After the successful conclusion of the 2018 ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge in Alicante, the 2018 ITTF Hopes Team has been selected has been selected on the basis of the Head Coaches’ evaluation.
While this year’s global Hopes arrived in Alicante with a consistently strong level of play across the board, there were four players each in the Girls’ and Boys’ competition who were able to demonstrate their eligibility for this year’s Hopes Team. Therefore, we are proud to announce the ITTF Hopes Team representing the Hopes program at the 2018 ITTF World Cadet Challenge in Tottori, Japan:
Girls:
- Xin Ni LEE (MAS – Asia)
- Hana GODA (EGY – Africa)
- Sophie EARLEY (IRL – Europe)
- Emily TAN (USA – North America)
Boys:
- Julian CHIRITA (ROU – Europe)
- Yong Izaac QUEK (SGP – Asia)
- Daniel BERZOSA (ESP – Europe)
- Ebrahim Abdulhakim GUBRAN (YEM – Asia)
The evaluation by Head Coaches Jože Urh (SLO) and Takashi Watanabe (JPN) took into consideration performance, effort and skill throughout the training camp, valued at 65% of the final score, and final results at the Challenge at 35%.
While the selected team members had to have placed among the Top 8 in the final standing of the evaluation, a maximum of three representatives per continent in total, and two per gender promised a fair combination of global representation and reward of excellence in training and competition. While the overall goal remains to have continental representation across the Hopes Team, players this year had to perform throughout the week to have the chance to travel to the 2018 ITTF World Cadet Challenge in Tottori, Japan, held from 23-31 October 2018.
Prior to the tournament, the Hopes Team and their coaches will travel to Okayama, Japan to practice locally at a week-long training camp, before heading to Tottori to compete against the world’s best Cadets representing their continents.
The ITTF World Cadet Challenge will be held in Tottori, Japan from 23-31 October 2018.
ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge Results