2024-01-28 07:47:00
Last day of Table Tennis All Japan Championship (January 28, 2024 Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium)
Mima Ito (left) and Miwa Harimoto
Photo By Sponichi
The race for a spot in the Paris Olympics ended with this tournament.
Hina Hayata (Nippon Life Insurance Co., Ltd.), who won the women’s singles, had already chosen her representative before the tournament, and the second singles spot was decided to go to Miu Hirano (Kinoshita Group), who won the competition from Mima Ito (Startz).
The focus is on the third representative who will be the team competition personnel scheduled to be announced on February 5th. The training headquarters will select players who can play doubles with Hayata and Hirano and who are expected to play an active role in team singles and doubles.
Although Ito is in 3rd place in the world ranking and selection points, 15-year-old Miwa Harimoto (Kinoshita Academy) succeeded in making a strong appeal by finishing runner-up in the singles at this tournament.
Ito lost in the 6th round of singles. After the match, he hinted at declining, saying, “I’ve always wanted to win the singles championship.Even if I’m selected for the team competition, I haven’t decided whether I’ll participate.”
Japan women’s national team coach Takehiro Watanabe, who responded to an interview after the tournament, was asked if he would confirm Ito’s intentions, and he said, “No,” and added, “We would like to select the athlete who can win the most at the Olympics.” “I’m doing it,” he said.
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