China pulls out of Asian Table Tennis Championships citing overloaded schedule
- There are a number of major events on the horizon for Chinese paddlers, and national team heads take decision to scrap Asian Championships campaign
The Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA) announced on Monday that its paddlers would be withdrawing from the upcoming Asian Championships as a packed schedule begins to throw up logistical problems.
In November, Houston, Texas will host the World Table Tennis Championships, before China’s Table Tennis Super League kicks off.
The packed calendar, and the current uncertainty surrounding international travel, led the CTTA to announce its players will not compete at the regional showpiece in Doha, Qatar between September 28 and October 5.
Qin Zhijian, secretary general of the CTTA, said the lack of down time as well as the potential issues surrounding travel meant Chinese players would face unprecedented difficulty in attending the Asian Championships.
“As the table tennis competition of the National Games will be held between September 17 and 26, and the Asian Championships will start on September 28, there is limited intermission between the two tournaments. Taking international flights into consideration, it’s quite difficult for the team to arrive in Qatar on schedule to participate,” Qin said according to Xinhua.
“There is much risk in international travel during the pandemic, and all participants will have to undergo quarantine after the Asian Championships, which will affect our plan for the upcoming tournaments, especially the World Championships,” added Qin, who is also the men’s head coach at the national set-up.
“It will not benefit our young players’ development, and both the men’s and women’s coaching groups have made the decision to withdraw from the Asian Championships for the overall benefit of the team.”
Women’s head coach Li Sun said the Asian Championships was the logical sacrifice in their schedule.
“[The Asian Championships] serve as the qualifier for the World Team Championships in Chengdu next year. We are already guaranteed a spot there as hosts of the tournament,” Li noted.
“The first thing for players after finishing their Olympic duties is to adjust their physical shape to gear up for the National Games and the World Championships. Therefore, it’s the best choice for us to withdraw from the Asian Championships,” he added.
