Team China are in the final preparations for the upcoming Chengdu 2022 World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals, which will kick off on September 30 in southwest China's Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

China will send their best players to defend their titles in both men's and women's events.

Headlined by world No. 1 Fan Zhendong, the men's team is composed of world champions Ma Long, Liang Jingkun, Wang Chuqin and Lin Gaoyuan. While the women's team features decorated Chen Meng, Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu, Wang Yidi and Chen Xingtong. 

Tomokazu Harimoto will lead the Japanese team, which are mainly young players, while Germany will feature veterans such as Timo Boll, Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Patrick Franziska, the silver medalists at the Tokyo Olympics last year.

Swedes as a result are expected to impose more of a threat to the Chinese paddlers, with a team consisting of Olympians Mattias Falck, Kristian Karlsson and Truls Moregardh.

Qin Zhijian, head coach of the men's team, said they aimed for a clean sweep, saying, "The Chengdu Championships is the most important competition this year, and it is the men's top goal to win the Swaythling Cup."

Fan, who will compete at the event for the fourth time, expressed his expectation: "I am looking forward to the team event very much. I hope I can give good performance to help my team to win."

Meanwhile, for the women's event, China's archrival will still be Japanese Mima Ito and Hina Hayata, but China has the upper-hand based on previous results. 

As the highest level of international sporting event held on the Chinese mainland after the Beijing Winter Olympics earlier this year, the Championships will be held behind closed doors and host organized spectators.

The event will conclude on October 9.

(Cover image: Fan Zhendong serves the ball against Ma Long during the men's table tennis team final at the National Games in Yan'an, Shaanxi Province, September 21, 2021. /CFP)