New national table tennis base in Huangshi hosts first international event

(ECNS) -- China's newly built national table tennis training base in Huangshi hosted its first major international competition on Monday as nearly 200 athletes, coaches and officials gathered for the 2026 Belt and Road International Table Tennis Invitational Tournament.

The tournament runs from July 20 to 22, bringing together nearly 200 athletes, coaches and referees from China, Poland, the Czech Republic, and China's Hong Kong and Macao regions. At the opening ceremony, Polish player Redzimski and Chinese national team player Xue Fei played an exhibition match.

The event also marks the international debut of the China Table Tennis Team Huangshi Training Base (Dayehu Base). Construction began in 2023, and the complex now includes competition and training facilities, a sports school, a research center and athlete accommodation. Its main arena seats 10,000 spectators and meets international competition standards.

Known as China's "table tennis city and cradle of champions," Huangshi has hosted the Belt and Road invitational annually since 2019, attracting nearly 1,000 athletes from 27 countries and regions with support from the Chinese Table Tennis Association and provincial sports authorities.

(By Tang Yuxian)