INTERNATIONAL TABLE TENNIS CHAMPIONS TO COMPETE FOR SHARE OF MORE THAN $12,000 IN BUTTERFLY CARY CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

Athletes prepare for World Championships, citizens invited to participate in clinic and observe high level competition

CARY, NC – More than 300 international athletes will gather in Cary to compete in the 2009 Butterfly Cary Cup Championship – the largest round robin table tennis competition in the USA –March 19-22, 2009, at the Bond Park Community Center, 150 Metro Drive in Cary; local table tennis aficionados are also invited to improve their skills at a table tennis clinic on Thursday, March 19 at 4 p.m.  The Butterfly Cary Cup competition is the last major competition for elite American and Canadian athletes to compete against one another prior to the upcoming World Championships in Japan .  

As part of the Cary Cup Championship, top U.S. National Team members, Canadian Team members and International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Pro-Tour Players will vie for their share of over $12,000 total in prize money at the Cary Cup. The Cary Cup Championship is a major 4-star sanctioned competition by USA Table Tennis - the official governing body of table tennis in America as set forth by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

“We are pleased to host this event, which attracts many international elite level athletes from other countries,” said Cary ’s Recreation Manager Dwayne Jones.  “Everyone is invited to come out and catch some of the world’s most talented table tennis players in action.  Even better, this is your chance to show off your table tennis skills during the free skills clinic and other competitions in Cary throughout the year”.  

Clinic participants should bring their own racquet.

Also, local players of all ages and skill levels are invited to sign up for the April Middle Creek Open – the second event on the 2009 Butterfly North Carolina Point Tour on Saturday, April 4th from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.; registration is first come, first serve and is limited to 48 players. Go to CaryTTA.net for more info

Numerous top Canadian and Nigerian athletes who competed in the 2008 summer Olympic Games will participate in this year’s Cary Cup Championship.  Athletes from these two highly skilled teams will battle it out against other international players from China , Africa , the Middle East , and Europe prior to first round draws at the World Championships.

More than 40 top seed athletes are expected to play including Nigerian Segun Toriola, currently ranked #106 in the world, and Stefan Feth top Bundesliga athlete from Germany - both top notch ITTF Pro Tour Players. Other top competitors include Zhen Wang (Canada #1), Han Xiao (US #5) and Eric Owens (US #13) and dozens of other international competitors will make this a truly unique and stunning experience in elite level play.

In addition to the Town of Cary , the annual Butterfly Cary Cup is supported by many corporate and governmental sponsors, including Martin-Kilpatrick Corporation – the distributor for Butterfly table tennis equipment in North America and the major sponsor of the Cary Cup Championship.  Also, the Cary Table Tennis Association, Courtyard by Marriott, and many other key sponsors.

For more, including a complete schedule of events, visit Table Tennis at www.townofcary.org or call (919) 601-1914.

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