Xu Xin of Shanghai serves during the men's team match against Xie Yunxi of Guangxi at the 2022 Chinese National Table Tennis Championships in Huangshi, central China's Hubei Province, Nov. 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)
Chinese Olympic table tennis champion Xu Xin has opened a table tennis gym, hoping to inspire more young people to enjoy table tennis.
SHANGHAI, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- A table tennis gym named Xuperman, launched by Chinese Olympic table tennis champion Xu Xin, opened at Shanghai Pudong Football Stadium on Wednesday.
All the components of the gym, including lighting, floor glue and tables, meet the standards of international competitions.
Environmentally-friendly features include recycled sponge used on the stools and carbon fiber boards on the walls, to absorb sound.
"There is great potential for improvement in table tennis facilities for the public, so I want to fill this market gap," said Xu.
Xu, together with a coaching team, has developed a series of table tennis courses for children. "Previously, as a professional athlete, I competed for my country, but now I hope to change my identity and inspire more young people to love table tennis," he said.
Born in 1990 in Jiangsu Province, Xu is a World Table Tennis Championships and World Cup winner, and currently serves as vice president of the Asian Table Tennis Union. ■
