Qatar takes centre stage in Ping Pong Diplomacy 2.0


Table Tennis Brings Nations Together - Ping Pong Diplomacy 2.0

Ten National Associations will participate in the Qatar Peace and Sport Cup - China, France, Japan, India, Korea, DPR Korea, USA, Russia, Pakistan, Qatar – to be staged on Tuesday 22nd November 2011 at the Qatar Sports Club in Doha. The tournament will be preceded by an Opening Ceremony at the Doha Ritz Carleton Hotel on Monday 21st November.

Adham Sharara, ITTF President said:

"This event may mark a new era for Ping Pong diplomacy, or in today's lingo 'Ping Pong Diplomacy version 2.0'. It has always been my dream that our sport is used in peace initiatives bringing together representatives from different countries and have them play 'together' side by side in an atmosphere of peace and understanding. 

"I am very happy that all the participating countries have put peace and sport ahead of any political differences. This is the right way forward and we are witnessing history and a new era for sport as a means for promoting peace." 

A doubles competition, the draw for the pairs was conducted on Monday 14th November at the Volkswagen World Junior Championships in Bahrain. Proceedings were conducted under the supervision of Judit Farago, CEO - Executive Director of Competitions.

Following the draw the provisional pairings and rankings were approved on Tuesday 15th November 2011 by the Peace and Sport Organization. The next stage is for the Executive Committee of the International Table Tennis Federation to authorise the provisional pairings on Saturday 19th November 2011 at its meeting in Bahrain.
Understanding and harmony is the underlining principle of an event that will combine world class action will superb entertainment and not only superb entertainment in the playing arena. Australia's Paulini will sing at the Opening Ceremony and at the tournament itself. She will perform her latest Ping Pong song.

A new era and the event has attracted the attention of the media; Al Jazeera television will be covering the whole competition.

Provisional Pairings

The provisional pairings for the Men's Doubles and the Women's Doubles competition are: China & Qatar, France & Japan, India & Pakistan, DPR Korea & Korea Republic, USA & Russia

Players and Rankings

Men's Doubles (in seeded order)

1. Ryu Seung Min / Kim Hyok Bong (KOR/PRK) 2420+1923 = 4343 pts

2. Adrien Mattenet / Kaii Yoshida (FRA/JPN) 2186+2146 = 4332pts

3. Chen Qi / Ahmed Al Mohannadi (CHN/QAT) 2476+1391 = 3867 pts

4. Fan Yiyong / Grigory Vlasov (USA/RUS) 1481+1833 = 3314 pts

5. Soumyadeep Roy / Syed Awais Hassan (IND/PAK) 1575+1200 = 2775pts

Women's Doubles (in seeded order) 

1. Kim Kyong Ah / Kim Hye Song (KOR/PRK) 2579+2028 = 4607pts

2. Lily Zhang / Anna Tokhomirova (USA/RUS) 1959+2205 = 4164pts

3. Carole Grundisch / Natsumu Miyake (FRA/JPN) 2091+1805 = 3896pts

4. Cao Zhen (CHN) / Aia Magdy Mohamed (Qat) 2359+ 805 = 3164pts

5. Poulomi Ghatak / Sadia Flak Sher (IND/PAK) 1759+ 750 = 2509 pts

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PLASTIC

Number 42 on the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie quotations is one word: “Plastics.” Many of you will recognise it as part of the conversation 21-year-old Ben, played by Dustin Hoffman, had with one of his father’s worldly-wise friends at a party to celebrate his graduation. "There's a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?” says the middle-aged man to the young and confused man about to enter adult life.   Fast-forward 52 years, billions of smartphones with heads hunched over and many more billions of dollars in venture capital and we’re at 22,000 tonnes. That’s how much plastic waste is generated each month as a byproduct of online food deliveries in India. The lion’s share comes from Swiggy and Zomato, the two Goliaths in the space, together accounting for over 60 million food deliveries each month.    It’s a mountain that’s piling up with no immediate end in sight. Because organic or eco-friendly alternatives to
Read more

Godrej Nature's Basket: when evolution is done wrong

Video killed the radio star. Then, video went from large TV screens to smartphone screens. Pedal power went to combustion engines to electric vehicles. Local stores became supermarkets, then went online. Actually, everything went online (sadly even social communication). The point is evolution. Natural evolution, not forced evolution. And forced evolution is what did Godrej Nature’s Basket (GNB) in. Its start, in 2010, was focussed enough - one store, in an upmarket region in Mumbai, selling only premium gourmet food items like artisanal bread, wine and imported cheese. Then came the expansion over the years. To New Delhi, Pune, and other cities. To selling private-label brands and going online.  So far, so natural. Coupled with revenue growth that was picking up. Then came 2016-17, and with it ‘GNB Refresh 2020.’ A marketing tagline that essentially meant the brand took a 180° spin - from a 'World Food Store' to a 'Daily Food Delights' store. It became a neighbourhood
Read more

Home for the Aged at Nagao Verna to be renovated

Home for the Aged at Nagao Verna to be renovated Verna, Salcete Goa India : The Home for the Aged belonging to the Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny at Nagao Verna is all set to get a new look, thanks to the renovation plans. The home for the elderly, which has been functioning since 1962, was long due for up gradation. The Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny are now planning to increase the intake capacity of the inmates from the existing 25 to 66. “At present we have 25 inmates and we want to extend our service to our needy senior brothers and sisters. We plan to build single, double and dormitory accommodation for 66 inmates,” said Sister Nanette Temudo, Sister Superior, Home for the Aged, Nagao Verna. “The present facilities available here are inadequate to serve better. In order to provide more comfortable stay with peace and joy there is an urgent need to demolish and reconstruct the Old Aged Home,” she disclosed. The land where the Home for the Aged is based is r
Read more