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CITY: Liège SITE: Country hall de Liège, Allée du Bol d'Air 19, 4031 Angleur, Belgique DATE: Friday 20th – Sunday 22nd October 2017 PLAYERS: 20 TABLES: 2 TABLE BRAND: Donic Delhi 25 BALL BRAND: DHS D40+ FLOOR BRAND: Enlio (red) MEDIA CONTACT: ITTF Head of Communications Matt Pound, mpound@ittf.com,

+6586544715 Local Press Officer Christian Raspiller,

christian.raspiller@sudpresse.be, +32486358516 INTRODUCTION Welcome to the Liebherr 2017 Men’s World Cup, which is the third most prestigious table tennis event of the year after World Table Tennis Championships; it is contested by 20 players. The Liebherr 2017 Men’s World Cup will be held in the Country hall de Liège. It is the fourth time that Belgium has hosted the tournament; the previous occasions being in Verviers in 2013 and in Liège in 2005 & 2008. The 20 players taking part at the Liebherr 2017 Men’s World Cup qualified through their Continental Cups, apart from World Champion MA Long (CHN), host representative Cedric NUYTINCK (BEL) and wildcard entry Marcos Freitas (POR). This preview is designed to provide an update on the Liebherr 2017 Men’s World Cup. Enclosed are statistics and notes that will be of assistance during the tournament. Players’ biographies as well as statistical, historical and personal data can be found on ITTF.com. Please make player interview requests through a member of the ITTF media staff located in the pressroom. Key Dates/Times 19 October 2017, 4:00pm @ Park Inn Radisson – Draw for Stage 1 20 October 2017, 3:00pm @ Country hall de Liège – Day 1, Stage 1 20 October 2017, 10:00pm @ Country hall de Liège – Draw for Stage 2 21 October 2017, 12:00pm @ Country hall de Liège – Day 2, Stage 2 21 October 2017, 6:30pm @ Country hall de Liège – Day 2, Quarterfinal 22 October 2017, 11:00am @ Country hall de Liège – Day 3, Semifinal 22 October 2017, 2:30pm @ Country hall de Liège – Day 3, Match for 3rd place 22 October 2017, 3:15pm @ Country hall de Liège – Day 3, Final

Liebherr 2017 MEN’S WORLD CUP MEDIA KIT

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Qualification The 20 players who contest the Liebherr 2017 Men’s World Cup comprise:

• The current World Champion • 17 players who qualified through their respective Continental Cups. • If no players qualify from the host association through the above, the host association

may nominate a player • The final player is chosen by the ITTF as a wildcard.

How the 17 places are determined through the Continental Cup:

• The winner of each Continental Cup, plus the second and third highest finishers from Asia and Europe qualify; a total of 10 players.

• Seven additional players are selected from the Continental Cups based on their order of finishing and their World Ranking. The highest ranked player amongst players finishing second in Africa, Latin America, North America, Oceania, and fourth in Asia and Europe, are selected. The highest ranked next player from the remaining players in the top most places on the qualifying positions from each Continental Cup, are selected, and so on, until the seven places are filled.

# WR – Oct 2017 Player Qualification Method 1 1 MA Long (CHN 1) World Champion 2 36 Quadri ARUNA (NGR) African Cup Winner 3 9 LIN Gaoyuan (CHN2) Asian Cup Winner 4 112 Gustavo TSUBOI (BRA) Pan American Cup Winner 5 228 Kanak JHA (USA) Pan American Cup (2nd player) 6 339 David POWELL (AUS) Oceania Cup Winner 7 4 Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (GER 1) Europe Cup Winner 8 16 LEE Sangsu (KOR 1) Asian Cup 3rd place (2nd Qualifier) 9 33 CHEN Chien-An (TPE 1) Asian Cup 4th place (3rd Qualifier) 10 41 Alexander SHIBAEV (RUS) Europe Cup 2nd place (2nd Qualifier) 11 13 Simon GAUZY (FRA) Europe Cup 3rd place (3rd Qualifier) 12 7 Jun MIZUTANI (JPN 1) Continental Cup Qualifier 1 13 34 KOU Lei (UKR) Continental Cup Qualifier 2 14 5 Timo BOLL (GER 2) Continental Cup Qualifier 3 15 21 Omar ASSAR (EGY) Continental Cup Qualifier 4 16 36 JEONG Sangeun (KOR 2) Continental Cup Qualifier 5 17 15 CHUANG Chih-Yuan (TPE 2) Continental Cup Qualifier 6 18 8 Koki NIWA (JPN 2) Continental Cup Qualifier 7 19 7 Cedric NUYTINCK (BEL) Host 20 19 Marcos FREITAS (POR) Wild card

