Friendship first, competition second

Dignified Dimitrij

German table tennis star Dimitrij Ovtcharov once again saw his Olympic gold-medal dream shattered by Chinese paddlers in Tokyo. But that didn't affect his admiration for his rivals, on or off the table. "I want to convey my highest congratulations and respect to Team China, given their outstanding performances and remarkable achievements in the sport," Ovtcharov wrote on Weibo in Chinese after winning the men's team silver on Friday, when China claimed gold. Chinese Table Tennis Association president Liu Guoliang gave an insight into the good relationship between the German and the Chinese players. Liu revealed that Ovtcharov sent a video of himself playing against his wife, who was wearing Ma Long's jersey, with the German joking that he was trying to find a way to beat the Olympic champion.