Shanghai to serve up ping-pong carnival from April 12
The 2026 Shanghai Table Tennis Carnival will get underway on April 12 at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium in Xuhui district and continue through August, featuring competitions and public events across the city.
This year also marks a milestone for the sport, celebrating the centenary of the International Table Tennis Federation and 100 years since the first World Table Tennis Championships.
Table tennis has deep roots in Shanghai, which played a key role in introducing the pastime to China in the early 20th century, and it remains one of the city's most popular sports today.
Two main competition categories
This year's carnival features two parallel competition categories: the Mixed Team Championship and the Singles Championship.
(1) Mixed Team Championship
The team competition will unfold in three stages:
- Preliminary Round (April 12 – May 18): each district will organize qualifying matches, with one team advancing to the city stage.
- Round-robin Tournament (May 23 – July 5): the 16 district teams will be split into two groups of eight for home-and-away double round-robin matches.
- Finals (August): the semifinals and final. The top four teams will take part in a training camp from July 11 to 31 at the Chongming sports training base, where renowned table tennis players will provide closed-door training.
Each team match consists of five ties: mixed doubles, men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, and women's doubles. Matches use an 11-point, best-of-three format, with the team contest decided on an eight-wins-in-15-games basis.
(2) Singles Championship
The individual competition is divided into two categories:
- The Social Group includes seven events, ranging from singles tournaments and ranking competitions to fun table tennis activities. It features four age groups for both men and women: 19 – 39, 40 – 49, 50 – 59, and 60 – 70. Additional public activities, such as themed table tennis fairs and serving-machine challenges, will also be held in shopping areas and parks.
- The Campus Group will run from April to July and is open to players aged 7 to 18. It includes 12 age groups for boys and girls, with four competition stops and five zones covering eastern, western, southern, northern, and central Shanghai at each stop.
All events carry ranking points, with points awarded according to placing. The top two players in each category will have the chance to advance to the finals in August.
More than matches
Beyond the tournaments, the carnival will also feature public viewing events, fan activities, and cultural exhibitions across the city.
During the World Team Table Tennis Championships in London from April 28 to May 10, Shanghai will host public viewing events at venues including East Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, with live commentary and interactive activities.
From May to July, a traveling "Ping Pong Caravan" will visit all 16 districts on weekends, offering live match screenings, interactive games, and themed pop-up events.
The city will also stage exhibitions and community activities in shopping malls, campuses, and cinemas, highlighting the history and culture of table tennis.
Registration
Registration opens on April 12 via the Shanghai Table Tennis Association's official WeChat mini program.
Source: Shanghai Administration of Sports