The 2026 Table Tennis Australia National Championships were held at Veolia Arena in Goulburn, New South Wales, from 6 to 11 July.
More than 200 players from across Australia competed in the U19, U21, Open and Para events. Perth Japanese Table Tennis Club was represented by four Japanese players based in Western Australia: Daiki Shimojo, Kohki Sugawara, Takuto Meguro and Hina Ishii.
Four Japanese players from Perth on the national stage
Daiki and Kohki were named in Western Australia’s Open Men’s Team, while Hina represented WA in both the Open Women’s Team and singles events. Takuto contested the Open Men’s Singles. The week offered all four players a valuable opportunity to test themselves against leading players from every state and territory.
Representing Western Australia in the team events
Open Men’s Team: Daiki and Kohki help WA finish fourth
Western Australia’s Open Men’s Team comprised Daiki Shimojo, Kohki Sugawara, Jaryl Wong and Yonis Yihang Xu. WA faced New South Wales “A”, Victoria “B”, Queensland “A”, Presidents “B” and Team Pacific in the group stage.
- Defeated Presidents “B” 7-0
- Defeated Queensland “A” 7-0
- Defeated Team Pacific 7-0
- Lost to New South Wales “A” 0-7
- Defeated Victoria “B” 4-3
Those results gave WA a 4-1 record and second place in Group 2, earning a place in the top-four play-offs. WA lost the semi-final 1-4 to Victoria “A”, then pushed New South Wales “B” all the way in the bronze-medal match before narrowly losing 3-4. Western Australia therefore finished fourth nationally.
Open Women’s Team: Hina represents WA
Hina joined Jacqueline Budiarto and Sarah Li in Western Australia’s three-player Open Women’s Team. The competition was played as a single eight-team round robin against strong squads from across the country.
- Lost to Victoria “A” 1-4
- Lost to New South Wales “A” 0-5
- Lost to New South Wales “B” 1-4
- Lost to New South Wales “C” 0-5
- Lost to Victoria “B” 2-3
- Defeated Team Pacific 4-1
- Lost to South Australia 0-5
WA finished with one win from seven ties and placed seventh nationally. The draw provided little respite, with Hina and her teammates facing several of Australia’s strongest state combinations, including a New South Wales programme containing current and former international representatives.
Singles results for our four Japanese players
Daiki Shimojo: Round of 16
Daiki topped Group 16 with a 4-0 win over Rayaan Gogoi and a 4-1 win over Jong Ha Hyun. He then defeated Won Bae 4-2 in the Round of 32 before going down 2-4 to Xavier Dixon in the Round of 16, finishing equal ninth overall.
Hina Ishii: Round of 16
Hina also completed the group stage unbeaten, defeating Syanne Reddy and Taleisha Gaeta 4-0. After receiving a bye in the Round of 32, she faced Erin Qiuxia Li in the Round of 16 and was beaten 1-4. Her run also placed her equal ninth.
Kohki Sugawara: second in Group 23
Kohki opened with a convincing 4-0 win over Marc Tang. He then pushed Zachary Anstey in a competitive six-game match before losing 2-4. A 1-1 record placed him second in the group. He also joined Daiki in Western Australia’s Open Men’s Team.
Takuto Meguro: second in Group 26
Takuto defeated Lachlan Cherry 4-1 and took two games from group winner Stephen Liu in a 2-4 loss. He finished the group stage with one win and one loss, narrowly missing a place in the knockout draw.
Australia’s Olympians and international representatives
Men’s champion Finn Luu: Paris Olympian and world No.48
Australia representative Finn Luu won the Open Men’s Singles title, edging Hwan Bae 4-3 in a seven-game final. Finn made his Olympic debut for Australia at Paris 2024, competing in both the men’s singles and team events. He entered Nationals listed at world No.48 in the ITTF rankings, with a career high of world No.33. He also won the 2026 Oceania Cup and continues to compete regularly on the international circuit.
Runner-up Hwan Bae: career-high world No.35
Hwan represented Australia in the men’s team event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and has reached a career-high ITTF men’s singles ranking of world No.35. At this year’s Nationals he advanced to the final and took Finn to a deciding seventh game.
Women’s champion Min Hyung Jee: career-high world No.35
Min Hyung Jee won the Open Women’s Singles title with a 4-0 victory over Yitian Yin. Min also made her Olympic debut in Paris, competing in women’s singles, women’s teams and mixed doubles. Her career-high ITTF women’s singles ranking is world No.35, and she won Commonwealth Games silver in the women’s doubles in 2022.
Bringing national-level experience back to Perth
The Nationals are about more than results. They give players the chance to compete at a higher level, meet athletes and coaches from around the country, and see Australia’s best table tennis up close. Those experiences will feed directly into our social play sessions, coaching and competition support in Perth.
Perth Japanese Table Tennis Club welcomes everyone from first-time social players through to experienced competitors. If you are interested in playing in local rated events or working towards state and national competition, we would be happy to help you take the next step.
Official event information and results:
Table Tennis Australia 2026 National Championships
2026 National Championships Draws & Results