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Playing System The LIEBHERR 2017 Men’s World Cup consists of two stages: Stage One

• In stage one, the players seeded nine to 20 (12 players) are drawn into four equal groups of three players, with all members of a group playing each other.

• Players seeded 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th head each group A, B, C and D respectively. • Players seeded 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th are drawn randomly into the second position

of each preliminary group. • The remaining players seeded 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th are drawn randomly into the

third and last position in each preliminary group • If there are 2 players from the same Association, they will be drawn into separate

groups. • The top 2 finishers of each preliminary group shall join the top 8 seeded players in the

second stage of the competition Stage Two

• Stage two is knock-out stage of the competition. • The draw for seeded 1st – 8th will be done according to ITTF Regulations. • Seed 1 placed in position 1, seed 2 placed in position 16 • Seeds 3 and 4 drawn between position 8 and 9 • Seeds 5-8 drawn randomly into positions 4, 5, 12 and 13. • Group winners from the preliminary stage will be drawn randomly into positions 3, 6,

11 and 14. • The second place finishers of each group shall be drawn randomly into positions 2, 7,

10 and 15 of the draw; group winners and second place finishers from the same group will be drawn into opposite halves of the draw; there will be no separation by association.

• Losers of the semi-finals play each other for third place. • All matches will be played to the best of 7 games.

Prize Money Winner: US$45,000 Runner up: US$25,000 3rd place: US$15,000 4th place: US$10,000 5th – 8th place: US$6,000 9th – 16th place: US$3,250 17th – 20th place: US$1,250 Total: US$150,000

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Past Winners and Locations

Year Host City Gold Silver Bronze 2016 Saarbrücken Fan Zhendong Xu Xin Wong Chun Ting 2015 Halmstad Ma Long Fan Zhendong Dimitrij Ovtcharov 2014 Dusseldorf Zhang Jike Ma Long Timo Boll 2013 Verviers Xu Xin Vladimir Samsonov Dimitrij Ovtcharov 2012 Liverpool Ma Long Timo Boll Vladimir Samsonov 2011 Paris Zhang Jike Wang Hao Joo Saehyuk 2010 Magdeburg Wang Hao Zhang Jike Timo Boll 2009 Moscow Vladimir Samsonov Chen Qi Ma Long 2008 Liege Wang Hao Timo Boll Ma Long 2007 Barcelona Wang Hao Ryu Seungmin Wang Liqin 2006 Paris Ma Lin Wang Hao Wang Liqin 2005 Liege Timo Boll Wang Hao Ma Lin 2004 Hangzhou Ma Lin Kalinikos Kreanga Wang Hao 2003 Jiangyin Ma Lin Kalinikos Kreanga Wang Liqin 2002 Jinan Timo Boll Kong Linghui Zoran Primorac 2001 Courmayeur Vladimir Samsonov Wang Liqin Jörg Rosskopf 2000 Yangzhou Ma Lin Kim Taeksoo Wang Liqin 1999 Xiaolan Vladimir Samsonov Werner Schlager Zoran Primorac 1998 Shantou Jörg Rosskopf Kim Taeksoo Zoran Primorac 1997 Nimes Zoran Primorac Kong Linghui Vladimir Samsonov 1996 Nimes Liu Guoliang Jan-Ove Waldner Vladimir Samsonov 1995 Nimes Kong Linghui Jörg Rosskopf Liu Guoliang 1994 Taipei Jean-Philippe Gatien Jean-Michel Saive Zoran Primorac 1993 Guangzhou Zoran Primorac Wang Tao Johnny Huang 1992 Ho Chi Minh City Ma Wenge Kim Taeksoo Yoo Namkyu 1991 Kuala Lumpur Jörgen Persson Jean-Philippe Gatien Jan-Ove Waldner 1990 Chiba City Jan-Ove Waldner Ma Wenge Chen Longcan 1989 Nairobi Ma Wenge Andrzej Grubba Mikael Appelgren 1988 Guangzhou Andrzej Grubba Chen Longcan Jiang Jialiang 1987 Macao Teng Yi Jiang Jialiang Andrzej Grubba 1986 Port of Spain Chen Longcan Jiang Jialiang Kim Wan 1985 Foshan Chen Xinhua Andrzej Grubba Jiang Jialiang 1984 Kuala Lumpur Jiang Jialiang Kim Wan Ulf Bengtsson 1983 Barbados Mikael Appelgren Jan-Ove Waldner Erik Lindh 1982 Hong Kong Guo Yuehua Mikael Appelgren Xie Saike 1981 Kuala Lumpur Tibor Klampar Xie Saike Guo Yuehua 1980 Hong Kong Guo Yuehua Li Zhenshi Josef Dvoracek

