The groupings for Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships has been determined at the draw.
The much anticipated draw for the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships has been concluded in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The 24 men's and women's Championship Division teams were drawn into four groups of six for the 54th World Team Table Tennis Championships being held on 28 February to 6 March at the Malawati Stadium.
For the defending men's champions China to get a direct path to the quarter final, they will have to beat the newly crowned European Champions Austria in group A, whom they defeated in 2015 World Team Cup final in Dubai.
Grand slam Champion ZHANG Jike (CHN) shared after the draw "We are old rivals with many of these teamsin ourgroup, they all have their strengths and high level members in their teams. So we have to be well prepared for tough matches in at the World Championships."
"This is going to be the biggest and most important event before the Olympic Games in Rio, and we will be going all out to do our best for each and every match."
Number two seeds, and the biggest challenger to China's dominance, Germany, has been grouped with the 2000 World Team Champions Sweden, and the host country Malaysia in group B.
Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (GER), who swept Europe in 2015 to claim all major singles titles, stated "All teams are strong at the WorldChampionships, but we could have gotten stronger teams in the group stage. We have to be perfectly prepared of course, and all of us have to work harduntil the Championships to get inbettershape!"
5th seeded Portugal will be on its way to challenge Japan and the other teams in group C. World number 8 MarcosFRETS commented "It's a strong group, so it will be hard for Portugal, but our goal is to finish in the first 2 places."
In the women's draw, locals Malaysia has drawn a glamour fixture with World Champions China in group A, which will surely pack out the 5,000 capacity stadium.
2015 European Championships winnerElizabeth SAMARA will beleading her team against the strong competition in group A. The 26-year-old Romanian shared "We have a rather homogeneous group where we have strong opponents in every team that we will be playing against."
London 2012 Olympic Games silver medalists Japan have been drawn into a tough group in group B. The team led by world number four Ai FUKUHARA have European Champions Germany and the runners up from the 2015 World Team Cup, DPR Korea to contend with.
Youngest member of the Japanese team lineup, Mima ITO stated "It's a very tough draw, but I will do my best to help my team win!"
German Sports Director Richard Prause also commented that "Japan will be the favourite in this group, but we will of course try our best to challenge Japan and get through the group and reach the quarterfinals. It will be very interesting to see how the verypromising young teams like Brazil and Thailand will be competing in this first stage."
94 men's teams and 81 women's teams will make the trip to Kuala Lumpur to compete across four divisions at the World Team Table Tennis Championships.
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