Wang Chuqin appointed China men's table tennis captain

World No. 1 Wang Chuqin has been appointed captain of China's men's table tennis team, with Liang Jingkun named vice captain.

Wang Chuqin hits a return during the men's singles round of 32 match between Wang Chuqin of China and Wong Chun Ting of China's Hong Kong at ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals Doha 2025 in Doha, Qatar, May 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)

"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.

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.