On January 2, Xinhua News Agency published a lengthy article interpreting the withdrawal of Fan Zhendong, Chen Meng, and Ma Long from the world rankings, concluding that it is "basically equivalent to retirement!" This interpretation starkly contrasts with Liu Guoliang's previous statement during a CCTV interview, causing an uproar among netizens.
Previously, when asked by CCTV's Li Wujun, "What we are most concerned about is whether Fan Zhendong and the other two can still participate in international competitions," Liu Guoliang replied, "Of course, I believe that based on their achievements, they can participate in any world-class competition with a wild card."
However, Xinhua News Agency offers a different perspective, stating that after Fan Zhendong, Chen Meng, and Ma Long withdrew from the world rankings, it is essentially equivalent to announcing their retirement from the international arena. The reason given is that even if they decide to return to the international stage in the future and can obtain a wild card as Liu Guoliang suggested, they would still have to start from the qualifying rounds.
It is well-known that for top athletes, there are almost no precedents for participating with a wild card. This primarily concerns the dignity of top athletes, and secondly, attempting to win a championship with a wild card would multiply the difficulties and obstacles.
Public opinion overwhelmingly supports Fan Zhendong, with the general consensus being: Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng did not withdraw out of personal choice. Fan Zhendong is only 27 years old this year, his career has just entered its prime, he stood alone in the Paris Olympics, known as the "Great Wall of China" by foreign media, yet he has now disappeared from the international stage, which is heart-wrenching!
Netizens also strongly support Fan Zhendong: "We cannot let our heroes down; athletes should not be sacrificed in power struggles. We should give Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng another chance to return to the international stage. They are athletes nurtured by the nation, not beasts of burden for commercial organizations."
"WTT has exclusivity; non-participation results in penalty points and fines, with the fine amount increasing with higher world rankings. Moreover, it has exclusivity. The world ranking is directly linked to the ranking points for world championships and the Olympics."
"I hope we can protect Fan Zhendong, who has brought glory to the country. His words, 'I can do it,' made many people cry. His firm military will allowed him to achieve this; there's a reason why everyone likes him. Don't hurt the people's hearts!"
"Zhendong has become so thin that it's trending on the hot search list. It must have taken more than ten days of mental and physical exhaustion to reach this state. Little Fat has turned into Little Thin, it's heartbreaking. In the future, please take good care of your health."
"The core issue isn't whether he's thin or not; what matters is why, at the peak of his career, he was forced to retire by the overseas shell company interest group WTT. The impenetrable Great Wall of China that foreign associations could never breach was torn down by greedy insiders! Will table tennis still be considered the national sport?"
"Fan Zhendong was forced to retire; WTT even tried to buy trending topics to suppress the heat. Such ruthless suppression of Fan Zhendong, a retired military athlete who fought for the country for over a decade without slack, is strongly rejected by taxpayers! Please give Fan Zhendong and all athletes justice!"
I truly feel sorry for Fan Zhendong. Having just won the Olympic men's singles gold medal for the country at the age of 27, in the prime of his career, he may now have to say goodbye to world competitions. As interpreted by Xinhua News Agency, the so-called wild card participation is, in reality, not feasible.