2026 'Sino Cup' Beijing Tsinghua Alumni Table Tennis Team League Successfully Kicks Off

Beijing, China – August 9, 2026 — The first match of the 2026 “Sino Cup” Beijing Tsinghua Alumni Table Tennis Team League kicked off on the afternoon of August 9 as scheduled and completed its planned fixtures. Hosted by the Tsinghua Alumni Table Tennis Club and held at the THA Table Tennis Lounge in Taiyanggong Garden, Chaoyang District, the league is fully sponsored by Sino-Telecom Communication Technology Co., Ltd. It was founded to promote exchanges among Tsinghua alumni in Beijing, carry forward Tsinghua’s sports tradition, and practice the university’s educational goal of “working healthily for the motherland for fifty years.”

A total of 14 alumni teams registered before the tournament. Under the round-robin format, all participating teams will face each other. The league is scheduled to be held on one weekend afternoon each week, with around eight teams competing per session, and all fixtures are expected to be completed in October. In the first round played on the afternoon of August 9, eight teams took to the courts, with nearly 60 alumni and teachers gathering at the THA Table Tennis Lounge.

Wang Xin, Associate Professor of the Department of Physical Education at Tsinghua University, and Zhou Tianrui, an international-level referee, served as co-chief referees for the league. Liu Guozheng, table tennis world champion and Associate Professor at Tsinghua University, arrived at the venue that afternoon to provide guidance. Xie Hu, Chairman of Sino-Telecom and a Tsinghua alumnus, also made a special trip to the event to support the competition. As the full sponsor, Sino-Telecom provided support in venue, materials, personnel, planning, and publicity, aiming to build an exchange platform for table tennis activities among Tsinghua alumni in Beijing.

The eight teams competing in the first round were Qi Tong Xue Zhong Nian, Anruan Xinchuang, Erxiangbo, Jingguan Weilun, Jingguan Shunde, Deheng, and Beijing Shuimu Tongfang Team 1 and Team 2, completing three rounds of fixtures. Team matches adopt a best-of-five format, with victory going to the side that first wins three matches. Each individual match is best of three games, with each game played to 11 points. To ensure alumni participation, each team may register up to seven players, and four players take the court in each match; at least three players on court must be Tsinghua alumni, meaning each team can field at most one guest player (a current student or non-alumnus).

The competition on the court was also a contest among gentlemen, especially among Tsinghua alumni. As the ancient saying goes, “They ascend with deference and drink after the contest—such is the contest of gentlemen.” In today’s words, a gentlemanly contest means friendship first and competition second.

A gentlemanly contest is a contest of skill and tactics: every ball is handled with care, every coordination is treated seriously, and every attack is delivered with full power. Players do not grow anxious over a temporary win or loss, nor do they lose composure as the score fluctuates. They defend calmly against difficult balls, strike decisively when opportunities arise, fight hard for every point, and accept the outcome of the match with grace.

After more than four hours of competition, the three rounds concluded smoothly and the results of each team were announced.

At the end of the day, world champion Liu Guozheng took a group photo with everyone.

The league originally planned to accept eight teams. However, with so many table tennis enthusiasts among the alumni, registration was exceptionally active, and 14 teams signed up within one week—far exceeding the organizing committee’s expectations. Even after registration closed, more alumni expressed interest in forming teams. To enable more alumni to join this table tennis gathering, the organizing committee is seriously considering expanding the league to 16 teams, with each team allowed up to eight players. A round-robin among 16 teams would total 120 team matches, extending the entire league to about four months. Tsinghua alumni interested in participating are welcome to register with the organizing committee—only the last two team slots remain, on a first-come, first-served basis!

The THA Table Tennis Lounge was built with donations from Tsinghua alumni who love table tennis. With the mission of serving the Tsinghua table tennis school team, the venue hosts boutique small and medium-sized competitions centered on high-level Tsinghua team players, while also providing a dedicated space for alumni table tennis enthusiasts to meet friends and exchange skills through the sport.

Located in the tranquil Taiyanggong Rose Park, the venue covers 420 square meters and features four competition-grade table tennis tables, spectator seating, showers, changing rooms, and AED emergency equipment. With its spacious and well-equipped layout, it serves training, competition, and alumni exchange needs.