Preview and how to watch Ma Long, Chen Meng, Fan Zhendong and others

Can anyone dethrone China this year? That’s the big question on the 2022 ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finalwhich take place from September 30th to October 9th in the southwest Chinese city Cheng you.

It’s the long-awaited return of the World Team Championships after the 2020 edition was lost to the global Covid pandemic, and it’s the only other major international sport competition after the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics to be hosted in China this year. Athletes and participating officials go through the same “closed loop” system used during the Winter Olympics.

Some 33 men and 29 women’s teams will be fighting for two of the sport’s oldest trophies, the gossiping and Corbillon mug. Hosts China, traditionally dominant in table tennis, are defending champions in both men’s and women’s tournaments and have named strong teams to defend the titles.

Discover all about the 56th edition of the Championships below.

Teams and players to be featured at the 2022 World Table Tennis Team Championships

Not surprising, China are big favorites to win both cups. The country has won every event 21 timesand can count on the best players in the world as part of their squad.

Chinese teams won 11 of the last 12 men The crowning glory of the World Team Championship dates back to the 1995 World Championships in Tianjin, with the streak only broken once, by Sweden in 2000. They also won 20 of the last 22 women Titles since he won gold in Kolkata in 1975, losing only twice in the final in that time – in 1991 to a united Korean team and in 2010 to Singapore.

This year, both teams will be called up to the top five Chinese players in the world, including the reigning Olympic singles champions Mom Long and Chen Mengand current number 1 in the world Fan Zhendong and Sun Yingsha.

Men’s Team World Championship Preview

Along with Ma and Fan on the Chinese men’s list, is number 3 in the world Liang Jinkunworld number 11 Wang Chuqinand number 12 in the world Lin Gaoyuan. It’s a fearsome fiver that will take a beating.

It will be difficult for other sides to beat the favorites on home soil and traditional European powerhouses for the men Germany are a surprise.

While single European champion Dang Qiu The team is led, the numbers 10, 13 and 15 in the world were Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Patrick Franziska and Timo Boll boisterous. Instead, Ricardo Walther, Benedikt Duda and the youngsters Kay Stumper and Fanbo Meng form the team. That means Germany – silver medalists in four of the last five editions (2010, 2012, 2014 and 2018) – could face a tough task to make it to the final again.

That could open the door for teams like Sweden – which has produced the last two silver medalists at World Individual Championships Truls Möregårdh (world number 6) and Matthew Falkwho are both on the team this year – or Chinese Taipei with the young upstart Lin Yun Ju (World No. 7) along with a 41-year veteran Chuang Chih-yuan.

Other perennial contenders such as Japan and South Korea seem to be in the midst of change, similar to Germany. Japan will call number 4 in the world Harimoto Tomokazu, only 19 years old himself, an inexperienced team with their next best player, the world number 44. Togami Shunsuke to lead. Korea, meanwhile, is ranked 17th in the world Jang Woojin at the top of their squad, but there is no place in the team for Lim Jonghoon, 19th, and Lee Sangsu, 26th.

Can Brazil finally surprise? The Pan-American team champion starts with a team of three with the world number 5 Hugo Calderano as an anchor.

Women’s Team World Cup Preview

Sun Yingsha, Chen Meng, Wang Manyuand Wang Yidi are the top four in the world and all will represent China at the women’s event alongside world No. 13 Chen Xingtongcompleting a loaded lineup.

The biggest challenge for China will probably be Japan – Silver medalist at the last three World Team Championships in 2014, 2016 and 2018. It speaks to the strength of Japan’s women’s program that even with world No. 9 Ishikawa Kasumi left out of selection, teams will find it difficult to tap the out. Japan has ranked No. 5 in the world Hayata Hina and 6th place Ito Mima leading a team that includes the 15th Kihara Miyu.

Germany will calculate their chances of reaching the semifinals – and a guaranteed bronze medal – for the first time since 2010. Sabina WintersShe’s back – and has the backing of the world number 8 Yin Han and world number 14 Nina Mittelhamwith place 20 Xiaona Shan also in a strong team.

Hong Kong, Chinalead by Doo Hoi Kem, was last a bronze medalist in 2018 and will also go deep into the tournament. Also keep an eye out for possible surprises – Puerto Rico can count on number 11 in the world, Adriana Diazwhile Egypt have named the 14-year-old phenomenon Hana Goda at your side.

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Format of the 2022 ITTF World Team Championships Final

For the first time at a World Team Championship, the ITTF is new final format – introduced at the 2021 World Championships in singles and doubles – will be used.

Previously, the World Team Championships were held in a divisional format, with 24 teams making up each tier and divisions decided on a promotion and world rankings basis.

However, with the new game format, teams other than the hosts had to qualify through regional and continental events. Due to the ongoing pandemic and restrictions, not all of the 40 qualified teams have taken their place this year.

The 33 men’s and 29 women’s teams are drawn seven male and six female groups for single-round robin matches, with group winners and runners-up advancing to the straight knockout rounds. The best third-place teams also qualify for the make 16 teams in the knockout phase.

Each game consists of Best-of-five single gums to play Best of Five Games, without playing doubles. However, each team may nominate only three players per game.

No bronze medal match will be played; Both defeated semi-finalist teams win bronze.

History of the World Team Championships in table tennis

The World Team Championships have existed since the first World Championships in London in 1926, when there was a men’s team competition alongside singles and doubles competitions.

This tournament is named after Baroness Swaythling who donated the trophy for the inaugural event. Hungary has won eight of the first nine Swaythling Cups and ranks second behind China in the all-time tally with 12 titles.

An equivalent women’s competition was not held in Paris until 1934, with the French federation donating the trophy, named after its then-president, Marcel Corbillon.

Team events were part of every World Championship until 1997 when they were split into individual and team events. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia hosted the first World Team Championships in 2000, while Osaka, Japan hosted the last Combined World Championships a year later.

Including the canceled 2020 edition, Chengdu will be the 11th standalone World Team Championship.

2022 ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals: Schedule and How to Watch

A full fixture list is expected to be available after the group draw on Wednesday 28th September.

Round robins will take place from Friday 30th September to Tuesday 4th October.

The knockout stages begin on Wednesday 5th October with the women’s final on Saturday 8th October and the men’s final on Sunday 9th October.

The games will be shown worldwide by the ITTF’s broadcasting partners and are also expected to be available on the World Table Tennis live stream.