In China's sports circle, there are many figures who have made remarkable contributions to the country's sports career and achieved high rankings. However, few people may know that there are also athletes with very high military ranks in the sports circle. These athletes not only excel in sports achievements but also possess impressive military ranks, making them rare and extraordinary in the history of Chinese sports. Their identities are equally complex.
Below, we will introduce six athletes who are not only prominent in the sports circle but also carry high military ranks that are quite astonishing. Who are they?
Liu Guoliang, known as "the fat guy who doesn't understand the ball," is undoubtedly one of the most successful figures in the sports world. As the most famous table tennis coach now, he has trained many outstanding athletes for our country, making table tennis a deeply rooted sport in the hearts of the people.
In 1991, Liu Guoliang joined the national team and won many gold medals on behalf of China. He was the first athlete in China to use the straight bat horizontal striking technique and the first male table tennis player in China to win the "Grand Slam" by combining Olympic, World Championship, and other titles.
After retiring in 2002, he stayed in the national team to coach, using his extensive experience to train younger athletes. The athletes he trained, such as Ma Long and Xu Xin, have proven his extraordinary skills in table tennis.
During the Rio Olympics, a Taiwanese commentator boldly commented online, posting on social media, "Who is the fat guy sitting behind the Chinese table tennis team? It seems like he doesn't understand the game," along with a picture of Liu Guoliang. From then on, Liu Guoliang earned the nickname "the fat guy who doesn't understand the ball." However, this compatriot may not know that he not only achieved great honors in table tennis but was also awarded the rank of Senior Colonel in 2011.
Liu Guoliang has gained his current status with his strength, becoming a legend in China's sports circle. Among the older generation of athletes, there is another with a very high military rank and a legendary story.
Wang Tao is one of the athletes with deeper qualifications than Liu Guoliang. He started playing table tennis at the age of three, accumulating rich practical experience. He is familiar with any routine on the court, and his ball skills are quite seasoned and sharp.
In 1988, at the age of 20, Wang Tao was selected into the national team and partnered with another famous player, Lv Lin, to win the men's doubles gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics. The following year, he won two gold medals in men's doubles and mixed doubles at the 42nd World Table Tennis Championships.
Wang Tao is used to using his left hand to exert force when playing, with a unique style and very good at counterattacking with spin balls in adversity, making opponents suffer.
When he was young, it was said that he could eat several large buns per meal, earning him the nickname "Baozi" from Deng Yaping. This nickname quickly spread, making people feel very close.
He retired in the same year as Liu Guoliang and was given the rank of Major General in the same year of retirement. Currently, he is the only general among Chinese athletes and serves as the head coach of the Bayi Table Tennis Team.
Another highlight in China's ball sports is basketball, and there are also sports legends like Wang Tao and Liu Guoliang in the basketball world.
Mu Tiezhu, whose name should be familiar to everyone, is a well-known basketball player in China. After joining the Chinese basketball team in 1977, he followed the team to Malaysia to participate in the 9th Asian Men's Basketball Championship and successfully won the championship.
His extraordinary basketball talent shone brightly in the Chinese team, leading the Bayi team to participate in international basketball competitions many times and frequently achieving excellent results.
In 1987, Mu Tiezhu announced his retirement at the age of 38. After retiring, he had a short stint as a coach and officially retired from the Bayi Physical Work Brigade in 2000, enjoying the treatment of deputy division level, with the military rank of Senior Colonel.
However, not long after retiring, he died of heart disease. At the funeral, Yao Ming comforted his family, saying that Mu Tiezhu was China's Chamberlain.
He won great achievements for our country, but was finally taken away mercilessly by illness, which is regrettable. In China's women's volleyball players, there is also a female athlete worth regretting.
Known as the "One-Armed General," she fought with her left arm bandaged after injuring it during a match. Her tenacious character impressed everyone, earning her the title of "One-Armed General." This athlete is the former women's volleyball player Chen Zhao-di.
In 1970, at the age of 15, Chen Zhao-di joined the newly formed Zhejiang women's volleyball team and began to play volleyball. Her spirit of not fearing hardship or tiredness allowed her performance to soar rapidly. After three years of training, she joined the army and became part of the Bayi women's volleyball team.
Later, she was selected by the national team for her outstanding achievements. At that time, she was only in her early twenties, but her tenacious will accompanied her throughout her career, helping her win one honor after another.
However, her body could not keep up with her will during training, leading to health problems, and she had to retire in 1983. But she was unwilling to leave volleyball like this, so she took on the role of team leader in the national team, allowing the Chinese women's volleyball team to stand on the podium six times at intercontinental and world championships.
In 2006, the Central Military Commission officially approved Chen Zhao-di's promotion to the rank of Major General. However, in just a few years, Chen Zhao-di developed cancer due to overwork and died at the age of 58.
Chen Zhao-di's courageous and combative character still influences the women's volleyball team today, and in the history of China's sports arena, there are no shortage of heroines like Chen Zhao-di.
Zheng Haixia, a former basketball player in our country, is undoubtedly one of the most famous players in the history of Chinese women's basketball. Standing at 2.04 meters tall, she was always the absolute core of the Chinese women's basketball team during her career.
Zheng Haixia always exudes a kingly aura on the court, with absolute control over the game, and her superb defensive abilities keep her invincible. Therefore, foreign media gave her the nickname "Great Wall of China."
Her strength absolutely lives up to this title, as she could score an average of 17.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in each Olympic game and was the first Asian to enter the American WNBA.
Unfortunately, in the 1998 WNBA season, Zheng Haixia announced her retirement due to injury, leaving countless fans with regrets.
After retiring, Zheng Haixia has been coaching the Bayi women's basketball team, serving as a coach for 21 years until her retirement in 2019.
While serving as the leader of Bayi, Zheng Haixia was awarded the rank of Senior Colonel, gaining this meaningful honor for her outstanding performance on the court and contributions to the country.
These athletes are all elites of our country, laying a magnificent foundation for our sports career. It is precisely because of their contributions that our sports career has reached its current height.
These athletes fought for our country in the Olympics, showcasing the "Chinese style" on the court. They are the pride of the Chinese people and role models that many successors strive to surpass.
We hope that in the future, more athletes like them will emerge in our country, achieving higher rankings on the court and showing the world the vibrant and upward style of Chinese sports.