Recently, the domestic sports world has been greatly concerned with the sentencing of Li Tie and the arrest of Gou Zhongwen, the former director of the General Administration of Sport. Many people may think that the position of the director of the General Administration of Sport is far removed from ordinary people. However, the greater the power, the more profound its decisions often have on the lives of ordinary people. Taking fans as an example, whether they are football or table tennis enthusiasts, they have long complained about Gou Zhongwen's various actions. As the director of the General Administration of Sport, Gou Zhongwen's decisions have sparked much controversy. He once strongly supported Liu Yi, a wanted criminal in South Africa, to serve as the secretary-general of the Chinese Football Association, leading to a more chaotic situation in Chinese football; at the same time, he also supported Chen Xuyuan to take up the post of the Chinese Football Association, further entangling Chinese football.
For table tennis fans, Gou Zhongwen is an even more controversial figure. During his tenure as director of the General Administration of Sport, he once promoted Liu Guoliang, then head coach of the Chinese table tennis team, to step down, triggering a huge public outcry. At that time, main players such as Olympic champion Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, and others withdrew from competitions in support, forcing Liu Guoliang to transition from head coach to chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, barely continuing to contribute to Chinese table tennis. However, just 5 days after Gou Zhongwen's arrest, there were rumors that Liu Guoliang might also face dismissal.
The rumors of Liu Guoliang's dismissal were first exposed by veteran journalist He Xiaolong. He pointed out that recently, the "fan culture" in Chinese table tennis has become increasingly severe, yet as chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, Liu Guoliang has not seen any relevant rectification measures introduced, nor has he made any public statements on this phenomenon, which is very unusual. However, judging from the actual situation, this rumor is not true. Recently, Liu Guoliang attended a related meeting of the General Administration of Sport and, in an interview with CCTV, elaborated in detail on the planning and arrangements for the Chinese table tennis team in the new Olympic cycle. It is obvious that Liu Guoliang has not only not resigned but is actively planning for future development. Considering his remarkable achievements in leading the Chinese table tennis team to excellence in the past two Olympics, such a meritorious figure is unlikely to be easily replaced.
At the same time, regarding the impact of Gou Zhongwen's arrest, some people mentioned his past struggles with the former deputy director of the General Administration of Sport. As early as after the Rio Olympics, Cai Zhenhua was once considered a hot candidate for the director of the General Administration of Sport. However, Gou Zhongwen's strong rise forced Cai Zhenhua to withdraw from the sports system and choose to retire completely. Now, with Gou Zhongwen's arrest, Cai Zhenhua is considered an indirect "winner" because he was not implicated in China's second anti-corruption campaign in football, which indirectly reflects his integrity and capabilities in his past leadership work.
It can be said that whether it is Gou Zhongwen's "winning but losing" or Cai Zhenhua's "losing but winning," the struggle between the two ultimately exacted a heavy toll on Chinese sports.