T.LEAGUE NOJIMA CUP 2023, 6/17-18

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/tokyo-2020-2020-7-24-8-9.23698/post-341159

Cruelty of competitive sport and fairness in the selection system don't *bleep* mix.

---

Catching up on the news.

Players' comments during Zennoh Cup Hiratsuka. Mostly about poor form, fatigue, and injuries caused by the selection trials.
世界卓球目前、選手たちのSOS〔パリ五輪選考会〕
https://www.jiji.com/jc/v8?id=20230509sp-ttrtp4
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/0fad39433f3e036d03db83839f80f947b9a909f9
https://web.archive.org/web/20230510045039/https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/0fad39433f3e036d03db83839f80f947b9a909f9
https://web.archive.org/web/20230511100253/https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/0fad39433f3e036d03db83839f80f947b9a909f9?page=2
https://web.archive.org/web/20230523082708/https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/0fad39433f3e036d03db83839f80f947b9a909f9?page=3

ITO Jyota takes a shot at JTTA again, this time questioning the purpose of the selection trials if the draw gets messed up by "improper" seeding. Again, questionable logic as with his previous attempts, but still it highlights the problem with the fixed draw. Another interesting thing is that instead of selection trials, ITO Jyota thinks that the selection of players should be left to the coaches.
【卓球】パリ五輪選考会では何が行われているのか
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/byline/itojota/20230511-00349054

Uda, replacing Shinozuka in MS, won't get any Paris points.
篠塚大登、怪我により世界卓球�£表を辞退　宇田幸矢が2種目に�£替出場
https://rallys.online/read/20230511shinozuka/
篠塚大登、腰痛で、世界卓球ダーバン大会を辞退。宇田幸矢がシングルスにエントリー
https://world-tt.com/blog/news/archives/88790
Needless to say, ITO Jyota questions that decision.
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/profile/commentator/itojota/comments/16837923132676.bd2c.00044

More grilling from the media as Miyazaki defends the selection system despite players voicing concerns.
https://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/articles/-/262991
ITO Jyota's comment. He wants the JTTA to arbitrarily devise the best selection method (that centers around winning at the Olympics rather than player rights).
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/profile/commentator/itojota/comments/16839777550468.b49c.00045

ITO Jyota takes yet another shot at JTTA again, this time questioning the principles behind the selection system.
【卓球】パリ五輪�£表選考　日本卓球協会が貫くべき大義とは何か
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/byline/itojota/20230514-00349120

選考の公平性の点では、日本卓球協会の判断は�£しい。一方で、最強の選手を選ぶ方法としては�£しくない。従�£てこれは、選考の公平性と最強の選手を選ぶことのどちらを優先するのかが問われている問題なのである（本来この二つは一致すべきであり、一致しないこと自体が選考方法の欠陥なのだが、それはおいておく）。 ... �£表選考はたかだか十数人のトップ選手たちのためにやるのではない。会費を納入している30万人もの日本卓球協会会員とその背後にいる何百万人もの卓球愛好者、そのほか何千万人もの、日本の卓球の活躍を期待している人々のためにやるのだ。 それが、公益に資することを旨とする公益財�£法人・日本卓球協会の責務なのだから。

The judgment of the JTTA is correct in terms of fairness of the selection. On the other hand, it's not the right way to pick the best players. Therefore, this is a question of whether fairness of the selection or the selection of the strongest players should be prioritized (those two should align, and if not, it means the selection method is flawed, but I'll leave that aside).

...

The national team selection is not done for a dozen or so top players. It is done for the 300,000 paying members of the JTTA, the millions of table tennis enthusiasts behind them, and the tens of millions of others who are counting on the success of Japanese table tennis.

That is the responsibility of the JTTA, to serve the public interest.

Edited by zeio - 05/24/2023 at 1:07am

Once again, "anyone can be the top 3 of Japan at this point if losing to China does not matter." A Bilibili uploader has subbed some the mixed-zone interviews for Zennoh Cup Hiratsuka. It turns out I skipped the crucial part. To think those words came out of Harimoto's mouth... https://youtu.be/2tCXIhccMmw?t=89 https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1kz4y1a77b?t=82.2 Harimoto after 3-4 Togami: "Rather than defeating Togami, I'm more looking forward to winning an Olympic medal. LOL!" Togami 1-4 WCQ -3, -3, -3, 6, -6 G3 25 TO for Togami, 26, 36, 311 户上还真是！打张本�£么猛，换一个人就虚一半 https://tieba.baidu.com/p/8426528578 日本队真就全年备战张本啊😅 https://tieba.baidu.com/p/8426479664 户上今晚能赢大头吗 https://tieba.baidu.com/p/8426114224 日本的宇田和户上是真的水，非常的软 https://tieba.baidu.com/p/8426614508 日乒的未来 https://tieba.baidu.com/p/8426782110

