Season Two Opener, Part Two: Raleigh to the Cause!

HOSTILE HOSTS! Season one MVPs Enzo Alles and Hong Lin headline a revamped Carolina Gold Rush this weekend, as they take on all comers in the season opening matches for the Gold Rush, Chicago Wind, Seattle Spinners and reigning champs Texas Smash.

September 20, 2020. Triangle Badminton and Table Tennis Club will be the site for the second half of a staggered opening month for Major League Table Tennis’ second season. Tickets to experience all the pulse-pounding table-scorching excitement in person can be purchased at the door, or online here. For those of you who can’t make it in person, the consolation prize is significant. Touted by many as the best broadcast in the sport, join ESPN’s Evan Lepler and color commentator Matt Hetherington on the livestream here (and while you’re at it, hit that SUBSCRIBE button). Keep those chat comments PG-13, okay?

Without further ado, hot off the presses, here is the official team roster list and match schedule:

Russian defensive specialist Artur Abusev was a late scratch due to injury, replaced in the Texas lineup by the youngest MLTT veteran, Darryl Tsao. Other than that, teams are all at/near full strength, which promises for an exciting three days of action as the first-timers get accustomed to the format while we the viewers get accustomed to their games. Out of the 24 athletes on the active match roster, exactly half of them (12) will be newcomers to “The M.”

Clockwise from top left: Emmanuel Lebesson (Chicago Wind), Satoshi Aida (Carolina Gold Rush), Lubomir Pistej (Seattle Spinners), Amir Hodaei (Texas Smash) are just four of the new faces joining the league this season.

Good luck to all the players and coaches! Check back with us early/mid next week for a recap of all the action as the west coast teams try to keep pace with Portland’s hot start, and the east coast teams try to keep Florida in their sights.