Sports industry can be turned upside down by the whimsical decisions of a single individual. Take a look at the "amazing moves" of Gou Zhongwen, the former director of the General Administration of Sport, which are truly astonishing.
From suppressing meritorious coaches to absurd policies, he has made a series of ridiculous decisions that have caused chaos in China's sports world, and ultimately stumbled himself. To begin with, one of Gou Zhongwen's first major actions was to drive away Cai Zhenhua, the "godfather" of the sports world.
Cai Zhenhua is a legendary figure in Chinese table tennis, having produced countless world champions. However, upon taking office, Gou Zhongwen began various moves to sideline and suppress Cai Zhenhua, gradually stripping him of his power until he had no choice but to leave.
This "rather destroy a forest than let another tree grow taller" approach fully exposes his ambition for absolute power. The "June 23 strike incident" in 2017 further escalated matters.
Liu Guoliang, as the head coach of the national table tennis team, led the team to win numerous gold medals, with his achievements clearly visible. Yet Gou Zhongwen insisted on abolishing the position of head coach, making Liu Guoliang a vice-chairman ranked 22nd, effectively turning him into a mere decoration.
This angered the athletes, with national players such as Ma Long and Xu Xin staging a collective strike in protest. Eventually, under public pressure, Gou Zhongwen had to back down, but his unreasonable and arbitrary style had already aroused widespread resentment across society.
In the football circle, Gou Zhongwen's "amazing moves" were even more frequent. He introduced a rule where U23 players' goals count as 1.5 points, which is unheard of.
Such an approach that goes against the laws of football not only changes the nature of the game but also seriously affects fairness. Even more absurdly, he sought to create an "Evergrande National Team," spending large sums of money without any results, instead providing opportunities for corruption.
These decisions, detached from reality and based on assumptions, pushed Chinese football deeper into the mire. He also implemented a "one-size-fits-all" physical fitness testing standard, completely disregarding the characteristics of different sports.
As a result, swimming champion Fu Yuanhui nearly lost her eligibility to compete because she did not meet this inexplicable standard. This mechanical and rigid management approach not only undermines the enthusiasm of athletes but also seriously hampers the development of the sports industry.
Conclusion: After seeing Gou Zhongwen's series of "amazing moves," don't you also feel a chill? A manager who does not respect rules, does not listen to the grassroots, and only relies on personal will to give orders will ultimately lead a good cause into a ditch. Isn't this lesson worth deep reflection for all sports managers?