China's 24 year old Cao Zhen added to her list of successes by retaining her Mixed Doubles title at GAC GROUP 2011 World Table Tennis Championships.

The Chinese domination in world table tennis the last fifty or so years has not occurred by chance, nor does it have anything to do with world wonders. It’s the mass that does it. The breeding-ground of talent is inexhaustible; the good, the better, the best rise automatically to the surface. Nothing is left to chance to fish for a new number one if necessary.

Despite all support from the Ahoy stands and via the numerous Twitter messages Li Jiao has not succeeded

It ‘s getting busier and more crowded in the stands in Ahoy. I’m  sitting in section DC in the first tier of the arena. If you take time to look around you,  you realise what a nice event this is. Perhaps even more special than you thought. Really un-Dutch. Or is this is being a little unfair?

 
With five new members the International Table Tennis Federation has grown into
the second largest sports association in the world. After the application of

Jean-Michel Saive is the new record holder in the number of participations in world table tennis championships. The 41 year old Belgian player beat his Scottish opponent Gavin Rumgay.

Adham Sharara is very generous in giving compliments when asked about his experience with the WTTC in Rotterdam. “This is one of the best tournaments ever held” said the ITTF President.

On the first Sunday of the tournament, two pigeons were flying around in Hall 1.

The technique works, on all fronts. The live scoring system, which is being used in the World Table Tennis Championships for the first time, was tested extensively on Saturday.

The Manhattan Hotel Rotterdam is ready for the World Table Tennis Championships. As official tournament hotel The Manhattan Hotel Rotterdam will host all tournament officials and most athletes of the event which will take place in the Rotterdam Ahoy Indoor Arena, May 8-15.

There is no question that China starts as favourites to conclude the GAC GROUP 2011 World Table Tennis Championships in Rotterdam on Sunday 12th May 2011 with the most medals.

The 2011 GAC GROUP
The Rotterdam World Table Tennis Championships  can count on a great deal of television coverage. NOS, the host broadcaster, will provide a daily report on the Championships taking place from 8 to 15 May in Rotterdam.

One of the most prominent companies in the Chinese car industry, the GAC GROUP, will be the title sponsor for the forthcoming World Championships, to be staged in Rotterdam from Sunday 8th to Sunday 15th May and for the 2013 World Team Cup.

On Wednesday 23 March 2011 I got into the train from Veenendaal  to Rotterdam. Not for a tourist day-trip, wandering through this fine city and visiting Blijdorp or the Euromast. No; I was going on a “working visit”. Our Queen and her ministers do this fairly regularly; why, then, shoudn’t I? I’d asked my wife to join me so that we could first wander through the city and stop for coffee at an open-air café somewhere. 

Mirjam Hooman and I won our first bronze medals in Gothenburg in 1985, with Jan Vlieg as our coach. Our second in New Delhi, India, two years later. New Delhi was such an absurd World Championships, with terrible scenes of hopelessness outside the hall, and stomach cramps inside the hall, that it still remains engraved in my memory. Nevertheless, now with Gerard Bakker as our coach, we again reached the semi-final of the ladies’ team championship.

During a splendid winter sport holiday in Austria you should be worrying about the green slopes; however, my main concern, once again, was table tennis. The subject came up during a splendid après-ski discussion while I was drinking my favourite drink. That’s right – with a slice of lemon, a stamper and without the blocks of ice.

We've just had a busy table tennis weekend once again, and I'm standing in the kitchen on Monday morning recovering. Well, actually, I'm sunk deep in thought.

Surely it won't be long now before they start telephoning or knocking at the door: the player brokers in table tennis circles.

Table tennis can make you rich!

The on-line system for final entries for the World Championships, to be staged in Rotterdam from Sunday 8th to Sunday 15th May 2011, is now fully operational. 

Preliminary entries concluded on Thursday 27th January 2011, the date on which final entries officially began. 

A total of 113 associations returned Preliminary Entry Forms, which will no doubt increase; the preliminary form being an intent to enter as opposed to a confirmation. An association who did not submit a preliminary entry form may submit a Final Entry Form.

On Friday 12 February I was driving from Veenendal to the National Sports Centre, Papendal, in Arnhem. This was the venue for the first qualifying tournament for men and women for the World Championships; both winners would be able to participate. The Netherlands Table Tennis Association (NTTB) in Zoetermeer had sent out a call for help. Why not? Arnhem’s not very far away really. When I drove onto the campus, I saw a large board. This displays digitally how many days it is to the Olympic Games in London. I quickly calculated how many days it was to go before the first ball would be struck in Ahoy. Roughly speaking around eighty days. Not long at all.

What you’re about to read is a confession. An admission of guilt. My behaviour in the table tennis hall is often quite unacceptable. First and foremost, though: I lovingly bring my son to training and tournaments. This is not a sacrifice. I’m glad to do it. I say hello to the people at the club and sometimes chat to them.

During the 1979 world Championships in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, China no longer gave a single table tennis match away intentionally. On the last day the Korean lady defender Li Song Buk was forced to submit to the material player He Xinai in front of her home supporters, twenty thousand screaming North Koreans.

In the past few weeks I've watched several live broadcasts of gymnastics and korfball. Location: the Indoor Arena, Ahoy. The stands were packed full, to the last seat. The audience empathised passionately with the phenomenal sport performances being realised before their eyes. And of course there was the requisite fine orange team clothing to enhance our national feeling further.

On 6 and 7 May the 2011 WTTC organisation will host the 12th International
Table Tennis Federation Sports Science Congress.

The ticket sales will start on the 15^th of October. As of this day tickets can be bought via  our website...

During the EC in Ostrava the Dutch women won the European Championship for the third time in a row...

My thoughts go back to 1991. The Maaspoort in Den Bosch was the venue for the European Top 12. The annual top event we simply had to attend. My clubmates at Tornado 74 from Ten Boer were of the same mind...

During the second weekend of the 2011 WTTC in Rotterdam, a Dutch Open for Disabled Players will be organised. Currently the preparations are advancing. Early July, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has agreed that it will be a factor 40 tournament...

In the run-up to the 2011 World Table Tennis Championships in Rotterdam, there will be regular columns on this website by people who have a connection with the World Championships such as top sportsmen and sportswomen, managers, journalists, club ambassadors and volunteers involved in the organization. People who, from their own point of view, will tell something about these Championships, the largest table tennis event that The Netherlands has ever organized.

From 8 – 15 May 2011 the World Table Tennis Championships (individual) (WTTC) will be held in Rotterdam. Ahoy Rotterdam has been chosen as venue for this international sports event. More than 700 athletes from over 120 countries are expected to come to Rotterdam to compete for the five world titles.

ITTF-president Adham SHARARA signed the contract for the 2011 World Table Tennis Championships in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Saturday the signature was made in the presence of all members of the ITTF Executive Committee and mrs. Erica TERPSTRA, president of The Netherlands Olympic Committee.