor, Calum Macleod, Matthew Cross, Iain Wardlaw, Ali Evans, Gavin Main, Freddie Coleman, Richie Berrington, Kyle Coetzer, Michael Leask, Majid Haq and Saffy Sharif.

Series schedule

Thursday, 8 Jan – Scotland v Afghanistan, ICC Academy 1, Dubai (0930-1715)
Saturday, 10 Jan – Ireland v Afghanistan, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai (1400-2145)
Monday, 12 Jan – Ireland v Scotland, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai (1400-2145)
Wednesday, 14 Jan – Afghanistan v Scotland, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi (1400-2145)
Saturday, 17 Jan – Afghanistan v Ireland, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai (0930-1715)
Monday, 19 Jan – Scotland v Ireland, ICC Academy 1, Dubai (0930-1715)

Afghanistan, Ireland and Scotland go head to head in a triangular ODI series from Thursday; live scoring will be available at http://www.icc-cricket.com

Quadri Is World’s Table Tennis Player Of The Year

From Dubai in United Arab Emirates (UAE) came another accolade for Nigeria as Aruna Quadri has been named the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Star Player of the year at the award ceremony held on Wednesday.

At the colourful award ceremony held at the Armani Hotel, Quadri claimed two awards ahead of players from Asia and Europe to get standing ovation from the guests that graced the occasion.

Aruna Quadri with other award winners during the ITTF Star Awards at the Armani Hotel at Burj Khalifa on January 7, 2015 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The world’s number 30 ranked player was adjudged the best male player beating world number one, China’s Xu Xin and his compatriot, Fan Zhendong, who is the 2014 Youth Olympic Games gold medallist as well as Portugal’s Marcos Freitas, who is the 2014 European Team Championships winner and the first Portuguese player to be ranked top 10 in the world.

Also, Quadri’s crucial winning point against Olympics and World Champion, Jan Zhike of China at the 2014 ITTF World Cup was adjudged the best in the Star Point category at the second edition of the award.

An elated Quadri described yesterday’s award as the best in his career, while acknowledging the support he got globally from table tennis fans.

Quadri has moved from number 237 to number 30 in just nine months.

“This is the best day of my career and I want to thank the organizers for considering me for this. I also want to thank all my fans all over the world for their support because this is unbelievable for me and I promise to continue to work hard,” he said.

For the female star player of the year, China’s Ding Ning, 2014 ITTF Women’s World Cup winner and world number one defeated Feng Tianwei of Singapore, Kasumi Ishikawa of Japan and China’s Liu Shiwen, 2014 Asian Games champion to the award.

Other awards won at the ceremony include Para male star, para female star, star coach and fair play star of the year.

Aruna Quadri recieving is NSA2014 Award

The ITTF Star Awards is the official awards ceremony organised by ITTF since 2013. It is the most prestigious award aimed at recognising, honouring and celebrating the stars of table tennis, the athletes who have made table tennis their passion, career and life.

All the nominees for the awards attended the night of glitz and glamour, as athletes dressed up in their finest for the Awards Night.

Aruna Quadri during the ITTF Star Awards at the Armani Hotel at Burj Khalifa on January 7, 2015 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Table Tennis Stars To Be Honored At World’s Tallest Building Today

Tensions are building in Dubai, with the second edition of the ITTF Star Awards just one day away!

The DUBAI 2014 ITTF Star Awards will take place at the Armani Hotel, at the base of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, which is a fitting location to honor the world’s best players on 7 January 2015.

There will be seven awards handed out to the world’s best players:

Male Table Tennis Star presented by Ping Pong Dubai
Female Table Tennis Star presented by Nittaku
Male Para Table Tennis Star presented by Tinsue
Female Para Table Tennis Star presented by Stag International
Table Tennis Star Point presented by DHS
Table Tennis Star Coach presented by Butterfly
Fair Play Star

Who will be crowned the 2014 Table Tennis Star’s in a night of glitz & glamour in Dubai?

Check out the list of Male and Female Table Tennis Star nominees here: http://bit.ly/1BX1K1x and the rest of the award nominees here: http://bit.ly/1KhRXFL.

