On April 18, the Changning District qualifiers (eastern division) of the 2026 Shanghai Table Tennis Carnival Mixed Team Championship League opened at the Changning District Workers’ Cultural Palace. Liu Ping, deputy secretary of the CPC District Committee and district director, attended the opening ceremony and announced the start of the competition.

The opening ceremony was filled with a strong “happy table tennis” atmosphere. Shi Zhihao, former national table tennis player and former head coach of the Chinese women’s national team, appeared at the event. As President of the Shanghai City Community Sports Association and Dean of the China Table Tennis College, he presented a ball-serving machine and sports fitness class packages to the Changning District “Little Blue Flower” Citizen Center, jointly created by Jiangsu Road Subdistrict and the District Civil Affairs Bureau. He also gave a live demonstration of table tennis intervention therapy, empowering community health services through sports.

Wang Yihan, former world champion in badminton, was invited to serve as the cheerleader for the Changning District carnival. She said she would use her own sports experience to encourage more citizens to pay attention to table tennis and participate in national fitness.

Four organizations – the District Workers’ Cultural Palace, Qianhuo Sports, Livat Shanghai, and IBP Hongqiao Upper Town Guojin Sports Center – were awarded the title of “Venue Partners.” CCB Life Insurance Shanghai Branch and China Construction Bank Shanghai Changning Sub-branch were awarded the title of “Strategic Partners.”

Representatives of referees and athletes took oaths, expressing their determination to abide by the rules, compete fairly, and strive for excellence.

As the competition began, the participating players threw themselves into the matches with full commitment and tenacity, demonstrating an unyielding sports spirit. Outside the arena, citizens passing by could not resist picking up paddles and experiencing the pure joy of table tennis. A total of 16 teams competed in the eastern division qualifiers, fiercely vying for the top three spots. On May 16, the top three teams from the eastern, central, and western divisions – nine teams in total – will first compete for the district championship title at IBP Hongqiao Upper Town, selecting Changning’s top team, which will then enter a round-robin competition against teams from Songjiang, Chongming, Pudong, Hongkou, Huangpu, Jiading, and Baoshan districts, further enhancing the competitive level and regional interaction vitality.

On the day of the event, a sports market was launched simultaneously on the south side of the Workers’ Cultural Palace along Yuyuan Road, blending food experiences with fun interactive activities. While watching the matches, citizens could also stroll and play, immersing themselves in the springtime atmosphere of “sports + lifestyle.” Throughout the table tennis carnival, Changning will continue to expand the boundaries of the event, promote the “ticket stub economy,” and deepen the integration of “culture, commerce, tourism, sports, exhibitions, and green spaces.”

Song Hui, member of the Party Leadership Group and first-level inspector of the Municipal Sports Bureau; Pan Guoli, member of the Standing Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC District Committee; Gu Jieyan and Ma Shiwei, deputy district directors; as well as heads of the Municipal Sports Bureau’s Mass Sports Division, the Municipal Social Sports Management Center (Municipal Sports Competition Management Center), and the main and deputy leaders of the District Civil Affairs Bureau, the District Federation of Trade Unions, the District Sports Bureau, and the ten subdistricts and towns, attended the event.