TEHRAN - Table tennis player, Afshin Noroozi, believes that Iran performed well in both team and individual events at the 2023 Asian Table Tennis Championships.

At the 26th Asian Table Tennis Championship held in South Korea, Iran national team placed sixth overall. During the single events, Noroozi secured a victory over Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto, who currently holds the ITTF world rank of 4, in the round of 64.

“We had a great performance in the team events, and with a stroke of luck, we could have had a better outcome,” said Noroozi in his interview with Tehran Times.

“During the quarterfinals against Chinese Taipei, my teammates and I were highly motivated, and we had an intense game against them. Ultimately, we lost 3-2, and we couldn't win a medal. Nevertheless, this experience gave us hope for the future,” he added.

“South Korea, China, Chinese Taipei, and Singapore are among the best table tennis teams in the world, and this show how the Asian Table Tennis Championships is high level. As an example, China's team comprised of five players, all of whom had previously won world championships and competed in the Olympics,” said the 38-year-old table tennis player.

By defeating opponents from Singapore, Japan, and Uzbekistan, Norouzi reached the round of 16 in individual events. When asked about his own performance, he said, “Due to the arrangement of the table for 128 players in the individual section, reaching the podium is extremely challenging. I was absent from international competitions for 4-5 years and was eager to achieve a favorable outcome in these events.”

“After beating a player from Singapore, I made it to the top 64 and had to play against Harimoto, a renowned table tennis player from Japan, who owns an Olympic medal. Thans God, I was able to defeat him.

“I surprised everyone by winning against Harimoto and I'm proud to wear my country's jersey.

“My opponent in the round of 16 was Chuang Chih-yuan from Chinese Taipei, who is ranked 26th globally, his vast experience helped him secure a victory, resulting in my elimination, Nevertheless, I'm pleased that I made a good return to international competitions and I am confident in my abilities,” he concluded.