(VNF) - A 3-day exchange programme for Vietnamese table tennis players and their Japanese peers have been conducted at the Hoa Lu Table Tennis Club in Ho Chi Minh City, from March 5 - 7.

The exchange brings together national players from Japan, including senior athlete like Asuka Machi (source: mytabletennis.net)

The exchange activity, jointly held by the Consulate General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City and the municipal Table Tennis Federation, is part of a series of events to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties (September 21, 1973-2018).

Vietnam’s national table tennis team members, including Nguyen Anh Tu, Duong Van Nam, Le Tien Dat and Mai Hoang My Trang participate in the event, while the Japanese side are represented by national players Hiromitsu Kasahara, Tomoki Hirano, Takuya Jin.

Especially, Asuka Machi, who won the runner-up award in the Japanese national table tennis championship in 2013 and the title in the men’s doubles of the World Junior Table Tennis Championship in 2011, is also present in the exchange.

According to Tu Nhan Luan, General Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Table Tennis Federation, the exchange is a great opportunity for Vietnamese athletes to hone their skills and gain experience from skillful foreign players.

"The Japanese team has been making good progress in recent times. They have only lost to China in the team World Cup in London last month" he noted./.

( VNF )