On January 1st, Beijing time, the women's team final of the Chinese Super League concluded with Shandong Luneng, the runner-up from the previous year, narrowly defeating the reigning champions Shenzhen University 3-2 after a grueling five sets to claim their ninth title, thrilling fans with an intense match.
After the final, former world champions from the national table tennis team, including Wang Liqin, Cao Yanhua, and Zheng Minzhi, took to the stage to present awards to the younger generation, posing for photos with players from Shandong Luneng, Shenzhen University, and third-place finishers Shanghai Longteng. Additionally, Chen Xingtong and Qian Tianyi from Shandong Luneng were awarded the titles of MVP in women's singles and doubles, respectively, making it a double celebration as they beamed with joy at the event. For more details, please read on.
The women's team final of the Super League was indeed full of ups and downs. In the first set, Chen Xingtong/Qian Tianyi from Shandong Luneng defeated Kuai Man/Tan Yuxuan from Shenzhen University 3-1. However, Wang Manyu, who had a 2-0 lead, lost 2-3 to Sun Yingsha from Shenzhen University. In the third set, Chen Xingtong won again against Kuai Man with a score of 3-1. In the fourth set, Sun Yingsha defeated Qian Tianyi 3-2. The decisive fifth set was also a full five games, with Wang Manyu ultimately winning 3-2 against Tan Yuxuan to end the battle.
Prior to this, Shandong Luneng had won the women's team championship eight times, and this is now their ninth coronation. Moreover, these two teams have met in the final round to compete for the gold medal in the last six competitions, truly living up to their status as top teams in the Super League.
After the women's team final, the organizers first arranged for four world champions—Wang Manyu, Chen Xingtong, Sun Yingsha, and Kuai Man—to take the stage and present awards to the young players who achieved excellent results in the selection competition for the 2024 National Youth Training Team. Afterwards, the children took photos with their idols—a future that may see new Olympic and world champions emerge, something everyone can look forward to!
The Super League award ceremony then officially began, with the bronze medalists from Shanghai Longteng taking the stage first to receive their prizes and medals from Wang Liqin, Vice President of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, and others. This was followed by the runners-up from Shenzhen University and the champions from Shandong Luneng appearing on stage.
Although Shenzhen University's players were disappointed with their loss in the final, they remained calm, occasionally smiling as they accepted the result. As for the victorious athletes from Shandong Luneng, they naturally celebrated on the court with cups and flags, taking photos with former world champions such as Zheng Minzhi, Cao Yanhua, and Wang Liqin.
As previously mentioned, not only did Shandong Luneng win the women's team championship, but Chen Xingtong and Qian Tianyi also received the MVP titles in women's singles and doubles, respectively. Congratulations to them, and we also look forward to all the participating athletes having equally outstanding performances next year!