Doha: More than 115 cinemas in 34 Chinese cities screened the semi-finals of the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals Doha 2025 live, reflecting global attention and the game's popularity in China. Tournament media and communication committee head Thani Al Zaraa told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that this development demonstrates extraordinary public interest in this global event and how this Qatar edition is one of the most successful in terms of organization and public following, noting that the tournament's logo and mascots, Saree and Sareea, were on display in the cinemas in China.
According to Qatar News Agency, Al Zaraa praised the large fan crowds at Lusail Sports Arena for attending matches and energetically cheering on athletes. On today's Chinese victory, Al Zaraa said that Chinese players delivered an outstanding performance in the final against the Japanese team, ultimately clinching the mixed doubles title. He hoped to see a different set of champions on the podiums in Sunday's finals for men's and women's singles and doubles.
Al Zaraa also highlighted the strong performance of Brazilian star Hugo Calderano, ranked third globally, who defeated China's Liang Jingkun, ranked fifth, with a score of 4-3 in a thrilling men's singles semi-final, making it to the final. He emphasized that the tournament's organizing committee continues to receive daily praise from all participating delegations and heads of federations in Doha, as well as from international media, for the exceptional organization and the high technical levels.
Al Zaraa underscored Qatar's Mohamed Abdulwahab's achievement of reaching the 64th round, a historic milestone for Qatari table tennis. He remarked that the Doha edition has seen many accomplishments, both in terms of results and historical performances by Arab players, in addition to several surprises, most notably the early exit of world No. 1 Lin Shidong of China in the men's singles quarter-finals.
Al Zaraa concluded his remarks to QNA by saying that the fact that tickets were all sold out, the large turnout, global TV coverage, and the exceptional organization all have contributed to the tournament's success on every level.