On January 17, 2025, the doubles events of the WTT regular tournament in Muscat concluded with the Japanese team securing championships in both men's and women's doubles, while the Spanish team won the mixed doubles title. The Chinese national table tennis team only managed to secure a silver medal with Huang Youzheng and Shi Xunyao, with no other pairs advancing to the finals. In the men's doubles final, the Japanese pair of Tomokazu Harimoto and Koki Niwa faced off against the Chinese Taipei duo of Yushan Zhang and Jingkai Hong. In the previous station, Harimoto and Niwa lost to Peng Xiang and Yingbin Xu, settling for the silver medal in this event. However, their back-to-back qualification for the finals demonstrated their consistent on-court performance. As for the young players Yushan Zhang and Jingkai Hong, who have not been in the adult group for long, they felt unfamiliar with the competition. The new cycle has seen Harimoto and Niwa as a key combination, with little chance of being replaced unless under special circumstances. So far, their results have been quite good, with two consecutive final appearances indicating their success. Although Yushan Zhang and Jingkai Hong previously defeated Huang Youzheng and Chen Yuanyu, showing that they possess some strength, overall, they are definitely not as strong as Harimoto and Niwa. This is not just due to experience but also because they lack advantages in various aspects. After the start of the match, in the first game, Harimoto and Niwa led 8-4 before suddenly losing momentum, allowing Yushan Zhang and Jingkai Hong to…

Table tennis enthusiasts are well aware that after the Paris Olympics, the Chinese table tennis team experienced a generational gap. At that time, the youngest male player was Wang Chuqin, who was 25 years old, and there was a void following him; the youngest female player was Sun Yingsha, also 25 years old, with a barren landscape behind her. This situation is actually quite rare in the history of the national table tennis team. Liu Guoliang won the Olympic men's singles title at the age of 20; Kong Linghui at 25, Zhang Jike at 24; Deng Yaping won her first Olympic women's singles title at 19; Wang Nan at 22, Zhang Yining at 23, and Li Xiaoxia at 24. The current mainstays of the national table tennis team, Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, also took on the mantle of the national table tennis team at around 20 years old. So, among the young players around 20 years old in the national table tennis team now, who can stand out? In fact, the national table tennis coaches have been searching hard. From the second half of last year to January this year, the Chinese table tennis team released a large group of young players to participate in international competitions, hoping to find the next generation of leaders from among them. The table tennis kingdom is not just a name, and soon, Lin Shidong, a male table tennis player born in 2005, stood out. He continuously reaped championships on the international stage and quickly became the undisputed leader of the next generation…

Recently, the crackdown on fan culture chaos in the sports world by the General Administration of Sport has become a focal point of attention. Athletes such as Wang Chuqin have actively cooperated in disbanding their fan groups, and against this backdrop, the merits and demerits of Liu Guoliang's role in the development of the national table tennis team have sparked intense discussions and in-depth scrutiny. The national table tennis team's feat of sweeping five gold medals at the Paris Olympics is undoubtedly a significant achievement in the history of Chinese sports. During his tenure as head coach, Liu Guoliang led the team with remarkable coaching skills and tactical arrangements, forging numerous glorious moments and making indelible contributions to the enduring success of China's table tennis. However, after assuming the position of chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, the situation subtly changed. Some argue that the team began experiencing internal attrition during this period, with hidden crises undermining its strength behind the achievements. Taking the "three golden flowers" of the women's team—Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu, and Chen Meng—as examples, we can clearly discern the issues at hand. Sun Yingsha, endowed with exceptional talent and superior skills, should have shone even brighter on the court, but was swept into an excessive hype vortex due to the implementation of a grand marketing plan. The over-marketing packaged her as a champion, burdening her with heavy psychological pressure before she had truly reached that level. In the Olympic women's singles final, after a crushing performance in the first game, she experienced mental breakdowns in…

