China Overseas Chinese Network, June 14. According to the WeChat public account of the Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands, on June 12, the Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands held a "Panda Cup" table tennis invitational tournament in Reinen to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Netherlands.
The competition is divided into professional group, amateur group and youth group. Nearly 50 players from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and other table tennis enthusiasts and students in the Netherlands compete on the same field.
After the competition, the embassy held an award ceremony at the Chinese Panda House in the local Ouweihan Zoo, attended by nearly 100 guests and contestants from the Dutch government, the Table Tennis Association, and all walks of life.
Tan Jian, the ambassador to the Netherlands, Cialino, director of the Netherlands Table Tennis Association, and Delang, general manager of the zoo, delivered speeches respectively, and jointly presented awards to the winners with the Mayor of Reinen, Vanderpass.
Tan Jian said in his speech that the "Panda Cup" was established by the Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands in 2017 to welcome giant pandas to the Netherlands.
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Netherlands, it is of special significance for us to hold the "Panda Cup" table tennis match.
"Panda" is China's national treasure, and "ping pong" is the most popular sport in China. It can be said that they are two symbols of Chinese culture.
"The relationship between countries lies in the blind date of the people."
It is hoped that the "Panda Cup" table tennis tournament will use "small balls to turn big balls" like the "ping-pong diplomacy" between China and the United States, and make positive contributions to enhancing the understanding and friendship between the Chinese and Dutch peoples.
Ciarino, chairman of the Netherlands Table Tennis Association, said that table tennis has a large number of fans in the Netherlands, and the "Panda Cup" provides a good platform for them to compete on the same field, allowing more Dutch fans to experience the charm of China's "national ball".
It is hoped that the "Panda Cup" will become better and better, and help the Netherlands-China relations move forward.
After the game, the contestants and guests also watched giant pandas and tasted Chinese food at the Ouweihan Zoo.