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3h ago

Saarbrücken Presents Fan Zhendong as TTBL Season Opens, Ticket Demand Soars

The Olympic champion has committed to domestic and European club play, prompting tighter security as Chinese fan interest surges.

Werders Tischtennis-Mannschaft mit den Spielern Marcelo Aguirre, Mattias Falck, Kirill Gerassimenko und Irvin Bertrand stehen lächelnd mit ihren Schlägern in der Hand beim Gruppenfoto.
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Overview

  • Fan Zhendong was unveiled at a Saarbrücken press conference attended by numerous Chinese media outlets ahead of the new Bundesliga season.
  • The club said he will feature in the Bundesliga, European Champions League and TTBL-Pokal, with a scheduled league debut on Sunday against TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt (14:00, Dyn).
  • Further fixtures include a cup tie against Borussia Dortmund on 19 September and an away match at Werder Bremen on 5 October, for which tickets in Bremen sold out quickly.
  • Manager Nicolas Barrois reported an exceptional rise in ticket requests, many from China and the Chinese diaspora in Europe, leading venues to heighten security measures.
  • The move follows his post-Paris 2024 dispute with the ITTF and absence from international tournaments, and clubs expect both competitive gains and broader exposure, particularly in Asia.