Lin Shidong: Japan’s Team Depth Is the Strongest in the World Today

China’s men’s table tennis team secured a place in the men’s team final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after defeating Chinese Taipei 3-0 in the semifinals on September 23.

China will face host Japan in the final on September 24, setting up one of the most anticipated clashes of the tournament. After the semifinal, Chinese playerLin Shidonggave a high assessment of Japan’s current squad, saying that the team’s overall depth is, in his view, the strongest in the world today.

Lin Shidong: We Need to Take It Point by Point

Looking ahead to the final, Lin Shidong said that Japan would have the advantage of playing on home soil and that China needed to approach the match with humility and focus.

“We hope to lower our posture tomorrow and play freely against them,” Lin said. “Japan is a very strong team. In terms of overall depth, I feel they are the strongest team today.”

Lin specifically mentionedSora Matsushima, Tomokazu Harimoto and Shunsuke Togami, saying all three possess considerable strength. He also emphasized the importance of taking the match one point at a time and building momentum through the contest.

Japan’s Three Key Players

Japan’s men’s team entered the Asian Games with a five-player roster that includes Matsushima, Harimoto, Togami, Yukiya Uda and Hiroto Shinozuka.

Among them, Matsushima, Harimoto and Togami have been particularly prominent in the team event. Japan defeated South Korea 3-0 in the other semifinal on September 23, with Matsushima defeating Jang Woo-jin 3-1, Harimoto beating An Jaehyun 3-0 and Togami completing the victory with a 3-2 win over Oh Jun-sung.

The results underline the depth that Lin referred to: Japan can field several players capable of handling high-pressure matches rather than relying exclusively on a single star.

A Home Final Against China

The final will be played on September 24, with Japan competing in front of its home crowd.

Japan’s current squad has also shown its competitiveness in major international team events. At the 2026 World Team Table Tennis Championships in London in May, China defeated Japan 3-0 in the men’s final to win the Swaythling Cup for a 12th consecutive time.

However, the Asian Games final presents a different setting. Japan has home-court support, while both teams have advanced through a demanding team-event schedule.

For China, the match will also provide an important test for its younger generation. Lin Shidong has been one of the key players in the team, alongside Wang Chuqin and other members of the Chinese squad.

One Point at a Time

Rather than focusing on past results, Lin Shidong stressed the need to concentrate on the match itself.

His message was simple: respect the opponent, stay focused and fight for every point.

With Japan featuring Matsushima, Harimoto and Togami, and China bringing its own group of elite players into the final, the men's team gold medal match promises to be a closely watched encounter at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

The final on September 24 will determine whether China continues its long-standing dominance in the Asian Games men's team event or whether Japan can claim the title on home soil.