Filomenno Fortes (L), president of the Angolan Table Tennis Association, presents awards to Liu Guigen, vice general manager of China's CITIC Construction company at a ceremony held in Luanda, capital of Angola, Oct. 30, 2013. CITIC Construction company signed an agreement with the Angolan Table Tennis Association here to sponsor the development of the sport in the African country Wednesday. (Xinhua/Wang Bingfei)

China's CITIC Construction company has signed an agreement with the Angolan Table Tennis Association to sponsor the development of the sport in the African country.

The document was signed by Liu Gengen, vice general manager of CITIC, and Filomenno Fortes, president of the Angolan Table Tennis Association, at a ceremony held Tuesday at Kilamba Kiaxi, southern Luanda which was also attended by Angolan Youth and Sports Minister Goncalves Muandumba and Chinese ambassador Gao Kexiang.

Muandumba thanked CITIC for its efforts to support sports development in Angola, and described table tennis promotion as a great challenge given the weak foundation in the country.

"China is a power house in table tennis, and with the help of China, great table tennis would emerge in Angola," the Angola minister said.

At the ceremony, the minister also played table tennis with He Zixuan, head coach of the female Angolan national team and a former player of China's Hebei province.

Liu Gengui said CITIC would support eight Angolan players, aged between 6-10 to attend a one-year training program in China, and the company would also sponsor the first Angolan national open match of table tennis by the end of 2013.