Table tennis, never short of popularity in China, is riding a new wave of success and attracting the younger generation thanks to a hip new initiative, Table Tennis X (TTX), introduced by the sport's governing body the International table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

TTX, launched on the eve of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, is a cooler, youthful and fun version of table tennis. It is designed in a way that the sport can be played literally anywhere. It features a bigger and heavier balls and simplified rackets with less spin, making it suitable for playing outdoors.

Matched with a sleek marketing campaign, TTX has really taken off with young people, and no better place to have been seen was at the 2017 Asian Table Tennis Championships held in Wuxi from April 9 to 16.

Fans tried their hands at TTX at the Wuxi Sports Center Gym during the 2017 Asian Table Tennis Championships held in Wuxi from April 9 to 16. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

For many years, fast-paced professional matches have been a favorite for a mid-30s audience, but in Wuxi, the crowd demographics have changed dramatically.

Throngs of young spectators raised the rafters cheering for their Chinese idols on scale a scale rarely seen at past tournaments.

Chinese ping pong ace Zhang Jike proved himself to be a particular favorite, with the crowd erupting at the slightest sign of movement from their hero.