00:00Valne Cup is not only for the top players, it's for all over the world.
00:17It's important with Valne Cup that we invite different countries
00:22and do something together for our great sport.
00:26And it's nice to play a team match together,
00:30with friendship between our team and the Asian team.
00:35And also to have Sheng Meng and Ma Long in our tournament is fantastic.
00:42This is more than a sport, I think. This is another level.
00:47In other sports, you know, we have the Levy Cup, we have the Ryder Cup in golf,
00:52but this is really even more special, I think.
00:55From my point of view.
01:02Valne Cup is not only for the top players, it's for all over the world.
01:07You can see now only Norway's small country,
01:10but so many young kids who start to play because they know about this tournament.
01:15And so it's important that we are not only professional,
01:19this Valne Cup is for all the players,
01:22special young players, older players, for everyone.
01:25So this was our goal to try to improve table tennis to make it bigger.
01:32Not only in China and Sweden, who is a very, very big table tennis team,
01:36but all over the world.
01:42My first time when I started to play, I was only 14 years old
01:46and I could practice in Shanghai.
01:49This helped me a lot from my career all over, all over the years.
01:54I think I played with, they say, five or six generations from the Chinese players.
01:59So I played with, from Kaizen Noah to Li Guoliang, Kong Weihui,
02:04and Wang Liqing and so many.
02:08So it's a lot of fun to play with so many good players.
02:12But the most important for us was that we have a good team.
02:16And our goal was always to try to be the best in the world.
02:22And we could do it for some years, so we are very happy with this
02:25because we are a very small country.
02:32I think when we was on the top our time,
02:37and then it took a long time now for European players
02:42and even Korean players, Japanese players to push,
02:47to give the Chinese players a big fight.
02:51But now it was something that was happening in Olympic games.
02:54Truls, our young one, beat top seed player Wang Shiqing.
02:59So, and also in tournaments now, the small French guys, Lebrun, have beat some.
03:06So we are on the right way,
03:08but still the top Chinese is like Fan Zhendong when Ma Long is in his best.
03:16It's hard to beat them.
03:19But the one behind, I think it's quite even now with the top players.
03:24And also it's important for the sport that some new countries is coming back.
03:28I think also for China it's very good that this Lebrun and Truls is coming.
03:33You can see now on tournaments, they are following them all over the world,
03:38and they are new heroes in the sport.
03:40So I think this is really good for the sport.
03:48I was counting with my brothers some years ago.
03:52Maybe it's already 10 years ago.
03:54Then I was over 100 times to China, and I think around 150 times.
04:03Because I was there first time in 1980.
04:05You know, when I was there in Shanghai for practice.
04:09And I have a restaurant in China.
04:12I have been on stamp in China.
04:15And so it's like my second home.
04:18It's fantastic country, what's happened from, if you take from 1980 until now.
04:25How good and so many things what's happened with the country.
04:29It's fantastic to be there.
04:31But also I love the old China when I was there the first time.
04:35It was also special for me.
04:37But how it's improving every year.
04:40China is really amazing to be there.
04:43Especially like Shanghai, I like very much.
04:46And also I like Dalian.
04:48Very green and look a little bit same like Sweden style.
04:53So it's nice to be there.
04:56Table tennis is one of the best sports.
04:59Because even if you are 8, 9 years old and play table tennis.
05:04You can enjoy to play with one who is 85 years old.
05:07And they can be on the same standard, you know.
05:09So table tennis is for all ages and for everyone, you know.
05:15So it's why it's so popular.
05:18And if you say in Sweden now, in France and all.
05:22And if you say in Sweden now, in France and all.
05:25The countries now after Olympic.
05:27It's so big table tennis again.
05:30Now they only in Sweden speak about table tennis again.
05:33Like they did for 40 years ago, 20 years ago.
05:37So it's fantastic.
05:39How much it was coming up now the last 3-4 months.
05:45What do you think about the future of table tennis?
05:50Yeah, I think both him and me think it's funny that we can play together.
05:56But I think more that for guys who love the sport.
06:01I think they are very, very interesting to see us only play together.
06:05And have some picture and like this.
06:08So it will be a proud moment for me.
06:12And I think also for my lungs that we can play together.
06:16I think this is what the sport needs.
06:19To see us together.
06:26Have a good next year, 2025.
06:31And take care.
06:33And all my fans in China, I hope to see you soon.
06:36And come back to Shanghai or Beijing or whatever in China.
06:40It will be fantastic.
06:42So I hope to come as soon as possible to see you.
06:45See you.
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