As the crow flies, it is 11,638 miles (18,730 km) from Asunción, Paraguay to Busan, South Korea-- almost halfway around the world. That is quite a lot to ask of a crow. For the top table tennis players in the North and Latin America, however, a week's work in Asunción may be their ticket to Busan next year. The 2019 ITTF-Pan American Championships, starting today and running through September 8, will see the western hemisphere's fastest guns in a shootout. The top six teams for each gender will qualify for the 2020 World Table Tennis Championships, to be held next March in Busan. The USA women's team is seeded second behind Puerto Rico, led by the redoubtable Diaz sisters, Adriana and Melanie. Their countrymen's contingent is seeded third behind Brazil and Argentina. The dominant Brazilian squad, however, will be without the services (and killer loops) of world #6 Hugo Calderano, leaving the door slightly ajar for an upset. In addition to the high-stakes teams events, medals will be awarded in men's and women's singles and doubles, as well as mixed doubles. In the women's singles, the USA's Wu Yue is seeded second, with Lily Zhang not far behind at #4. Zhang Mo of Canada heads the list. Meanwhile, over in the gentlemen's draw, the USA's Kanak Jha will be looking to repeat as men's singles champion. Now ranked a career-best #22 in the world, he enters the tournament as the top seed. Tonight, the players sleep the before play commences in Asunción, visions of gold medals dancing in their heads. To medal at the Pan American Championships would certainly be a tremendous honor. But representing one's country at the World Championships? Well, that would truly be something to crow about.

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