The first-ever Waldner Cup, named after Swedish legendary player Jan-Ove Waldner, is underway in Oslo, Norway. Gathering the world’s top seed players, including Ma Long and Chen Meng from China, the event aims not only for professional competitions, but also for introducing the sport to more people.
On Friday, before the matches began, CGTN Europe sat down with Waldner in an exclusive interview to discuss the event and his expectations for it.
#WaldnerCup #MaLong #ChenMeng #Moregardh
On Friday, before the matches began, CGTN Europe sat down with Waldner in an exclusive interview to discuss the event and his expectations for it.
#WaldnerCup #MaLong #ChenMeng #Moregardh
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NewsTranscript
00:00Valne Cup is not only for the top players, it's for all over the world.
00:17It's important with Valne Cup that we invite different countries
00:22and do something together for our great sport.
00:26And it's nice to play a team match together,
00:30with friendship between our team and the Asian team.
00:35And also to have Sheng Meng and Ma Long in our tournament is fantastic.
00:42This is more than a sport, I think. This is another level.
00:47In other sports, you know, we have the Levy Cup, we have the Ryder Cup in golf,
00:52but this is really even more special, I think.
00:55From my point of view.
01:02Valne Cup is not only for the top players, it's for all over the world.
01:07You can see now only Norway's small country,
01:10but so many young kids who start to play because they know about this tournament.
01:15And so it's important that we are not only professional,
01:19this Valne Cup is for all the players,
01:22special young players, older players, for everyone.
01:25So this was our goal to try to improve table tennis to make it bigger.
01:32Not only in China and Sweden, who is a very, very big table tennis team,
01:36but all over the world.
01:42My first time when I started to play, I was only 14 years old
01:46and I could practice in Shanghai.
01:49This helped me a lot from my career all over, all over the years.
01:54I think I played with, they say, five or six generations from the Chinese players.
01:59So I played with, from Kaizen Noah to Li Guoliang, Kong Weihui,
02:04and Wang Liqing and so many.
02:08So it's a lot of fun to play with so many good players.
02:12But the most important for us was that we have a good team.
02:16And our goal was always to try to be the best in the world.
02:22And we could do it for some years, so we are very happy with this
02:25because we are a very small country.
02:32I think when we was on the top our time,
02:37and then it took a long time now for European players
02:42and even Korean players, Japanese players to push,
02:47to give the Chinese players a big fight.
02:51But now it was something that was happening in Olympic games.
02:54Truls, our young one, beat top seed player Wang Shiqing.
02:59So, and also in tournaments now, the small French guys, Lebrun, have beat some.
03:06So we are on the right way,
03:08but still the top Chinese is like Fan Zhendong when Ma Long is in his best.
03:16It's hard to beat them.
03:19But the one behind, I think it's quite even now with the top players.
03:24And also it's important for the sport that some new countries is coming back.
03:28I think also for China it's very good that this Lebrun and Truls is coming.
03:33You can see now on tournaments, they are following them all over the world,
03:38and they are new heroes in the sport.
03:40So I think this is really good for the sport.
03:48I was counting with my brothers some years ago.
03:52Maybe it's already 10 years ago.
03:54Then I was over 100 times to China, and I think around 150 times.
04:03Because I was there first time in 1980.
04:05You know, when I was there in Shanghai for practice.
04:09And I have a restaurant in China.
04:12I have been on stamp in China.
04:15And so it's like my second home.
04:18It's fantastic country, what's happened from, if you take from 1980 until now.
04:25How good and so many things what's happened with the country.
04:29It's fantastic to be there.
04:31But also I love the old China when I was there the first time.
04:35It was also special for me.
04:37But how it's improving every year.
04:40China is really amazing to be there.
04:43Especially like Shanghai, I like very much.
04:46And also I like Dalian.
04:48Very green and look a little bit same like Sweden style.
04:53So it's nice to be there.
04:56Table tennis is one of the best sports.
04:59Because even if you are 8, 9 years old and play table tennis.
05:04You can enjoy to play with one who is 85 years old.
05:07And they can be on the same standard, you know.
05:09So table tennis is for all ages and for everyone, you know.
05:15So it's why it's so popular.
05:18And if you say in Sweden now, in France and all.
05:22And if you say in Sweden now, in France and all.
05:25The countries now after Olympic.
05:27It's so big table tennis again.
05:30Now they only in Sweden speak about table tennis again.
05:33Like they did for 40 years ago, 20 years ago.
05:37So it's fantastic.
05:39How much it was coming up now the last 3-4 months.
05:45What do you think about the future of table tennis?
05:50Yeah, I think both him and me think it's funny that we can play together.
05:56But I think more that for guys who love the sport.
06:01I think they are very, very interesting to see us only play together.
06:05And have some picture and like this.
06:08So it will be a proud moment for me.
06:12And I think also for my lungs that we can play together.
06:16I think this is what the sport needs.
06:19To see us together.
06:26Have a good next year, 2025.
06:31And take care.
06:33And all my fans in China, I hope to see you soon.
06:36And come back to Shanghai or Beijing or whatever in China.
06:40It will be fantastic.
06:42So I hope to come as soon as possible to see you.
06:45See you.