A total of 134 players from 13 nations are present in Jordan to compete in the Asia and Oceania Championships for the Disabled, held at the Prince Raad bin Zeid Sports Complex in Amman from Saturday 24th to Wednesday 28th October, 2009.
There are four Open Events, 16 Class Singles Events and nine Team Events.
It was the four Open Events held on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th October that set matters in motion: Men's and Women's Wheelchair, Men's and Women's Standing. China, the super power in table tennis, captured all four titles and dominated the medal table as they had done in the Korean capital of Seoul four years earlier.
Korea was the only nation to mount a serious challenge with Kim Byoung Young and Kim Young Gun snatching the silver and bronze medals of the Men’s Wheelchair event.
Ren Gui Xiang, winner of gold at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games repeated her success of one year earlier whilst husband, Zhang Yan, also emerged as a champion. The “Golden Couple” won the respective Men’s and Women’s Wheelchair Singles events.
Present to watch the action was Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee, he was particularly impressed with the young age of some of the players from China; the youngest being only 13 years old; a goal of the International Paralympic Committee being to encourage young players. Sir Philip, together with Lana Jaghbeer, Secretary-General of the Jordanian Olympic Committee, presented the Medals for the Open Events.
Medallists
Women's Wheelchair Event
Gold: Ren Gui Xiang (CHN) Silver: Gai Gu (CHN) Bronze: Zhou Ying (CHN)
Men's Wheelchair Event
Gold: Zhang Yan (CHN) Silver: Kim Byoung Young (KOR) Bronze: Kim Young Gun (KOR)
Women's Standing Event
Gold: Liu Mei Li (CHN) Silver: Hou Chunxiao (CHN) Bronze: Yang Qian (CHN)
Men's Standing Event
Gold: Ma Lin (CHN) Silver: Ye Chao Qun (CHN) Bronze: Lian Hao (CHN)
(Note : Sourced from ITTF News)



