China looking to the future by selecting young women’s table tennis team for Asian Games
The 5-player line-up features 3 paddlers in their early twenties, with Chen Xintong and Wang Yidi missing out due to their rankings and age
China’s table tennis authorities appeared to be looking to the future in preparation for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and beyond after the women’s squad for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games featured three players in their early twenties.
The Chinese Table Tennis Association released the selection criteria that determine the five-player line-up for the women’s team in May.
The team selection came down to choosing the top two women in the singles rankings on May 25 – world No 1 Sun Yingsha and world No 2 Wang Manyu – along with the highest-ranked Chinese player in the doubles and mixed doubles standings who had not already qualified – 22-year-old Kuai Man.
One additional player, born on or after January 1, 2004, was selected from the singles rankings – 21-year-old Chen Yi. The age limit excluded world No 5 Chen Xintong and world No 8 Wang Yidi, who were both born in 1997.
The final spot was decided through an internal trial.
Last week, Fan Shuhan, 21, battled through rounds of internal trials to seal her place on the women’s team destined for Japan.