Dang QIU: "I always work to be the best version of myself"

O-KOKU December 2026 Issue　GLOBAL ACES "Why do they keep fighting?"　▶Dang QIU

Dang QIU　GERMANY

Dang QIU [Germany]

Text by　Noboru Konno

Photo by　Manabu Nakagawa

Dang QIU
Born in Germany on October 29, 1996. Won bronze in the men’s team event at the 2022 World Championships, and at the European Championships he won the mixed doubles title in 2020, the men’s team title in 2021, and the men’s singles title in 2022. His father is top coach Jianxin Qiu. Plays for Borussia Düsseldorf. Ranked No. 11 in the world (as of October 14).

Even when the Olympics are the goal, the first priority is to keep putting in high-quality training

　Dang QIU, ranked 10th in the world, is one of the top players. His father is former China national team player Jianxin Qiu, who also coached in Frickenhausen. Born into a table tennis family, he grew up naturally immersed in the world of table tennis from an early age.

　With a clever backhand penhold technique and a powerful forehand topspin, he plays an attacking style that even fellow penholder and young Olympic medalist Felix Lebrun of France has yet to reach: the “top of Europe” (winning the European Championships singles title), which he achieved in 2022.

　It has been two years since his first Olympic appearance in Paris.

　"In these past two years, I’ve learned so much and every day I’ve gained new insights from different perspectives. Of course, the Olympics are the highest point of my career and unquestionably the biggest highlight. But there are many other very important tournaments, and I’ve had many chances to test myself under pressure and deepen my self-understanding. It’s been a period of making many small adjustments, both technically and mentally.

　Thankfully, there are still two years left for me to keep growing. But that’s the same for every other player. That’s why I have to focus on myself, not on those around me, and keep working so I can always be the best version of myself" (Dang QIU).

　Soon after this article is published, he will turn 30. Even so, Dang QIU never hesitates to keep working to grow.

　"I think there are some differences between Asian players and European players. Asian players are incredibly strong from a very young age. For example, Sora MATSUSHIMA is still young, but he’s already competing at the top level in the world.

　For us European players, it feels like we only really begin our professional careers at around 18, after graduating from high school, while they are already at the forefront of the world at that age. There’s clearly a difference in approach. Still, even in Europe, there are great young players like Felix and Alexis [the Lebrun brothers], and Truls MOREGARD (Sweden), who have risen rapidly.

　Back in the day, Timo Boll and Dima [Dimitrij. OVTCHAROV] were also showing great play at a young age. But table tennis is also a sport in which you can continue your career for a long time"

Carrying the pride of a penholder, he says, "I always work to be the best version of myself"

　Last season, Timo Boll, who had long led the German national team, brought his playing career to a close. Dang QIU has also played for the same club team, Borussia Düsseldorf, and must have been influenced by him in many ways.

　"Timo still comes to the club or the training center from time to time, so I see him occasionally. I’ve learned so much from Timo. We played on the same club team for four or five years, and we were together on the national team for a long time as well. Not only watching him play, but also everything I learned from the way he prepared for matches has definitely become a valuable asset for me. As for my personal hero, it was Wang Hao from China, another penholder. Even so, as a German, Timo is always someone we look up to, and he is truly a legend."

Does he get advice from his father, Jianxin Qiu, on technique or tactics?

　"I’m always in touch with my father on a daily basis. He watches all of my matches, so we’re always exchanging views about my play."

For Dang QIU, the Olympics two years from now will surely be a major goal.

　"Of course, there’s no doubt that the Olympics are a long-term goal. But for me, what matters most is continuing to improve myself in every aspect at all times. I want to use my time wisely and keep growing through high-quality training. Whatever the field, that’s my daily routine and my 'daily goal.'"

Though Dang QIU was born and raised in Germany, unlike in Japan where children are immersed in table tennis from an early age, he too was not someone who stood out immediately in his junior years in Europe. He was forged through the Bundesliga, and it was at age 26 that he reached the summit of the European Championships.

Dang QIU, who continues to remain among the world’s elite, keeps shining on the world stage as an attacking penholder alongside F. Lebrun.