Fujie Eguchi in 2015 (Photo: World Table Tennis) The oldest living world champion, Japan’s Fujie Eguchi passed away on Friday 28th May. Born on Friday 18th November 1932 in Nagasaki Prefecture, Fujie Eguchi moved to Osaka at the age of seven. She went to Higashisenba High School, where when 13 years old she started to play table tennis, before entering Osaka Pharmaceutical University. Petite, pen-hold grip using one side of the racket only, alongside the likes of colleagues Tomie Okawa, Kiiko Watanabe and Kimiyo Matsuzaki, she was instrumental in setting a new trend in the sport of table tennis; speed both with movement and technical skills hallmarks of their play. Prior to her appearance, defensive skills, combined with sporadic attacking strokes were very much
