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On behalf of the Hong Kong Table Tennis Association, I welcome all the
players, officials and fans to the “Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour –
Hang Seng Hong Kong Open.

The Association is proud to be sanctioned by the International Table
Tennis Federation to host this prestigious tournament again after the
successful staging of the first ever World Tour in Hong Kong last year. It
is our privilege to continue presenting this world-class event to our local
spectators and millions of overseas fans through TV broadcast and social
media.

The event will bring together around 221 players from 39 countries and
regions to battle for the glory and the crown. I can anticipate that there
will be exciting matches among the players as they seek to harvest more
points in the World Rankings to qualify for the World Tour Grand Finals.
To reward their high caliber performance, winners will share a total prize
money of USD175,000. On top of this, a special “Best Challenger Award”
will be newly introduced by our Association to encourage lower ranked
players to play at their utmost best to challenge their opponent of higher
rank.

This prominent World Tour provides a platform for our local athletes
to compete with the world elite players. The fantastic achievements
of our athletes in last year’s Men’s Doubles have encouraged more
local athletes to strike for bigger and higher achievements. It creates a
showcase to exhibit the superb performance of their talents to the world.
Being recognized as a “M” Mark event, I am certain that the tournament
will bring much excitement to the locals.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the support given by the
International Table Tennis Federation, the Home Affairs Bureau and the
Leisure & Cultural Services Department, the event title sponsor Hang
Seng Bank, as well as the commercial sponsors, Organizing Committee
and volunteers. Your support will definitely contribute to the success of
the tournament!

I wish all players, officials and spectators alike, a most rewarding and
enjoyable tournament.

Have fun and have a wonderful stay in Hong Kong!

YUE Kwok Leung, Tony, BBS, MH, JP
Chairman, Hong Kong Table Tennis Association
Chairman, Organizing Committee

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