Competitors battle it out fiercely at a national-level table tennis tournament that kicked off in Haimen, Nantong, in eastern Jiangsu province, on May 11. The match, featuring the use of bats covered with thin sandpaper, attracted the participation of 227 athletes from provinces and regions including Jiangsu province, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macau. [Photo/wechat account of Dongzhou Chengshi]

Deng Xiaoyan, a 57-year-old Nantong resident, is interviewed at the venue, on May 11. Deng, who starting playing from the age of six, was picked for the Jiangsu province table tennis team in 1976. She currently ranks top of her group. [Photo/wechat account of Dongzhou Chengshi]