Four Filipino table tennis players secured berths in the 2027 World Table Tennis Championships after delivering strong performances at the ITTF-ATTU Asian Championships Tashkent 2026 last week.
Men’s doubles partners John Russel Misal and Jann Nayre, along with women’s tandem Kheith Cruz and Angel Laude, earned qualification to the global tournament despite being left out of the Philippine delegation for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The World Championships will take place from May 22 to 30 at Barys Arena in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Misal and Nayre advanced to the quarterfinals after sweeping Kuwait, 11-3, 11-4, 11-7, in the round of 32 before eliminating Iran, 11-6, 13-11, 11-7.
Their campaign ended in a five-game battle against Hong Kong’s Wong Chunting and Baldwin Chan, who prevailed, 11-6, 8-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-8.
The Filipino pair continued their rise in international competition after capturing the men’s doubles championship at the WTT Feeder Puerto Princesa last September.
Cruz and Laude also advanced past the opening round, overcoming Malaysia in five games, 11-4, 7-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-6. They then suffered a straight-game loss to China, 11-2, 11-1, 11-5.
The Filipinas finished 10th after securing walkover victories in the placement matches before losing to South Korea’s Lee Daeun and Park Gahyeon, 14-16, 11-1, 11-8, in their bid for ninth place.
Philippine Table Tennis Federation president Ting Ledesma praised both pairs for earning their World Championships berths and vowed to provide them with more opportunities to compete internationally ahead of the tournament.
“We are very proud of both teams and what they have accomplished. We will give them our full support in their buildup to the World Championships by sending them to more international tournaments to gain valuable experience and prepare them for the competition,” Ledesma said.
Ledesma also thanked the Huaching Foundation, headed by William Yap, for helping Filipino qualifiers pursue opportunities on the international stage. He likewise recognized Philippine Sports Commission chairman Pato Gregorio and commissioner Edward Hayco for supporting the sport’s development.
“We are grateful to Mr. William Yap and the Huaching Foundation for supporting our qualified athletes and helping provide them with opportunities to compete on the international stage. We also thank PSC Chairman Pato Gregorio and Commissioner Edward Hayco for their support of our athletes and our efforts to further develop Philippine table tennis,” he said.
The qualification of the two pairs reflects the country’s continuing efforts to strengthen its presence in international table tennis. Misal, Nayre and Cruz currently compete professionally in Germany, while Laude balances her studies with her table tennis career at De La Salle University. (Adrian Co)