The winners, who will be announced tomorrow, are determined by the Fans’ votes, combined with judging by an expert panel, including their peers and members of the media.

At the Armani Hotel, all eyes will be on who will be the Male and Female Table Tennis Stars!

As last year’s winners ZHANG Jike (CHN) and LI Xiaoxia (CHN) were not nominated, two new players will definitely emerge as the 2014 Table Tennis stars.

Will the African sensation Quadri ARUNA (NGR) be able to beat the more established stars of XU Xin (CHN), FAN Zhendong (CHN) and Marcos FREITAS (POR) to make history for Africa?

Will three World Tour victories for FENG Tianwei (SIN) be enough to overcome the strong competition from the other female table tennis star nominees of Kasumi ISHIKAWA (JPN), DING Ning (CHN) and LIU Shiwen (CHN)?

The 2014 edition will include two new awards; the Table Tennis Star Coach, and the Fair Play Star, which rewards an act of Fair Play in the 2014 season.

Watch all the action LIVE on ITTF’s YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcXOmZYw8IM and on ITTF.com/itTV.

To calm the nerves, the top Chinese table tennis players XU Xin, MA Long, ZHANG Jike, DING Ning, LIU Shiwen and LI Xiaoxia joined the huge crowds gathered at Dubai Mall today to play at the inaugural Ping Pong Dubai Festival. The Dubai-sponsored Chinese National Table Tennis Team were the star attraction of the Festival, hosting master classes and meeting fans during the one-day event at Dubai Ice Rink.

After the glitzy ITTF Star Awards and fun-filled Ping Pong Dubai Festival, it is back to competitions at the 2015 ITTF World Team Cup, where 12 top National teams will be fighting for the prestigious title of World Team Cup champions, from 8 to 11 January 2015 at the Al Nasr Sports Club in Dubai.

Pinnick Orders Eduok Out Of Eagles’ Camp

President of Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick has ordered Dolphins FC of Port Harcourt star Emem Eduok out of the camp of Super Eagles’ B, preparing for two international friendly matches in the United Arab Emirates.

“We are not happy with the cloud of controversy over his transfer issue and it is a terrible distraction to the team and Nigeria football generally.

Emem Eduok, Dolphins

“Telling him to leave the camp does not mean we are indicting him. We will carry out an investigation and whoever is found guilty, be he/she an agent or player manager or an official of his club, will be duly sanctioned,” Pinnick said at the NFF Secretariat in Abuja.

The NFF President has mandated the Chairman of Technical and Development Committee, Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu to conduct an investigation into the matter and report back to the Executive Committee at its meeting in Lagos on Thursday.

“We have to do this (send the boy out of camp) to serve as a deterrent to others. We are not blaming the player for anything yet; investigation will unravel who is guilty. But the distraction and controversy the matter has generated is not good for the camp.”

The Super Eagles B are preparing to face 2015 Africa Cup of Nations–bound Cote d’Ivoire in a friendly in Abu Dhabi on Sunday and will then play Sudan in Dubai on January 17.

Egypt Will Not Stop Us In Cairo, Nigeria’s Quadri Insists

With few hour into the New Year and few weeks to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa Senior Championships, the rivalry between Nigeria and Egypt will again resume in Cairo come January 23 to 29 and Nigeria’s hope, Aruna Quadri has opened up on his intentions to lead the battle against the Egyptians just like he did during the 2014 ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup where he defeated Egypt’s duo of Omar Assar and El-Sayed Lashin to clinch the title.

The Portugal-based player said in this interview that he is hopeful that Nigeria will halt the North Africans dominance. However, the Oyo State-born athlete also appealed to the Director General, National Sports Commission (NSC), Gbenga Elegbeleye and Minister of Sports, Tammy Danagogo to ensure that funds are provided for the team to be part of the tournament, which also serves as qualifiers for the 2015 World Championship in China.

Quadri Aruna Team Nigeria Table Tennis Squad member at Glasgow 2014

1. What are you looking forward to in Egypt?

As a member of the Nigerian team, I am looking forward to a better outing in Cairo. Egypt has been ruling Africa for years now and our men and women’s team are looking forward to stopping the Egyptians dominance. I have never won the African championships individual event in my career and winning it will make me happy in January and I seriously believed it’s possible and God will help me as am working harder for the war in Cairo.

