September 13, 2017

So Much Happening!
No matter where you are, there’s something coming up for you. While there’s not much on the coaching side in my blog this morning (after seven in yesterday’s blog), though there's some good analysis in the Table Tennis Tidbits #8 (by Robert Ho), this time it’s full of events all over the place. Here’s a rundown.

  • Philadelphia, PA. See the segment below on Spin Philly, with the grand opening party this Friday, Sept. 15, 9PM-2AM. I may go up for this.
  • Ann Arbor, MI. See segment below on the 45th Ping-Pong Diplomacy at University of Michigan on Monday, Sept. 18.
  • Franklin, WI. See segment below on the $16,000 4-star Badger Open, near Milwaukee, Sept. 15-17.
  • CA, WA, NC, NJ, NY. Play in any of the following 2-star tournaments this coming weekend: North-West LA Open (Canoga Park, CA); SPTTC Championships and September Open (Bellevue, WA); Triangle September Open (Morrisville, NC); Princeton Pong Open (Princeton Junction, NJ); NYISC September Open (College Point, NY).
  • 1993-1994. See segment below where you can relive or learn about table tennis those years by buying Volume 20 of Tim Boggan’s History of U.S. Table Tennis.
  • Houston, TX. See segment below on the damages caused by Hurricane Harvey. Why not play at one of the Houston clubs (and pay membership or daily fee) to help support their repairs?
  • Anywhere, USA. Here’s the USATT club listing. Or get some coaching – here’s the USATT coaches listing.
  • Anywhere, Earth. See segments below where you can follow the action at the Pan Am Championships and the European Championships. Or you can wait a couple of days and follow the action at the Asian Cup, Sept. 15-17 in Ahmedabad, India.
  • Anywhere, Universe. Why not support a poor, struggling table tennis writer by buying one of his table tennis books? Then you can curl up anywhere and lose yourself in the world of table tennis.  

2017 ITTF PanAm Championships
Here’s the home page for the event where you can follow the action, including Team USA. Note the livestreaming links – you can watch it live! Here is Team USA – Men: Adar Alguetti, Sharon Alguetti, Kunal Chodri, Nicholas Tio; Women: Crystal Wang, Yue Wu, Grace Yang, Rachal Yang. (Amazingly, Crystal Wang comes first alphabetically in a four-person team.)

European Championships
Here’s the home page for the event, which starts today, Sept. 13-17 in Luxembourg.

Table Tennis Community Rallies to the Harvey Cause
Here’s the article by Richard Finn. “Winds ripped through homes and buildings. Water, feet high in many places, rushed in, flooding entire homes, roads, cars and anything that stood in its path.  Schools and businesses were closed. Sports teams were displaced. Every fabric of life in one of the country’s most bustling cities was impacted. The vibrant table tennis community in the Houston area was not spared from the wrath of Harvey.”

Table Tennis Tidbits #8
Here’s the article by Robert Ho.

Spin, a 12,000-Square-Foot Ping Pong Bar, Bounces Into Philly
Here’s the article. Their grand opening party is this Friday, 9PM to 2AM. I’m toying with driving up – it’s a three-hour drive.

Ping-Pong Diplomacy Celebration: Musical Performance & Exhibition Table Tennis Games
Here’s the article. The event takes place Sept. 18 (Monday) at the University of Michigan, and includes such players as Liang Geliang, Zheng Huaiying, Wang Hao, Yan Sen, Ding Ning, Qiao Hong, and Dell & Connie Sweeris. “In celebration of the 45th anniversary of Ping Pong Diplomacy, the University of Michigan is excited to host an evening highlighting the history, impact, and a continued dedication to a solid relationship between Michigan and China. We hope you’ll join us for a community event including remarks from distinguished guests, a musical performance, and several exciting table tennis games.”

Titans Return to Claim Title at 10th Anniversary Butterfly Badger Open
Here’s the article by Barbara Wei. “A total of $16,000 in prize money awaits the ~300 players who will come to compete at the 2017 Butterfly Badger Open next weekend in Franklin, WI (15 miles from downtown Milwaukee). With $5,000 reserved for the Open Singles champion, top players from around the US and Canada have already confirmed their spots in the event.”

Donate to Support Lariba
Here’s the video (48 sec) on Ian Lariba, a member of the Philippines National and 2016 Olympic Team, who has been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, and needs to raise $60,000 for an operation.

Your Morning Multiball Session
Here’s the video (38 sec) with Mudit Dani at the Lily Yip TTC.

The Fastest Sport? Table Tennis vs. Badminton
Here’s the article from Zoom TT.

History of U.S. Table Tennis, Volume 20 (1993-1994)
You can buy the new volume, or any of volumes 1-19, at TimBogganTableTennis.com!

History of U.S. Table Tennis, Volume 19 (1991-1992)
Here's chapter twenty-five - December 1992 - World Doubles Cup. Or order your own print copies at TimBogganTableTennis.com, Volumes 1 to 20!

Lily Zhang: Good luck getting a shot past this Olympian
Here’s the video (56 sec) from the Bleacher Report.

Vive Studios' 'VR Sports' is Exactly What it Sounds Like
Here’s the article and pictures, which features table tennis.

Tutti Frutti Table Tennis Terminology
Here’s the ITTF article on bananas, banana splits, and strawberries – all table tennis shots! Here’s my Tip of the Week on the Banana Flip. I’ve written about the strawberry flip – here’s a video of it (6:22) from EmRatThich, where he calls it a “boomerang flip.”

91-Shot Rally
Here’s the video (1:41) – all smash vs. lob – and at deuce in the seventh!!!

Zhang Jike Funny TV 2017
Here’s the video (3:26). Lots of crazy stuff! It’s in Chinese, but you don’t need that to understand what’s going on. Wait’ll you see the six-sided table!

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