At the closing ceremony of 49th the World Individual Table Tennis Championship held in Croatia, the official flag of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) was handed to Zhang Guangning, the Mayor of Guangzhou city. The transfer of the flag symbolizes that Guangzhou is warming-up for the next World Team Table Tennis Championship, Guangzhou Daily reports.

Zhang (R) is handed the flag from the President of ITTF (C).

Chinese table tennis players took all the gold and silver medals in the 5 events at the last championship. In his conversation with the Chairman of ITTF, Zhang emphasized that the World Table Tennis Championship is a time-honored international sports competition which represents the highest level of table tennis.

In 2005, with the support of the National General Bureau of Sports, Guangzhou city successfully bid to hold the 49th World Team Table Tennis Championship. The event is expected to boost Guangzhou citizen's enthusiasm for table tennis and facilitate the city's sports infrastructure and service quality.

Editor: Yan