The Sixth Amity Cup International Table Tennis Philanthropic Tournament kicked off on November 14 at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the faith-based Amity Foundation. With around 760 players of 129 teams from 23 countries participating, this year's event transformed the venue into a lively "global village" of friendship and charity.
The opening ceremony featured remarks from Gene Wood, president of Word4Asia Consulting International (USA) and chairman of the Tournament Committee, who spoke about his long-standing connection with China. Xu Yinsheng, honorary life president of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and chief advisor to the tournament, officially declared the games open.
Former world champion Li Ju appeared as a public welfare ambassador, according to the Jiangsu International Communication Center. "This platform brings together table tennis enthusiasts from all walks of life, fostering both grassroots exchanges and international friendships," she said. "A tiny ping-pong ball serves as a bridge of friendship, enabling us to join hands in charity and meaningful endeavors."
Atsuko Sasaki, wife of the late Zhuang Zedong and former director of the State Physical Culture and Sports Commission, also attended. "My husband once said: 'What is patriotism? Doing one's own job well is patriotism,'" she noted. "Seeing so many foreign players participating in the Amity Cup, I believe everyone can enhance mutual understanding through their respective endeavors."
Brandon Vernon LeeGardner, 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."
This year, two U.S. teams completed in the two-day event, including a youth team. Word4Asia, one of the sponsoring organizations, also shared plans to expand people-to-people exchanges through sports, including hopes to introduce a basketball competition, bring a top 25 American high school basketball team to China in 2026 for friendly games, workshops, and training sessions.
Themed "People-to-People Connectivity: Table Tennis Together for Love," the tournament features four competition groups—juvenile, youth, middle-aged, and senior—along with a special friendship match.
This year's tournament supports the "Little White Ball, Big Great Dream" project, jointly launched by the Amity Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy. Through donations of tables and equipment to schools in remote western regions and "Champion Classes" led by world table tennis champions, the initiative promotes sports access, motivation, and confidence-building among rural students.
Another beneficiary project is Amity Bakery's vocational training program for young adults with learning difficulties. Founded in 2007, the bakery provides long-term training and sheltered employment for mentally challenged individuals, helping them gain baking and service skills.
Since its first launch in 2018, the five previous "Amity Cup" Table Tennis Philanthropy Tournaments have drawn more than 4,000 Ping Pong enthusiasts from across China, raising over eight million yuan in donations, which have supported various public welfare and charity projects, including poverty alleviation, student assistance, elderly care, and support for the disabled.
