Wang Chuqin (L)/Sun Yingsha of China compete during the mixed doubles final against Harimoto Tomokazu/Hayata Hina of Japan at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Singapore Smash in Singapore on March 16, 2023. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)
China will send a strong squad for the Table Tennis Championships Finals Durban, which includes Olympic champions Ma Long and Chen Meng and world No. 1s Fan Zhendong and Sun Yingsha.
BEIJING, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha will compete in three events at the upcoming ITTF Table Tennis Championships Finals Durban as the China table tennis team announced its roster for the prestigious competition here on Monday.
Fan Zhendong, Ma Long, Wang Chuqin, Liang Jingkun and Lin Gaoyuan will participate in the men's singles, while the women's singles participants include Sun Yingsha, Chen Meng, Wang Manyu, Wang Yidi and Chen Xingtong.
The two pairs that will contend in the men's doubles are Fan Zhendong/Wang Chuqin and Lin Gaoyuan/Lin Shidong.
Two women's doubles pairs to feature in Durban are the reigning champions Sun Yingsha/Wang Manyu and Chen Meng/Wang Yidi.
Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha will defend their title in the mixed doubles in Durban, and they are joined by young pair Lin Shidong/Kuai Man.
Fan Zhendong celebrates winning the men's singles final match against Ma Long of China at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Singapore Smash in Singapore, March 19, 2023. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)
Ma Long, Sun Yingsha, Wang Chuqin and Chen Xingtong secured their berths in China's roster by winning the titles in singles events in the two-stop team trial, while Fan Zhendong earned his spot by triumphing in the World Table Tennis (WTT) Singapore Smash. Wang and Sun also booked their place in the mixed doubles with their victory in the team trial.
"I'm very proud of playing in another World Championships. I have no specific goal this time but to cherish the opportunity and showcase myself on this stage without any regrets," commented 34-year-old Ma Long, two-time Olympic men's singles gold medalist.
"I also competed in three events two years ago in Houston, and I hope I can do better this time," said Wang.
Ma Long of China hits a return during the men's singles match against Togami Shunsuke of Japan at World Table Tennis Championships (WTTC) Finals Asian Continental Stage in Doha, Qatar, Jan. 11, 2023. (Photo by Nikku/Xinhua)
Other paddlers to compete in the table tennis worlds have been selected by the coaching group based on their overall competitiveness and results in international competitions.
Chen, who has been recovering from injury, said that she would treasure every chance of competing in major tournaments.
"For me, every tournament is a new challenge. I have not been in fine shape recently, so I need to adjust my mindset going into this competition," commented the Olympic women's singles champion.
Xiao Zhan, veteran coach and head of the mixed doubles coaching group, said that youngsters Lin Shidong and Kuai Man have earned their spots in the squad with their world rankings and consistent performances in international competitions over the past year, as the coaching group eyes on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
"In terms of their ages and playing style, they can fit each other quite well," Xiao explained.
Chen Meng of China hits a return during the women's singles round of 64 match against Nagasaki Miyu of Japan at World Table Tennis (WTT) Singapore Smash in Singapore on March 11, 2023. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)
According to Li Sun, chief coach of the Chinese team, after competing in the WTT Champions Xinxiang and Macao, the Chinese team will train for around half a month in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province from April 24 before heading to Durban, South Africa on May 12.
The Durban table tennis worlds will be held from May 20 to 28.
"For the Chinese table tennis team, our goal remains the same: to try to win the gold in every event," said Li. ■
