Asian Cup table tennis tournament brings excitement to Shenzhen

Sun Yingsha of China meets the press after defeating Chien Tung-chuan of Chinese Taipei 11-2, 11-8, 11-6 in the women’s singles match at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)-Asian Table Tennis Union (ATTU) Asia Cup in Shenzhen yesterday.

Robots join a performance at the opening ceremony of the tournament at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center Stadium in Longgang District. Liu Xudong

THE 34th ITTF-ATTU Asian Cup (hereafter referred to as “Asian Cup”) opened yesterday at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center Stadium in Longgang District, bringing together 64 of Asia’s top players and thousands of fans.

Chinese stars Sun Yingsha, Wang Chuqin, Lin Shidong, and Wang Manyu are among those competing for titles through Sunday. This year’s tournament features men’s and women’s singles events, each with 32 players, and China has sent six players for each, according to the organizers.

The 34th Asian Cup is authorized by the Asian Table Tennis Union (ATTU) and Asia Table Tennis (ATT). It is co-hosted by the Chinese Table Tennis Association and the Shenzhen Municipal Government, with support from the Guangdong Provincial Sports Bureau. The event is organized by the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Culture, Media, Tourism, and Sports and the Longgang District Government.

During the opening ceremony, a special dance performance by a fleet of humanoid robots ignited the stadium with their agile moves and beautiful coordination with human performers, which showcased a wonderful integration of sports and AI.

After the opening ceremony, Sun, world’s No.1 female player and a mixed doubles gold medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, made her Asian Cup debut and played against Chien Tung-chuan of Chinese Taipei during the women’s singles Group 1 match. Sun got off to a good start by defeating Chien with a 3-0 victory, winning 11-2, 11-8, and 11-6.

Sun, who also plays for the Shenzhen University Table Tennis Club in the China Table Tennis Super League, said Shenzhen feels like home.

Fans packed the stadium and the adjacent Asian Cup Park on opening day.

Among them was Franz Eppensteiner, an Austrian musician based in Shanghai, who wore a hoodie with the slogan “Super Sha.”

At the stadium, the Austrian fan was constantly asked by fellow Chinese fans to take photos and exchange gifts and memorabilia.

Eppensteiner, a table tennis enthusiast, said that he is a big fan of Sun and Wang Chuqin, having watched them at the Paris Olympics. He even showed a photo he took of them at the Games.

“They are amazing and I love how nice they are. Since 2024 I’ve been supporting them really intensively as I got to know them much better,” he said.

Eppensteiner added that he was amazed by the stadium and the atmosphere. “The stadium is beautiful. It’s so big and the lights are amazing. The atmosphere is just wonderful.”

The venue is accessible via Metro Line 16’s Universiade Center Station. Fans from outside the city arriving at Shenzhen North Station, Shenzhen East Station, Shenzhen Railway Station, or Pingshan Station by train can reach the venue by transferring to Metro Line 16. Those arriving by plane can also reach the venue by Metro. Local fans can reach the venue via Metro lines 16, 3, or 14.

Storage lockers are available in the central plaza and south square areas of the venue. (Shenzhen Daily)