In the wake of Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng publicly announcing their withdrawal from international rankings, the Chinese Table Tennis Association, under intense pressure, released a statement expressing respect for the decision of these three Olympic champions - Fan Zhendong, Chen Meng, and Ma Long - to withdraw. At the time, many were puzzled as to why Ma Long chose to withdraw without issuing a public statement like Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, instead opting to quietly sign a letter of withdrawal.
The prevailing view at the time was that Ma Long, as the veteran captain of the national table tennis team, might have been concerned about the potential negative impact of a public statement on the team. After all, the announcements by Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng had sparked a surge of public opinion and significant external criticism. If Ma Long were to release a similar statement, it could exacerbate the situation and lead to even greater repercussions.
However, according to recent investigations by resourceful netizens, the situation may not be so straightforward. It has recently come to light that Ma Long invested in a company called Beijing Track Catering Management Co., Ltd. as early as December 2016. He contributed 600,000 yuan, holding a 4.3% stake. Among the shareholders of this company is someone named Wang Jin, who shares the same name as Liu Guoliang's wife. This individual also holds a 4.3% stake, having contributed the same amount of 600,000 yuan. Looking at the equity structure, she owns shares in Qian Jian Education Technology, a company established by Liu Guoliang and Wang Nan, suggesting that this Wang Jin is indeed Liu Guoliang's wife. "Reverse Direction Ball" also found the same information through Tianyancha.
Interestingly, further investigation through Tianyancha reveals that among the shareholders of this company are the names of national table tennis coach Ma Lin and his wife Zhang Yaqing. Ma Lin contributed 276,300 yuan, holding approximately 2%, while Zhang Yaqing contributed 600,000 yuan, holding a 4.3% stake. The Ma Lin couple collectively contributed 876,300 yuan, holding a 6.3% stake.
According to the introduction on QiChaCha, Beijing Track Catering Management Co., Ltd. was established in 2014 and is located in Beijing. It is an enterprise mainly engaged in business services. The company's registered capital is 13.8173 million yuan, with the same amount paid-in capital, and it completed round A financing in 2016. The company's registered capital is 13.8173 million yuan, with Liu Bin as the legal representative.
When the Track Hotpot restaurant opened, the Beijing Evening News reported on it. The report stated that this was the first sports-themed restaurant in the city, with big names from the Chinese table tennis team coming to support it. Kong Linghui, Ma Lin, and Ma Long appeared at "Track Hotpot," where world champion Ma Long revealed the reason behind the table tennis team's love for hotpot: "Eating spicy food can relax tense emotions. The Chinese table tennis team is the world champion, under great pressure, we love eating hotpot, it's enjoyable and stress-relieving." In the report, Ma Long also mentioned that the table tennis team has a tradition of eating hotpot, where everyone sits together in a good atmosphere, lively and noisy, which helps foster camaraderie among the players. At most, they could eat hotpot three to four times a week.
Netizens have compiled a map of the commercial relationships between Liu Guoliang, Ma Long, Ma Lin, and others, from which it is not difficult to see that Ma Long has a very good relationship with Liu Guoliang and Ma Lin, having become business partners. Of course, the national table tennis team places great importance on Ma Long, appointing him as captain and allowing him to participate in multiple Olympics, becoming the athlete with the most Olympic gold medals in Chinese history, achieving a legendary status.
From this perspective, Ma Long's choice to quietly withdraw without issuing a statement can also be seen as a way to indirectly alleviate pressure on the national table tennis team. After all, the withdrawals of Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, two major Olympic champions, have already created immense public pressure, and Ma Long cannot afford to add fuel to the fire.