Beijing, 3 Apr (Xinhua) -- The Chinese table tennis team announced the list of participants in the Durban World Table Tennis Championships on the 3rd, with Fan Zhendong, Ma Long, Sun Yingsha, Chen Meng, etc. listed, and Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha will participate in three individual events.
On April 3, a group photo of the Chinese team players and coaches participating in the Durban World Table Tennis Championships. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Tao Xiyi
The Chinese table tennis team held a press conference on the same day, and the head coach Li Falcon announced the list of participants in the World Table Tennis Championships: the men's singles were Fan Zhendong, Ma Long, Wang Chuqin, Liang Jingkun, Lin Gaoyuan; The women's singles are Sun Yingsha, Chen Meng, Wang Manyu, Wang Yidi, Chen Xingtong; Men's doubles are Fan Zhendong/Wang Chuqin, Lin Gaoyuan/Lin Shidong; The women's doubles are Sun Yingsha/Wang Manyu, Chen Meng/Wang Yidi; The mixed doubles are Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha, Lin Shidong/Qu Man.
Among them, Ma Long, Sun Yingsha, Wang Chuqin and Chen Xingtong won the direct place through the Chinese table tennis team World Table Tennis Championships Trials, the World Table Tennis Professional League (WTT) Singapore Grand Slam champion Fan Zhendong also went directly to Durban, and Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha won the mixed doubles direct place through the trials.
On April 3, Chinese men's team players Lin Gaoyuan, Wang Chuqin, Fan Zhendong, Ma Long, Liang Jingkun, Lin Shidong (from left to right) who participated in the Durban World Table Tennis Championships took a group photo after the press conference. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Tao Xiyi
Wang Hao, the head coach of the men's team, said that after collective discussion, comprehensive evaluation and comprehensive consideration by the coaching staff, Liang Jingkun and Lin Gaoyuan's world ranking has always been at the forefront, and their recent performance, comprehensive ability and external results are very good. In the doubles event, Fan Zhendong / Wang Chuqin won the WTT Singapore Grand Slam championship, and the two played and performed well overall. Lin Gaoyuan's left-handed playing style is very important, Lin Shidong mainly from the perspective of training and echelon construction, in the Paris Olympics and the next Olympic cycle of strategic considerations, considering the recent performance, it is reasonable for the two to take on doubles tasks.
Ma Lin, the head coach of the women's team, said that Chen Meng is the Tokyo Olympic champion and the core of this Olympic cycle. The last selection competition lasted with injuries and you can see the determination of the veterans. Wang Manyu is the team champion of the Tokyo Olympic Games, the singles champion of the Houston World Table Tennis Championships and the National Games, and his overall strength and external combat ability have been recognized by the coaching staff. Wang Yidi, ranked fourth in the world, has a good record in recent foreign competitions, and last year's Asian Cup women's singles title was very high, she defeated Hina Hayata and Mimato Ito in the semifinals and finals, and won the recent WTT Star Challenge in Goa, and her external results were unanimously recognized by the coaching staff.
On April 3, Chinese women's team players Qu Man, Chen Meng, Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu, Chen Xingtong and Wang Yidi (from left to right) who participated in the Durban World Table Tennis Championships took a group photo after a press conference. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Tao Xiyi
In women's doubles, Ma Lin said that Sun Yingsha/Wang Manyu is a two-time World Table Tennis Championships and Singapore Grand Slam champion, and the two are very similar in age, which will be a strong guarantee for the team in the future. Although Chen Meng/Wang Yidi are new pairs, they are very high-level, especially defeating Hina Hayada/Mimato Ito in the semifinals of the WTT Singapore Grand Slam Tournament, and the two pairs play in the World Series, which is a double insurance for the team.
Speaking about the young pair Lin Shidong/Qu Man's shortlist, mixed doubles leader Xiao Zhan believes that the two are the world's highest-ranked Chinese team combinations besides Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha, and have participated in the senior mixed doubles tournament since June 2022, and have participated in a total of eight regular challenge and side tournaments so far, winning seven of them, and the results are very stable. Focusing on the future and based on the present, considering the Paris Olympics and Los Angeles Olympics, the age structure and playing style configuration of the two are also very suitable.
On April 3, Li Falcon (second from left), the head coach of the Chinese table tennis team, answered reporters' questions at a press conference. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Tao Xiyi
According to Li Falcon, National Table Tennis will depart on April 6 to participate in the WTT Xinxiang and Macao championships, go to Chengdu for half a month of closed training on April 24, and go to Durban on May 12 to prepare for the World Table Tennis Championships.
The Durban World Table Tennis Championships will be held in Durban, South Africa, from May 20 to 28. "For the Chinese table tennis team, the goal is the same, to win the gold medal." Li Falcon said.