Strong Japanese table tennis team

Press, 17 December 1980, Page 42

Strong Japanese table tennis team

A confrontation between two of the world powers in table tennis, Japan and China, will guarantee the success of that sport during the New Zealand Games. The tournament will be held in Auckland from January 24 to 28. The Japanese are obviously, keen on reversing the results against China which occurred at the 1980 world championships in North Korea. At those championships, China won the women’s teams title and was second behind Hungary in the men’s competition. Japan was third in both the men’s and women’s events. Obviously, Japan has treated the New Zealand Games championship very seriously. The Japanese team

was selected after trials involving mote than 1000 Contenders for the eight available positions. * Japan's men’s team , Includes H. Abe, aged 24, who has the top ranking above millions of countrymen in a sport in which Jaoan has fashioned an illustrious record over many years. With him in Auckland will be K. Sakamoto, aged 22, who holds the No. 3 place on the ranking list, and the men’s squad is completed by two 18-year-olds, K. Fukuda and K. Saito. Similarly, the women’s squad has strength in depth. Its challenge will be spearheaded by R. Nada, who, at 22 years of age, has earned the simple but much prized title of “All Japan No. 1.”