Blessed are the table tennis fans! A new tournament called the Lao Wa Cup will take place in Stockholm, Sweden, in November 2023, where the Asian team will face the world team in an exciting matchup. And the most anticipated thing is that the captains and vice captains of the Asian team turned out to be Ma Long of China's National Table Tennis and retired Japanese star Yoshijun Ishikawa! This pair of partners can be described as a dream combination in the table tennis world, and people can't help but imagine their sparks on the field.
Ma Long and Yoshijun Ishikawa are legends in table tennis, and they have achieved great results and won numerous honors on the international stage. Malone is the second male player in history to achieve a Grand Slam and is the current two-lap Grand Slam winner. Yoshijun Ishikawa is Japan's first world champion and Asia's first Olympic women's singles silver medalist. Both have excellent technique and tactics, as well as tenacious will and fighting spirit.
However, there are also many regrets between the two. Malone and Yoshijun Ishikawa have never met in an official match, only once in a commercial match in 2009. And Yoshijun Ishikawa has always admired Ma Long, once saying that he is his idol, and hopes to cooperate with him to compete. Unfortunately, it did not work until retirement.
Now, on the special stage of the Lao Wa Cup, they finally have the opportunity to become teammates. And not just teammates, but also the captains and vice-captains of the Asian team! This means that they will jointly lead an Asian team composed of famous athletes from China, Japan and South Korea, including world champions and Olympic medalists such as Wang Chuqin, Chen Meng, Zhang Yuzhen, Lim Zhongxun, Batra. They will play a friendly match against the world team, led by Waldner himself. The world team is also not weak, with European stars such as Boll, Ochalov and Hugo, as well as rising stars from the Americas and Africa.
The Asian team approved by Liu Guoliang this time is strong and sent the world's top masters, showing the importance of the national table tennis to the event, and also preparing for training for next year's Paris Olympic Games. Participating in the Laowa Cup is conducive to better communication and exchanges between National Table Tennis and other teams, and can also enhance friendship and cooperation between Asian countries.
As soon as the news was announced, it aroused the joy and expectation of the fans. Yoshijun Ishikawa has finally made her dream come true, and despite her retirement, her form and strength are still strong. She said on social media that she was very happy to work with Malone and was grateful for Waldner's invitation.
The Lao Wa Cup will be held in Stockholm, Sweden, from 23 to 26 November 2023, and will be played in a team format, with three men and three women from each of the two teams. The game was played over two days, with 1 point awarded for each win on the first day and 2 points for each win on the second day. The team with the highest final score will win the Lao Wa Cup.
This game will be a visual feast and a psychological game. Can Malone and Yoshijun Ishikawa lead the Asian team to victory? Can Waldner show his charm again?
Can the two generations of "ball kings" continue the frontier? Let's wait and see!