The Seventh Amity Cup International Table Tennis Philanthropic Tournament opened on October 24 at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium, attracting approximately 770 players representing 130 teams from 13 countries.
According to the Amity Foundation, the two-day event, held on October 24 and 25, was organized by the foundation, a faith-based organization in China, and co-hosted by U.S.-based Word4Asia Consulting International, along with other organizations.
At the opening ceremony, Qiu Zhonghui, chair of the Amity Foundation's board, highlighted the tournament's connection to China-U.S. ping-pong diplomacy 55 years ago.
In 1971, Chinese table tennis player Zhuang Zedong met American player Glenn Cowan, an encounter that became a symbol of friendship and people-to-people exchange between the two countries. In February 1972, U.S. President Richard Nixon visited China, marking a turning point in China-U.S. relations during the Cold War. Two months later, a Chinese table tennis delegation visited the United States on a goodwill tour, further advancing people-to-people exchanges. These exchanges became known as "ping-pong diplomacy."
Gregory Dee Dowey, vice president of Word4Asia and chairman of the tournament committee, also reflected on the history of China-U.S. ping-pong diplomacy. Having visited China more than 20 times, he encouraged participants to carry forward the spirit of friendship through the Amity Cup, learning about one another's cultures and experiencing the power of sports, philanthropy, and peace.
"It is a competition, there will be a winner and a loser. But the ultimate winner is when we embrace the spirit of these friendship matches," Dowey said.
Zhao Long, former deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Jiangsu Provincial People's Congress and an advisor to the Amity Foundation, officially declared the tournament open.
Former world champion Li Ju attended as a public welfare ambassador. Atsuko Sasaki, the wife of the late Zhuang Zedong and former director of the State Physical Culture and Sports Commission, also attended the event for the second time, according to the Amity Foundation.
Joshua Aaron Mak, a young athlete competing with the American Ping Pong Friends team for the first time, described table tennis to Amity as a way to build community. "Table tennis for me is the community. I just love interacting with other table tennis players," he said.
This year, two U.S. teams took part in the two-day tournament, with 11 players in total, including members of a youth team. Lily Yip, a Chinese-born American table tennis player who represented the United States at two Olympic Games and formerly served as head coach of the U.S. national team, led the delegation. Inducted into the U.S. Table Tennis Hall of Fame in the early 2000s, Yip received a lifetime achievement honor in early October. She told China Christian Daily that the tournament offered American amateur players a valuable opportunity to learn from their Chinese counterparts and expressed hope for more people-to-people exchanges in the future.
"There is so much delicious food in China," she added with a laugh.
Dave Wilson, one of the American players, told China Christian Daily that he began playing table tennis at the age of three, standing on a chair alongside his father. After living in Shanxi for 12 years before 2020, he began participating in tournaments in Taiyuan, where he was often the only foreign player. Through the experience, he said, he made friends with local Chinese players. "I love China and I love Chinese food," he added.
Brandon Vernon Lee Gardner, from the American Ping Pong Friends team, returning for the second year, said, "I think table tennis is a great avenue for people to develop relationships with each other across all aspects and from different countries."
The tournament, themed "Heart-to-Heart Friendship: Table Tennis Together for Love," featured four age groups: juvenile, youth, middle-aged, and senior, as well as a special friendship match.
The American team placed fourth in the senior group. Nanjing Olympic Sports Center took first place, followed by teams from Xuzhou and Changshu, both in Jiangsu Province.
All prize money from the tournament will go toward supporting table tennis programs at rural schools and retired players suffering from serious illnesses. Amity Bakery also held a charity sale at the event to support its vocational training program for young adults with learning difficulties. Founded in 2007, the bakery provides long-term training and sheltered employment, helping participants develop baking and service skills.
Alongside the tournament, organizers held a photo exhibition commemorating the 55th anniversary of China-U.S. ping-pong diplomacy and another showcasing public welfare projects supported by previous Amity Cup tournaments.
Since its launch in 2018, the Amity Cup has held six previous tournaments, attracting more than 4,000 table tennis enthusiasts from across China and 35 other countries. The events have raised funds for public welfare and charitable initiatives, including poverty alleviation, student assistance, elderly care, and support for people with disabilities.
