04/02/2013       World Team Classic

Team spirit wins matches, team spirit wins close matches.

Is that not the reason why Egypt excelled expectations at the Times Property World Team Classic which concluded in Guangzhou on Sunday 31st March 2013?

Was it not their unity, the sense of togetherness that tipped the scales in their favour at the crucial stages?

The bronze medal set new standards for Egypt, new standards for Africa and created a moment of history; a fact that has been recognised nationwide, none more so than by the highest office in the land.

 03/31/2013       World Team Classic

China won the Men’s title at the Times Property World Team Classic in Guangzhou on Sunday 31st March 2013 beating Chinese Taipei by three matches to one at the final hurdle.

The trio of Ma Long, Xu Xin and Zhang Jike concluded the day standing tall on the top step of the podium but the man to gain the highest honour was from their adversaries.

Chen Chien-An rose to a new level to beat Zhang Jike in the second match of the contest; he set the Tianhe Stadium alight.

At the semi-final stage the Japanese trio of Jun Mizutani, Koki Niwa and Kenta Matsudaira had challenged the champions’ elect; in the final the Chinese Taipei trio of Chuang Chih-Yuan, Chen Chien-An and Chiang Hung-Chieh proved more than worthy adversaries.

 03/31/2013       World Team Classic

Favourites for the highest step of the medal podium, the top seeds, China won the Women’s title at the Times Property World Team Classic in the city of Guangzhou on the afternoon of Sunday 31st March 2013.

They recorded a three matches to nil win over the Japanese trio of Ai Fukuhara, Kasumi Ishikawa and Sayaka Hirano.

Thus, as in the final of the Women’s Team event at the London Olympic Games, it was gold for China, silver for Japan.

In fact of the six players who had competed in London’s spacious ExCeL Exhibition Centre there was only one change.

 03/30/2013       World Team Classic

Success came the way of China at the semi-final stage of the Men’s event at the Times Property World Team Classic in Guangzhou on the evening of Saturday 30th March 2013.

Urged forward by a vocal crowd, who revelled in the fare on offer, victory was recorded against Japan, with the trio formed by Xu Xin, Zhang Jike and Wang Hao eventually emerging successful against the outfit comprising Jun Mizutani, Koki Niwa and Kenta Matsudaira.

A three matches to one win was the eventual outcome in duel not without moments of drama and consternation.

 03/30/2013       World Team Classic

Egyptian adventures eventually came to a halt at the semi-final stage of the Men’s event at the Times Property World Team Classic in Guangzhou in the early evening of Saturday 30th March 2013.

Chinese Taipei with Chuang Chih-Yuan, Chen Chien-An and Huang Sheng-Sheng on duty emerged successful, securing victory by three matches to nil.

Eventually the North African country ran out of steam but they departed with the admiration of the Guangzhou crowd.

The trio of El-Sayed Lashin, Ahmed Saleh and Omar Assar left as heroes.

 03/30/2013       World Team Classic

China and Japan duly reached the final of the Women’s event at the Times Property World Team Classic in Guangzhou, following convincing penultimate round victories on Saturday 30th March 2013.

Both recorded three matches to nil successes.

Japan, the fourth seeds, represented by Ai Fukuhara, Kasumi Ishikawa and Sayaka Hirano posted a three-nil win over the Singaporean trio of Feng Tianwei, Yu Mengyu and Isabelle Siyun Li; before China followed suit.

The top seeds, they took no chances and fielded the top three ranked players on the World list. Ding Ning, Liu Shiwen and Li Xiaoxia overcame the Hong Kong combination of Ng Wing Nam, Lee Ho Ching and Jiang Huajun.

 03/30/2013       World Team Classic

Australian progress came to halt at the quarter-final stage of the Women’s Team event at the Times Property World Team Classic in Guangzhou on the afternoon of Saturday 30th March 2013.

They suffered a three-nil defeat at the hands of Hong Kong; the trio comprising Tie Yana, Jiang Huajun and Lee Ho Ching holding the aces in the pack.

Nevertheless, the outfit of Jian Fang Lay, Miao Miao and Zhenhua Dederko could leave China with heads held high.

Jens Lang, the National Coach, could be proud of his team’s efforts and so could the whole of Oceania.

 03/30/2013       World Team Classic

Japan ended Brazilian dreams at the quarter-final stage of the Men’s event at the Times Property World Team Classic in Guangzhou in the early afternoon of Saturday 30th March 2013.

However, it was not without a brave fight and a major upset, with Cazuo Matsumoto once again the star man for the South American country.

The left handed pen-holder has moved to a new level as has Brazil; the trio of Cazuo Matsumoto, Thiago Monteiro and Gustavo Tsuboi could leave the southern Chinese city with heads held high, as could the coach, Jean-René Mounié

 03/30/2013       World Team Classic

Victorious one day earlier against Singapore, Egypt continued their amazing progress in the Men’s event at the Times Property World Team Classic in Guangzhou on the morning of Saturday 30th March 2013.

In a cauldron of high emotion the trio of El-Sayed Lashin, Ahmed Saleh and Omar Assar took Egypt to heights never previously achieved.

They beat Germany by three matches to two, the country that clinched the bronze medal in the Men’s Team event at the London 2012 Olympic Games; having earlier in the year secured the silver medal in the LIEBHERR World Championships in Dortmund.