(by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor)
Mixed Doubles in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, quite simply “hats off” to all who made it possible; not only is it an extra medal for table tennis, it gives the event a new status.
Many moons ago when the International Table Tennis Federation did not have the maximum 226 members, Mixed Doubles was always included in open international tournaments but for whatever reason and no doubt for very good reasons, it no longer appears.
Over the years, in some quarters the event has become regarded as the least important in World or Continental Championships.
We must accept that the headline, whether it is table tennis or tennis, will always be the Men’s Singles or Women’s Singles winner but try telling Japan’s Maharu Yoshimura and Kasumi Ishikawa, the winners in Düsseldorf on Saturday 3rd June that it was a Cinderella medal.
I think back to the Volkswagen 2005 World Championships in Shanghai when such a comment was made to Wang Liqin after he had won the Mixed Doubles title in partnership with Guo Yue; the journalist was quickly put in his place when the Chinese star explained that it was a world title, no different to any other.
Also at that tournament I recall the desperation on the face of Bai Yang, for the second consecutive World Championships, she had finished in runners up position in partnership with Liu Guozheng. She knew the chance of a gold medal at a World Championships had gone; a Mixed Doubles gold would have been the very pinnacle of her career. It would have been so precious.
There is no player on planet earth who would not want to win a Mixed Doubles gold medal at an Olympic Games or World Championships; none at all.
Now at future World Championships will we see a change in Chinese thinking in the Mixed Doubles event? Instead of partnering players from a different national association, will they return the policy of the fielding all Chinese pairings with Tokyo in mind? If any country leaves no stone unturned in preparation it is China!
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