On August 10, a table tennis friendship match celebrating the 45th anniversary of China-Zimbabwe diplomatic relations was held in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding, along with Noah Fernando, Chairman of the Zimbabwe Table Tennis Union, and Director Garikai from the Zimbabwe Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture attended the event and presented awards to the participants. Players from the Zimbabwe Table Tennis Union and the Zimbabwe Chinese Table Tennis Association competed in the match.
In his remarks, Ambassador Zhou noted that the table tennis friendship match formed part of the series of events marking the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Zimbabwe. He expressed delight at seeing a growing number of Zimbabweans embracing table tennis and reaffirmed China's commitment to promoting the sport's development in Zimbabwe. Ambassador Zhou highlighted China's plan to enable more Zimbabwean players to receive high-level training in China, aiming to enhance their competitiveness in international tournaments. He also voiced hope that athletes from both countries would continue to create inspiring stories of China-Zimbabwe friendship and strengthen the bonds between the two peoples.
The Zimbabwean officials acknowledged the dynamic development of table tennis in Zimbabwe in recent years, with remarkable accomplishments in competitions across Southern Africa. They expressed appreciation for China's valuable support and voiced their hope to see sports exchanges and cooperation with China further enhanced. This, they stated, would better embody and consolidate the traditional friendship between the two nations.