In the WTT regular challenge event in Mascot, the Chinese table tennis team faced an unprecedented challenge, losing the championships in mixed doubles, men's doubles, and women's doubles. In the men's singles, only Chen Yuanyu managed to advance to the semi-finals. In the mixed doubles final, the national team pair of Huang Youzheng/Shi Xunyao faced off against the Spanish pair of Robles/Xiao Yaoci. Although the Chinese pair showed tenacious fighting spirit in the game, they were ultimately defeated with a score of 1-3, missing out on the championship. Robles/Xiao Yaoci won the mixed doubles championship of the WTT regular challenge event in Mascot with their outstanding performance, while Huang Youzheng/Shi Xunyao took second place. In the men's doubles, the national team pair of Chen Yuanyu/Huang Youzheng faced the Taipei pair of Zhang Youan/Hong Jingkai in the semi-finals. After a fierce four-set battle, the national team pair failed to seize the opportunity at the critical moment and lost with a score of 1-3, missing out on the final. In the women's doubles, the national team pair of Kuai Man/Chen Yi faced the Japanese pair of Daito Sayuki/Yokozuka Sakura in the quarter-finals. Despite their best efforts in the game, the Chinese pair was narrowly defeated with a score of 2-3, failing to progress further. In the men's singles, the national team's performance was also unsatisfactory. In the quarter-finals, Huang Youzheng faced Japanese player Zhang Ben Zhihe. The two engaged in a fierce battle, but Huang Youzheng could not withstand the pressure at the critical moment and lost with a score of 1-3,…

On January 11th, Beijing time, the WTT Star Challenge Doha Station is in full swing. The open event is nearing its end, and the performance of the national table tennis players has been a mixed bag. The men's singles team suffered a complete wipeout, with no one advancing to the top eight list, which is somewhat regrettable. The women's doubles team lost in the final to Japanese opponents, missing out on the championship. As a result, the men's singles and women's doubles teams have lost two titles. In the women's singles quarterfinals, national table tennis player Chen Yi faced her teammate Qian Tianyi. It was expected to be a closely matched game, but surprisingly, young Chen Yi completely dominated Qian Tianyi, not giving her much opportunity. Chen Yi won three consecutive sets with scores of 11:9, 11:9, and 12:10, securing a decisive victory with a total score of 3:0 and successfully advancing to the top four in the women's singles. In another women's singles quarterfinal, Japanese player Miharu Kuwabara faced South Korean player Shin Yubin. In this open event, Japanese mainstays such as Tomokazu Harimoto, Miyuu Kihara, and Hina Hayata were eliminated one after another, but instead, Miharu Kuwabara and Misuzu Nagasaki performed admirably. In the match, Miharu Kuwabara took advantage of her unique playing style and completely suppressed Shin Yubin, winning three sets in a row with a total score of 3:0 to advance to the top four. Next, the women's singles semifinals continued, with national table tennis player Chen Yi facing Japanese player Miharu Kuwabara. Both are World…

The Chinese National Table Tennis Team has announced a significant decision: the main female player, Chen Meng, has resolutely decided to disband her fan group, which is undoubtedly a clear statement against the current popular fan culture. Within the national table tennis family, the emotional connection between players and fans has always been very close. Fans passionately cheer for the players, while the players reciprocate with outstanding achievements. However, when this pure emotion is influenced by the complex fan culture, everything seems to become less simple. Especially concerning the rumors of a romantic relationship between Chen Meng and Wang Chuqin, although it is not uncommon for teammates in the sports world to develop into couples, such as Huang Yaqiong and Liu Yuchen from the national badminton team who openly admitted their relationship and received numerous blessings. However, the national table tennis team's handling of such rumors appears ambiguous, neither denying nor admitting, which undoubtedly provides an opportunity for the spread of fan culture. With the increasing efforts of relevant departments to rectify fan culture, the national table tennis team has also actively responded, striving to create a healthier and purer competitive atmosphere. In this context, Chen Meng made a difficult yet necessary choice - to disband her fan group. For her, these fan groups are not only a bridge for interacting with fans but also an important space for sharing life moments and releasing pressure. Especially that small group of only 8 people, which carries many precious memories. Therefore, when making the decision to disband, Chen Meng's mood was extremely…

