Today Table Tennis Australia announced Rio Olympians Melissa Tapper and Heming Hu will take up the final two spots of the six strong table tennis team heading to Tokyo to represent Australia at the 2020 Olympics.

Tapper and Hu join fellow Victorians David Powell and Stephanie Sang as well as New South Wales pair Chris Yan and Michelle Bromley.

“TTV would like to extend its warm congratulations to both Heming & Melissa on today’s announcement,” Said TTV CEO, Ritchie Hinton.

“It’s an incredible achievement to play in one Olympics, but for both players to be selected for their second Olympic campaign is particularly noteworthy.

“From a Victorian standpoint, we are delighted to have produced 4 of the 6 players selected for Tokyo which is a testament to our clubs, coaches, pathways and High-Performance program.

“We look forward to cheering on the whole Australian team as they represent us all in Tokyo.”

The 2020 Games become the second Olympics for both Heming and Milly, naturally leaving the pair thrilled and eager.

“I’m struggling to put into words, it’s been such a long process, and I can’t believe I will now be a two-time Olympian,” said Tapper in an interview with Table Tennis Australia.

“That’s a feat I never thought possible.”

Australian number one Heming Hu is as keen as anyone to make an impact in Tokyo after a long period of very little competition and a lot of home training.

“It’s so satisfying to make this team for Tokyo,” Hu expressed to Table Tennis Australia.

“It’s been such a massive build up with so much training and so little competition, I’m just so pumped to get back on the world stage and play in some big matches.”

“Rio was the best experience of my life and so overwhelming as my first Games. Now I know what to expect I’m in a different space and so grateful to be able to get back to the Olympic arena.”

The pair join Stephanie Sang who spent 10 years away from the sport to raise her two children and as she explained, they are just as happy as anyone about seeing their mum at the Olympics.

“After I qualified, they told their whole school even their principal and teachers are aware, which really cements my decision to come back from retirement.” Stephanie said.

Also set to compete at his second Olympic Games will be David Powell who was selected for the team alongside Sang, Michelle Bromley and Chris Yan last year.

As an Olympian, two-time Commonwealth Games athlete and former top ranked player, we cannot wait to see David compete at the highest level again.

With a very impressive two thirds of the table tennis team coming out of Victoria we are sure everyone around the state is just as keen as we are to watch Heming, Stephanie, Milly, David, Michelle and Chris hit the tables in July and August.

The table tennis competition in Tokyo will run from July 24 through August 6 and TTV will make sure to post updates regarding the broadcast details closer to competition.