2023 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals Day 1
Day 1 in Durban at the 2023 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals is opening the action with a match 84 years in the making.
The first players stepping out on Table 1 to get the show underway will be South Africa's very own Dean Levy and Senegal's Ibrahima Diaw. The Men's Singles round of 128 match will be a moment of table tennis history.The continental compatriots will face-off in an encounter that will herald a triumphant return of the World Championships to Africa.
The event last took place on African soil in 1939 in Cairo, Egypt. It was a tournament that left a lasting impression. The donation of the Egypt Cup by King Farouk of Egypt established an icon of the World Championships. The cup is presented to the next host of the event and has remained a symbol of a globe united around table tennis ever since.
The legacy of Africa is set to continue in the opening match in Durban. The all-African showdown will showcase the growing reach of table tennis as it extends beyond the historical hotbeds and carves out a new path for both fans and players to enjoy the sport.
Dean Levy will have the hometown advantage as he kicks off Day 1 on Table 1 in Durban.
All eyes will be on the host nation's Dean Levy, who is making his World Championships debut. It will only be Levy's fourth international event, but that won't hamper his ambitions. The 18-year-old will be looking to ride the wave of hometown support as he chases a place in the round of 64. The World No.559 has already posted a win in South Africa this year, notching up a victory in qualifying at WTT Contender Durban 2023. Tomorrow will offer up Levy a chance to seize a career defining moment should the underdog come out on top.
Out to upset the the local fans is Ibrahima Diaw. This will be the 30-year-old's third World Championships appearance, having debuted in 2019 in Budapest. Diaw has never moved beyond the round of 128, so will be hungry to secure a milestone making performance in Durban.
Both status and momentum are Diaw's side heading in to the clash. At No.119, the Senegalese athlete is ranked more than 400 places above his opponent and is bringing to the table of wealth experience. Diaw also had recent success on the continent, making a run to the quarterfinals at the 2023 ITTF Africa Cup which was staged just this month in Nairobi, Kenya.
With the match set to be a part of table tennis history, you will not want to miss this opening act to the Championships when it gets underway on Tabel 1 at 10:00 (GMT+2).
Be sure to tune in to witness the spectacle unfold in Durban. Check out the full slate of Day 1 matches here.
Day 1 in Durban at the 2023 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals is opening the action with a match 84 years in the making.
The first players stepping out on Table 1 to get the show underway will be South Africa's very own Dean Levy and Senegal's Ibrahima Diaw. The Men's Singles round of 128 match will be a moment of table tennis history.The continental compatriots will face-off in an encounter that will herald a triumphant return of the World Championships to Africa.
The event last took place on African soil in 1939 in Cairo, Egypt. It was a tournament that left a lasting impression. The donation of the Egypt Cup by King Farouk of Egypt established an icon of the World Championships. The cup is presented to the next host of the event and has remained a symbol of a globe united around table tennis ever since.
The legacy of Africa is set to continue in the opening match in Durban. The all-African showdown will showcase the growing reach of table tennis as it extends beyond the historical hotbeds and carves out a new path for both fans and players to enjoy the sport.
Dean Levy will have the hometown advantage as he kicks off Day 1 on Table 1 in Durban.
All eyes will be on the host nation's Dean Levy, who is making his World Championships debut. It will only be Levy's fourth international event, but that won't hamper his ambitions. The 18-year-old will be looking to ride the wave of hometown support as he chases a place in the round of 64. The World No.559 has already posted a win in South Africa this year, notching up a victory in qualifying at WTT Contender Durban 2023. Tomorrow will offer up Levy a chance to seize a career defining moment should the underdog come out on top.
Out to upset the the local fans is Ibrahima Diaw. This will be the 30-year-old's third World Championships appearance, having debuted in 2019 in Budapest. Diaw has never moved beyond the round of 128, so will be hungry to secure a milestone making performance in Durban.
Both status and momentum are Diaw's side heading in to the clash. At No.119, the Senegalese athlete is ranked more than 400 places above his opponent and is bringing to the table of wealth experience. Diaw also had recent success on the continent, making a run to the quarterfinals at the 2023 ITTF Africa Cup which was staged just this month in Nairobi, Kenya.
With the match set to be a part of table tennis history, you will not want to miss this opening act to the Championships when it gets underway on Tabel 1 at 10:00 (GMT+2).
Be sure to tune in to witness the spectacle unfold in Durban. Check out the full slate of Day 1 matches here.
