SHAH ALAM, March 6 — Defending champions China claimed a record 20th world championship title after downing seven times champion Japan by 3-0 margins in the finals of the men and women 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championship (WTTC) at the Malawati Stadium here tonight.

Japan, making their 13th appearance in the men’s finals and their sixth attempt to rewrite history to claim the title by defeating China for the first time ever, were dashed again by China.

Earlier, China’s women had routed Japan by the same margin.

In the men’s action, world number three Xu Xin gave the advantage to China by defeating Jun Mizutani 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 before world number one Ma Long extended his winning streak in world team championships to 21 by defeating Maharu Yoshimura 11-3, 11-8, 11-6. Ma Long last lost to Germany’s Timo Boll in the final of the 2010 Moscow edition.

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In total, he has played 29 matches with only the one loss since his debut at the world meet in 2008.

Grand slam winner Zhang Jike: Brazilian footballer Zico would be proud.
Grand slam winner Zhang Jike: Brazilian footballer Zico would be proud.

After Ma Long, 2012 London Olympics gold medallist Zhang Jike came from behind to defeat Yuya Shima 9-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-7 to secure the Swaythling Cup cheered on by some 10,000 Chinese fans brought by the main sponsor of the tournament, Perfect China Company.

“I can win all the matches because of the trust the team members have in me,” Ma Long said. “Even if I did not win, my teammates will surely win.”

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Jike, named after Brazilian footballer Zico by his football enthusiast father, said: “I am very happy to play in the World Championship in front of our fans in Malaysia.

“I would like to thank our perfect fans for this perfect win in a perfect tournament and hope that the China team will always be perfect,” said the grand slam winner, a title earned winning the Olympics and 2011 and 2013 World Championship as well as singles winner of the 2011 and 2014 World Cup.

South Korea and England settled for the bronze they lost to China and Japan respectively in the semifinals yesterday.

The prizes for the winners were presented by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai; Table Tennis Association of Malaysia president Tan Sri Koo Yuen Kim, who is also chairman of Perfect China; and International Table Tennis Federation president Thomas Weikert.

Eighty-one women’s teams and 91 men’s teams from 99 countries took part in theChina men and women rout Japan in world team table tennis finals

SHAH ALAM, March 6 — Defending champions China claimed a record 20th world championship title after downing seven times champion Japan by 3-0 margins in the finals of the men and women 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championship (WTTC) at the Malawati Stadium here tonight.

Japan, making their 13th appearance in the men’s finals and their sixth attempt to rewrite history to claim the title by defeating China for the first time ever, were dashed again by China.

Earlier, China’s women had routed Japan by the same margin.

In the men’s action, world number three Xu Xin gave the advantage to China by defeating Jun Mizutani 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 before world number one Ma Long extended his winning streak in world team championships to 21 by defeating Maharu Yoshimura 11-3, 11-8, 11-6. Ma Long last lost to Germany’s Timo Boll in the final of the 2010 Moscow edition.

In total, he has played 29 matches with only the one loss since his debut at the world meet in 2008.

After Ma Long, 2012 London Olympics gold medallist Zhang Jike came from behind to defeat Yuya Shima 9-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-7 to secure the Swaythling Cup cheered on by some 10,000 Chinese fans brought by the main sponsor of the tournament, Perfect China Company.

“I can win all the matches because of the trust the team members have in me,” Ma Long said. “Even if I did not win, my teammates will surely win.”

Jike, named after Brazilian footballer Zico by his football enthusiast father, said: “I am very happy to play in the World Championship in front of our fans in Malaysia.

“I would like to thank our perfect fans for this perfect win in a perfect tournament and hope that the China team will always be perfect,” said the grand slam winner, a title earned winning the Olympics and 2011 and 2013 World Championship as well as singles winner of the 2011 and 2014 World Cup.

South Korea and England settled for the bronze they lost to China and Japan respectively in the semifinals yesterday.

The prizes for the winners were presented by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai; Table Tennis Association of Malaysia president Tan Sri Koo Yuen Kim, who is also chairman of Perfect China; and International Table Tennis Federation president Thomas Weikert.

Eighty-one women’s teams and 91 men’s teams from 99 countries took part in the weeklong tournament hosted by the TTAM, vying for the world title and rankings in the championships, second, third and fourth divisions. — Bernama weeklong tournament hosted by the TTAM, vying for the world title and rankings in the championships, second, third and fourth divisions. — Bernama