On March 20, 2024, former members of the Australian Table Tennis Team who had previously visited China, including Paul Pinkewich, Vice Chairman of the New South Wales Table Tennis Association, Li Wei, and his children, visited Liaoning University. They held a friendly table tennis match at the Gymnasium of Puhe Campus. Vice President of Liaoning Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Lu Peng, Second-level Inspector Jia Guifen, Director of the Foreign Affairs Management Division of the Liaoning Provincial People's Government Foreign Affairs Office, Guo Lingjun, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Division of the Liaoning Provincial Sports Bureau, Wang Tao, Acting Consul General of the Australian Consulate General in Shenyang, Medina Hajdarevic, and Deputy Consul General Ji-Soo Woo visited and watched the match together.
Deputy secretary of the CPC Committee and President Yu Miaojie of Liaoning University, along with Medina Hajdarevic and Lu Peng delivered speeches at the opening ceremony.
Yu Miaojie, welcomed the guests attending the event. He pointed out that LNU aims to uphold the friendship between China and Australia through hosting this friendly match, to strengthen the grassroots friendship between LNU and Australia, to promote deeper exchanges and cooperation between China and Australia at the local level, and to ensure the longevity of Sino-Australian friendship.
In his speech, Vice President Lu Peng of Liaoning Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries expressed that this Sino-Australian Table Tennis Friendship Match not only showcases the significance and essence of table tennis but also perpetuates the spirit of peace and friendship. Table tennis has become a key to connecting exchanges between China and Australia, promoting personnel exchanges, and fostering friendship between the two countries.
Medina Hajdarevic, Acting Consul General of the Australian Consulate General in Shenyang, remarked that Liaoning University has maintained a friendly relationship with Australia for 25 years. Each photo displayed at the table tennis venue vividly demonstrates the friendly cooperation between China and Australia. Currently, the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is visiting Australia, actively expanding cooperation between the two sides in culture, sports, education, and other fields. The Australian Consulate General in Shenyang is also willing to provide more support for the future development of Liaoning University.
The opening ceremony was presided over by Jia Guifen, Deputy Inspector of the Liaoning Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and Ji-Soo Woo, Deputy Consul General of the Australian Consulate General in Shenyang.
The event consisted of two parts: the Sino-Australian Table Tennis Diplomacy Photo Exhibition and the Sino-Australian Table Tennis Friendship Match. Mr. Paul Pinkewich, a former member of the Australian Table Tennis Team delegation to China, vividly recounted the legendary journey of their visit to China years ago and the significant contribution of table tennis in promoting bilateral relations between China and Australia, incorporating the photos displayed on-site. He also interacted with students in the audience, answering questions they raised.
Subsequently, the Sino-Australian Table Tennis Friendship Match officially commenced. Young athletes from both sides competed in men's singles and mixed doubles matches. Mr. Paul Pinkewich, along with Hou Xiaoxu, a teacher from the Sports Teaching and Research Department of Liaoning University and a former national athlete, delivered an exciting exhibition match. The intense competition between the players drew rounds of applause from the audience, bringing the event to a climax.