2. Egypt has been dominating the tournament in the last five years, do you think Nigeria can halt the reign of the Egyptians?

Yes it’s true and I seriously believe that their dominance will end this month.
It’s not going to be easy for any team to defeat them due to the quality of players their team has got but it’s very possible if our team has the needed support.
Meanwhile, Tunisians and Algerians including the Congo Brazzaville are not walk over matches but we see these teams as a lesser threat to our campaign in Cairo next year.

3. How ready are Nigerian players for the tournament?

We are all ready for the war in Cairo due to the fact that everyone knows what’s at stake and we will all fight to retain our lost glory in Africa this time. Our federation has been working hard and this is the right time to compensate the great efforts of our federation president and members.
Just like we put a smile on his face at commonwealth games, we are all working harder as a team to make him the happiest man in January in Cairo and may God help us more than our imagination.

Aruna Quadri of Nigeria in action

4. Egypt’s Lashin is the men’s single champion, are you targeting the title?

As a matter of fact, the title with Lashin is still eluding me in Africa and winning it will make me fulfilled a little bit just like the way am targeting African games title that was won by Lashin’s compatriot Omar Assar in Maputo and winning the games individual title as well this year will make me fully fulfilled in Africa and it’s very possible with hard work.

5. How prepared are you for the competition?

I think I will be well prepared for the tournament, after the ITTF Star Awards in Dubai, I am going straight to Porto to join my team mates and practice for two weeks in the same venue that I prepared for the World Cup. Presently everyone is on holidays but I am not on holidays fully as am running day after day to keep fit and I wish myself and the entire team members best of the best of luck in our careers.

DAMAC Properties Announce Tiger Woods Design to Create Golf Course for ‘AKOYA Oxygen’

‘Trump World Golf Club Dubai’, 18-Hole Championship Course will be designed by Tiger Woods

Golfing superstar Tiger Woods will design the new 18-hole championship golf course in Dubai to be built by luxury real estate developers, DAMAC Properties (http://www.damacproperties.com) and operated by The Trump Organization.

Set within the 55 million sq ft master community of AKOYA Oxygen, the ‘Trump World Golf Club, Dubai’ will include a state-of-the-art clubhouse, world-class restaurant and pro shop. The course will be situated at the heart of the development, with some of the highest premium, residential developments in Dubai overlooking the course.

“Tiger Woods is one of the most famous and iconic sportsmen in the world who will bring his design expertise and worldwide playing experience to this amazing development,” said Ziad El Chaar, Managing Director, DAMAC Properties. “Add to that the golfing prowess and skills of The Trump Organisation, our leadership position in luxury real estate development, with the global appeal of Dubai, we believe The Trump World Golf Club Dubai, designed by Tiger Woods, will be a market leader, judged against the best golf courses in the world.”

Tiger Woods

“Bringing Tiger Woods to Dubai is a testament to the luxury and quality that can be anticipated at AKOYA Oxygen – where fashion meets the outdoors, and green really is the new black.”

Woods has already gained a strong reputation for golf course design, with projects underway in Mexico and the United States. His first course to open for play will be El Cardonal in Mexico, which is scheduled to open before the end of the year.

In reference to the style of course that he is creating, Woods said: “I’ve been fortunate to play great golf courses all over the globe, from the original links courses in Scotland to the famous parkland courses in America and the distinctive layouts on the sandbelt of Australia. I hope to bring elements of those great courses and others to the Trump World Golf Club Dubai with the end result being a course that golfers will want to play again and again.”

Tiger Woods

Woods has won 14 Majors in golf, second only to Jack Nicklaus, and is one of the most iconic sportsmen ever to grace the game. The two-time winner of the Dubai Desert Classic (2006 & 2008), who had previously looked at the opportunity to design a course in Dubai, is now returning to realize that dream.

He has won a total of 105 tournaments, 79 of those on the PGA TOUR, including four Masters Tournaments, four PGA Championships, three U.S. Open Championships, and three British Open Championships. With his second Masters victory in 2001, Woods became the first player ever to hold all four professional major championships at the same time.