Uda 1-4 WCQ
-9, -11, 4, -1, -3
G1 89, 810, 910, 911
G2 910, 1010, 1011, 1111, 1113
G3 51, 52, 72, 74, 114
G4 07, 17, 111
G5 10, 12, 22, 24 TO for Uda, 28, 38, 311


https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/soon.25766/post-357007

Togami has shown he can play doubles with various teammates, driving FZD/XX to the brink in the SF of ATTC 2019. The thing with Uda right now is that he plays exactly like a South Korean player, placing too much reliance on form. He either upsets or gets upset, making him wildly unpredictable, but could be a great asset under the right conditions. OTOH, Togami has way more balance between FH and BH, making him much more consistent, that could be a great balancer for the team event between 2 extremes as Harimoto and Uda.

Edited by zeio - 05/24/2023 at 11:01am

looks like wcq is the Japanese slayer here lol

Translating the relevant parts of the news after the MS/WS R16 of WTTC 2023. Gotta wonder how Miyazaki feels about his comments now.

http://mytabletennis.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=91479&PID=1141696

More grilling from the media as Miyazaki defends the selection system despite players voicing concerns. https://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/articles/-/262991

そのため東京五輪混合ダブルス金メダルの伊藤美誠（２２＝スターツ）が臀部（でんぶ）を痛めるなど、有力選手の消耗が懸念される。�£表選考について疑問の�£�も�£�び交うが、宮崎専務理事は「ここで曲げることはできないし、もちろん選手が理�£した中で進んでいること。独断選考で決めていたら物議になると思うが…」と説明。東京五輪後は選手と３度のミーテ�£ングを重ね、アンケートを活用しながら選手側の意見も取り入れたという。 　今回の選考方式は「公平性」に重きを置いたと言い「世界ランク中心で考えると、世界ランクを満たせずに大会に出られない選手がほとんどなので、世界ランクが下の選手は五輪に出られない。その条件下で�£表が決ま�£てい�£たら、選手たちも不公平と感じてしまう。今回は公平にみんな同じ舞台で〝よ～いドーン！〟という形にした」。 　さらに宮崎専務理事は批判の的にな�£ている過密日程について「選手の休みは個人で決めること。何試合出たら１試合休むとか、そうや�£て調整するのが選手の務め。その�£わり、この大会は外せないよねと決めるのも選手の仕事」。セルフマネジメントができてこそ一流選手というわけだが、新たな選考方法はパリ五輪の結果につながるのだろうか。

As a result, there are concerns about the exhaustion of leading players, such as Mima Ito (22 = Starts), who won the mixed doubles gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, hurt her buttocks. There are voices of doubts about the selection of the national team, but Managing Director Miyazaki explained, "We can't bend here, and of course we are proceeding with the players' understanding. I think it would be controversial if the selection was made arbitrarily..." . After the Tokyo Olympics, he held three meetings with the athletes and used questionnaires to incorporate the athletes' opinions.

He said that the selection method this time emphasized "fairness", "If you think about the world ranking, most of the players cannot participate in the tournaments because they do not meet the minimum world ranking, so the players with the lower world ranking cannot participate in the Olympics. If the national team was decided under those conditions, the players would feel unfair. But with this, everyone can compete fairly on the same stage."

In addition, Managing Director Miyazaki commented on the overcrowded schedule, which has become the subject of criticism, saying, "Players' days off should be decided individually. It's the players' duty to make adjustments in that way, such as how many tournaments to play before resting once. Instead, it's the player's job to decide that a certain tournament can't be skipped." Self-management is the only way to become a first-class athlete, but will the new selection method lead to results at the Paris Olympics?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-ZMJrvXhkY
Asked about where his growth is, Harimoto says it was no mean feat to level the game score after trailing 2 games and it was a pity in the last game. Still, the experience was a first for him. He will come back in 2 years and aim for the medal, rather, the gold if he could win here. He will work his way to the medal one step at a time.
Asked about his last WTTC before turning 20 this June, Harimoto couldn't hide his sadness.

Edited by zeio - 05/26/2023 at 5:07pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MwKwVdWOvE
Hayata got a little yet significant gift as souvenir from the LOC.
Hayata: Nijuichi tai juku desu!

After WTTC:

--------------------------------------------I'm a broken record.--------------------------------------------

Once again, "anyone can be the top 3 of Japan at this point if losing to China does not matter."

