Darwin table tennis players ready to serve one on world stage

Rising table tennis stars from across the world will serve it out in Darwin from today to 1 October at the World Table Tennis Youth Contender Darwin 2023.

This is the third time the contender has been hosted in Darwin, with previous visits in 2019 and 2022. The contender forms part of the World Table Tennis Junior Circuit and players receive world ranking points.

The contender will include Under 11 to Under 19 singles competition and Under 15 and Under 19 mixed doubles. Two Darwin players, Under 13 Girls Renee Li, who reached the quarter finals last year and Under 15 Boys Sebastian Lai, will return to the table to compete against a pool of 99 athletes from China, Chinese Taipei, Singapore, India, Malaysia, Korea, New Zealand and Australia. They will compete at Marrara Indoor Stadium, and the competition is free for spectators to attend and watch the action.

Tournament Director Graham Symons said the tournament was a key opportunity for top Australian juniors to earn world ranking points on Australian soil.

“To be the best, you must have experience playing the best,” Mr Symons said.

“Finals for the different age groups will be played over three days: Friday at 7pm; Saturday at 6pm; and Sunday at 4.30pm. But Darwin locals will see great table tennis at any time during the tournament, which starts at 9.30am on Thursday 28th September.”

Most of the events this year feature players in the world top 20 for their age group, and the Under 15 Girls singles will be hotly contested, with players from Chinese Taipei, India, Australia, China and Malaysia all ranked in the world top 25.

This event is supported by the Northern Territory Government through Northern Territory Major Events Company and the Community Benefit Fund. To find out more, follow https://www.facebook.com/tabletennisnt