“I can’t wait to see this stunning project come to life,” added Woods. “Dubai is fast becoming one of the most influential golfing destinations in the world, both for the professional game and for amateurs looking to enjoy the great weather, great courses and amazing lifestyle.”

“We plan to create a distinct and memorable golf course that players of all abilities find enjoyable,” he added. “I am very much looking forward to adding to the great courses of Dubai.”

Site preparation work on the Trump World Golf Club Dubai is already underway, with the course due to open by the end of 2017.

This will be the Trump Organization’s 18th golf property in the world and marks the second world-class course in Dubai with DAMAC Properties.

“Tiger Woods is the biggest name in professional golf,” said Mr. Donald J. Trump, Chairman & President of The Trump Organization. “His expertise comes from winning on every great course in the world, including his win at the WGC – Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral, Miami. Tiger will be a tremendous asset in developing the course at the Trump World Golf Club, Dubai – and together, with DAMAC Properties, we will be doing something very special.”

The Trump World Golf Club, Dubai will anchor the AKOYA Oxygen master community that is located just off the Umm Suqeim road extension and less than 15 minutes from AKOYA by DAMAC.

AKOYA Oxygen will showcase the greenest living spaces in Dubai with parklands, green open spaces and private gardens. The development will include luxury living experiences in a lush, peaceful environment.

Established in 2002, DAMAC has delivered almost 12,000 units to date and currently has a development portfolio of over 39,000 units at various stages of progress and planning as of September 30th 2014, which includes over 10,000 hotel rooms and serviced hotel apartments.

Dubai 2014 ITTF Star Awards Nominees Released

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is excited to announce the nominees for the Male & Female Table Tennis Star Awards to be crowned at the Dubai 2014 ITTF Star Awards in Dubai on 7 January 2015.

The 2nd edition of the ITTF Star Awards will take place at the Armani Hotel, at the base of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, which is a fitting location to honor the world’s best players.

Male & Female Table Tennis Star Awards to be crowned at the Dubai 2014 ITTF Star Awards in Dubai on 7 January 2015.

Click above to watch the official Dubai 2014 ITTF Star Awards promotional video.

The nominees in the running to be crowned the 2014 Male’s & Female’s Table Tennis Star Awards are:

Male Table Tennis Star presented by Ping Pong Dubai, as nominated by the ITTF Athletes’ Commission:

Quadri ARUNA (NGR)-World number 30, highest ranked African player of the last 30 years.

FAN Zhendong (CHN)– 2014 Youth Olympic Games winner, World number 3.

Marcos FREITAS (POR) -2014 European Team Table Tennis Championships winner, first Portuguese player to be ranked top 10 in the World.

XU Xin (CHN)– 2013 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals & 2014 Asian Games winner, World number 1.

Nomination video:http://youtu.be/_CW-Vt_eacs.

Female Table Tennis Star presented Nittaku, as nominated by the ITTF Athletes’ Commission:

DING Ning (CHN)– 2014 ITTF Women’s World Cup winner, World number 1.

FENG Tianwei (SIN)-Won 3 World Tour events in 2014, World number 4.

Kasumi ISHIKAWA (JPN)-Leader of Japanese National Team, Silver medalist at the 2014 World Team Table Tennis Championships, World number 6.

LIU Shiwen (CHN)– 2013 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals & 2014 Asian Games winner, World number 2.

Nomination video:http://youtu.be/edOQyE0hiwM.

Fans can now vote for their star player of 2014 at ITTFStarAwards.com. Voting will end on 17 December 2014.

Fans’ votes will be combined with judging by an expert panel, including their peers and the media to determine the Table Tennis Stars of 2014!

In addition to the Men’s and Women’s Stars, an additional five awards will be handed in Dubai:

Para Male Table Tennis Star presented by Tinsue

Para Female Table Tennis Star presented by Stag International

Table Tennis Star Point presented by DHS

Table Tennis Star Coach presented by Butterfly

Fair Play Star

South Africa Win Back Africa Rugby Sevens Crown

South Africa’s academy side beats Kenya’s second string in Harare to reclaim the CAR Africa sevens title.

South Africa’s sevens academy side scored a confidence-boosting regional victory at the CAR Africa 7s to underline the country’s strength in depth ahead of the upcoming rounds of the HSBC Sevens World Series in Dubai and South Africa.

