ITTF extends its congratulations to legendary table tennis player Wang Liqin on his appointment as the new President of the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA). The announcement was made today during the second meeting of the 10th CTTA Members’ Representative Congress held in Beijing.
Wang Liqin was elected to succeed Liu Guoliang, who resigned from the position after making significant contributions to Chinese table tennis. The CTTA leadership now includes Olympic Champion Ma Long, and Director of Table Tennis and Badminton Management Center of the State Sports General Administration Gao Yuanyi as Vice Presidents, completing the reshuffle of the association’s leadership team. Qin Zhijian, Gao Yaxiang and Zhang Lei remain Vice President, while He Xiao remains Secretary General.
Wang Liqin, born in Shanghai in 1978, is widely regarded as one of the greatest table tennis players of his generation. His illustrious playing career includes multiple Olympic and World Championship titles. He also held the world number one ranking for 25 consecutive months from 2000 to 2002.
Liu Guoliang, who has served as CTTA President since December 2018, decided to step down to ensure a smooth transition and continuity in preparation for the upcoming Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
His achievements include being the first Chinese male player to achieve a career Grand Slam, winning Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and later leading the Chinese national team to unprecedented success as head coach.
Liu Guoliang will continue his significant involvement in international table tennis administration. He currently serves as the Chair of the World Table Tennis (WTT) Board, a position he has held since October 2022. Additionally, he was elected to the ITTF Executive Committee in 2021 and appointed as ITTF Deputy President in October 2022. He also maintains his role as WTT Council Chair, ensuring his expertise remains valuable to the global development of the sport.
ITTF President Petra Sörling commented, “Wang Liqin’s remarkable achievements and deep understanding of the sport make him an excellent choice to lead one of the world’s most successful table tennis associations. We look forward to a fruitful collaboration.”
She added, “We are thankful for Liu Guoliang’s visionary leadership, which has been instrumental in growing the sport and expanding its global reach.”
The ITTF looks forward to working closely with Wang Liqin and the new CTTA leadership team to further advance table tennis globally while maintaining the strong partnership between the two organisations.