Fan Zhendong enjoys ‘fitting, warm welcome’ in home debut for Borussia Dusseldorf

Chinese star plays key role in his new team’s win over TSV Bad Konigshofen in the Table Tennis Bundesliga in front of a packed arena

Borussia Dusseldorf manager Andreas Preuss said his team’s 3-1 win over TSV Bad Konigshofen in the Table Tennis Bundesliga was a “fitting, warm welcome” for Fan Zhendong as the table tennis star made his debut on Saturday.

In his second season in Germany, but the first with new team Borussia Dusseldorf, the presence of Fan for the team’s first home fixture of the season attracted 3,800 spectators at the Mitsubishi Electric Hall.

The club are playing some of their games at the bigger arena in Dusseldorf as their usual home court ARAG Centre Court can host only 1,100 spectators.

Despite Kanak Jha losing his match against Filip Zeljko, Chinese table tennis star Fan secured two points with a pair of identical 3-1 wins over Andre Bertelsmeier and Zeljko, which were enough to help the home team claim their second league win in as many matches.

“I am thrilled. They were very exciting matches played at a high level,” Preuss said. “It was a fitting, warm welcome for Fan Zhendong, and he thanked everyone in his own way by scoring two points for the team today.