(By USATT)
Zhang to compete in Table Tennis’ Women’s World Cup
The ITTF Women’s World Cup will be held at the United States for the first time ever and Palo Alto grad Lily Zhang will be there.
The two-time Olympian joins 19 others at the prestigious event next weekend in Philadelphia. The International Table Tennis Federation declared USA Table Tennis will host the event.
The state-of-the-art Liacouras Center, on the campus of Temple University, will host the World Cup, which features the best 20 women’s table tennis players on earth. This will be the first time an ITTF World Cup singles event has been hosted on North American soil.
The United States previously hosted the 1992 World Team Cup in Las Vegas and the 2007 World Junior Championship in Palo Alto.
“The ITTF can’t wait to bring the Women’s World Cup to Philadelphia and to the United States for the first time,” ITTF President Thomas Weikert said. “The USA is a key market for the ITTF and table tennis, with many up-and-coming young talents making way onto the international stage. We hope that this big event will help further develop the sport in the USA.”
Said USATT CEO Gordon Kaye: “On behalf of USATT and all of the millions of table tennis enthusiasts in the United States, I would like to thank the ITTF for selecting us to host the most prestigious women’s table tennis event in the world this October. To be able to host this field of very talented women, most of whom competed at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, is incredible. We look forward to an amazing event highlighting the great sport of table tennis and the top female athletes from around the world.”
