In Ireland, the Chinese immigrant population is large, and the cultural life of Chinese immigrants is extremely rich! On April 17, 2016, the inaugural Irish "Ambassador's Cup" Table Tennis Tournament was successfully held in Dublin. The event was co-initiated by the Embassy of China in Ireland and the Embassy of Mexico in Ireland, and hosted by the Confucius Institute at University College Dublin. Ambassadors to Ireland from over a dozen countries, including Spain, Portugal, Austria, Egypt, Poland, and Lithuania, as well as local Irish friends, participated in the competition. After nearly four hours of intense competition, the Chinese Ambassador to Ireland, Xu Jianguo, won the championship. Geraldine Brennan and David Brennan, a couple from the Dublin City Business Association, took second and third place respectively, while the Austrian Ambassador, Thomas Nader, took fourth place.
The participating ambassadors from various countries are all enthusiasts of table tennis, and everyone was eager to compete, showing no signs of backing down. The matches were tense and fierce, with close scores and constant highlights. In contrast to the intensity of the competition, the atmosphere on-site was very harmonious and friendly, with everyone chatting happily, demonstrating the charm of "ping-pong diplomacy."
The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Ireland, the Ambassador of the Vatican, Charles Brown, delivered the opening remarks and welcomed all the participants. Professor Andrew Deeks, President of University College Dublin, presented awards to the winners at the closing ceremony.