2026 National Table Tennis Championships (Doubles) kicks off in Changsha

(ECNS) -- The 2026 National Table Tennis Championships (Doubles) kicked off Monday in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province.

The event has drawn nearly 400 athletes from 68 teams across 27 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. A total of 94 men's doubles, 90 women's doubles and 122 mixed doubles pairs are competing.

The national championships, first held in 1952, is China's top table tennis tournament. This year marks the first time the Chinese Table Tennis Association has staged the doubles competition as a standalone event, with pairings no longer restricted by provincial or team boundaries.

A major highlight is the reunion of Ma Long and Xu Xin, who won the men's doubles title at the 2020 national championships. The pair will compete together in an official tournament for the first time since the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.

In mixed doubles, Olympic champions Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha are teaming up, alongside Lin Shidong and Kuai Man. In women's doubles, Asian Games partners Chen Yi and Fan Shuhan are making their debut as a pair.

The seven-day tournament runs through July 19, with the preliminary stage scheduled for July 13-15 and the main draw beginning July 16.

(By Tang Yuxian)