06/27/2012        2012 World Veteran Championships

The marathon is 26 miles and 385 yards or in metric 42.195 kilometres.

At the World Veteran Championships it is not quite the distance you may have to cover the win either the Men’s Singles 40-49 years or the Men’s 50-59 years title. However, you might have to come close to the distance fable tells that the Greek soldier Pheidippides, ran with a message from the Battle of Marathon to Athens.

After three days of competition 396 players remain in the Men’s Singles 40-49 years event and 439 in the Men's Singles 50-59 class!

World Veteran Championships 2012: Updated Results

Title Fight
That is ten rounds to win the title!

Spare a thought for the runner up!

Well a table tennis match is like boxing; a fight between two people.

Names of Note
Furthermore, there are some notable names in those numbers.

Belgium’s Philippe Saive, who alongside elder brother Jean-Mi, lifted Belgium from the doldrums to unprecedented heights and competed in no less than 15 World Championships, is the top seed amongst the juniors.

In World Veteran terms 40 years of age is akin to kindergarten.

Plethora of Stars
A notable name in the Men’s Singles 40-49 class and in the Men’s Singles 50-59 category it is the who’s who of table tennis.

There is a plethora of players who have represented their country with pride at the prestigious tournament; some having moved to pastures new.

There is China’s Wang Yansheng who later played for Norway and now represents Germany.

Similarly there is China’s Lu Qiwei who moved to Australia, Denmark’s Lars Hauth, Bulgaria’s Mariano Loukov and in Hungary’s Janos Takacs, a name with a special place in World Championships history.

Pyongyang 1979
Alongside Istvan Jonyer, Tibor Klampar, Gabor Gergely and Tibor Kreisz; he was a member of the famous Hungarian squad who won the Men’s Team title at the World Championships in Pyongyang in 1979.

Not only did they win the title, they beat China twice to achieve the feat!

More Celebrated Names
Furthermore the Czech Republic’s Miroslav Cecava is on duty in the Men’s Singles 50-59 years class; the winner of the Men’s Singles 40-49 years category on no less than three occasions.

Celebrated visitors and of course there is one Swede who must not be forgotten.

Mikael Appelgren, winner of four World Championships gold medals but not in a seeded place in the main draw. The reason is that he finished in second place in his group losing by the very narrowest of margins in the decisive seventh game to Lu Qiwei.

Australian Star
Meanwhile in the Men’s Singles 60-64 years class, 142 players remain with 27 being from Sweden, Göran Skogsberg and Arvi Grapenhed being the host nation’s leading names in the category.

However, there is one name in the class that particularly catches the eye.

Australia’s Paul Pinkewich, who competed in no less than nine World Championships between 1967 and 1987 is in action.

Noteworthy Europeans
A name to note from Oceania but in the Men’s Singles 65-69 years category, it is European names who are prime challengers for honours.

Germany’s Wilfried Lieck, winner of the Men’s Singles 50-59 years class in 1998, is the top seed and defending champion. He is the favourite to retain the title but he has a most worthy challenger; furthermore, the challenge may come in the final.

Denmark’s Niels Ramberg, who represented Denmark at six World Championships between 1965 and 1977, is always a formidable adversary.

A defTitle Defended
ending champion in the Men’s Singles 65-69 years category and it is the same scenario one age group higher.

Germany’s Horst Langer is seeking to make it two in a row in the Men’s Singles 70-74 years’ category but as an all events there is strong opposition.

Sweden’s Bo Thorinsson and Germany’s Dieter Lippelt, the 2008 champion, are formidable opponents.

Very Similar
Fierce competition in the Men’s Singles 70-74 years’ category and it is the same in the Men’s Singles 75-79 years’ event

The host nation’s Ingvar Johnsson is a name to note as is that of the Czech Republic’s Josef Rakosnik. Also, Japan’s Kazuo Masuda Germany’s Peter Stoltenburg are strong contenders.

Englishmen with Medal Hopes
Meanwhile, in the Men’s Singles 80-84 years category, where 32 players remain, England’s Fred Lockwood is the most notable name.

He won the Men’s Singles 75-79 years, event in 2008.

Sweden’s Uno Hedin of Sweden who won the Men’s Singles 50-59 years event in 1982 in the inaugural year of the World Veteran Championships is a worthy challenger to the Englishman, as are Germany’s Friedrich Rössler and Rolf Gross, the top two seeds.

Host Nation Contender
A challenge from Sweden but in the Men’s Singles Over 85 event, the host nation starts as favourite.

Curt Österholm is the player on whom local eyes focus. He won the Men’s Singles 70-74 class in 1996 and 2000. He is no stranger to winning and neither is the Czech Republic’s Lumir Ruzha who may well provide the Swede with the sternest test.

He won the Men’s Singles 80-84 class in 2008.