Sport this week: Get table tennis pro -treatment

YORKTON – For a lot of table tennis, there is just a recreational activity that is usually played in cellars, garages and playrooms.

But it is much more with millions who play worldwide and did compete at the highest level.

That high level now includes a professional competition in the United States.

Major League Table Tennis was founded in 2023 by software entrepreneur and table tennis enthusiast, Flint Lane, the first game of the season that takes place in Daytona Beach on September 15, 2023.

MLTT contains world -class players – the best in America – who represent 40 total countries, and competes in an innovative team game format. It is a format with 8 teams and the 8 teams are the Bay Area Blasters, Chicago Wind, Carolina Gold Rush, Florida Crocs, Princeton Revolution, Portland Paddlers, Seattle Spinners and Texas Smash, notes the website of the competition.

“Of course it is (the competition) really a whole deal,” offered Edward Ly, a player from Montreal who played in MLTT with the Carolina Gold Rush.

Ly, a Canadian Olympian in table tennis, said that having what is essentially a domestic pro competition for North American players, was always something that had been hoped, but that seemed unlikely for years.

Then MLTT and Ly said he was immediately impressed.

“I saw that it was a really professional competition. I was really happy,” he said.

The early results suggest that MLTT will play a place in the American sport, with the competition already announcing that it will grow by two teams next season. So, could that mean a team in Canada on the road?

“I don't know if the competition will be in Canada,” Ly said, but added because it is the MLTT, the best Canadian players offers the opportunity to play closer to home.

The competition also offers players the opportunity to play against top -level talent, attracted to the opportunity to play in the US, is a competition with a unique format.

“There are 21 points at stake at each team match. For each game that is won by a player, each team is awarded one point. There are three games per match-up and the match-up format is two singles, one double, two singles. It all ends with the Golden Game, a pulse-pond race in the website of every member of every member of every member of every member of every member of every member.

Ly, who won three gold medals in the Canada Winter Games 2019 in Red Deer, Alta., Representing his home province Quebec, said that typical competitions are a best-of-five in international table tennis, but the size with three competitions changes things, especially because every competition is a potential team point.

“You have to stay focused,” he said, and added that you can win the first two, but also want the third for the point.

The format is a draw for talent.

“They want to experience the new format … Nowhere else in the world is like that,” said Ly. “… it's a great experience for every player.”

Certainly in the case of LY, he brings a wealth of international experience with MLTT his first major games such as the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The following year, in July, Ly was appointed as the Canadian Pan American Games team. Ly would help the Canadian men's team to a silver medal on the American Championships Pan in September 2023. The victory also obtained the 2024 Olympic qualification for the team.

At the Pan American Cup 2024, Ly was called at the last minute to replace Eugene Wang. Ly would win the gold medal during the event and jump to 36th. In June 2024, Ly qualified to fight for Canada at the Olympic Summer Games 2024.

Now Ly is focused on MLTT, which he sees as a vehicle to bring the sport to a higher prominent on this continent. He said having a pro competition increases the sports profile and from there “I think the sport will grow a lot.”

Ly added that if people just give table tennis a real attempt, they will like it.

“Table tennis is a sport for everyone,” he assured.