The 2023 Guangzhou Youth Table Tennis Championships is currently being held in Guangzhou. 50 athletes and nine trainers from the Haizhu district of the city have joined in the fray.

A young Haizhu player takes a swing at the 2023 Guangzhou Youth Table Tennis Championships. [Photo/Ynagcheng Evening News]

Wu Guannan, the district's head coach, said that Haizhu selected its athletes for the competition using two methods. The first involved nurturing players who were being trained by the district's special table tennis team. The second included selecting victorious participants at school competitions.

Coach Wu Guannan (R2) instructs table tennis players. [Photo/Ynagcheng Evening News]

In their daily training, the coaching team in Haizhu was divided into three groups, training athletes at the Haizhu District Sports Center, various schools and in residential areas. The selection of the athletes was through community selections, recommendations from club coaches and observations at district-level competitions.

In the Haizhu team, amateurs are in the majority. What's more, the coaches used a scientific training plan to allow the players to combine their studies and training. Moving forwards, plans are for the coaches to make greater efforts to train more top table tennis players.