Boll to compete in inaugural season of T2 Asia-Pacific TT League

Beijing, March 17: German star paddler Timo Boll will take part in the newly-launched T2 Asia-Pacific Table Tennis League (T2 APAC) which is set to commence in June, organisers have announced.

The 36-year-old will join an all-star lineup taking part in the inaugural season of the competition, including Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus, Feng Tianwei of Singapore, and Jun Mizutani of Japan, reports Xinhua news agency.

"I'm happy to be one of the members of the new competition. I believe that with the innovative tournament format, T2 APAC will largely improve the popularity of the sport and more people will fall in love with it," said Boll.

The world 12th-ranked Boll is the most successful paddler of all time in Germany. He has captured two World Cup titles in 2002 and 2005, and occupied the first-place world ranking in September 2003 and January 2011.

"Boll is the backbone of the sport in Germany and even in Europe, his participation will help improve the business value of the tournament," said Jeff Chue, the chief executive and commissioner of T2 APAC, on Thursday.

The T2 APAC is set to feature a whole new approach to the sport's league structure, with men's, women's and mixed-team championships all set to take place. A 24-minute time limit per match will also be introduced, among other additions.

A total of 15 out of 24 players have now been confirmed, and more names will be announced in the near future.