WTT Contender Istanbul 2026 (10 Nov - 15 Nov 2026)

[astarr]

World Table Tennis

www.worldtabletennis.com

 

[Janard]

Was there a Contender Istanbul last year? Don't recall.

Looking forward to:
- Mini WCQ vs Lind (though I wonder how serious is his injury)
- How far can Hirano go this time; she has Nagasaki and Hashimoto in her half
- Yoshiyama brothers' MD; from memory Ryoichi was rather promising but don't recall seeing much of him recently
- Miyuu/Miu WD has been a pleasure to watch recently; can they clinch a fourth?
- Can Uncle Fang Bo progress to meet/win his younger Chinese juniors?

 

[NextLevel]

Was there a Contender Istanbul last year? Don't recall.

Looking forward to:
- Mini WCQ vs Lind (though I wonder how serious is his injury)
- How far can Hirano go this time; she has Nagasaki and Hashimoto in her half
- Yoshiyama brothers' MD; from memory Ryoichi was rather promising but don't recall seeing much of him recently
- Miyuu/Miu WD has been a pleasure to watch recently; can they clinch a fourth?
- Can Uncle Fang Bo progress to meet/win his younger Chinese juniors?

Uncle Fang played Luka Pips Magic and lost 0-3 in Portugal. I know the fang boys believe in miracles but it will take a while if ever

 

[piligrim]

Uncle Fang played Luka Pips Magic and lost 0-3 in Portugal. I know the fang boys believe in miracles but it will take a while if ever

at least now he can live in Kazakhstan

 

[zeio]

Was there a Contender Istanbul last year? Don't recall.

Looking forward to:
- Mini WCQ vs Lind (though I wonder how serious is his injury)
- How far can Hirano go this time; she has Nagasaki and Hashimoto in her half
- Yoshiyama brothers' MD; from memory Ryoichi was rather promising but don't recall seeing much of him recently
- Miyuu/Miu WD has been a pleasure to watch recently; can they clinch a fourth?
- Can Uncle Fang Bo progress to meet/win his younger Chinese juniors?

Yoshiyama Ryoichi has been playing WTT events and even CHN GS 2026 but lost in the 1st round of qualification.

Kihara/Hirano have been busy appearing on TV Tokyo and Hirano even did a school visit as an instructor, so I'm prepared for the worst...

吉山僚一、フルゲームの死闘制し「我慢強く戦えた」　国際大会でも奮闘の22歳が覚悟示す「自分が勝てば勝つ」【Tリーグ】
https://spread-sports.jp/archives/400754

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

14 yr old Cocona Muramatsu makes it into the Main Draw beating China's 18 yr old Feng Yixuan and Turkey's Sibel Altinkaya.

 

[pingpongnerd]

Aditya Sareen beat a Chinese and a Korean to advance to the main draw. Oceania is not so weak afterall.

 

[FIXPOINT]

WTT Contender Istanbul 2026 WS QLF R3

WTT Contender Istanbul 2026 MS QLF R3

 

[FIXPOINT]

WTT Contender Istanbul 2026 WS Draw

WTT Contender Istanbul 2026 MS Draw

 

[NextLevel]

WTT Contender Istanbul 2026 WS Draw
View attachment 44160
WTT Contender Istanbul 2026 MS Draw
View attachment 44161​

Awww...mennnnn....this draw is not fair...

 

[NextLevel]

Aditya Sareen beat a Chinese and a Korean to advance to the main draw. Oceania is not so weak afterall.

Adi is a product of American TT who happens to be an Australian citizen.

 

[pingpongnerd]

Adi is a product of American TT who happens to be an Australian citizen.

This is like saying Hugo Calderano is a product of European TT who happens to be a Brazilian citizen. Hugo started training in Europe since the age of 14. He owes a lot of his development to European table tennis.

 

[pingpongnerd]

14 yr old Cocona Muramatsu makes it into the Main Draw beating China's 18 yr old Feng Yixuan and Turkey's Sibel Altinkaya.

