Table tennis: the new ping-pong diplomacy | Heidenheim newspaper

Born in the USA – anyone who was born in the United States like Bruce Springsteen and is also sports-savvy grew up with football and baseball, with the major professional leagues NBA (basketball) and NHL (ice hockey). But hardly with table tennis. Despite the German slogan “Small ball, big sport”, that is a wallflower existence in the USA. The proof: never before has a table tennis world championship been held on the North and South American continents.

That changes this Tuesday. The first table tennis world championship begins in the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston / Texas. A date steeped in sports history.

Hippie melts the ice

US table tennis, which is practically insignificant from a sporting point of view, has already made a historic contribution – 50 years ago at the World Cup in Japan. At that time, there was a political ice age between Mao-led China, then and now a table tennis superpower, and the USA ruled by President Richard Nixon. When the US international Glenn Cowan, who was described as a hippie and was not averse to marijuana consumption, missed the departure of the team bus to the competition hall, he quickly got into the vehicle intended for the Chinese. Cowan and the Chinese apparently got along well, gifts were exchanged, and photos of the impromptu meeting went around the world. This encounter gave birth to what would later become known as ping-pong diplomacy, which melted the ice between China and the United States. Mao personally invited the US delegation to a tournament in China.

50 years later, the Chinese come for a return visit, so to speak. Not with their strongest team, however. For example, defending champion Ma Long (33), who has dominated world table tennis for years, and Xu Xin (31st), who is considered the best doubles player, are missing. “Of course the supremacy of the Chinese could crumble a bit this time”, says the German national coach Jörg Roßkopf: “But I think the Chinese are relaxed about it. China knows that it is in a transition phase. Just like us, they have to encourage the development of younger players in the direction of the next Olympic Games. “

At the European team championships at the beginning of October, the German selection won the title even without its two top stars Timo Boll (40) and Dimitrij Ovtcharov (33); German players were always at the top of the podium, and they also had the best advertising for the German Table Tennis Association (DTTB) at the Olympic Games. “German table tennis is very well positioned, both in an international comparison and in a comparison of the sports in Germany,” says DTTB sports director Richard Prause. And even now coach Roßkopf does not want to give up despite Ovtcharov’s absence due to injury. “We have our options in singles, doubles and mixed and want to try to get into the top ranks in Houston.”

There was, of course, a first dampener at the draw. After a bye at the start, Timo Boll meets a Chinese in the second round – youngster Zhou Qihao. In the world rankings, however, it is clearly behind the German figurehead. It will be very difficult for Boll in doubles alongside Patrick Franziska, Germany’s number three. This pairing meets world number one fan Zhendong and double world champion Wang Chuqin in the second round. Fan also has Boll at the top of the bill when it comes to the single title.

For the 50th anniversary of the “ping-pong diplomacy”, the world association ITTF has come up with something special. He sends an American-Chinese women’s doubles and mixed teams to the start.