JAKARTA, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Table tennis powerhouse China has made sure of its opponents in team group stage at the 18th Asian Games after the drawing ceremony was held here on Saturday.
In women's team event, China is placed in Group A with India, Iran and Qatar. The Chinese men team will face DPR Korea, Malaysia, Nepal and Laos in Group A.
To better prepare for the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020, China has dispatched a young squad to Jakarta, with most players having not participated in the Games before.
Spearheaded by world No. 1 Fan Zhendong, the Chinese men's team also include Lin Gaoyuan, Wang Chuqin, Liang Jingkun and Xue Fei. Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong, China could be their opponents in marching on.
For women's side, China is led by top-ranked Zhu Yuling, also featuring Chen Meng, Wang Manyu, Chen Xingtong and Sun Yingsha. They may face challenges from Japan, South Korea and Chinese Taipei en route to the glory.
Japan, expected to one of China's main rivals at the Tokyo Olympics, also sent a young team to Jakarta, leaving behind big names including Kasumi Ishikawa, Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito.
The Asian Games table tennis event will have its curtain lifted on Sunday, and the team champions will come out after three matchdays.
