The finals of a public table tennis competition that aims to embrace the upcoming 15th National Games – with the participants all amateurs – kicked off on Aug 8 and runs through to Aug 14.

The action is taking place at the Tianhe Sports Center and Guangzhou Badminton Sports Management Center in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong province.

Amateur table tennis enthusiasts from across the nation will compete over seven days for a total of 10 gold medals, covering both team and individual events.

The Guangdong team fights it out with the Sichuan team. [Photo/WeChat account: tianhefabu]

The National Games represent the highest level of comprehensive sports events in China, and the mass participation category serves as a crucial platform for showcasing the nation's fitness achievements.

Since the 13th National Games in 2017, table tennis has been included as a mass participation event.

The Guangdong men's team faced a tough opening match in the group competition against the defending champions, Sichuan province from Southwest China, but emerged victorious with a 3-2 win.

A team member from Guangdong hits back during a tough match. [Photo/WeChat account: tianhefabu]

Shen Peng, one of the competitors who participated in the mass table tennis event during the National Games in Tianjin in 2017, expressed his honor in representing Guangdong, saying: "The National Games is an excellent platform to gather table tennis enthusiasts from all over the country".

The oldest participant is Zhang Yaozhao from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, who, at 81, is competing on the men's team event.

Guangdong women's team head coach Li Lianyi, also in his eighties, is the oldest coach among the competing teams.