The 2026 Shanghai Table Tennis Carnival is in full swing across the city. This mass-participation table tennis event has attracted widespread attention at home and abroad and set off a table tennis craze across every corner of Shanghai.Recently, Flavien (Jin Kaijie), a student from Shanghai French School, visited Ledong Hongqiao at Lane 445 Loushanguan Road. Under the professional instruction of Li Xiang, a table tennis coach from the district children's sports school, he took part in a professional table tennis training session.

"China's table tennis is incredibly strong!" Flavien said excitedly when talking about the sport.His father is French and his mother is Shanghainese. He has been connected with table tennis since childhood and said he loves the sport very much. He admires Chinese world champions with numerous accolades including Ma Long, Fan Zhendong and Wang Chuqin. He also follows the strong Lebrun brothers from France.Every summer when he travels to France to visit relatives, the ping-pong table built on his uncle's balcony becomes his favorite place to spend the holidays. Years of playing with his uncle planted the seed of passion for table tennis deep in his heart at an early age.

Flavien has never received systematic professional training, but this does not dampen his love for table tennis.During this trial class at Ledong Hongqiao, Coach Li Xiang taught him core skills including receiving techniques, serving methods and power control step by step. Two peers joined him for practice matches, making the whole training session full of fun.

Receiving professional coaching for the first time, Flavien showed excellent learning capacity. He could serve independently in just 10 minutes and quickly picked up basic forehand and backhand movements. His awkward backhand stroke at the start became smooth after repeated practice.After the training, Flavien was full of hope and said he would keep practicing to improve his skills. "I will polish my playing skills this summer and surprise my uncle when I go back to France."

"Keep training consistently and take part in more matches to make greater progress through day-to-day practice," said Li, who offered advice for teenagers like Flavien who have enthusiasm but no formal training experience."You can watch tutorial videos made by retired national team players and professional coaches online for self-study. Practice your swings repeatedly in front of a full-length mirror to check whether your hand, leg and footwork are correct. Build your feel for the ball and raise your level steadily."

"Table tennis is our national sport, so I fully support his hobby," said Jin Liting, Flavien's mother.In her opinion, table tennis brings far more benefits than physical exercise. It greatly improves body coordination and overall physical fitness. More importantly, it enriches children's spare time and develops a healthy hobby that stays with them as they grow."Table tennis is a deeply popular national sport. It is of great significance that the younger generation can get close to the sport and take part in it."