Toshiaki Tanaka

Toshiaki Tanaka (Japanese田中 利明, Toshiaki Tanaka, born February 24, 1935 † 6 February 1998) was a Japanese table tennis player. He was five times World Champion.

World Championships

1954 occupied Tanaka in the Japanese championships second place in singles. However, he has not yet been nominated this year for the World Cup. In 1956 he became the Japanese champion in singles and doubles.

For this he won at the 1955 World Cup went straight to singles titles by the Yugoslavs Zarko Dolinar defeated in the final with 3-0 records. Even with the team he won gold in Japan. In mixed he came with Shizuki Narahara in third place.

In the 1956 World Cup, he had to be in the final of the Men's Single Page compatriot Ichirō Ogimura defeated with 2:3. With the team he defended the world title. He brought in the semi-final against the team of Romania an important point: Even though he in the final set against Matei Gantner (later coach of Borussia Dusseldorf ) already was behind with 14:20, he still won the match.

In 1957, Tanaka revenge in the final against Ichirō Ogimura 3-0. He was the second time individual world champion. With the Japanese team he won the third gold medal in a row. In doubles, he won with Ichirō Ogimura silver.

1997 Tanaka was included in the ITTF Hall of Fame.

Results from the ITTF database

Swell

• Mourning Toshiaki Tanaka, magazine DTS, 1998/3 p.11