Liu Guoliang announces Olympic simulation contest for Chinese players

Liu Guoliang, president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association. /VCG

Liu Guoliang, the president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA), announced on Sunday that an Olympic simulation contest will be launched for the Chinese table tennis national team in August.

The CTTA usually holds a series of warm-up games before major events to select the best squad and help players stay sharp. However, an Olympic simulation will be a totally new event, and for good reasons.

From L to R: Gold medalists Fan Zhendong, Ma Long, Xu Xin, head coach Qin Zhijian, Lin Gaoyuan and Liang Jingkun of China pose for photographs at the medal ceremony of the ITTF Team World Cup, Tokyo 2020 Test Event at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan, November 10, 2019. /VCG

First, the postponment of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo from 2020 until 2021 disrupted China's plans. Originally, the team intended to assemble in Macao SAR after the Qatar Open in early March to prepare for the World Team Table Tennis Championships in Busan, South Korea. Then the team was scheduled to go to Japan to prepare for the Olympics.

However, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, both tournaments were delayed. The Chinese national team ultimately trained in Macao SAR for three months, its longest training camp in history.

From L to R: Gold medalists Ding Ning, Sun Yingsha, Head coach Li Sun, Liu Shiwen, Chen Meng and Wang Manyu of China pose for photographs at medal ceremony of the ITTF Team World Cup, Tokyo 2020 Test Event at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, November 10, 2019. /VCG

The team held multiple internal competitions but revealed only the results, not the process. Since all the work they did was to help the players find their best form before August, launching a Olympic-style tournament will enable players to give the coaches a peak at their progress.

Second, the tournament can be a reference for national team member selection, especially with the women's squad.

On the men's side, Ma Long, Xu Xin and Fan Zhendong won't meet much competition for spots in the national team, but the selection on the women's side has been less clear. Veterans like Ding Ning and Liu Shiwen have their advantages but as China's biggest opponent in the women's competition in Tokyo will be Japan's Mima Ito, perhaps Chen Meng, Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu also deserve consideration.