2021.11.27

The grand final of the 13th "Guangzhou Mayor Cup" Times China Table Tennis Games reached an exciting conclusion at Yati Building of Tianhe Sports Center on November 27, 2021.

▲ Group photo of the leaders at a ceremony marking the launch of the "Guangzhou Mayor Cup" Championship

The launch ceremony was attended by Mr. Chen Jianhua, the former mayor of Guangzhou, chairman of the Guangzhou Municipal People's Congress, honorary vice chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, honorary chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Table Tennis Association and chairman of the Sports Development Committee of the Guangzhou Municipal Table Tennis Association; Mr. Zhu Zhenzhong, the former chairman of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), deputy secretary of the Guangzhou Municipal Party Committee, secretary of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee for Disciplinary Inspection and honorary chairman of the Sports Development Committee of the Guangzhou Municipal Table Tennis Association; Mr. Su Zhijia, the former chairman of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, deputy secretary of the Guangzhou Municipal Party Committee, secretary of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee for Disciplinary Inspection and honorary chairman of the Sports Development Committee of the Guangzhou Municipal Table Tennis Association; Mr. Le Guangyi, a municipal-level researcher of the Guangzhou Municipal Sports Bureau; Mr. Zhou Siyang, co-president of Times China Holdings Limited; Ms. Li Lingling, secretary of the Party Committee of Times China and director of the Guangdong Times Property Charity Foundation, and other officials and executives.

▲ Speech by Mr. Chen Jianhua, the former mayor of Guangzhou, chairman of the
Guangzhou Municipal People's Congress, honorary vice chairman of the Chinese
Table Tennis Association, honorary chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Table
Tennis Association and chairman of the Sports Development Committee of the
Guangzhou Municipal Table Tennis Association

Mr. Chen Jianhua, the former mayor of Guangzhou, chairman of the Guangzhou Municipal People's Congress, honorary vice chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, honorary chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Table Tennis Association and chairman of the Guangzhou Municipal Table Tennis Association, in his speech at the championship's launch ceremony, emphasized the fact that table tennis is the national and provincial sport as well as the city's flagship sport. Thus, at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Party proposed a plan for the next century, pointing out that the steady promotion of a "healthy China" is essential as the means to enhance physical fitness throughout the nation and ensure the strength of the population. The "Guangzhou Mayor Cup" games were held in response to the call of the CPC Central Committee to contribute to the fight against the pandemic and the building of a "healthy Guangzhou". Finally, Mr. Chen Jianhua expressed his wish that all teams and players would perform to the best of their ability.

▲ Speech by Mr. Zhou Siyang, co-president of Times China Holdings Limited

Times China has always been committed to helping more people live the lifestyle they are longing for. Accordingly, based on the core values of "love, commitment and creation" it has taken on the responsibility of promoting the development of social sports and culture to enrich community life through various public activities.

Co-president of Times China Holdings Limited Zhou Siyang commented that Times China remained the title sponsor of the "Guangzhou Mayor Cup" this year, aiming to take the promotion of the national sport as an opportunity to advance the cause of "national fitness" and make contribution to realizing the vision of a "healthy China" by leveraging the national fitness platform of the "Guangzhou Mayor Cup".

▲ Mr. Chen Jianhua presented the Acknowledgement Trophy to Times China.

▲ Municipal leaders and Ms. Li Lingling presented excellent organization awards to each district.

The "Guangzhou Mayor Cup" Table Tennis Games: People's Harmony Tournament was first launched in 2009. During the past 13 years, the tournament has been well received by fans of table tennis, with a total of more than 100,000 participants. As a mass-sports brand event of the largest scale and highest level, it was joined by the greatest number of athletes, with its influence reaching the widest population in Guangzhou. The tournament was created in order to popularize the sport of table tennis on a larger scale and to foster a healthy atmosphere of fitness for the entire population.

As the means to disseminate the concept of national fitness and encourage the public to participate in sports and exercise, the tournament was divided into nine categories by age with the addition of children up to age eight, thus diversifying the participatory structure and encouraging good sports habits early in life. Additionally, four online platforms such as PP Sports and Huya Live were added to the championship, making a total of eight platforms for live streaming of the final round so that fans who were unable to be at the tournament could watch online.

▲ Group photo taken at the launch ceremony to jointly announce the start of the championship event

Times China initiated multiple mass sports events such as the Foshan 50km Hike, Qingyuan Marathon, Zhaoqing Marathon and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Table Tennis Tournament so as to advocate an active, healthy, positive lifestyle and promote national fitness and sports. This year, Times China again renewed its contract with the Loong Lions Basketball Club. At the 14th National Games, the Guangdong team -- which was title-sponsored by Times China Holdings -- won three gold medals and a bronze, thereby demonstrating the best performance of the Guangdong table-tennis team among all editions of the National Games.

Times China will energetically fulfill its social responsibilities as an enterprise while promoting the causes of public sports and culture in an effort to create the desired life together with the public well into the future.