At the H.I.S. 2009 World Table Tennis Championships in Japan, 101 of ITTF’s 205 (new 207) member associations were represented with at least one player. 313 men and 215 women were entered by the associations.
The European continent with 42 countries had the biggest number of associations in Yokohama, while Latin America equalised its record participation from 2003 with 16 ITTF member associations.
Paris and Manchester Outstanding
A look at the Statistics (xls) shows that the event in the French capital holds the record with no less than 111 participating member associations. The 23 countries from Africa make the difference to other events.
In Japan only 9 African countries were represented with players, however, a look back to the last event in Japan, the 2001 World Championships in Osaka, underlines that 2009 more African (and also Latin American) associations found the way to the Land of the Rising Sun.
In terms of players, the 1997 event in Manchester is the “record holder” with 799 participants; that makes 271 more than in Yokohama. However, one has to be careful with comparisons like this. While in Manchester events were played at one World Championship, since 2003 individual and team World Championships alternate regularly.
During the first two days, no less than 28 tables were built up in the Yokohama Arena. Photo By: Rémy Gros
