The 42-year-old Liu, a double gold medalist at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, was later named the 19th vice-president of the CTTA in an adjustment interpreted by the General Administration of Sport of China as a move to decentralize decision-making powers and streamline team management.

Without Liu, the decline of Team China, underlined by a gold-less effort by the men's squad at the 2017 World Cup, stirred hot debate.

Liu's latest appointment was greeted with excitement on Chinese social media, with fans applauding his return in anticipation of leading the nation's table tennis drive with the same diligence and fervor as Yao Ming with the Chinese Basketball Association.

On Thursday afternoon, Liu posted a message on his Weibo account, stating: "To stay with the national team until the battle in Tokyo - 666 days to go."

The CTTA's general election for new leadership is a result of former chairman Cai Zhenhua's departure from the sports sector earlier this month to reportedly join the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.