Translation of the article content into English: The multifaceted analysis behind the gap between Chinese and foreign athletes Cui Yongxi once expressed his bewilderment, saying, "I'm puzzled as well. The difference in physical fitness between us and foreigners is quite peculiar. At the age of 17, we might still be on par with them, but by the time we reach 20, they seem to suddenly create a huge gap." This phenomenon is like a shroud of mist clouding our minds. Is it because foreigners train harder that this gap exists? I believe not. In sports, the role of talent cannot be underestimated. Take black people as an example; their body structure seems naturally suited for certain sports. For instance, in terms of explosive power, black people have a significant advantage over yellow-skinned individuals, and their overall athletic ability is more outstanding. It's as if they were given a stronger spring mechanism in a sprint race, seizing the lead in that split second of explosive power. Let's take the currently popular sports of basketball and football as examples. On the basketball court or the green fields of football, the advantages of black people are obvious. Their endurance and explosive power act like dual engines, propelling them to continuously create brilliance in competitions. Taking the NBA, the pinnacle stage of basketball, as an example, the players who put up impressive statistics see a large proportion of black figures. It's as if they possess a special attribute that shines under the halo of data. During the teenage years of our players, the gap…

Recently, the well-known media personality He Xiaolong has continuously criticized the national table tennis team, targeting the head of the national table tennis team Liu Guoliang, as well as the two major traffic stars promoted by the national table tennis team, Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin. Today, He Xiaolong unleashed his criticism again, criticizing some of Liu Guoliang's practices and ridiculing the combination of Sha and Tou, believing that by embracing a big leg, they are actually puppets on strings, and Fan Zhendong and Zhang Jike were not selected because they are uncontrollable. He Xiaolong pointed out that the main problem with the table tennis fan circle is not how crazy the fans are, but that the marketing of the national table tennis team is subverting the normal competitive order. He jokingly calls it the "sales champion culture," where the sales champion designated by the leader enjoys unlimited glory, while the true strength players are left in the corner. In He Xiaolong's view, the sales champion should have been Fan Zhendong or Zhang Jike. Fan Zhendong has such a good foundation in results, and it would be more stable for the national table tennis team to promote him, but the problem lies in the fact that Fan Zhendong obviously cannot become Liu Guoliang's puppet on strings. "Because in this plan, the sales champion's performance must be used for my benefit, and the sales champion must listen to me and follow my orders, so I can't promote Fan Zhendong; if he doesn't listen, all my efforts will be in vain." As…

Translation of the article content into English: Wang Hao is an excellent athlete from the national team and currently serves as a coach for the men's table tennis team. He has been both an outstanding coach and a remarkable table tennis player in his own right. Throughout his athletic career, he has won numerous accolades and brought glory to the nation. His wife, Yan Boya, gave birth to two sons after their marriage. Wang Hao takes charge of coaching at the national team, while Yan Boya stays home to take care of her husband and children, with clear divisions of labor resulting in a happy and fulfilling family life! On January 12th, Wang Hao shared a family photo on social media that sparked controversy. In the photo, the older son is dressed in matching attire with Wang Hao, while the younger son and mother wear coordinating outfits. The family extended warm New Year greetings to the entire nation. I feel that the younger son resembles Wang Hao more, with the older son's facial structure looking more like his mother, Yan Boya, and his eyes also similar to his mother. The younger son clearly looks more like Wang Hao, with fair and tender skin, truly adorable. It should be mentioned that neither parent is lacking in looks, but it seems that the beauty of these two children does not surpass that of their parents. Although the children bear a strong resemblance to their parents, they do not appear as good-looking as them! Some netizens commented in the comment section that the…

On January 15th, Chen Meng celebrated her 31st birthday. Having withdrawn from the WTT world rankings, she did not join the national table tennis team for training in Hainan, which marked the first time since she was 15 that she stayed in Qingdao, Shandong to celebrate her birthday. On that day, her hometown welcomed her birthday with great fanfare, and the coastal buildings in Qingdao were filled with birthday greetings. The 31-year-old Chen Meng announced a piece of good news, which is undoubtedly a signal to start a new life. After withdrawing from the WTT world rankings and representing Shandong in the National Games, it is highly likely that she will bid farewell to the competition arena. "Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're going to get." Although Chen Meng's decision came as a surprise, it makes sense, marking another turning point in her life. Although Chen Meng has not retired, she has been actively involved in the youth training of table tennis. The recently held Chen Meng Cup Qingdao Youth Table Tennis Invitational Tournament is significant, named after her. Many well-known table tennis athletes, such as Ma Long, Li Xiaoxia, Ochiirov, Zheng Yijing, Du Kaiqin, and Mihara Miyuu, have sent their blessings, making the competition highly anticipated. It is like a star-studded stage, attracting many young people to participate, giving them the opportunity to showcase themselves on this big platform. This not only allows children to receive more attention but also increases the possibility for them to step onto higher stages. For this Chen…