The Japan Table Tennis Association has established a plan to welcome the Chinese national team, as they are unable to return home from their tour due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus, with the final coordinations taking place on Thursday, according to people involved with the matter.
Despite the Chinese team being their greatest rivals when it comes to taking the gold at the Tokyo Olympic Games, as fellow competitors they appear to be lending a helping hand.
Ma Long, 31, 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games men's singles gold medalist, along with other top class players and members of staff are scheduled to come to Japan at the end of March to stay and train at a facility in the Kanto region until the middle of June.
The Japan Table Tennis Association is also planning to ask the Chinese team to open a part of the training session and set up occasions in which they can interact with the locals.
According to those connected with organizations such as the International Table Tennis Federation and the Japan Table Tennis Association, the team left China around the middle of January to compete in a tournament in Germany, where they stayed until the beginning of February.
The Chinese Olympic Committee, anticipating that once the team returned to China, it would be difficult for them to leave again, urged them to stay abroad and continue their training camp in Qatar, the location of their next match.
There are no members suffering from a fever or feeling unwell among them. Approached about the possibility of taking in the Chinese team, the Japan Table Tennis Association readily gave their consent.
An association official said: "Japan and China are rivals as well as friends. In preparations for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, we would like to offer our assistance to the troubled Chinese team."
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