--------------------------------------------I'm a broken record.--------------------------------------------

Another piece of previous news right before WTTC 2023, for completeness sake.

https://hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/sport/20230513/bkn-20230513140316010-0513_00882_001.html

日乒傳統上都會在大賽前舉辦誓師大會，並讓球員在征戰前表決心，由於篠塚大登因傷被迫退賽，其男單位置由宇田幸矢取�£，而首席男將兼東京奧運男團銅牌功�£的張本智和，要「頂埋」男雙，一人兼打三項（男單、男雙及混雙）。第4次征戰世錦賽的張本智和依然霸�£十足，並強調男單獎牌仍是夢寐以求的目標:「東京奧運及世乒賽單打早早出局，我輸得不甘心，我一直重新審視自己，這是我20歲前的最後一次國際大賽，我的最大目標是超越水谷隼，要用一面獎牌來證明自己，在未來10年、15年�£�，我將成為日本隊的王牌�£言人。」 在東京奧運贏得金銀銅牌各一面的女隊頭號主力伊藤美誠近期狀態一直麻麻，又有傷病困擾，並透露自己因臀部受傷缺席了今年的公開訓練，她形容世乒賽比起贏奧運金牌更不容易。 早前在日本國內一次巴黎奧運選拔賽中落敗，目前奧運積分排名暫列第7，她趁着誓師大會對選拔規則作出抨擊:「我認為國內比賽為中心的選拔賽無法幫助日本隊提高水平，為了比賽一直忙，沒時間�£常訓練....日本國家隊需要在中國隊面前不輸波，打敗她們才是最重要，我認為才有意義。」即使伊藤的傷痛至打噴嚏都不舒服，但她坦言不會退賽。

Japanese table tennis traditionally holds an oath ceremony before the tournament, and let the players express their determination before the quest. Because Shinozuka Hiroto was forced to withdraw due to injury, his men's singles position was replaced by Uda Yukiya, and the chief male player and Tokyo Olympic men's team Harimoto Tomokazu, the hero of the bronze medal, has to "carry" the men's doubles, and will play three events (men's singles, men's doubles and mixed doubles). Harimoto Tomokazu, who is competing in the World Championships for the 4th time, is still full of grit, and emphasizes that the men's singles medal is still his dream goal: "At the Tokyo Olympics and World Table Tennis Championships, I was eliminated early in the singles. I am not reconciled to losing. I have been re-examining myself. This is my last international competition before turning 20, my biggest goal is to surpass Mizutani Jun and prove myself with a medal. In the next 10 or 15 years, I will become the ace and spokesperson of the Japanese team.”

Mima Ito, the number one player of the women's team who won gold, silver and bronze medals in the Tokyo Olympics, has been in a slump recently and has been plagued by injuries. She also revealed that she missed this year's public training due to a hip injury. She described the World Table Tennis Championships as even more difficult than winning the Olympic gold medal.

She was defeated in a Paris Olympic trial in Japan earlier, and currently ranks 7th in the Olympic points ranking. She took advantage of the oath ceremony to criticize the selection method: "I think the domestic-centered trials cannot help the Japanese team to improve their level. I have been busy with the tournaments, and there is no time for proper training... The Japanese national team needs to not lose in front of the Chinese team. Beating them is the most important thing, and I think that is what matters." Even though Ito’s injury is so uncomfortable that she can’t even sneeze, she admitted that she would not withdraw.

Edited by zeio - 05/27/2023 at 6:00am

kaitenNashi wrote: After WTTC: 1. Hayata:332.5 + 135 = 467.5 (at least, and <200 points the runner-up 2. Hirano: 207 + 40 = 247 3. Ito: 155.5 + 80 = 235.5 4. Kihara: 182 + 40 = 222 5. Nagasaki: 158 + 20 = 178 6. Sato: 175 7. Miwa: 160.5 8. Shibata: 137 With an almost 60 point lead on Sato, Ito's spot in the Asian championships is relatively safe unless she has another early-round exit at the 5th Paris Trials. It's entirely possible for Miwa to weasel her way into the roster and I hope that she does.

