Seven Olympians among 16-strong WTT Macao field
Seven Olympic athletes, along with other elite players, will compete at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Champions Macao 2021 China Stars tournament to be held between January 19 and 23 at Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion. This was announced by WTT Council chairman and president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association Liu Guoliang, in a recorded speech at yesterday’s press conference held to launch the event.
Alongside other notable figures from the international table tennis community featured, Liu spoke of the success of last year’s event in Macau, and his hope that this year will build on the WTT concept that debuted in Macau.
The five-day tournament will feature 16 players, divided into male and female divisions, as well as a mixed doubles competition.
The Sports Bureau (ID) President Pun Weng Kun confirmed that most of the players will come from mainland China, although he expects that Macau will be represented by one player who will participate in the tournament as a “wildcard.”
“We are trying to have some slots for local players to join this tournament. Hopefully, we can have one local player,” Pun said on the sidelines of the press conference.
As the Times previously reported, it is expected that China will be represented by seven Tokyo 2020 athletes, namely: Ma Long, Xu Xin, Fan Zhendong, Chen Meng, Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu, and Liu Shiwen, as well as Wang Chuqin and Liang Jingkun.
Other big names potentially joining the event include Doo Hoi Kem and Ho Kwan Kit from Hong Kong, Li Jie from the Netherlands, and Poland’s Li Qian.
Galaxy Entertainment Group is the title sponsor, having contributed MOP16 million to the event.
Organizers also announced that, due to Covid-19-related restrictions, the number of spectators able to watch live at Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion will be limited to just 1,500. However, Pun said that he believes this won’t interfere with promotion of the sport, as the event will be broadcast worldwide through different channels including social media platforms, providing “a precious opportunity to promote Macau abroad.”
Tickets go on sale from 11 a.m. today and are priced at MOP150 for the first three days of the competition and MOP300 for the final two days. Macau residents, students, and senior citizens aged 65 or above can purchase tickets for a special price (with a 33% discount) through a network of Circle K convenience stores.
