National Table Tennis Role Model of Loyalty: Chen Meng Takes the Lead to Help Fan Zhendong, Sibling Affection Deep
The sibling affection in the national table tennis team: Fan Zhendong challenges the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), and Chen Meng announces her withdrawal from the world rankings on the same day. What a touching display of sibling affection is this?
Back when Fan Zhendong emerged as a 16-year-old prodigy, he was the youngest member of the national table tennis team and was once the team's darling, much like the current top player Wang Chuqin. At that time, Zhang Jike was the brother who doted on him the most, while Liu Shiwen and Chen Meng from the women's team were very fond of this younger brother.
Now, with news of Chen Meng appearing on variety shows and recording the Spring Festival Gala being exposed, the public is increasingly seeing clearly that the 30-year-old Chen Meng has basically retired from the table tennis arena, which is not the same as the 27-year-old Fan Zhendong, who is still in his prime.
In fact, Chen Meng could have chosen not to make this statement and left quietly in a relatively mild manner, which would not have offended the leaders of the national table tennis team and the World Table Tennis Corporation (WTT). However, Chen Meng is very righteous; she chose to stand with her younger brother Fan Zhendong from back then, not letting him fight alone. She understands that when two Olympic singles champions speak out together, the impact is completely different.
In fact, Chen Meng has always been very righteous and protective of this younger brother. At the 2020 National Championships, due to the dissolution of the Bayi team, Fan Zhendong had to participate under his personal name and had no mixed doubles partner. At that time, after learning about this, Chen Meng resolutely gave up the provincial team's mixed doubles and decided to form a mixed doubles partnership with Fan Zhendong.
Public opinion also praised Chen Meng. Regarding Chen Meng's statement of withdrawing from the world rankings, the general view of public opinion is: Chen Meng can retire perfectly, but she stood up to support Fan Zhendong, showing her righteousness. She spoke out against the WTT's tyrannical clauses and the dense schedule that is physically taxing for athletes. If this battle is won, the beneficiaries will be current and future athletes. Why is there so much malice towards Chen Meng?
Netizens also praised her, saying: "Chen Meng is an excellent athlete and a positive energy athlete. From supporting Fan Zhendong, you can see that she is very loyal. I really like her. I applaud her for speaking out righteously."
"Chen Meng is really loyal, and both Chen Meng and Fan Zhendong have won Olympic gold medals. It's understandable to be dissatisfied and withdraw. What about Sha Sha and Man Yu? They have to bear it even if they are dissatisfied, for the sake of the next Olympics."
"If you have loyalty, then support Fan Zhendong. What he is doing now benefits the current athletes participating in the WTT. He could have just waved his sleeves and left without taking anything with him, but facing the tyrannical clauses and contracts of servitude, he stood up. Chen Meng chose to confront and withdraw from the rankings, that's amazing."
As a girl from Shandong, Chen Meng has chivalry, courage, and more importantly, loyalty. Her sibling affection with Fan Zhendong is a rare true feeling in the national table tennis team. She dares to offend the powerful for the sake of "Little Fatty," the remarkable Chen Meng!