The Meiji University Table Tennis Club competed in the Team Event of the 95th All Japan University Table Tennis Championships[A1.1], commonly referred to as the Intercollegiate Championships. The event was held from July 15 to 18 at Yokohama Budokan in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. The women’s team advanced to the knockout stage for the first time in its history, finishing among the top 32 teams in the country. The men’s team also finished as the runner-up, demonstrating the overall strength of the Meiji University Table Tennis Club.
All members of the women’s team were admitted to Meiji University through admission routes other than athletic recommendation, including general entrance examinations and admission based on recommendations from Meiji-affiliated schools. They have continued to compete on the national stage while balancing their academic and athletic pursuits. In 2022, the women’s team advanced through the Kanto regional qualifier for the Intercollegiate Championships for the first time and earned a place in the championships. This year marked the team’s fifth consecutive appearance in the championships. After falling short in the preliminary group stage in previous years, the team finished second in its group at this year’s championships and advanced to the knockout stage for the first time in team history.
In the first round of the knockout stage, the women faced the University of Tsukuba, the 2024 champion. Although Meiji lost the match, the players competed confidently against one of the country’s leading teams and gained valuable experience and confidence. The men’s team progressed steadily through the knockout stage. In the semifinal, Meiji won a closely contested match against Waseda University to advance to the final. The team then faced Aichi Institute of Technology and fought tenaciously until the end, but fell short and finished as the runner-up. The result demonstrated that the team can compete at the highest level of university table tennis in Japan. The women’s first-ever appearance in the knockout stage and the men’s runner-up finish highlighted the presence of both teams on the national stage.
Comment from SAITO Kiyoshi, General Manager
I believe that the result was due to a stronger sense of unity within the team, with every player believing that we could win and continuing to fight without giving up until the very end. I was overjoyed that we achieved our goal of advancing beyond the preliminary group stage and finished among the top 32 teams in the country. I also believe that, through this tournament, we were able to demonstrate the strength of the women’s team of the Meiji University Table Tennis Club and make its presence felt nationwide. I hope the players will continue to grow and make further progress toward even higher goals. Finally, I would like to thank the parents and alumni for their enthusiastic support.