Tomokazu Harimoto Height: 5ft 10in Nationality: Japan Date of Birth: 06/27/2003 Grip: Shakehand Hand: Right Playing Style: Attack (Credit: Marcus Cyron – CC BY-SA 3.0) Tomokazu Harimoto Biography Tomokazu Harimoto was born on 27th June 2003 in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. Originally named Zhang Zhihe, due to his Chinese heritage, Harimoto wouldn’t
Name: Fan ZhendongNationality: ChinaDate of Birth: 01/22/1997Grip: ShakehandHand: RightPlaying Style: Shake Attack Fan Zhendong Biography Fan Zhendong is a true table tennis athlete and aficionado, who attests to “deeply loving” the sport. Fan says that from the first day he played, he could “feel its charm.” A table
Name: Ma LongNationality: ChinaDate of Birth: 10/20/1988Grip: ShakehandHand: RightPlaying Style: Attack Ma Long Biography Playing table tennis from the age of 5, Ma Long did not always love table tennis. Like many professionals, he was pushed into the sport by his parents. They wanted him to play to improve his strength
Name: Dimitrij Ovtcharov Nationality: Germany Date of Birth: 09/02/1988 Grip: Shakehand Hand: Right Playing Style: Attack Dimitrij Ovtcharov Biography Dimitrij Ovtcharov plays on behalf of Germany, but it’s not the country of his birth. Ovtcharov was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 1988. His father decided to take his family and leave Ukraine
Name: Timo BollNationality: GermanyDate of Birth: 03/08/1981Grip: ShakehandHand: LeftPlaying Style: Attack Timo Boll Biography Born in Erbach, Germany, Timo Boll started playing table tennis from just the age of 4. Unlike many other players, Boll wasn’t pushed into the sport by his parents. The decision to play table tennis was entirely his
Name: Zhang JikeNationality: ChinaDate of Birth: 02/16/1988Grip: ShakehandHand: RightPlaying Style:Attack Zhang Jike Biography Born on February 16th, 1988 in Qingdao, Shandong, Zhang first began to play table tennis when he was four years old. Like many world-class athletes, his parents pushed him into the sport. Fortunately, his father was a
Name: Kanak Jha Nationality: USA Date of Birth: 06/19/2000 Grip: Shakehand Hand: Right Playing Style: Attack Kanak Jha Biography Kanak Jha is a 21-year-old table tennis player who plays for the USA Men’s National Team. Born in Milpitas, California, Kanak started playing table tennis from the age of 5.
Name: Jan-Ove WaldnerNationality: SwedenDate of Birth: 10/03/1965Grip: ShakehandHand: RightPlaying Style: Creative Attack Jan-Ove Waldner Biography Jan-Ove Waldner began playing table tennis at the age of six and would play with his older brother in their summer house. Jan-Ove also enjoyed other sports, like soccer and tennis. That same year, Waldner’s brother joined a
Name: Zoran PrimoracNationality: CroatiaDate of Birth: 05/10/1969Grip: ShakehandHand: RightPlaying Style: Attack Zoran Primorac Biography Zoran Primorac first began playing table tennis in his home city of Zadar, Croatia. Although Zadar is an area more famous for basketball, Zoran was not especially tall. So he instead turned his efforts to table tennis.
Name: Vladimir SamsonovNationality: BelarusDate of Birth: 04/17/1976Grip: ShakehandHand: RightPlaying Style: All-round Vladimir Samsonov Biography Vladimir Samsonov first picked up a table tennis bat at the age of six. There were tables in the multi-story apartment building where he lived, so Vladimir saw lots of casual playing. Shortly after, he came across
