On May 3rd, the Chinese men’s table tennis team suffered a stunning 3-1 defeat to South Korea in the second round of the World Team Championships group stage. This marks the first loss for China in the men’s team event at the World Championships since 2000, while South Korea achieved their first victory over China in a team competition in 36 years.
Lin Shidong got off to a strong start, winning the first match 3-0 against Kim Jang-won with scores of 12-10, 11-5, and 11-2. However, the Chinese team then lost three consecutive matches.
Liang Jingkun fell 1-3 to Oh Joon-sung in the second match. After winning the first game 11-6, Liang dropped the next three 4-11, 9-11, and 9-11. Zhou Qihao then lost 1-3 to An Jae-hyun in the third match, with game scores of 9-11, 9-11, 11-8, and 18-20. In the fourth match, Lin Shidong returned to the table but lost 1-3 to Oh Joon-sung, with scores of 9-11, 11-5, 10-12, and 9-11.
The Chinese team chose not to field world number one Wang Chuqin in this match, aiming to give other players experience. Despite this, all three Chinese players who competed—Lin Shidong (world No. 6), Zhou Qihao (world No. 20), and Liang Jingkun (world No. 21)—were ranked higher than their Korean opponents. The highest-ranked Korean player, An Jae-hyun, sits at world No. 22.
Nineteen-year-old Oh Joon-sung emerged as the hero for South Korea, winning two matches against Liang Jingkun and Lin Shidong. His performance highlighted a growing issue: China’s men’s team appears to have a generation gap, with only Wang Chuqin among the post-2000-born players capable of consistently performing at the highest level. Lin Shidong, who once rose to world No. 1, has struggled in 2026, losing multiple matches to foreign opponents.
While this was only a group stage match, it serves as a warning. Japan, Sweden, Germany, and France all present stronger challenges than South Korea in this championship. The Chinese team faces enormous difficulty in defending their title.
In the 2024 men’s team World Championships, China achieved an 11th consecutive title and 23rd overall, with Wang Chuqin, Fan Zhendong, and Ma Long sweeping France 3-0 in the final. However, Ma Long has since retired, and Fan Zhendong has not returned to the national team. The team now relies heavily on Wang Chuqin, with hopes that Lin Shidong, Liang Jingkun, and Zhou Qihao can quickly improve their form to share the burden.