Rekindling ties on the ping-pong table

"Almost my entire experience in the sport has revolved around finding a way to promote and sustain the legacy of Ping-Pong Diplomacy," said Cioroslan.

"Going forward, we must keep in mind that part of carrying on the legacy of Ping-Pong Diplomacy involves finding new and interesting ways to celebrate the historical figures who contributed to that unique moment in history."

Sha Hailin, president of the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, which organized the opening ceremony, said during the opening ceremony that the promotion of friendly China-US relations requires the efforts of people from all walks of life.

"Sports can improve the wellbeing of and strengthen the friendship between the Chinese and American people. I believe this event will provide yet another boost to the relations between our people, deepen mutual understanding and promote people-to-people exchange," said Sha.

Among the US players featured in Saturday's matches was Jeffrey Lehman, vice-chancellor of New York University Shanghai, the first Sino-US joint university in China.

Together with Liu Sheng, vice-chairman of the Shanghai Foreign Investment Association, and other team members, Lehman picked up the third prize on Saturday.

"It was such a wonderful game. The feeling of friendship in the room is really wonderful," he said.

"When people have the opportunity to have exchanges through sports or other mutual interests that bring us together, we gain understandings of each other and that helps to break down barriers," he added.

Another participant, Li Xinna, a 22-year-old student from the China Table Tennis College, shared that preparations for the event had started five weeks ago when US and China players got together to train once a week.

"It is important for the two players paired together to know one another, both personally as well as in terms of play style," she said.

"I'm stoked to be a part of this event that combines sports and friendship. Because we are paired together, we get to share the same feeling of being nervous or happy throughout the game."

The China-US Ping-Pong Diplomacy 50th Anniversary Exhibition Shanghai was also unveiled on Saturday at the museum.

Organized by the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Shanghai Sports Federation, Shanghai University of Sports and the Shanghai Institute of American Studies, the exhibition showcases over 140 historic photos and over 60 artifacts collected during Ping-Pong Diplomacy events in the past 50 years.

The month-long exhibition is opened to the public from Tuesday to Sunday.