Timo Boll and Dimitrij Ovtcharov Withdraw From Internal Olympic Scrimmage Due To Injuries

German media has reported injuries to both Timo Boll and Dimitrij Ovtcharov two weeks ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. This news follows shortly after Vladimir Samsonov withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics and then shortly after announced his retirement due to medical issues. England’s Paul Drinkhall will replace Samsonov at the Tokyo Olympics. A translation of the key information of Boll and Ovtcharov’s injuties is provided below.

European table tennis champion Timo Boll injured his hip two weeks before the start of the Olympic Games. The 40-year-old had to break off the internal test tournament “Tokyo Challenge” of the German team in Düsseldorf at the weekend.

“When I stepped forward, it hit my right hip,” said Boll. It is currently unclear whether his start in the Olympics in the individual and in the team will be impaired or even endangered. “We have to wait until the next week and hope that we can go to Tokyo with four healthy players,” said national coach Jörg Roßkopf.

For reasons of caution, the former world number one Dimitrij Ovtcharov also decided not to participate in the “Tokyo Challenge” final. “Yesterday against Dang [Qiu] there was a pinch in the knee, now my left foot is a bit swollen. I’m still healthy, but after the European Championships I increased my training schedule even further and am now at the limit,” said the 32-year-old.

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