After a week of pre-match training, the Durban World Table Tennis Championships officially commenced, with the men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles events all kicking off simultaneously!
The tournament lasted for eight days, featuring 128 players each in the men's and women's singles, and 64 pairs in each doubles event. As one of the three major international tournaments, its level, scale, and influence far exceeded any commercial competition. It also served as a midterm exam ahead of the Olympic Games, making it an event of paramount importance to every participating nation.
Whether affected by the venue's lighting, or perhaps the drastically different dietary habits in South Africa, the Chinese National Table Tennis Team's training results during that first week left much to be desired.
Chapter 168