24 Players, 6 Teams, 0 Scores: The China–EU Table Tennis Event Where Numbers Aren't on the Scoreboard

I have sat before data tables for 36 years, and I can say that the strangest number I have ever encountered is not in any final match. It is in Brussels, at the Royal Alpa Table Tennis Club, where 24 players were divided into 6 mixed teams – 12 Chinese, 12 European – and not a single score was recorded. No points. No winners. No losers. Only table tennis and handshakes. For the majority, this was just a small diplomatic gathering between the Mission of China to the European Union and European table tennis enthusiasts. But I see something different. Because the crowd looks at the score, while I look at the forgotten pass. And in Brussels, that forgotten pass is the presence of two Olympic and World champions – Yan Sen and Zhang Yining – as representatives of CTTC Europe, an organization quietly laying foundations on the old continent. The China–EU Table Tennis Friendship Event took place in Brussels, hosted by the Mission of China to the EU at the Royal Alpa Table Tennis Club. Ambassador Cai Run attended and delivered opening remarks. The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) sent Vice President Didier Leroy and Secretary General Pierre Kass. This is not a match under the WTT or ITTF system. No ranking points. No prize money. No performance pressure. But precisely because of this, I must read more carefully the numbers this event reveals. Look at the structure: 24 players, split evenly 12–12. Six mixed teams, four players each. Chinese and European players were placed on the same teams, playing side by side in a relaxed atmosphere. The 12–12 balance is not accidental. It is a precise diplomatic calculation: neither side has a numerical advantage, neither side is placed in a minority position. In table tennis, we are used to reading scores. But here, the only score worth reading is the distribution ratio of players – and it has been calibrated to the individual. I remember my early days following international table tennis. Back then, China's presence in Europe was mainly through friendly matches, short training visits, or coaches sent to assist local federations. That was the era of what is colloquially called the 'wolf-raising' program – bringing Chinese expertise to the world, accepting the creation of stronger opponents to force one's own progress. But the Brussels event is not like what I have seen before. It is not just an exchange. It is a signal of structural change in how China approaches European table tennis. CTTC Europe – the European branch of the China Table Tennis College – is not an organization founded this week. But the fact that Yan Sen and Zhang Yining, two Olympic and world champions, appeared as representatives of this organization at a diplomatic event, shows that CTTC Europe is entering a phase of public presence. They did not come to compete. They came to be seen. And in sports diplomacy, being seen in the right place, at the right time, by the right people – that is a strategy. The numbers know how to hold their breath, and I wait for them to exhale. When I look at the guest list, I see a clear structure: Ambassador Cai Run represents the political dimension, Didier Leroy and Pierre Kass represent the European sports governance dimension, Yan Sen and Zhang Yining represent the technical and symbolic dimension. These three layers of presence are not accidental. They are arranged to deliver a message: Chinese table tennis is not coming to Europe just to compete, but to cooperate at the institutional level. This brings me to a question I think few people ask: why would ETTU, an organization governing European table tennis with 58 member federations, send senior leadership to such a small exchange event? The answer lies in the changing European perspective on China. Over the past two decades, Europe has learned a great deal from Chinese table tennis. They learned technique, tactics, and youth development methods. But they also realized that if they only learn without cooperating at the institutional level, they will forever remain in a trailing position. The presence of Leroy and Kass in Brussels is a signal: Europe is ready to engage with China at the organizational level, not just at the competition level. I remember once watching a replay of the 2026 World Cup final, when Zhang Yining had already retired but still appeared in the technical area as a guest. At that moment I asked myself: after such a great champion retires, what will she do with her legacy? The answer, 13 years later, is: she becomes an institutional ambassador. Zhang Yining no longer needs to hold a racket to create influence. Her presence in Brussels, as a CTTC Europe representative, carries greater media and symbolic value than any victory on the table. The same applies to Yan Sen. The 2026 World Champion, who once stirred the international table tennis scene with his sharp left-side attack, now stands in a completely different position. He is no longer measured by the number of titles, but by his ability to connect two table tennis cultures. And that is what the majority misses when looking at the Brussels event: they see two aging legends, but I see two sports diplomats at work. Old footage is a mirror; only those who dare to look will see themselves. When I review footage of China–Europe table tennis exchanges from the 1990s, I see a clear difference. Back then, exchanges were mainly competitive: the Chinese team came to Europe for tournaments, or the European team went to China for training. The relationship operated on the rhythm of the competition calendar. Now, the relationship operates on the rhythm of institutions. CTTC Europe is not just a name on paper. It is a structure designed for long-term existence, with personnel, partnerships, and development strategies. Look at the numbers once more: 24 players, 6 teams, 12–12. If this were merely a casual gathering, they could have organized