With the ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup 2024 just days away in Macao, the stage is set for an array of the world’s top table tennis players to gather and compete for gold. While seasoned champions will undoubtedly vie for glory, the new World Cup qualifying system opens the door for more younger players to make their mark on the senior stage.
As the sport continues to evolve, nurturing young talent remains a top priority for the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). Central to this are development programs such as the Hopes Program, the ITTF’s talent identification initiative that unites elite players and coaches from across the globe, and the ‘With the Future in Mind’ scholarship program, a joint venture between Olympic Solidarity and ITTF to support athletes in pursuit of their Olympic dreams through high-quality training camps and off-court educational opportunities.
A cohort of talented young players, many of whom are alumni of the Hopes Program and beneficiaries of the ‘With the Future in Mind’ scholarships, are poised to make their World Cup debuts in Macao. Among these rising stars, several standout names are ready to potentially make history next week.
France’s Felix Lebrun, a beneficiary of the ‘With the Future in Mind’ scholarship, has been steadily climbing the ranks, breaking into the Men’s Top 5 for the first time last month. With several big titles already under his belt, including the Men’s Singles gold at the 2023 European Games, Lebrun poses a formidable challenge to even the most seasoned opponents. Recently reaching the semi-finals of the Singapore Smash 2024, all eyes will be on Lebrun as he aims to make waves in his Men’s World Cup debut.
China’s Lin Shidong, the current World Youth Champion, is a young prodigy with immense potential. No stranger to big upsets, Lin recently defeated World No.2 and his personal idol Fan Zhendong at the Singapore Smash 2024. With a WTT Contender Amman title in 2023, where he defeated Dimitrij Ovtcharov 4-0, Lin is poised to showcase the future of Chinese table tennis.
Australia’s Aditya Sareen, a 15-year-old ‘With the Future in Mind’ scholarship recipient, is the youngest player in the Men’s event. Sareen made history last year at the 2023 ITTF-Oceania Championships, where he became the youngest player ever to win the Men’s Singles continental title and skyrocketed into the World Top 50.
China’s Kuai Man, a rising star, will make her World Cup debut in Macao. Kuai defeated Elena Zaharia in straight sets at the 2023 ITTF World Youth Championships to claim the U19 Girl’s gold medal and has already won two WTT titles in 2023.
Miwa Harimoto of Japan, only 15 years old, is the youngest female player at the ITTF World Cup 2024. One of the best emerging talents in the younger generation, she has already made a strong impression on the senior stage, with two wins in the 2023 WTT series.
Rounding out the list is 16-year-old Hana Goda of Egypt, a shining beacon of hope for table tennis on the African continent. A Hopes Program alumni and ‘With the Future in Mind’ scholarship recipient, Goda shocked the world by winning the 2022 ITTF Africa-Cup at just 14 years of age, making her the youngest ever player to win a Continental Cup.
As the ITTF World Cup 2024 in Macao approaches, these young table tennis prodigies are poised to showcase the future of the sport and potentially make history on the senior stage.
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