BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's table tennis team announced a 12-player roster on Friday for the 34th ITTF-ATTU Asian Cup, scheduled to take place on February 19-23 in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. The squad includes world No. 1 players Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha.
Under tournament rules, China can send six men's and six women's players to compete. Wang leads the men's roster, which also features Lin Shidong, Liang Jingkun, Lin Gaoyuan, Chen Yuanyu, and Huang Youzheng. On the women's side, Sun is joined by Wang Manyu, Wang Yidi, Chen Xingtong, Kuai Man, and Shi Xunyao.
Notably absent are Olympic champions Ma Long and Fan Zhendong, who withdrew from the ITTF world rankings at the end of 2024. Both had been on the tournament's invitation list but did not make the final selection.
Wang Hao, head coach of the Chinese men's team, said the roster was determined based on players' world rankings and recent performances. Huang and Chen earned their spots through strong showings in recent WTT competitions.
"The coaching group is focusing on team development for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics by providing more opportunities for younger players to gain experience at the Asian Cup," Wang said.
On the women's side, Olympic champion Chen Meng, who also withdrew from the world rankings, was unavailable for selection. Head coach Ma Lin said the current roster represents the strongest lineup the team can field at this stage.
Ma also highlighted Kuai Man and Shi Xunyao as key players for the new Olympic cycle, noting their strong performances in recent matches against top rivals.
The ITTF-ATTU Asian Cup is an annual table tennis competition, first held in 1983. ■
