China Training Camp provides valuable high-performance experience for Australian athletes

Table Tennis Australia’s China High-Performance Training Camp has concluded in Beijing, providing a group of Australian athletes and coaches with an incredible and invaluable week of training, development and cultural experiences in one of the world’s leading table tennis environments. 

Proudly supported by the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations (NFACR), the camp ran from 23–30 September and brought together Min Hyung Jee, Yangzi Liu, Connie Psihogios, Jiamuwa Wu, Hwan Bae, Dillon Chambers, Finn Luu and Aditya Sareen, alongside coaches Ricardo Oliveira and Simon Gerada, Camp Manager Aaron Zhang and Physiotherapist Brandon Ngo. 

The camp provided the athletes with the opportunity to experience the intensity and standards of the Chinese table tennis environment, with daily high-performance training forming the centrepiece of the week. 

Training in China also played an important role in strengthening team culture, with the athletes spending significant time together both on and off the table throughout the week. 

Head Coach Ricardo Oliveira said: “Training at the Chinese National Training Centre alongside some of the world’s best has been an incredible experience for our athletes and coaches. We’ve challenged ourselves, learned a lot and strengthened our team, and we’re excited to build on this experience and keep pushing our performance to the next level.” 

Furthermore, the camp led directly into the 2026 China Smash tournament. Throughout the tournament, we saw exceptionally strong performances from our Australian athletes in one of the biggest tournaments on the table tennis calendar. 

The training camp was also designed to provide a broader cultural experience, with the delegation visiting some of Beijing’s most significant landmarks, including the Forbidden City during a dedicated cultural day. 

The experience concluded with a special visit to Daoxiang Lake School in Beijing, as part of an activation organised by the Australian Embassy Beijing to commemorate the 55th anniversary of Australia-China Ping-Pong Diplomacy. 

The delegation heard remarks from representatives of the school, the Australian Embassy and TTA before taking part in a table tennis session with students and touring the school. 

The visit was attended by Australian Embassy Cultural Counsellor Angelique Burguez, Public Diplomacy Manager Summer Bian and Justin Graf, alongside Daoxiang Lake School Principal Liu. 

National Team member, Connie Psihogios, hailed the impact of the camp, stating: “The experience we had in China was great. The camp was extremely well prepared, where we had a lot of fun, but also learned a lot.” 

Furthermore, Aditya Sareen added: “We had a great training camp in China, where I was able to prepare all of my strengths, but also my weaknesses. The camp meant that I went into the China Smash totally prepared to be on the top of my game.” 

TTA sincerely thanks the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations for its support of the camp. Without their incredible generosity, this trip would not have been possible. 

We would also like to thank the Chinese Table Tennis Training Centre, Australian Embassy Beijing and Daoxiang Lake School for helping provide an experience that extended beyond the table.