Clubs Archives - JOOLA Global https://joola.com/category/blog/table-tennis/table-tennis-team-joola/table-tennis-clubs/ - Table Tennis & Pickleball Tue, 21 Feb 2023 16:43:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2 https://i0.wp.com/joola.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cropped-JOOLA2020_logo-stacked_FINAL-black.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Clubs Archives - JOOLA Global https://joola.com/category/blog/table-tennis/table-tennis-team-joola/table-tennis-clubs/ 32 32 168410641 Shandong Luneng Women Excel at Chinese National Games https://joola.com/shandong-luneng-women-excel-at-chinese-national-games/ Tue, 12 Oct 2021 20:30:09 +0000 https://joola.com/?p=3901 The JOOLA-sponsored Shandong Luneng Women’s Team - a team comprised of some of the best female table tennis players of this generation - were at the forefront of the 2021 Chinese National Games.

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Shandong Luneng Women Excel at Chinese National Games

The JOOLA-sponsored Shandong Luneng Women’s Team – a team comprised of some of the best female table tennis players of this generation – were at the forefront of the 2021 Chinese National Games. The event is held every four years and hosts the top players from across China.

Led by current World Number 1 Chen Meng and bolstered by World Number 4 Wang Manyu, Shandong Luneng is a formidable force. Team members 2010 Youth Olympic Champion Gu Yuting, 2014 Youth Olympic Singles and Mixed Teams Champion Liu Gaoyang, Wang Xiaotong and Wei Yuanhui provided strong support. Highly regarded in the world of table tennis and often cited as the world’s most difficult table tennis event, the caliber of competition at the Chinese National Games is high. Featuring an incredible depth of players, many matches have the intensity and standard of an Olympic medal match. Before the launch of the contest, four of China’s best female players took part in a video interview, including both Chen Meng and Wang Manyu. In the interview, Chen agrees that the Chinese National Games is a more challenging than the Olympic Games.

The tough matches began straight from the group stage, with the Shandong team steering clear of near defeat on 2 of their 3 group matches. Heilongjiang and Shanghai would be halted in the deciding matches with Shandong prevailing 3-2 in both cases.

The team navigated past Tianjin, 3-1, and followed up with an impressive semifinal victory over Sichuan with a sweep of 3 matches to 0.

The final saw the Shandong Luneng team walk away with a silver medal. While the team had a spirited start with a 3-1 victory for Chen Meng over Liaoning’s Wang Yidi, it was the opposition who prevailed in the next three matches.

It was thrilling to see the team compete at such an incredible level and to see the best players in the world go head-to-head. Overall, Shandong Luneng was able to win five team matches on its road to the final, no small feat in the world of Chinese table tennis.

Congratulations to Shandong Luneng! TeamJOOLA is proud to join you on this journey and into the future.

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]]> 3901 ASV Grünwettersbach Prepares to Defend Final Four Cup https://joola.com/asv-grunwettersbach-prepares-to-defend-final-four-cup/ Fri, 08 Jan 2021 16:29:04 +0000 https://joola.com/?p=1844 As the new year kicks off, so too does the excitement of the Liebherr Cup Final which approaches this weekend. Saturday will see the Final Four tournament take place and the team from ASV Grünwettersbach have been preparing to take on an intimidating opponent in Borussia Düsseldorf in their semifinal tie. The JOOLA-sponsored team have […]

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As the new year kicks off, so too does the excitement of the Liebherr Cup Final which approaches this weekend. Saturday will see the Final Four tournament take place and the team from ASV Grünwettersbach have been preparing to take on an intimidating opponent in Borussia Düsseldorf in their semifinal tie.

The JOOLA-sponsored team have been preparing to mount their title defense – after winning the title in its last edition. A strong line-up of Dang Qiu, Wang Xi, Tobias Rasmussen and Deni Kožul will take on the team of Timo Boll, Kristian Karlsson, Anton Kallberg and Ricardo Walther.

Team Manager Martin Werner said 2020 was the hardest year the club had faced in its history, noting that despite a strong start winning the German Cup, the Coronavirus quickly brought a great many challenges. Many clubs across Europe and the world have struggled, but ASV bounced back strong.

