The Fifth "Amity Cup" International Table Tennis Philanthropic Tournament convened in Nanjing City, drawing 141 teams and 866 participants from 32 countries, fostering international relations.
According to the Amity Foundation, the event, held from October 19 to 20, was co-organized by China’s faith-based Amity Foundation and Word4Asia Consulting International from the U.S., along with other organizations. This year's tournament set a new record for the number of participants in the "Amity Cup."
This is the first international philanthropic Ping Pong tournament, with approximately 160 foreign participants from the United States, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and Kenya. Among them, 74 foreign table tennis enthusiasts who have lived and studied in Jiangsu for a long period participated the event.
The tournament's theme, "People to People Connectivity, Table Tennis Together for Love," reflects its mission, which is to use the funds raised to provide table tennis equipment to schools in underdeveloped areas and to invite world table tennis champions to offer professional guidance to the children within the school.
The opening ceremony was attended by distinguished guests from the political and sports sectors, including Mr. Xu Yinsheng, honorary president of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), and Mr. Li Jun, vice president of the China NGO Network for International Exchanges. International guests included Dr. Gene Wood, president of Word4Asia Consulting International, and Mr. Robert (Rick) Wesley, Jr., chair of the Board of Trustees of the Outreach Foundation in the U.S. The guests emphasized that table tennis is not only a competitive sport but also a bridge for fostering cultural understanding and international friendship.
The competition is organized into four categories: the international group, the Chinese youth group, the middle-aged group, and the senior group. It kicked off with a round-robin match, followed by knockout matches in the second round. Foreign teams that participated include the Outreach Foundation, the AmCham Shanghai Globetrotters, and the American Ping Pong Friends. The "Friendly Match" allowed table tennis enthusiasts from various countries to engage in a relaxed and enjoyable setting, fostering cross-cultural exchanges.
An exhibition area outside the competition venue featured displays on three main themes: "History of Sino-U.S. Ping-Pong Diplomacy," "Works of the Amity Philanthropy and Calligraphy and Painting Institute," and "Amity Charity Projects," showcasing the integration of sports, art, traditional culture, and charity.
Since its first launch in 2018, the four previous "Amity Cup" Table Tennis Philanthropy Tournaments have drawn nearly 3,000 Ping Pong enthusiasts from across China, raising close to 5 million yuan in donations, which has supported various public welfare and charity projects, including poverty alleviation, student assistance, elderly care, and support for the disabled.
- Translated by Poppy Chan
第五届“爱德杯”国际乒乓球公益赛在南京举行，吸引了32个国家的141支队伍、866名选手，推动国际关系。
据爱德基金会，10月19日至20日，此次赛事由中国的faith-based爱德、美国亚洲通国际咨询中心等多家机构联合主办，创下历届“爱德杯”参赛人数新高。
此次比赛为首届国际乒乓球公益赛，来自美国、日本、马来西亚、泰国、肯尼亚等国家的约160名外国友人参与比赛。其中，久居江苏生活、学习的74名外国乒乓球爱好者踊跃参加。
主题为“丝路心相通，为爱益起乒”，筹集的款项旨在为欠发达地区的学校提供乒乓球器材，并邀请乒乓球世界冠军走进校园，为孩子们带来专业的指导。
国际乒联终身名誉主席徐寅生、中国民间组织国际交流促进会副会长李军等政界与体育界嘉宾，以及美国亚洲通国际咨询中心总裁金吾德，美国外展基金会董事会主席Robert Wesley等国际友人出席开幕式。嘉宾们认为，乒乓球不仅是一项竞技运动，更是促进文化理解、推动国际友谊的桥梁。
赛事分为国际组、中国青年组、中年组和老年组，第一轮均为循环赛，第二轮则为淘汰赛。外国球队包括美国外展基金会、上海美商会环球旅行者队、美国球友队等。其中设立的“友谊赛”让不同国家的乒乓球爱好者在轻松愉快的氛围中切磋技艺，促进了跨文化的交流。
比赛外场的展览区设置了“中美乒乓外交史”“爱德公益书画院作品”“爱德公益项目”为三大主题的系列展览，展示出体育、艺术、传统文化与公益事业的结合。
作为此次比赛唯一的外国主办机构，美国亚洲通国际咨询机构致力于增进美民间对华了解，为促进中美民间友好做了许多有益工作。机构总裁Gene Wood在比赛开幕式上回顾了中美乒乓外交的历史，在庄则栋开启的乒乓外交和尼克松总统1972年访华的基础上迈出一小步，促进民间外交和国际交流。
金吾德博士是美国福音派基督徒。
自2018年首次举办，过往四届“爱德杯”乒乓球公益赛共有来自全国各地近3000名乒乓球爱好者参赛，共募集善款近500万元人民币，用于助力脱贫、济困、助学、助老、助残等公益慈善项目。
首次“爱德杯”国际乒乓球公益赛：32国齐聚南京，共促公益与友谊
The Fifth "Amity Cup" International Table Tennis Philanthropic Tournament convened in Nanjing City, drawing 141 teams and 866 participants from 32 countries, fostering international relations.
According to the Amity Foundation, the event, held from October 19 to 20, was co-organized by China’s faith-based Amity Foundation and Word4Asia Consulting International from the U.S., along with other organizations. This year's tournament set a new record for the number of participants in the "Amity Cup."
This is the first international philanthropic Ping Pong tournament, with approximately 160 foreign participants from the United States, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and Kenya. Among them, 74 foreign table tennis enthusiasts who have lived and studied in Jiangsu for a long period participated the event.
The tournament's theme, "People to People Connectivity, Table Tennis Together for Love," reflects its mission, which is to use the funds raised to provide table tennis equipment to schools in underdeveloped areas and to invite world table tennis champions to offer professional guidance to the children within the school.
The opening ceremony was attended by distinguished guests from the political and sports sectors, including Mr. Xu Yinsheng, honorary president of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), and Mr. Li Jun, vice president of the China NGO Network for International Exchanges. International guests included Dr. Gene Wood, president of Word4Asia Consulting International, and Mr. Robert (Rick) Wesley, Jr., chair of the Board of Trustees of the Outreach Foundation in the U.S. The guests emphasized that table tennis is not only a competitive sport but also a bridge for fostering cultural understanding and international friendship.
The competition is organized into four categories: the international group, the Chinese youth group, the middle-aged group, and the senior group. It kicked off with a round-robin match, followed by knockout matches in the second round. Foreign teams that participated include the Outreach Foundation, the AmCham Shanghai Globetrotters, and the American Ping Pong Friends. The "Friendly Match" allowed table tennis enthusiasts from various countries to engage in a relaxed and enjoyable setting, fostering cross-cultural exchanges.
An exhibition area outside the competition venue featured displays on three main themes: "History of Sino-U.S. Ping-Pong Diplomacy," "Works of the Amity Philanthropy and Calligraphy and Painting Institute," and "Amity Charity Projects," showcasing the integration of sports, art, traditional culture, and charity.
Since its first launch in 2018, the four previous "Amity Cup" Table Tennis Philanthropy Tournaments have drawn nearly 3,000 Ping Pong enthusiasts from across China, raising close to 5 million yuan in donations, which has supported various public welfare and charity projects, including poverty alleviation, student assistance, elderly care, and support for the disabled.
- Translated by Poppy Chan
First International ‘Amity Cup’ Ping Pong Tournament Unites 32 Countries for Charity, Global Friendship
