(by Steve Hopkins, photo MLTT)
The Portland Paddlers are navigating the current of the West Division of the Major League Table Tennis (MLTT), having finished in third, in the middle of the pack in both of the previous two seasons. In the most recent season, they finished 6-12 with 171 points.
At the helm is veteran coach Christian Lillieroos, one of the best known coaches in the US – an ITTF Level 3-certified coach with international experience. The team is anchored by Swedish player Hampus Nordberg. The rest of the squad includes Americans Rachel Sung, Nikhil Kumar and Sid Naresh, Swed Jens Lundqvist, Japan’s Kotomi Omoda, and Koreans Min Hyeok Kim and Kang Dong-Soo.
The West Division will be tough this year with the Chicago Wind, Bay Area Blasters, Los Angeles Spinners, and perennial powerhouse Texas Smash. But with a strong table tennis community in Portland and the league’s new TV deal with CBS Sports, the timing couldn’t be better for this team to make a deeper playoff push.
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