The 2026 Ontario Summer Games concluded successfully last Sunday, marking the end of one of the most memorable table tennis competitions in recent Ontario Summer Games history.
Under the supervision of OTTA Secretary Karen Xiang, Team Ontario was represented by 62 athletes, supported by 14 coaches and team managers, while 12 officials ensured the competition was delivered smoothly and professionally.
According to Dejan Papic, OTTA Manager of Programs and Operations, “The City of Waterloo organized the best Ontario Summer Games table tennis competition we have experienced in the last 20 years.”
This opinion was echoed by participants throughout the Games. Coaches Jen Zhou and Lei Zhang, together with athlete Ali Elleithy, praised the excellent organization, athlete experience, and welcoming atmosphere.
One comment particularly resonated with the OTTA delegation:
“But we should all be in the same uniforms at the Opening Ceremony to present the unity of our sport.”
The point was well taken and will be considered in future Team Ontario planning.
Canada Winter Games Qualification
The Ontario Summer Games also served as an important step on the pathway toward the Canada Winter Games.
Girls U18
Olivia Ziyi Wang (True North TTC) earned the automatic Ontario qualification spot by winning the U18 Girls Singles event.
However, her position may ultimately be affected by Canada Winter Games eligibility rules. Athletes who are members of the Canadian Senior National Team are not eligible to compete at the Games. Although the 12-year-old True North prodigy is not yet officially listed on TTCAN’s Senior National Team roster, her extraordinary performances during the summer make her promotion appear to be only a matter of time. The updated Senior National Team list is expected to reflect her outstanding results at the 2026 Canadian Championships.
Olivia enjoyed one of the most dominant performances ever seen at the Ontario Summer Games, winning every event she entered:
- Gold – U13 Girls Singles
- Gold – U15 Girls Singles
- Gold – U18 Girls Singles
- Gold – U15 Girls Doubles (with sister Sophia Ziqing Wang)
- Gold – U15 Mixed Doubles (with Clark Cui)
Should Olivia become ineligible for the Canada Winter Games, Amber Xihan Lin (Elite TTC), the U18 Girls finalist, would become the first alternate for Team Ontario.
Boys U18
Malcolm Jinqian Xiong (True North TTC) captured the U18 Boys Singles title.
The event demonstrated the remarkable strength of the True North program. Of the six athletes qualifying for the knockout stage, five represented True North TTC.
Malcolm’s toughest challenge came in the quarterfinals against Adrian Florin Girbea (Three 10 TTC). Malcolm prevailed in five games after a dramatic battle in which three of the four games he won were decided by the minimum two-point margin. His only game loss was equally close.
In the final, Malcolm defeated Clark Cui, who had impressed only one day earlier by winning the U15 Boys Singles competition.
Both Ontario Summer Games U18 singles champions—Olivia Ziyi Wang and Malcolm Jinqian Xiong—represent True North TTC.
Other Outstanding Performances
Another athlete who enjoyed an exceptional Games was Daniel Liang (Three 10 TTC), who captured:
- Gold – U13 Boys Singles
- Gold – U15 Boys Singles
- Gold – U15 Boys Doubles (with Denis Yang)
- Gold – U13 Mixed Doubles (with Cindy Zhu)
His four-gold-medal performance was among the highlights of the tournament.
Officials Deliver Outstanding Tournament
The competition was conducted with exceptional professionalism under the leadership of Referee Jeff Wong and Deputy Referee Ken Zhang.
Together with a dedicated team of 12 officials, they ensured the tournament ran efficiently over three demanding days of competition. Their commitment and countless volunteer hours were instrumental in the success of the event.
Medalists
U13B
1 Daniel LIANG
2 Aaron Mingran WANG
3 Alvin SUN
4 Kevin YANG
U15B
1 Daniel LIANG
2 Clark CUI
3 Denis YANG
4 Malcolm Jinqian XIONG
U18B
1 Malcolm Jinqian XIONG
2 Clark CUI
3 Aaron DU
4 Lucas ZHANG
U13G
1 Olivia Ziyi WANG
2 Cindy ZHU
3 Tiffany ZHAN
4 Emily XIN
U15G
1 Olivia Ziyi WANG
2 Sophia BAI
3 Amber Xihan LIN
4 Cindy ZHU
U18G
1 Olivia Ziyi WANG
2 Amber Xihan LIN
3 Wendy LIU
4 Cindy ZHU
U13BD
1 Jayden FU / Rory WONG
2 Eric MA / Alvin SUN
3 Wanwei Evan HUANG / Aaron Mingran WANG
4 Alex DING / Jason Kin Lun LAU
U15BD
1 Daniel LIANG / Denis YANG
2 William LI / Kevin YANG
3 Clark CUI / Owen Jiaye ZHANG
4 Krrish HARI KISHORE / Justin LIN
U18BD
1 Aaron DU / Lucas ZHANG
2 Adrian Florin GIRBEA / Shaopeng Thomas WANG
3 Zachary MAH / Edward XIN
4 Jack QIU / Hongze SHAN
U13GD
1 Coco ZHANG / Sophie ZHANG
2 Sophia GAO / Emily XIN
3 Kexin FAN / Jaclyn SONG
U15GD
1 Olivia Ziyi WANG / Sophia Ziqing WANG
2 Melissa JIA / Amber Xihan LIN
3 Sienna KOH / Tiffany ZHAN
4 Zhixian CHANG / Michele HO
U18GD
1 Wendy LIU / Cindy ZHU
2 Sophia BAI / Stephanie BAI
3 Julia Qiulei LIN / Amy ZHAO
4 Hsiao Yun LIU / Dakshita SETHUPANDIAN
U13XD
1 Daniel LIANG / Cindy ZHU
2 Kevin YANG / Tiffany ZHAN
3 Eric MA / Sophie ZHANG
4 Colin Youtong CHEN / Emily XIN
U15XD
1 Clark CUI / Olivia Ziyi WANG
2 Malcolm Jinqian XIONG / Sophia BAI
3 Owen Jiaye ZHANG / Melissa JIA
4 Aaron Mingran WANG / Zhixian CHANG
U18XD
1 Lucas ZHANG / Wendy LIU
2 Kenny Fengjia ZHANG / Amber Xihan LIN
3 Denis YANG / Amy ZHAO
4 Hongze SHAN / Stephanie BAI
On behalf of the Ontario Table Tennis Association, congratulations to all athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, parents, and the City of Waterloo for delivering an outstanding Ontario Summer Games.
Thank you, Waterloo! We look forward to the next edition.