With the approach of the 2025 Asian Table Tennis Championships, the eagerly anticipated list of invited athletes has finally been revealed. The national table tennis team (Guoping) has a total of 12 athletes on the list, including Olympic champions Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, who have not been seen in competition for some time. According to the event schedule, this grand table tennis event will be held passionately in Shenzhen next February, but at this moment, the national table tennis coaching staff is facing an unprecedented selection dilemma.
The list has been announced, and the luxurious lineup of the national table tennis team is impressive. On the women's side, three powerful players, Wang Yidi, Sun Yingsha, and Wang Manyu, join forces with Chen Meng, Chen Xintong, and Qian Tianyi to form the six golden flowers. The men's team is also star-studded, with Lin Shidong, Wang Chuqin, Liang Jingkun, Fan Zhendong, Ma Long, and Lin Gaoyuan ready to compete. However, this is only the invitation list, and the actual participation list still needs to be confirmed by each association before February 17th. This means that the names on the list are not set in stone, and there is still room for adjustment by each association.
Looking back at the previous Asian Cup, the selection controversy once put the national table tennis team in an awkward position. According to the rules, each association can only send two individuals or pairs to participate in each event. On the women's side, the 2019 Asian Cup women's singles champion Zhu Yuling and world No. 1 Sun Yingsha should have been the top choices, but in the end, the national table tennis team chose Wang Yidi and Chen Xintong. Wang Yidi lived up to expectations, defeating Ito Mima in the final to successfully win the championship. However, this decision still makes some fans of Sun Yingsha feel uneasy, believing that she suffered unfair treatment and lost the opportunity to prove herself.
On the men's side, the performance in the last Asian Cup was even more disappointing. Wang Chuqin and Lin Gaoyuan represented the national table tennis team, but they did not go further. Lin Gaoyuan was eliminated in the first round by Iranian ace Alamiyan, while Wang Chuqin also lost to South Korean player Lin Zhongxun in the quarter-finals. As a result, Chinese men's singles missed the semi-finals, creating the worst record in history.
Now, the Asian Cup is coming again. How can the national table tennis team avoid repeating past mistakes? For the headmaster Liu Guoliang, this is undoubtedly a thorny problem. On the one hand, he openly stated that he wants to focus on training young players in the new Olympic cycle. In this invitation list, only Lin Shidong from the men's team can be considered a newcomer, while the women's team has a new face, Qian Tianyi. If the national table tennis team chooses to send newcomers to participate, then among the veterans Liang Jingkun, Lin Gaoyuan, Ma Long, Chen Meng, Fan Zhendong, etc., someone must give way. Such a decision will undoubtedly trigger public opinion controversy, and whoever sacrifices will become the focus of discussion among fans.
On the other hand, since the Olympics last year, Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng have not returned to the team to compete. Although Fan Zhendong still participates in the Super League, his state remains fierce, Chen Meng has not even appeared in the Super League. And the veteran Ma Long has clearly stated that he will no longer participate in international events. Whether these veterans return or not undoubtedly adds more uncertainty to Liu Guoliang's selection work. Fan Zhendong's place in the last Asian Cup was given up, and Chen Meng has yet to win the Asian Cup women's singles championship, leaving regrets. Although Ma Long has faded out of the international arena, the silence of Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng is puzzling. If these two veterans ultimately fail to participate, public dissatisfaction with Liu Guoliang may become even more intense.
It is worth noting that this Asian Cup is held in China, attracting much attention. In the context of cracking down on fan culture, the performance of fans will also be a highlight. Liu Guoliang needs to be more cautious when selecting players to avoid triggering fan drama on-site due to uneven distribution of places. After all, if handled improperly, the national table tennis team may once again become the target of public opinion.
Facing such a complex situation, Liu Guoliang needs to demonstrate outstanding leadership and wisdom. He not only has to consider the strength and state of the players but also take into account the long-term development of the team and the emotional needs of the fans. At this critical period of generational change, how to balance the interests of all parties and ensure that the national table tennis team achieves good results in the Asian Cup is a challenge that Liu Guoliang must face.
For Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, whether they return or not will directly affect the lineup arrangement of the national table tennis team. If the two choose to make a comeback, their experience and strength will undoubtedly add more chances of victory to the national table tennis team. However, if the two continue to be absent, Liu Guoliang will need to select suitable candidates from other players. This is undoubtedly a test of Liu Guoliang's ability to select players.
In addition, Liu Guoliang also needs to consider the mental health and team atmosphere of the players. In the tense competitive atmosphere, the mentality and team cohesion of the players are crucial. He needs to ensure that the players can welcome the game in the best state through effective communication and motivational methods. At the same time, he also needs to handle the relationships between the players to avoid internal conflicts affecting the overall performance of the team.