“Our team qualified for the Final Four again, which I am very proud of,” says Mr. Werner, “It will be different this year, as no spectators are allowed and therefore, we have to do without the great fans of ASV (the red wall). The rules in the hall because of corona are very strict, so I hope our team will not be influenced by the empty hall.”

Last year's "Red Wall" (Photo Courtesy of ASV Grünwettersbach)
Last year's "Red Wall" (Photo Courtesy of ASV Grünwettersbach)
Last year's "Red Wall" (Photo Courtesy of ASV Grünwettersbach)
Last year's "Red Wall" (Photo Courtesy of ASV Grünwettersbach)
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Last year’s “Red Wall” (Photo Courtesy of ASV Grünwettersbach)

One of the players who will be in the limelight for the club is the German National Team’s Dang Qiu. The penholder has made big moves in the past couple of years on the international stage.

While the competition looks tough, and Dang notes that Düsseldorf is fresh off a European Champions League victory, he also says the team was in the same position last year when they were able to win the event.

Dang Qiu (Photo courtesy of ASV Grünwettersbach)

“It will be a hard match against Düsseldorf in the semifinal; they played amazing in Champions League. We will play our best and see what happens. In the end, table tennis is a sport – and in sport, anything can happen,” says Dang, who just returned from training with the German National Team.

The team has had their usual preparations, although in recent days were joined by TTC Bergneustadt who will compete in the opposite semifinal. The addition of Stefan Fegerl and Alvaro Robles to the training sessions has been welcomed by the team.

Former ASV team member, Jan Zibrat, said that aside from usual practice the team has also been trying and practicing different options for doubles, as this is an important part of the match draw. Zibrat is now Coach of the Karlsruhe Institute of Table Tennis, which resides at ASV Grünwettersbach.

“Robles and Fegerl enjoyed the practice with our group and I think everyone is prepared for Saturday. Both teams (ASV and Bergneustadt) know that they need to play their best table tennis and have a bit of fortune on their side too to beat giants like Dusseldorf and Ochsenhausen,” says Zibrat.

A victory come Saturday would surely be welcomed, as the venue recently underwent further expansion. The crew are really to fight to continue with table tennis at ASV into the future!

JOOLA wishes the team the very best of luck, as they take on Düsseldorf in the Final Four Liebherr Cup semifinal. Be sure to tune into the TTBL-TV LIVE tomorrow, January 9th, at 11:00 (GMT+1) and cheer them on!

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]]> 1844 TTC Berlin Eastside Crowned in Thrilling Champions League Final https://joola.com/ttc-berlin-eastside-crowned-in-thrilling-champions-league-final/ Wed, 09 Dec 2020 16:55:58 +0000 https://joola.com/?p=1500 Women’s table tennis took center stage yesterday evening as the European Champions League final took place between two JOOLA-sponsored teams - TTC Berlin Eastside and Linz AG Froschberg.

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TTC Berlin Eastside crowned ECL Champions (Photo by Helmut Ploberger)
TTC Berlin Eastside crowned ECL Champions (Photo by Helmut Ploberger)
TTC Berlin Eastside post-win celebration (Photo by Helmut Ploberger)
TTC Berlin Eastside post-win celebration (Photo by Helmut Ploberger)
2020 ECLW Champions (Photo by Helmut Ploberger)
2020 ECLW Champions (Photo by Helmut Ploberger)
TTC Berlin's Shan Xiaona (Photo by Helmut Ploberger)
TTC Berlin's Shan Xiaona (Photo by Helmut Ploberger)
JOOLA was the tournament's equipment sponsor (Photo by Helmut Ploberger)
JOOLA was the tournament's equipment sponsor (Photo by Helmut Ploberger)
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TTC Berlin Eastside Crowned in Thrilling Champions League Final

Women’s table tennis took center stage yesterday evening as the European Champions League final took place between two JOOLA-sponsored teams – TTC Berlin Eastside and Linz AG Froschberg. It was a battle of borders as the German TTC Berlin went head to head with Austrian Champions Linz. The bubble event spanned from December 3rd – 8th, with the playoffs all taking place and leading to the big finals event.

