Olympic champions Wang Chuqin, Sun Yingsha, and Wang Manyu are among five big names to have made themselves unavailable for the Asian Team Championships in a bid to manage a demanding late-season schedule, China table tennis officials said.Along with the three Olympians, Chen Xintong and He Zhuojia opted out of the qualification process, while Zhou Qihao will not take part in the selection for men’s singles, men’s doubles, or mixed doubles.The China Table Tennis Association (CTTA) published its criteria for being picked for the tournament in Uzbekistan, which is scheduled to take place in Tashkent from October 19 to 25.Qin Zhijian, the China coach, said the decision to rest some of the players came because the national team faced “a heavy competition schedule”, with the Asian Games and the Mixed Team World Cup among the tournaments taking place between now and the end of the year.“After thorough communication with the players, considering subsequent major international tournament arrangements in 2026 and individual needs, the coaching staff agreed that five players, Wang Chuqin, Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu, Chen Xintong and He Zhuojia, voluntarily gave up this selection qualification,” Qin added.Olympians Wang Chuqin (left) and Sun Yingsha are among those managing their schedule. Photo: XinhuaThe CTTA said places for Tashkent would be allocated based on ITTF world rankings as of August 17, internal trials and coaching recommendations, with long-term preparation aimed at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.