The official website of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) today announced the list of Chinese table tennis teams to participate in the 2024 ITTF Busan World Table Tennis Team Championships (Final) in Busan, South Korea. Both the Chinese men's and women's teams sent their strongest teams to the game, with a clear goal - to go all out to win the championship.
The Chinese men's team roster includes Fan Zhendong, Wang Chuqin, Ma Long, Liang Jingkun and Lin Gaoyuan. The qualifications of these five players are indisputable, and they are recognized by the coaching staff as the best team in Busan for their outstanding performances and consistent results.
In the women's team, Sun Yingsha, Wang Yidi, Chen Meng, Wang Manyu and Chen Xingtong will represent China. Compared with the previously announced list, the women's team has been slightly adjusted and replaced Qian Tianyi with Chen Xingtong. Chen's world ranking is a testament to her strength, as she finished third at the World Table Tennis Championships in Durban. In contrast, although Qian Tianyi's performance in the Singapore Grand Slam is excellent, the gold content is slightly inferior.
It is worth mentioning that the team competition of the World Table Tennis Championships will all adopt a five-set singles system, and there will be no arrangement for women's doubles pairings. This means that Qian Tianyi's left-handed advantage cannot be fully exploited in this competition. Therefore, it is reasonable to let the top-ranked Chen Xingtong replace Qian Tianyi, and when she goes to Busan, Chen Xingtong will not just be a spectator, especially before the semifinals and finals, she will definitely have the opportunity to play.
Li Falcon, the head coach of the Chinese table tennis team, said that the national table tennis team will send the strongest team lineup to play, and the goal is to strive for the championship. The head coach of the women's team, Ma Lin, also said that the five athletes selected were the most outstanding in the entire Paris Olympic preparation cycle, and they were the best and strongest in terms of performance and experience. Wang Hao, the head coach of the men's team, also said that the five players participating in the competition are the strongest in the team in terms of ranking, performance, stability and ability.
The 2024 ITTF World Table Tennis Team Championships in Busan, South Korea, will be held from 16 to 25 February, with the men's and women's quarter-finals qualifying for the Paris Olympics.