The 2021 Minton Cup Shanghai Lawyers' Table Tennis Team Tournament

On 15 and 16 May 2021 the 2021 Minton Cup Shanghai Lawyers' Table Tennis Team Tournament was successfully held at the Xianglian Table Tennis Hall in Shanghai. It was organised by the Shanghai Bar Association and sponsored and hosted by Shanghai Minton Law Firm. Twenty-four law firm teams took part and more than 100 lawyers entered. As sponsor and host, the firm organised the event strictly in accordance with the requirements of the Shanghai Bar Association and made thorough arrangements, in staffing, in supplies and in securing the venue, so that the tournament ran smoothly.

The teams enter the hall in turn

Representatives of the players and of the officiating team take the oath

The Minton team was led by director Shen Mo and coached by Zhu Liliang, who also played, and was made up of five lawyers: Zhu Liliang, Luo Deqing, Su Jie, Zhang Danzhong and Han Haihua. In the first-stage group matches Minton faced Beijing Jingshi (Shanghai) and the Shanghai Xiong Zhaogang team, and under the rules only the winner of each group went through to the last eight. Every group match therefore mattered. Zhu Liliang played first and won comfortably, lifting the team's spirits; Su Jie and Luo Deqing then took on strong opponents and, though the position was against them, won through on sheer determination. The Minton cheer squad's unison rang through the hall, giving the team strength and creating a fine atmosphere for the tournament. In the end, coached by Mr Zhu, Minton won its group unbeaten and reached the quarter-finals. The second stage was knockout: in the match for a place in the last four Minton met the Shanghai Zhengce law firm team and, with the score at 1-1, Luo Deqing played the third match and, having fallen behind, kept his head and fought back to win, so that Minton took the tie 2-1 and went through to the semi-finals. In the semi-final Minton lost the third match by just two points and so missed the final, but the whole team's refusal to be overawed and its determined play won the respect of their opponents and of everyone watching, and the Minton cheer squad's support rang out across the hall once more. People were moved by the closeness of the Minton family, and supporters of several other teams joined the Minton cheer squad to urge the team on, so that the hall was warm and cheerful. In the end Shanghai Rongli Tianwen, Beijing Yingke (Shanghai), Beijing Deheheng (Shanghai) and Shanghai Minton took the first four places.

Moments from the tournament

Photograph of the first four teams at the prize-giving. Zhu Liting, director of the Culture, Sports and Welfare Committee of the Shanghai Bar Association, Zhu Liliang, its deputy director, and Shen Mo, director of the sponsor and host Shanghai Minton Law Firm, attended the prize-giving and presented trophies to the last eight.

Through this tournament the team spirit of the firm was further demonstrated, and the fine spirit of Shanghai's lawyers was on show. The tournament closed to warm applause, and everyone agreed to meet again.

Photograph of the teams

Photograph of the sponsor and host with representatives of the officiating team