9th STIGA-Lihua Cup Table Tennis Team Championship Wraps Up in Beijing with Former National Coach Zhong Jinyong as Surprise Guest
The 9th “STIGA-Lihua Cup” Table Tennis Team Championship opened on July 5 in Beijing. Co-organized by STIGA (Beijing) and Lihua Fast Food Group and hosted by Beijing Huading Fengsheng Table Tennis Club, the event brought together 40 teams and over 100 players at the Shijingshan Prosecutor Training Academy gymnasium.
This year’s event ran the same dual-track format as previous editions: “Elite Group” for players rated 1800+ on the national amateur platform, and “Guest Group” for industry invitees. Using group stage followed by knockout rounds, the final results saw Shandong Shangri-La Mansion claim the Elite Group title.
The event’s highlight came from a surprise appearance by former China national team honorary coach Zhong Jinyong, who has spent nearly 30 years at the elite level cultivating numerous world champions. He demonstrated techniques, shared match-winning insights, and interacted warmly with participants.
Zhong Jinyong said: “This is my first time at a STIGA event in Beijing. The atmosphere was fantastic — people weren’t just competing hard, they were genuinely enjoying the spirit of friendship. This kind of event being held year after year is truly meaningful. Finding joy through competition — that’s the purest value in sport.”
The silver ball flew fast and players from all over showed their skills. Veterans played with composure; newcomers showed flashes of brilliance. The crack of the ball broke down age barriers as sweat and shouts mixed — a living portrait of table tennis growing into a truly national sport.
Final Results
Guest Group A: Huaneng Group (1st), Media Qiangsheng (2nd), Star Team (3rd)
Guest Group B: Guodian Investment (1st), CITIC (2nd), Huading Fengsheng (3rd)
Elite Group: Shandong Shangri-La Mansion (1st), Huapin Electronics (2nd), Qinhuangdao Yintai International (3rd), Juyuan TTC (4th)