[ANN NEWS – General Report]On August 29, the Chinese Table Tennis Association announced the selection criteria for the 2026 Asian Table Tennis Team Championships. Notably, five members of the Chinese national table tennis team—Wang Chuqin, Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu, Chen Xingtong, and He Zhuojia—have voluntarily withdrawn from the selection process for this Asian Championships.
The 2026 Asian Table Tennis Team Championships will be held from October 19 to 25 in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. The event will feature seven events: men’s team, women’s team, men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.
The Chinese Table Tennis Association stated that this selection process is aimed at ensuring participation in the 2026 Asian Championships, while also supporting preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. The selection process will comprehensively consider ITTF world ranking points, results from major international and domestic tournaments, outcomes of internal team trials, and athletes’ contributions to the national team, and will determine the roster based on the development of the talent pipeline and tactical requirements.
Five Top Chinese Table Tennis Players Voluntarily Withdraw from Tryouts
Qin Zhijian, head coach of the national team, noted that in addition to the Asian Championships in 2026, there will also be the Asian Games, as well as the Mixed Team World Cup and multiple WTT Series ranking events at the end of the year, making the national team’s competition schedule for the year extremely demanding.
Following thorough discussions between the coaching staff and the athletes, and taking into account the schedule of major international competitions in 2026 and the athletes’ individual needs, it has been agreed that:Five athletes—Wang Chuqin, Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu, Chen Xingtong, and He Zhuojia—have voluntarily withdrawn from the selection process for this Asian Championships.In addition,Zhou Qihao will not participate in the tryouts for men's singles, men's doubles, and mixed doubles.
This also means that several key players on the Chinese national table tennis team will not be competing in the tryouts for spots on the Asian Championships roster this time. At the same time, a group of young athletes and other members of the national team will have more opportunities to compete in continental competitions and gain experience in real-world competition.
How do I choose a team event?
According to the guidelines released by the Chinese Table Tennis Association, for the men’s team event, the top three athletes in the selection pool based on the ITTF singles world rankings announced on August 17, 2026, will automatically qualify for the competition. The remaining two spots will be filled based on recommendations from the coaching staff, which will take into account the players’ recent performances in major international and domestic competitions, as well as the team’s development and tactical needs.
For the women's team, three spots are also initially determined based on world rankings, but the final two spots will be decided throughInternal TryoutsOccur.
Singles Events: Women's Singles—All Based on World Rankings
The five spots in the men’s singles event will be filled through three methods: the top three eligible athletes based on world rankings will qualify automatically; the coaching staff will recommend one player based on a comprehensive evaluation of recent performance; and the final spot will be determined through an internal team tryout.
The selection process for the women’s singles event is even more straightforward—it is based on the singles world rankings released by the International Table Tennis Federation on August 17,The top five athletes in the selection pool will automatically qualify for the competition.
Doubles and Mixed Doubles Emphasize Practical Play and Talent Development
Two pairs of athletes each in men’s and women’s doubles have qualified for the competition. The national team coaching staff will make recommendations based on a comprehensive evaluation of ITTF world ranking points and recent performances in major domestic and international tournaments, while also taking into account the development of the team’s talent pipeline and the diversity of playing styles.
In mixed doubles, the pair that wins the internal qualifying tournament will automatically secure one spot; the other spot will be awarded by the coaching staff based on a comprehensive evaluation of the other pairs participating in the internal qualifying tournament.
China's Table Tennis Team Begins Preparations for the Los Angeles Olympics
Based on the selection criteria for this event, the Chinese Table Tennis Association will not only take into account the results of the Asian Championships but will also explicitly considerThe 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the 2032 Brisbane OlympicsAs a long-term goal.
Given that key athletes such as Wang Chuqin, Sun Yingsha, and Wang Manyu already have very busy competition schedules, allowing some of the main players to opt out of this selection process based on their individual circumstances will, on the one hand, help manage their competition schedules and physical condition, and, on the other hand, provide other athletes with more opportunities to compete in international tournaments.
For the Chinese national table tennis team, which is currently in the process of transitioning between generations and building its talent pipeline, the lineup for this year’s Asian Championships is therefore particularly noteworthy.
The Chinese Table Tennis Association stated that once the final list of athletes and coaches has been approved internally, it will be published on the association’s official website. If any athletes experience sudden injuries or illnesses after the roster is announced, the roster will be adjusted in accordance with established procedures and announced publicly, subject to the approval of the Asian Table Tennis Union.