it much more simply. But dividing into mixed teams, with Chinese and European players required to play together, is a deliberate design. It forces interaction. It forces both sides to talk, to coordinate, to find common ground on a table tennis table. In table tennis, this is equivalent to forcing two strangers to play doubles – they will learn to understand each other quickly, or they will fall apart. In Brussels, no one fell apart. And that is a positive data point. I used to fear the microphone; now I let the data speak for me. When I worked as a data consultant for TP.HCM Club, I learned that numbers never lie – but they also never speak for themselves. They need someone to read them. And in Brussels, the numbers are telling a story that not everyone can hear. The story of a China that no longer only wants to win on the table, but wants to shape how table tennis is governed, developed, and commercialized in Europe. That is a shift from a 'wolf-raising' strategy to a 'forest-planting' strategy. Each number is a piece of a puzzle, but I do not assemble by habit. When I piece together the fragments – 24 players, 6 mixed teams, 2 legends, 3 ETTU leaders, 1 ambassador – I see a much larger picture than a casual gathering. I see a long-term strategy. And I wonder: do the participants of this event realize they are part of a larger process? Perhaps not. But that does not diminish the value of the process. Now, let me talk about what I consider most important. The Brussels event is not a match. It has no results to analyze in the conventional way. But as a data analyst, I can say that events like this often yield more information than a World Cup final. Because in a match, numbers are influenced by tactics, pressure, and physical condition. But in an event like this, the numbers reflect the intentions of the organizers – and those intentions are usually very clear if you are willing to look. Look at the venue selection. The Royal Alpa Table Tennis Club is not a major sports center. It is a club – a community-oriented, intimate space. This choice is not accidental. It communicates that the event was designed to create closeness, not grandeur. In diplomacy, choosing a smaller space is often a message: we are here to build relationships, not to show off. And when you combine an intimate space with the presence of high-level figures – an ambassador, a federation vice president, Olympic legends – you have a very effective diplomatic formula. There is one detail I want to emphasize. Didier Leroy, ETTU Vice President, stated that this event helps 'strengthen friendship, dialogue and mutual understanding between China and Europe.' It sounds like a standard diplomatic statement. But when a senior leader of a European sports federation takes time to attend and speak at a small exchange event, it means their organization values this relationship. And when ETTU values its relationship with China at the institutional level, it will impact how ETTU member federations view cooperation with Chinese organizations. I want to offer a comparison. In table tennis, there is a concept called 'positioning' – how you stand, how you move, how you control the space in front of you. A good player not only hits the ball well but also occupies space well. The Brussels event, in my view, is a space-occupying move. It does not create points, but it creates presence. It does not change the rankings, but it changes the map of relationships. And in the long run, the map of relationships matters more than the ranking table. Now, let me address what I consider the blind spot of the majority. When looking at this event, most people will see a purely friendly gathering. But I see an institutional strategy being deployed. And I want to be clear: these two things are not contradictory. A friendly event can simultaneously be a strategic move. The friendship is real, but so is the strategy. What matters is that we do not let the warmth of friendship blur the sharpness of strategy. When I look at CTTC Europe, I do not just see an educational organization. I see a tool. A tool for China to maintain influence in the global table tennis ecosystem, not only through competitive results but through shaping how table tennis is taught, learned, and developed in other countries. This is a far more sophisticated step than sending coaches abroad. This is building an educational institution right in Europe, with a Chinese brand, Chinese standards, and Chinese certification. And here is what I want those working in European table tennis – and also those in Vietnamese table tennis – to consider. When you cooperate with an organization like CTTC Europe, you are not just learning technique. You are entering an ecosystem with structure, direction, and strategy. You will receive value, but you will also become part of a larger network. Is that good or bad? It depends on how you see it. But the important thing is that you are aware of it. I remember telling a young coach once: never underestimate an event without a score. Because those events are often where important decisions are prepared. Matches are where results are determined. But events without scores are where relationships are built – and those relationships will determine the results of future matches. My data café is busiest when the arena is empty. That is the phrase I often use to describe how I work. When there are no matches, when there are no scores to analyze, that is when I find the most valuable information. And the Brussels event is a perfect example. No matches. No scores. But plenty of information. Let me end with an observation about the future. In the next 12 to 24 months, I will be watching whether CTTC Europe announces training programs, coaching clinics, or development initiatives in Europe. If it does, the Brussels event will be seen as the opening move of a larger strategy. If not, it will remain a memorable gathering. The data will answer. And I will wait for the numbers to exhale.