Official! China National Team Announces 11-Man Squad for Macau World Cup: Wang Chuqin & Sun Yingsha Lead, Xiang Peng Left Out

The Chinese Table Tennis Team officially announced its 11-player lineup for the Macau World Cup singles competition:

Men’s Singles: Wang Chuqin, Lin Shidong, Liang Jingkun, Zhou Qihao, Wen Ruibo
Women’s Singles: Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu, Kuai Man, Chen Xingtong, Wang Yidi, Qin Yuxuan

Notably, world No.9 Xiang Peng, despite having more points than Liang Jingkun, Zhou Qihao, and Wen Ruibo, did not make the squad. Men’s head coach Wang Hao explained: “World ranking is not the only criterion; recent form and performance are equally important.”

Selection rules were clear in advance: 2025 World Championship singles winners Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha automatically qualify, and 2025 World Junior U19 women’s singles champion Qin Yuxuan also earns a spot, without occupying association quotas. Additionally, players reaching the semifinals in the five continental cups are eligible. Due to Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha winning the Asian Cup, Lin Shidong and Chen Xingtong were selected as replacements, and Kuai Man joined for her Asian Cup bronze medal.

Wang Yidi secured her place through world ranking; Liang Jingkun, recently recovering from injury, was selected after coach evaluation; Zhou Qihao and Wen Ruibo earned spots for recent outstanding performances abroad, winning the WTT Doha Star Contender and WTT Muscat regular men’s singles, respectively.

Women’s head coach Ma Lin expressed confidence in the team, hoping for excellent results at the Macau World Cup. Last year, China’s women’s singles dominated with gold, while the men’s singles fell short against Brazil’s Hugo Calderano. This year, men’s singles face a tough challenge, while women remain strong, with the goal of claiming both titles.