现役外协单打实绩排行榜
Current Overseas Association Singles Achievements Ranking
https://tieba.baidu.com/p/8434904305

2 平野美宇 世界杯冠军×1 没中国队捡漏 一串三名中国主力的亚锦赛冠军×1 让日本国旗在中国升起，含金量巨高。 世乒赛单打铜牌（无中国选手捡漏，但也创了历史） ... 4 早田希娜 亚锦赛冠军×1无中国队参加捡漏 世乒赛单打铜牌×1（时隔50年日本人赢了中国主力的奖牌，中国队世乒赛女子14年不输外战被她突破，含金量巨高） ... 6 伊藤美诚 奥运会单打铜牌×1（没赢中国捡漏） 没有其他单打较好的成绩了，高级别赛事单打未赢过中国拿牌，考虑到她当年对中国的威胁，所以排第6

2 Hirano Miu
World Cup Winner × 1, picked up without the CNT playing
ATTC Champion × 1 a win streak over 3 CNT core players, Japanese flag raised in China, huge gold content.
WTTC Singles Bronze (picked up before running into a CNT player, but it also made history)
...
4 Hayata Hina
ATTC Champion × 1, picked up without the CNT playing
WTTC Singles Bronze x 1 (the Japanese to win the medal by defeating a China's core player in 50 years. The CNT women's team 14-year undefeated record was broken by her, huge gold content)
...
6 Mima Ito
Olympic singles bronze × 1 (picked up without defeating the CNT)
No other better singles results, has never won a singles medal in high-class competitions by defeating the CNT, ranked 6th considering her threat to China back then

Edited by zeio - 05/29/2023 at 1:40pm

It turns out 佐藤利香/SATO Rika beat Harimoto's mom Zhang Ling in WS at WTTC 1995.

【世界卓球】58年ぶりに中国卓球に風穴を開けた早田ひな　その強さの常識外れの理由とは
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/byline/itojota/20230527-00351255

zeio wrote: According to a HK-based Tieba user, Hayata is the 1st JNT player to defeat a CNT player since WTTC 1995. For the men's, it goes back to WTTC 1979. https://tieba.baidu.com/p/8431570816 lnhbm 這是自1995年以來首次有日本球手在世乒賽女單賽場戰勝中國球手。 https://tieba.baidu.com/p/8431570597 lnhbm 要說遙遠男單才遙遠，日乒上一次有人踏上世錦賽男單頒獎台是44年前的1979年。 Fun facts: The previous female player to reach the SF was HIRANO Miu at WTTC 2017. Before that, it was Tamara Boros at WTTC 2003, who happened to defeat the previous holder of that record in R16, Otilia Badescu, the former bronze medalist at WTTC 1993, and went on to defeat the former CNT player and former WD and WT World Champion Gao Jun in QF. The last time a JNT female player defeated a CNT female player was back at WTTC 1995. The last time a JNT player, regardless of gender, defeated a CNT player to earn the gold medal was 小野誠治/ONO Seiji at WTTC 1979.

Edited by zeio - 05/31/2023 at 1:40am

世界卓球2023南アフリカ｜日本�£表メダリスト記者会⾒
WTTC 2023 South Africa | JNT Medalists Press Conference
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5RpZTIl-4I

早田ひな、中国選手破り殊勲の銅メダルも「７５点」　世界女王に力負けで危機感「現実突きつけられた」
https://www.daily.co.jp/general/2023/05/31/0016417260.shtml

伊藤美誠　五輪女王に完敗で“打倒中国”に原点回帰「目標高くしないと」早田ひな快進撃にも刺激　五輪�£表争い反撃へ
https://www.daily.co.jp/general/2023/05/31/0016418195.shtml

伊藤美誠「気付かされた」原点　「打倒・中国」胸にパリ五輪へ再出発
https://hochi.news/articles/20230529-OHT1T51203.html?page=1

Edited by zeio - 05/31/2023 at 2:37pm

unsure if this is the correct place to ask, but does anyone know where I can watch T League whilst being based in the UK?

kaitenNashi wrote: After WTTC: 1. Hayata:332.5 + 135 = 467.5 2. Hirano: 207 + 40 = 247 3. Ito: 155.5 + 80 = 235.5 4. Kihara: 182 + 40 = 222 5. Nagasaki: 158 + 20 = 178 6. Sato: 175 7. Miwa: 160.5 8. Shibata: 137 With an almost 60 point lead on Sato, Ito's spot in the Asian championships is relatively safe unless she has another early-round exit at the 5th Paris Trials. It's entirely possible for Miwa to weasel her way into the roster and I hope that she does.

Entry deadlines for past editions:

ATTC 2021, 9/28-10/5
8/23, 5 weeks and 1 day before day 1.
https://web.archive.org/web/20210822040242/https://attu.org/storage/event_section/LtsP7e8xiBlh4LmofPZt4kc8Go4qFDHUo9Qgxy2G.pdf

ATTC 2019, 9/15-22
8/15, 4 weeks and 3 days before day 1.
https://ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Prospectus_ATTC.pdf