Most Successful Men’s World Cup Players Ma Lin (CHN) 4 (2006, 2004, 2003, 2000) Vladimir Samsonov (BLR) 3 (2009, 2001, 1999) Wang Hao (CHN) 3 (2010, 2008, 2007) MA Long (CHN) 2 (2015, 2012)

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Most Men’s World Cup Appearances Jean-Michel Saive (BEL) 18 Jan-Ove Waldner (SWE) 18 Vladimir Samsonov (BLR) 17 Chuang Chih-Yuan (TPE) 14 Players Information

2017 Stats Seeding Name WR Hand Grip Play Style AGE % Won Played Won

1 MA Long (CHN) 1 Right Shakehand Attacking 29 97% 29 28 2 Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (GER) 4 Right Shakehand Attacking 29 93% 40 37 3 Timo BOLL (GER) 5 Left Shakehand Attacking 36 82% 38 31 4 Jun MIZUTANI (JPN) 7 Left Shakehand Attacking 28 71% 21 15 5 Koki NIWA (JPN) 8 Left Shakehand Attacking 23 64% 44 28 6 LIN Gaoyuan (CHN) 9 Left Shakehand Attacking 22 81% 43 35 7 Simon GAUZY (FRA) 13 Right Shakehand Attacking 22 63% 30 19 8 CHUANG Chih-Yuan (TPE) 15 Right Shakehand Attacking 36 55% 20 11 9 LEE Sangsu (KOR) 16 Right Shakehand Attacking 27 64% 28 18 10 Marcos FREITAS (POR) 19 Left Shakehand Attacking 29 58% 31 18 11 Omar ASSAR (EGY) 21 Right Shakehand Attacking 26 76% 41 31 12 CHEN Chien-An (TPE) 33 Left Shakehand Attacking 26 57% 35 20 13 KOU Lei (UKR) 34 Right Shakehand Attacking 29 60% 30 18 14 Quadri ARUNA (NGR) 36 Right Shakehand Attacking 29 74% 19 14 15 JEONG Sangeun (KOR) 36 Right Shakehand Attacking 27 64% 25 16 16 Alexander SHIBAEV (RUS) 41 Right Shakehand Attacking 27 64% 14 9 17 Cedric NUYTINCK (BEL) 71 Left Shakehand Attacking 24 66% 41 27 18 Gustavo TSUBOI (BRA) 112 Left Shakehand Attacking 32 59% 17 10 19 Kanak JHA (USA) 228 Right Shakehand Attacking 17 77% 43 33 20 David POWELL (AUS) 339 Right Shakehand Attacking 26 78% 9 7

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Tournament Facts

• The 2017 Men’s World Cup is the 38th edition. • 2017 is the 4th edition that Belgium will host the Men’s World Cup. • The oldest competitor is Timo Boll (GER), who is 36 years old. The youngest is Kanak

Jha (USA) who is 17, a difference of 19 years! • There are no defensive or penhold players in this year’s edition of the Men’s World Cup.

ITTF.com Make sure you follow the LIEBHERR 2017 Men’s World Cup on ITTF.com to obtain the following:

• Up to date schedule • Live streaming at tv.ITTF.com • Live updates of the action • Rights free photos • Upcoming ITTF calendar • Past results • Everything you need to know about international table tennis!