The 40-year-old table tennis star Boll will be competing in his fifth Games between July 23 and August 8 in Japan. He has one silver and two bronze from past team events at the Olympics.

Apart from the table tennis team, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) on Wednesday also nominated athletes for pool and and open water swimming, sailing, sports climbing and shooting.

Swimmer Florian Wellbrock has been named for open water and pool events in swimming, and the group includes eight medallists from Rio 2016.

The Tokyo Games are taking place a year later than planned owing to the coronavirus pandemic which has made preparations difficult for the athletes.

“The circumstances this year are anything but easy, but we are doing everything we can to create a appropriate conditions for our athletes so that they can achieve their best possible performance in Tokyo,” chef de mission Dirk Schimmelpfennig said.

The DOSB said it was not clear how many German athletes would compete in Tokyo because qualifying has not finished in all sports. The nomination deadline from the International Olympic Committee is July 5.

Germany had 407 athletes at the London 20212 Games and 452 in Rio.