2017 Butterfly Arnold Table Tennis Challenge: Exceptional Venue and Tournament Organization

2017 Butterfly Arnold Table Tennis Challenge: Exceptional Venue and Tournament Organization
(By Barbara Wei)

For the close to 400 competitors (including recreational) at this weekend’s Arnold Table Tennis Challenge, the experience of competing in a world class facility with 399 other table tennis enthusiasts was enough to want to return the following year. However, in addition to the exhilarating atmosphere and the excitement of being part of the Arnold Sports Festival, the venue layout and on time competition/organization made the Arnold Table Tennis Challenge similar in professionalism as international competitions.

For the most elite players, the feature tables for the Open Singles event had live scoring boards normally only seen at world class international events such as the World Championships or the World Cup. The 2017 Arnold Table Tennis Challenge champion, Jian Li mentioned that the large feature court (30 ft. x 50 ft.), combined with the bright lights and stadium seating gave him additional motivation to try to succeed when competing. Other elite players such as Jishan Liang, Kai Zhang and Bowen Chen echoed his sentiment, noting that feature court “psyches them up” to play their best in the Open Singles matches.

For the non-elite Open Singles players, the 50 tables, 24 which have Gerflor red flooring, provide ample space for great matches ranging in level from recreational to 2500. Ample opportunity to compete in multiple events and no shortage of tables ensure an on time tournament with quick resolution of any player conflicts or issues. Players competing at the Arnold Table Tennis Challenge often return year after year given the continual effort of the entire tournament team to improve and innovate. Players can look forward to exciting competition in 2018 with the expectation of a world class experience.

Continual coverage of the 2017 Butterfly Arnold Table Tennis Challenge and stories about the athletes will be available at ButterflyOnline.com, or via Butterfly North America’s Twitter and Facebook pages.