10/31/2010        2010 ITTF Para Table Tennis World Championships

China emerged as the most successful country in the Men’s Singles Class events at the ITTF Para Table Tennis Championships in the Korean city of Gwangju on Sunday 31st October 2010.

They collected five of the ten titles on offer

In the Wheelchair Classes (Classes one to Five) they secured two titles, whilst in the Standing Classes (Classes Six to Ten), a total of three titles went their way.

Feng Pan Feng secured the Class Three crown with the Class Four title being secured by Guo Ying Yuan.

Successful Asian Players
Meanwhile, the Class Seven event was won by Ye Chao Qun, the Class Nine crown was donned by Ma Lin and the top step of medal podium was secured by Ge Yang.

Success for China and there was success for the host nation, Jung Eun Chang won the Class Five Men’s Singles crown.

Europeans in Form
Otherwise it was Europe who shared the honours.

Germany’s Holger Nikelis was crowned Class One Men’s Singles champion, Russia’s Serguey Poddoubnyi secured Class Two, with Denmark’s Peter Rosenmeier capturing the Class Six title.

Titles for Germany and Denmark and there was success for Belgium. Matthew Loicq won the Class Eight event.

No Gold for Open Class winners
It was for all ten winners, their first gold medals in the tournament in Gwangju.

Korea’s Kim Young Gun, who earlier in the proceedings had won the Men’s Singles Open Wheelchair Class, was beaten in round two of the Class Three event by the eventual champion Feng Pan Feng; whilst for Spain’s Jose-Manuel Ruiz, who won the Open Standing Class, he had to settle for the bronze medal in the Men’s Singles Class Ten event.

Olympic and World Champions
However, three players now have the right to be referred to as Paralympic and Para Table Tennis World champions in their respective class.

Feng Pan Feng won the Class Three title in Beijing at the 2008 Paralympic Games whilst Peter Rosenmaier secured Class Six and Ge Yang the Class Nine / ten title.

Medallists
Men’s Singles
Class One Gold: Holger Nikelis (GER) Silver: Jean-François Ducay (FRA) Bronze: Andreas Vevera (AUT)

Class Two Gold: Seguey Poddoubnyi (RUS) Silver: Kim Min Gyu (KOR) Bronze: Kim Kyung Mook (KOR)

Class Three Gold: Feng Pan Feng (CHN) Silver: Thomas Schmidtberger (GER) Bronze: Zlatko Kesler (SRB)

Class Four Gold: Guo Xing Yuan (CHN) Silver: Kim Jung Gil (KOR) Bronze Maxime Thomas (FRA)

Class Five Gold: Jung Eun Chang (KOR) Silver: Tommy Urhuag (NOR) Bronze: Kim Byoung Young (KOR)

Class Six Gold: Peter Rosenmeier (DEN) Silver: Bastian Grundeler (FRA) Bronze: Thomas Rau (GER)

Class Seven Gold: Ye Chao qun (CHN) Silver: Jordi Morales (ESP) Bronze: Alvaro Valero (ESP)

Class Eight Gold: Mathieu Loicq (BEL) Silver: Marcin Skrzynecki (POL) Bronze: Piotr Grudzien (POL)

Class Nine Gold: Ma Lin (POL) Silver: Lu Xiao Lei (POL) Bronze: Gerben Last (NED)

Class Ten Gold Ge Yang (CHN) Silver: Ivan Karabec (CZE) Bronze: José-Manuel Ruiz (ESP)