Olympic champion Ma Long invites Taiwan youth to visit Chinese mainland

(ECNS) -- Olympic table tennis champion Ma Long on Tuesday invited young people from Taiwan to visit the Chinese mainland for sports training, competitions and study activities, as he addressed a cross-Strait youth exchange event held in Shanghai.

Ma said the Chinese mainland offers a well-developed training system, professional coaching and a strong sporting environment for both professional athletes and young people who enjoy sports.

Ma also recalled his first visit to Taiwan in late 2024 as part of a mainland university delegation. The group visited six universities, where he was pleased to find table tennis clubs and students who were enthusiastic about the sport.

At the forum, Ma presented table tennis paddles to young players who took part in a cross-Strait youth table tennis exchange tournament, expressing hope that they would make more friends through the sport.

(By Intern Yang Hongran, Zhang Dongfang)