Qin Zhijian, Secretary-General of the Chinese Table Tennis Association and the head coach of the men’s team, advised that the current schedule and the effects of the pandemic have been instrumental in reaching the decision.

Following the period of quarantine required after the return from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the players joined their provincial teams to prepare for the 14th National Games; a most prestigious multi-sport event, the competition being held Shaanxi Province from Friday 17th to Sunday 26th September.

Additionally, later in year the World Championships are scheduled for Houston in the United States from Tuesday 23rd to Monday 29th November; also the highly competitive China Super League will be organised before the end of the year.

Speaking to the Xinhua News Agency, Qin Zhijian explained:

“As the table tennis competition of the National Games will be held between September 17 and 26, and the Asian Championships will start on September 28, there is limited intermission between the two tournaments. Taking international flights into consideration, it’s quite difficult for the team to arrive in Qatar on schedule to participate.

There is much risk in international travel during the pandemic, and all participants will have to undergo quarantine after the Asian Championships, which will affect our plan for the upcoming tournaments, especially the World Championships. It will not benefit our young players’ development, and both men’s and women’s coaching groups have made decision to withdraw from the Asian Championships for the overall benefit of the team.”

Li Sun, head coach of the Chinese women’s team, was of the view that the withdrawal would not have a detrimental effect on future tournaments.

“This serves as the qualification for the World Team Championships in Chengdu next year. We are already guaranteed one spot as hosts of the tournament. The first thing for players after finishing their Olympic duties is to adjust their physical shape to gear up for the National Games and the World Championships. Therefore, it’s the best choice for us to withdraw from the Asian Championships.” Li Sun