The match would see some of the top female players in Europe and the world take to the table, and be decided by the slimmest of margins, an exciting spectacle which lasted three rollercoaster hours of intense matches.

The epic comeback of Shan Xiaona would get the match underway in the perfect fashion. Margarita Pesotska, freshly returned from competing in the Women’s World Cup, took a commanding lead against the former – a short pips penholder. Pestoska, representing Linz, imparted heavy topspin on all her strokes, maintaining an assertive hold on the rallies. Shan was pressed into passive mode. Pesotska held a 2-0 lead.

Shan burst back into the match, pressing the attack and utilizing more of the lightning fast forehand attacks which had, at one point, held her just outside the top 10 players in the world.

Shan was able to dig her heels in and turn the match around to land TTC Berlin Eastside the first point, against the odds and a very determined Linz opposition.

Keen to get on the board, and to hold back their opponent in the best of 5 match finale, the host side Linz AG Froschberg would seal a convincing win as Sofia Polcanova demonstrated an excellent performance against Nina Mittelham.

Polcanova was the player who took command of the table, frequently the initiator in points, and holding a close position to the table. Polcanova was able to balance speed with formidable table coverage due to her height, and finish points with powerful shots. A 3-0 win for Linz to even the match at 1-1.

Linz AG Froschberg's Sofia Polcanova (Photo by Helmut Ploberger)
Linz AG Froschberg's Sofia Polcanova (Photo by Helmut Ploberger)

The third match featured two players recently returned from the China Bubble, where they competed at the Women’s World Cup. Now the two faced off in the ECL bubble, with team victory at stake.

Britt Eerland would take on Bernadette Szőcs, two of Europe’s finest young stars, with many accolades between them. The two currently sit just one world ranking position apart at 26 and 27th – Szőcs the higher of the two.

Eerland was in superb form for TTC Berlin Eastside, executing powerful forehand counters and looking very technically fluid out on the table. She frequently stepped up the offense with long fast serves and blistering follow-up attacks. This was most prominently seen in the finishing sequence of the match where Eerland locked in a 3-0 victory and gave TTC Berlin Eastside the advantage in the finals tie.

Linz AG Froschberg's Bernadette Szőcs (Photo by Helmut Ploberger)
Linz AG Froschberg's Bernadette Szőcs (Photo by Helmut Ploberger)

With the home-side’s hopes in danger, the responsibility of keeping them alive lay with veteran Liu Jia. She would step in to take on Shan Xiaona.

What ensued was an absolute masterclass of table tennis. The left-handed Liu was impeccable in arguably the performance of the night. Liu was totally relaxed as she demonstrated no issue with the short pips of Shan, playing through each shot with ease, and threading together some brilliant attacking combinations.

Liu left no doubt in mind as she dismantled her opponent – 11-2, 11-4, 11-4, a decisive statement and a reassuring message to her teammates on the bench.

A final encounter had been setup, it was a 2-2 deadlock.

Nina Mittelham and Margarita Pesotska would be the last players to hold the line for their teams. Both players put it all on the line, each looking for redemption. Pesotska had made a great start for Linz, having held her 2-0 lead in the opening match, but narrowly losing out – while Mittelham had lost her first encounter 3-0 to Polcanova.

Both players had the opportunity here to redeem themselves, and they did, putting on a fantastic display of table tennis.

There could not have been a closer final, as Mittelham’s confidence surged and began to show in her game. She was much more assertive, with Pesotska matching her at every step.

Mittelham held a 2-1 lead, but Pesotska showed strong resolve to push her way through to win the fourth.

The match, of course, went to the 5th and deciding game. A decider within a decider. It all melted down to the 5 point final game.

Mittelham wasted no opportunity. She converted both the first 3 points. Pesotska charged back to take the next 3. Timeout, just to add to the nervous atmosphere.

