Wang Chuqin appointed China men's table tennis captain

Wang Chuqin of China reacts in the singles match against Oh Jun-sung of South Korea during the men's teams quarterfinal match at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London, Britain on May 8, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- World No. 1 Wang Chuqin has been appointed captain of China's men's table tennis team, with Liang Jingkun named vice captain.

"We hope that Wang Chuqin can carry forward the responsibilities and mission of the team captain and take over the baton from former captain Ma Long," said Wang Hao, head coach of the Chinese men's team.

"This is not only an honor, but also a heavy responsibility and a true testament to commitment," he added.

Liang Jingkun of China celebrates scoring in the singles match against Harimoto Tomokazu of Japan during the men's teams final match at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London, Britain on May 10, 2026. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

The duo helped China win its 12th straight men's title at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London last month. Wang had a perfect record in all 10 of his matches at the tournament, while Liang pulled off consecutive comeback victories in the semifinals and the final, against Alexis Lebrun of France and Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto, respectively.

Wang leads the men's singles world rankings released on Monday, while Liang sits 26th.