In doing so, the side won back Africa’s sevens crown at the Prince Edward School in Harare, which was won by Kenya in 2013.

Featuring seasoned veterans such as Chris Dry and Steven Hunt, South Africa’s second string went unbeaten in the tournament and beat Kenya’s Shujaa in the final 38-5.

Both nations topped their respective pools and went on to reach the final with respective wins over hosts Zimbabwe, 19-12 and Tunisia, 29-5. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, ensured that the home Harare fans went home happy with a morale-boosting 41-5 win against Tunisia to finish third.

Pool A standings: 1 South Africa (academy), 2 Tunisia, 3 Madagascar, 4 Senegal, 5 Zambia, 6 Botswana
Pool B standings: 1 Kenya (Shujaa), 2 Zimbabwe, 3 Namibia, 4 Uganda, 5 Nigeria, 6 Ivory Coast

South Africa win back Africa Rugby sevens crown

Blitzboks head for Dubai

On the same day their countrymen regained regional bragging rights, Neil Powell’s Blitzbok senior side embarked on the journey to Dubai for the Emirates Dubai Sevens, round 2 of the world series.

Two notable inclusions are Kyle Brown and Rayno Benjamin, pictured. Brown has recovered from the injury he suffered at the Commonwealth Games, while Benjamin was part of the world series-winning side in 2008/09 and his inclusion signals South Africa’s intent in this Olympic qualifying season.

Final ranking CAR Africa Sevens, Harare, Zimbabwe

1. South Africa (academy)
2. Kenya (Shujaa)
3. Zimbabwe
4. Tunisia
5. Namibia
6. Uganda
7. Madagascar
8. Senegal
9. Zambia
10. Botswana
11. Nigeria
12. Ivory Coast

Ntiense Williams,

Swimming World Cup: Mastbank (Russia) is the new title sponsor in 2014

The FINA President Dr. Julio C. Maglione was today in Moscow (RUS) to sign an agreement with Russian commercial bank MASTBANK, which becomes the title sponsor of the 2014 edition of the FINA Swimming World Cup.

“We are very happy to establish this partnership, which confirms and consolidates the value of the FINA Swimming World Cup. Besides the World Championships and Olympic Games, this is our main swimming yearly competition, with the participation of great athletes”, considered Dr. Julio C. Maglione.

From the side of Mastbank, the Chairman of its Executive Board Alexey Vlasenko also highlighted this opportunity: “We are very proud to be associated with FINA and with this prestigious event. We look forward to a long-term partnership for the benefit of Aquatics and its athletes worldwide”, said Mr. Vlasenko, also member of the FINA Technical Diving Committee.

The calendar of the 2014 edition of the FINA/Mastbank Swimming World Cup includes seven legs distributed on three clusters. The kick-off of the series will take place in Doha (QAT) on August 27-28, and the World Cup will successively visit Dubai (UAE), Hong Kong (HKG), Moscow (RUS), Beijing (CHN), Tokyo (JPN), and Singapore (SIN), the final stop on November 1-2.

FINA President Dr. Julio Maglione and Mastbank Executive Board Chairman Alexey Vlasenko

The 2014 FINA/Mastbank Swimming World Cup series will see swimmers challenging for almost US$ 2 million in prize money, making the series the world’s richest swimming circuit. Moreover, World Records are also worth a reward to our best swimmers.

Over the years, the FINA Swimming World Cup has become a major milestone in the international 25m-pool swimming calendar, gathering some of the biggest FINA stars, including the 2013 World Cup men’s and women’s champions: Chad Le Clos (RSA) and Katinka Hosszu (HUN).

This year, the competition will have an additional value: it will give a precious indication on the world hierarchy before the main event of the year, the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m), to be staged in Doha (QAT) from December 3-7.

FINA Swimming World Cup 2014

FULL CALENDAR

August 27-28 Doha (QAT)

August 31 – September 1 Dubai (UAE)

September 29-30 Hong Kong (HKG)

October 4-5 Moscow (RUS)

October 24-25 Beijing (CHN)

October 28-29 Tokyo (JPN)

November 1-2 Singapore (SIN)

fina.org