In the sport of table tennis, it is not uncommon to see athletes arguing with referees over a single shot. However, it is rare to see an athlete like Wang Manyu engage in a dispute with the referee for over ten minutes, which has led me to reflect on many aspects of sportsmanship.
During her match against Tan Yuexuan, Wang Manyu became embroiled in a significant controversy due to a net touch call. She believed that the opponent's return had a double bounce and took the initiative to halt the game without the referee's permission. This behavior of interrupting the game without authorization is problematic in itself.
The atmosphere at the competition site became tense instantly, and the referee at the time also appeared distressed because such situations are indeed rare. Typically, athletes wait for the referee's decision rather than calling a stop to the game themselves.
Slow-motion replays clearly showed that the ball did not have a double bounce, but Wang Manyu still insisted on her judgment. Her stubborn attitude caused great dissatisfaction among the spectators, who even began to shout accusations of biased refereeing.
The match was forced to pause for nearly ten minutes. Wang Manyu not only argued with the referee but also ran to the opposing coach's bench to discuss the matter with Sun Yingsha. This behavior was indeed too intense.
In professional sports competitions, athletes do have the right to fight for reasonable judgments, but this must be done within the scope allowed by the rules, rather than completely disregarding the order of the match.
Although a referee's decision may not always be correct, they have the final say in the match, which is the basic principle for maintaining the normal progress of the game. Athletes must learn to express their demands within the framework of the rules.
After the match, Chen Xintong, Wang Manyu's teammate, praised her for being brave and standing up to thousands of people. But is this behavior really worth advocating? This is indeed something worth our deep consideration.
The atmosphere at the competition site often affects the emotions and judgments of the athletes, but excellent athletes should learn to control their emotions and not let the match descend into chaos.
Similar controversies exist in many sports, such as tennis, which has introduced the Hawk-Eye system to assist in judgments, significantly reducing the occurrence of disputes.
In table tennis matches, although there are slow-motion replays, not all judgments can be resolved through replays. Sometimes the point of contention lies in the interpretation of the rules rather than the footage itself.
The development of modern technology has indeed brought a lot of help to sports competitions, but technology is always an auxiliary tool. What is most important is the professional qualities of the athletes and their respect for the rules.
Sports competitions are not just about winning; more importantly, they are about showcasing sportsmanship, including respecting opponents, respecting referees, and following the rules in various aspects.
Wang Manyu displayed a strong desire to win in this match, but her way of handling the controversy was indeed inappropriate. This also provides a negative example for young athletes.
While pursuing victory, we must not forget the essence of sports competition, which is fair competition within the framework of the rules, rather than resorting to any means for victory.
This incident also provides us with many directions for reflection, such as how to improve competition rules, how to strengthen athletes' psychological adjustment capabilities, and how to balance the relationship between competition and morality.
Table tennis enjoys high attention in China, and every move of the athletes is closely watched by the public. This requires athletes to pay more attention to their words and deeds on the court.
I hope that through this incident, relevant departments will be prompted to formulate more perfect competition rules, and I also hope that athletes will learn lessons from this and demonstrate better professional qualities in future matches.