Philippine teenage player Ke Yingying. [Photo/ Chinanews.com]

The fourth China-Philippines Youth Table Tennis friendly match was held on November 3 in Capital University of Physical Education and Sports in Beijing. The opening ceremony was attended by many officials, including Li Yingchuan, deputy director of General Administration of Sport of China and vice-chairman of Chinese Olympic Committee,, Lei Jun, director of Sports Administrative Center of Table Tennis and Badminton, and Mei Weida, first secretary and consul of the Philippine embassy in China.

The match was a communicative competition held by the federation of all circles of Philippines and China and Capital University of Physical Education and Sports and has been successfully held for three times since 2015. Every year many groups of excellent coach and players organized by Philippine Youth Ping-pong Communication Community come to visit China and to learn skills.

Xu Zhongrong, leader of Philippine Youth Ping-pong Communication Community and honorary president of the federation of all circles of Philippines and China, delivers a speech at the ceremony. [Photo/ Chinanews.com]

“It is still very pleasant for us to come to China again,” said Xu Zhongrong, leader of Philippine Youth Ping-pong Communication Community and honorary president of the federation of all circles of Philippines and China. Xu said that table tennis is China's national game and China is the holy land of table tennis, so it is beneficial for young Philippine players to come to study and compete in China and they would make great process. And Philippine sports community is also looking forward to gain more experience and make further development.

Xu also said that the friendly relationship between the country of residence and the country of origin are the deepest expectations of overseas Chinese. He said that Philippines across the sea and the two countries have been good friends from the time long gone. The federation of all circles of the Philippines and China has made great efforts to promote the competition, hoping to do something practical for the cooperation between the two countries and developing the friendship between Philippines and China into a new stage through the communication.

Officials from Philippines and China take photos after the opening ceremony. [Photo/ Chinanews.com]

The competition has been held for four years, and its scale and influence are gradually increasing, said Zhong Bingshu, the headmaster of Capital University of Physical Education and Sports. The competition was held only between the communication community and Capital University of Physical Education and Sports when it was first started. But now, the competition will also include representatives from the table tennis club of Peking University and Japanese players learning in China.

Philippine teenage player Ke Yingying is only 11 but is a veteran, having attended the China-Philippine Youth Table Tennis friendly match for three times. She told the reporter that she would continue to try her best in the competition this year and she had been better both technically and mentally through all her past experience. She hoped that one day she could participate in the Olympics on behave of her country.

Liu Wei, associate professor of sports research at Peking University and member of the Chinese table tennis team who has won the world champion for seven times, said that the friendly match is significant to teenage players of both countries, and that it is their greatest fortune that sportsmanship will grow with them in the span of their lives as table tennis is rooted in their hearts.