Lin ahead of European premiere with Mühlhausen

Lin Gaoyuan fulfills fans' autograph requests on Thursday. He will play for the first time on Sunday.

Bundesliga table tennis club Post SV Mühlhausen can call on one of its new Chinese top stars in the battle for a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Team World Champion Lin Gaoyuan traveled to Germany on Wednesday and will be available for the round of 16 second leg at Polish club KS Dzialdowo on Sunday. Mühlhausen must make up for the 1:3 loss in the first leg.

The 29-year-old Lin, the second top-10 signing from China alongside Liang Jingkun, is expected to help. However, both have not yet played in the Champions League as planned due to problems with their performances. “I hope he will give us a boost,” Mühlhausen coach Erik Schreyer told the

SID: “I think the Poles are a bit in awe, because a player like that will never have played in Poland before.”

However, miracles cannot be expected from the former world number two. “This is his first time in Europe. It's not that easy to perform at the drop of a hat. But if we want to win, he has to perform. That's why we signed him. He has to deal with the pressure,” said Schreyer.

Fans and sponsors of the Mühlhausen team will have the opportunity to see the left-hander at a meet and greet and public training session on Thursday afternoon. On Friday, the team will travel to Poland.

Source: SID
Featured image above: Steffen Mengel (Photo: AFP/SID/ADEK BERRY)