The Chinese Table Tennis Training Base in Tongzhou district, Nantong, Jiangsu province, received a heartfelt thank-you letter from the Chinese Table Tennis Association on Aug 12.

The letter expressed gratitude for the vital support provided by the training base, attributing the Chinese table tennis team's remarkable achievement of winning five gold medals at the 33rd Summer Olympics to their assistance.

Established in May 2008 with a joint investment of 110 million yuan ($15.47 million) from the General Administration of Sport of China's table tennis and badminton sports management center and the Tongzhou government, the Tongzhou training base serves as a comprehensive facility combining training, research, education, and international exchanges. Over the years, it has hosted training sessions for China's national youth teams.

Currently, the base is hosting the 2024 National Youth Training Camp and the second women's training session for the National Youth Team, said Zhu Zhaoxia, director of the base. According to Zhu, renowned players such as Chen Meng, Sun Yingsha, and Fan Zhendong have all trained at this facility.

In addition to providing training to the national team, the Tongzhou training base aims to enhance the competitive level of table tennis and nurture future talent. In July, the base organized the inaugural "Yangtze River Delta Cup" youth table tennis competition, bringing together 308 young athletes from five provinces to compete and showcase their skills.

A thank-you letter from the Chinese Table Tennis Association to the Chinese Table Tennis Tongzhou Training Base. [Photo/Nantong Daily]