​The Hong Kong women’s table tennis team reached the semi-finals of the World Championships in Busan, a stage of the competition in which they could face Romania.

Romania, a possible match with Hong Kong in the semifinals of the World Table Tennis Championship

The team from Hong Kong was not the favorite in the confrontation with Taiwan, but won with a score of 3:2.

Hoi Kem Du vs Szu-Yu Chen 3-0 (13-11, 11-5, 12-10)

Chengzhu Zhu vs Yi-Ching Chen 0-3 (9-11, 6-11, 10-12)

Ho Chin Lee vs. Lee Yu-Jung 3-1 (11-6, 6-11, 11-6, 11-8)

Hoi Kem Doo vs I-Ching Cheng 2-3 (7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 8-11, 3-11)

Chenzhou Zhu vs. Szu-Yu Chen 3-1 (11-9, 4-11, 11-8, 16-14).

This Asian duel for Hong Kong will be followed by a match with the winner between Romania and Japan.

On Thursday, starting at 1:00 p.m. (Romanian time), the “tricolors” will play a duel with the Japanese.

Romania – Japan, team composition:

Romania: Bernadette Shoks, Elizabeta Samara, Adina Diakonou, Andrei Dragoman, Olena Zacharia

Japan: Hina Hayata, Miu Hirano, Miwa Harimoto, Mima Ito, Miu Kihara.

Know:

• In case of victory over Japan, Romania will secure a medal at the World Team Championship in Busan.

• The Japanese lost only two sets in the first five matches after the 2024 World Cup, both through Miu Hirano (in a match with Iranian Mahshid Ashtari, final score 3-2).

• Having reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup, Romania ensured its presence at the Olympic Games in Paris.

• They also occur in the quarters: China – South Korea and France – Germany.

• Our girls’ matches can be watched live on Antena Play (paid) and beyond World Table Tennis (YouTube).

What the Romanian national team said after the victory over Egypt in the eighth World Table Tennis Championship

Bernadette Shox: “It was quite a difficult match against Egypt, but we are happy that we managed to win 3-0 and qualify for the Olympic Games. It is always very important to be a close-knit team, to complement each other when one of us is having a bad day. However, it’s very important how we get along outside the gym, and that’s a plus for us.

It will be very difficult against Japan, but we are all well prepared and determined. So we have confidence before this match. With Japan, we will give everything, because this is a long-awaited medal. We have wanted this for many years.”

Adina Diaconu: “We are very happy with the qualification for the Games, which fell directly on this World Championship. This was our main goal and we achieved it. But we do not want to stop there, our opinion goes much further.

Of course, we are thinking about the Olympic medal, we are a very strong team, we can beat anyone. We will celebrate qualifying, but not too much because we are still competing.”

Viorel Filimon noted that after the Olympic Games in Paris, he will resign as coach of the national women’s team.

“For me, this is the sixth qualification for the Olympic Games with a changed composition compared to the previous edition. So far we have managed to have a good World Cup, getting into the top 8 teams and getting this qualification.

It remains to try to reach the semi-finals tomorrow against Japan. It will be difficult, we know that the national teams of China and Japan are almost untouchable. However, when we met with Japanese girls before, we were not very far, so we will try to go as far as possible.

This team will be able to attack another Olympic cycle, but I will not continue. But I hope that the girls will get what they always wanted – a medal at the Olympics. If they don’t get it this year, let them get it in 2028. I’m doing everything I can to make it happen this year. For me, a medal this year would be extraordinary, but what you dream of doesn’t always come true,” Viorel Filimon.

Results of Romania at the World Table Tennis Championships

• 7 group

Romania vs. Sweden 3-0

Romania vs. Canada 3-0

Romania vs. Singapore 3-1

Romania vs. Serbia 3-1

• the eighth

Romania vs. Egypt 3-0

• quarters

Romania – Japan / Thursday, 13:00.