China stars Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng confirmed for 2021 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships
- Men’s and women’s world No 1s will be in action in Houston next month, organisers confirm
- Neither paddler has won singles gold at a world championships though Chen is Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion
Chinese table tennis superstars Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng have been confirmed as taking part in the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships next month where the two world No 1 players will look for a first singles gold.
The ITTF announced the news on its website and China’s Twitter-like Weibo on Tuesday ahead of the tournament in Houston from November 23-29.
This year will mark the first time in the 95-year history of the event that it has taken place in the Americas.
Men’s world No 1 Fan has won the gold in the men’s team event at the worlds three times – in 2014, 2016 and 2018 – and he will be looking for a first singles crown at the George R. Brown Convention Centre.
Women’s world No 1 Chen, who won gold in the singles at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games this summer, is also yet to win singles gold at the worlds.
She was runner-up in the event at the 2019 worlds in Hungary with the 27-year-old also experiencing disappointment at the China National Games last month.