Would TTC Berlin Eastside’s timeout pay dividends? A point won, and then a missed serve. 4-4.

Pesotska pressed the attack. Mittelham retaliated in kind, finishing with a powerful forehand. Match point.

A precise serve and attack combination landed the win for Mittelham.

TTC Berlin Eastside triumphed to clutch the European Champions League crown for the first time since 2017.

An exceptional performance by both teams and their players. It was a display of the best of women’s table tennis, decided by the finest of margins, with all players giving it their best.

Congratulations to both teams, and a big thanks to Linz for being excellent hosts. It was fantastic to see such a well presented event, and for us here at JOOLA, a thrill to see our brand be part of such a well-organized and professional event.

If you missed the livestream yesterday, you can still rewatch all of the matches on ETTU TV.

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]]> 1500 JOOLA Sponsors Shandong Luneng Table Tennis Club https://joola.com/joola-sponsors-shandong-luneng-table-tennis-club/ Wed, 11 Nov 2020 05:00:18 +0000 https://joola.com/?p=1162 JOOLA and Shandong Luneng Table Tennis Club have signed an agreement for JOOLA to become the official equipment sponsor of the club.

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JOOLA Sponsors China's Top Table Tennis Club

Shandong Luneng Table Tennis Club to use JOOLA competition tables, barriers, and balls

ROCKVILLE, MD – JOOLA and Shandong Luneng Table Tennis Club (Luneng TTC) have signed an agreement for JOOLA to become the official equipment sponsor of the club. Luneng TTC is known to be one of China’s best table tennis clubs and a pioneer of the sport in China.

In 2000, Luneng TTC’s parent company, Shandong Electric Power Corporation, transformed the Shandong Province Table Tennis Team to form the first professional table tennis club in China. The club later established the Qingdao Youth Academy where some of the world’s most notable table tennis athletes have trained. Luneng TTC has garnered multiple championship titles, including 3 Chinese Table Tennis Super League Men’s League Championships and 6 Chinese Table Tennis Super League Women’s League Championships.

“Luneng is known for producing some of the world’s best table tennis players,” said Richard Lee, President of JOOLA. “We are extremely honored to support this prestigious program that has had such an undeniable impact on the sport. With JOOLA’s innovative new products and Luneng’s world-class training, we’ll be able to create a whole new experience for the next generation.”

The signing ceremony, which took place in Shandong, China on October 16th, 2020 was attended by Luneng TTC Executive Deputy General Manager Sun Jian, Shandong Electric Power Corporation Executive Deputy General Manager Zeng-Shuai, Luneng TTC Team Head Coach Guo Keli, JOOLA Asia Representative Gui Lin, JOOLA Xiamen General Manager Huang Enpei, and Deputy General Manager Guo Kele.

Following the sponsorship deal, Luneng TTC will begin to use JOOLA equipment, including JOOLA competition tables, barriers, and balls. Players who are a part of the Qingdao Youth Academy will also be sponsored by JOOLA.

“It’s a win-win for both of us. We really appreciate the sponsorship of professional table tennis equipment from JOOLA. We will also do our best to support JOOLA on product research and development as well,” said Lu Jingqi, the coach of Luneng TTC.

Additionally, the sponsorship agreement establishes a Team JOOLA sister-club partnership between Luneng TTC and Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Table Tennis. Players from both clubs will have the opportunity to participate in exchange programs for high-level training. Other JOOLA-sponsored players will also be given the chance to participate in these exchange programs.

“We look forward to working together with JOOLA to further expand the table tennis community,” commented Zeng-Shuai, Executive Deputy General Manager of Shandong Electric Power Corporation.

“This is an exciting opportunity that will open new doors for our players,” added Jan Zibrat, Head Coach of Karlsruhe Institute of Table Tennis. “Luneng has a great reputation and I believe players from both of our clubs will learn a lot and benefit greatly from the sister-club partnership. This creates a well-rounded training experience that encourages the exchange of European and Chinese table tennis knowledge and playing styles.

For additional information, please contact Polina Tai, Marketing & Communications Coordinator, at ptai@joola.com.

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