New Delhi, Nov 1 : With one month to go for Mixed Team World Cup 2024, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) unveiled the 16 qualified teams that will battle for the Guoliang-Sorling Trophy from December 1-8 in Chengdu, China.

The elite lineup features Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Sweden, the United States, and Hong Kong, representing five continents.

Defending champions China will face stern competition on home soil as they aim to retain their crown from the inaugural 2023 edition.

According to the ITTF, the tournament also features an innovative three-stage format, which will see a total of 52 matches across all stages (24 in Stage 1, 24 in Stage 2, and 4 in Stage 3).

In Stage 1, the 16 teams will be divided into four groups of four, where the highest-ranked teams are placed in different groups (1st in Group 1, 2nd in Group 2, 3rd in Group 3, and 4th in Group 4), with the remaining teams drawn two at a time in seeding order following a snake system. Each group will be played in a complete round-robin format.

In Stage 2, the top two teams from each Stage 1 group advance to form a single eight-team group. These teams then compete in another round-robin format, but with a strategic variation ' teams that have already faced each other in Stage 1 won't play again, with their previous results carrying forward. This innovative approach ensures fresh matchups while maintaining the significance of early tournament performances.

The competition culminates in Stage 3, where the stakes are at their highest. The top four teams from Stage 2's standings qualify for the knockout phase, featuring both semi-finals and placement matches.

The semifinal matchups are determined by ranking, with the first-placed team facing the fourth-placed team, whilst second plays third. Each team's journey concludes with either the final or the bronze medal match, ensuring every podium position is determined through head-to-head competition.

The order of play for the opening three matches will be mixed doubles, women's singles (player not playing mixed doubles), and men's singles (player not playing mixed doubles), while the fourth and fifth matches, between women's doubles and men's doubles, will be determined after the first match by the captain of the lower-ranked team.

All individual matches are played in a best-of-three game format, with a result of 3-0 or 2-1, and team matches end when one team accumulates eight games.

/IANS