Is Cocona on the same level of talent like Miwa?

 

[NextLevel]

This is like saying Hugo Calderano is a product of European TT who happens to be a Brazilian citizen. Hugo started training in Europe since the age of 14. He owes a lot of his development to European table tennis.

No, it isn't. Hugo was already the best player in his age group in Brazil when he moved to Europe. Ady pretty much started training TT in the USA. His first tournament in the USA has his rating as 129. Hopefully, the difference is clear enough that we don't have to waste too much time debating this comparison.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Is Cocona on the same level of talent like Miwa?

Still too young to say, but her growth is really fast along with Miku Matsushima (13) and Kokomi Ishida (14). You're probably going to hear these names for years to come.

 

[NextLevel]

Still too young to say, but her growth is really fast along with Miku Matsushima (13) and Kokomi Ishifa (14). You're probably going to hear these names for years to come.

Well we have heard the names Miyuu Kihara, Miyuu Nagasaki and so on for years to come.... just saying...

 

[pingpongnerd]

No, it isn't. Hugo was already the best player in his age group in Brazil when he moved to Europe. Ady pretty much started training TT in the USA. His first tournament in the USA has his rating as 129. Hopefully, the difference is clear enough that we don't have to waste too much time debating this comparison.

He wouldn't be the player he is today without the training in Europe from age 14.

 

[zeio]

No, it isn't. Hugo was already the best player in his age group in Brazil when he moved to Europe. Ady pretty much started training TT in the USA. His first tournament in the USA has his rating as 129. Hopefully, the difference is clear enough that we don't have to waste too much time debating this comparison.

That is why I keep stressing that when members persistently refuse to come to terms with what the players and coaches said. Those who argue with what's reported in news/articles/interviews are the root causes of friction on this forum and yet folks still question the use of AI when they can't even accept the truths?

Meet the 15-year-old making Australian table tennis history
https://www.sbs.com.au/sport/articl...ing-australian-table-tennis-history/jrmif1axo

The US-based athlete, who first left Australia as a toddler, has experienced a rapid rise to the national team despite only picking up a racquet six years ago.

2023 was particularly imperative for Sareen’s development – in August, the Seattle Spinners selected him in the second round of the inaugural Major League Table Tennis Draft, and, one month later, he would rewrite the Australian record books.

His father, Rahul, has also played a significant role in his career, having first moved to Melbourne from India and then to New Jersey soon after Sareen’s first birthday.

Despite having limited memory of Australia, Sareen’s affinity for the nation never faltered; eventually influencing his decision to commit to a national team that has since nurtured his development alongside Lum and Luu.

 

[NextLevel]

He wouldn't be the player he is today without the training in Europe from age 14.

Hugo is not the subject, Adi is. That said, most top players move around to more competitive environmemts as they get older and more serious about the sport if they don't live in one already, but where they learned to play is where they learned to play. Kanak was already a top player in the US before he started playing in Europe, just like Hugo. Quadri was already a top player in Nigeria before he did the same. William Henzell played in Australia but moved to Europe as a teenager. Kong Linghui played in China but got significant training in Sweden as a teenager. From what i hear though I don't know for sure, Truls was already close to the key places in Sweden so almost always stayed with his family. Ibrahima Diaw developed in France but played for Senegal and now Denmark. A lot of players developed in France now seem to be playing for African countries.

Adi learned to play in the US. He is definitely playing for Australia and has always played for Australia.

 

[NextLevel]

That is why I keep stressing that when members persistently refuse to come to terms with what the players and coaches said. Those who argue with what's reported in news/articles/interviews are the root causes of friction on this forum and yet folks still question the use of AI when they can't even accept the truths?

Meet the 15-year-old making Australian table tennis history
https://www.sbs.com.au/sport/articl...ing-australian-table-tennis-history/jrmif1axo

Not sure which part of this contradicts my point that Adi learned table tennis in the USA.. In general, few people argue eith official news sources. Most people argue with deliberately spiteful interpretations of the content of thoae news sources, which doesn't apply here.