体坛英语新闻：2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships to start in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and the Table Tennis Association of Malaysia staged the launch event for the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championship on Saturday.

For the second time in history, Malaysia has been granted the trust of the ITTF to host the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championship, which will take place on 28th February 2016 to 6th Malawati Stadium, Shah Alam, Greater Kuala Lumpur.

The launch event was successfully officiated by Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan, Second Minister of International Trade and Industry along side with Chairman of Perfect China Company Limited also President of TTAM, Tan Sri Dato' Koo Yuen Kim, including the President of ITTF, Thomas Weikert, as well as the General Manager of MME, Tony Nagamaiah and Organizing Committee Chairman of Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships Han Kee Juan.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between TTAM and ITTF, together with another memorandum signed between TTAM and Malaysia Major Events.

"This is indeed a significant and historical event for the national sports arena in general and particularly in table tennis," said YB Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan.

"The decision for Perfect 2016 World Table Tennis Championships to be held in Malaysia was a momentous one, owing to the fact that next year will be 16 years since the event last took place in Malaysia. As a stepping stone to better nation building, the Malaysian government has always sought to foster unity and encourage health lifestyle through sports, apart from the glory of winning the games for Malaysia."

A sport loved by all in Malaysia and played by all stages of life. Currently there are an estimation of 500,000 players, with the followers of 2.5 million for the numerous times.

Malaysia has been active in the sport of table tennis for a long time. The Table Tennis Association of Malaysia was officially formed in 1964, and in the following year, Malaysia held its first ever official international table tennis tournament at the third SEAP Games in Kuala Lumpur.

From then onwards, Malaysia became an ITTF member until 1967 and participated in 1971 the 31st World Table Tennis Championships for the first time.

In 2000, Malaysia organized the 45th World Team Table Tennis Championships, being the first country in South East Asia and the smallest country in the modern era of table tennis to organize a world table tennis world championships.

Now, for the year 2016, Malaysia has once again put itself on the world-sporting map to organize World Table Tennis Championships. The world-class event, which features all the top teams in the world, will compete in the men's and women's team events. The 2016 edition will feature more than 100 countries, including the sports and economic super power of China, Japan, Germany, France, Russia and the USA.

World Table Tennis Championships have been held since 1926 biennially. Five individual events, which include men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's double and mixed doubles, are currently held in odd numbered years. Meanwhile, the team event both men and women are held in even numbered years. It is the biggest table tennis event in the world, where more than 100 countries and over 800 athletes compete each year.

It has been reported that last championship alone, over 450 million people followed the championships. This includes 330 million watching the event live on TV in 170 countries and regions, 10 million unique visitors to the ITTF official website, three million Facebook followers, and seven million YouTube views from 231 countries and regions, and not forgetting the impressive coverage from over 1000 media.