As a seasoned commentator who has been following the sports circle for many years, I must say that the rumors I've seen in the past two days are both amusing and perplexing.
This all started with He Xiaolong's Weibo post saying, "I think he has already been fired." As an old friend of the sports circle, I know that He Xiaolong always speaks passionately. However, this time he targeted Liu Guoliang, which really stunned everyone.
But CCTV Sports Channel quickly responded with action - not only was Liu Guoliang not fired, but he also detailed the blueprint for the national table tennis team's next four years on the program. This dispelled those rumors.
Honestly, after seeing Liu Guoliang's plan, I'm quite excited. Starting from the new cycle in 2025, the national table tennis team will vigorously cultivate newcomers! That's a great move.
Just look at our national table tennis lineup to understand how wise this decision is. Ma Long is talking about retiring, Fan Zhendong is still undecided about playing until the Paris Olympics. On the women's side, Chen Meng is also nearing the age to consider retirement.
In my opinion, Liu Guoliang is preparing for the future. Looking at the world table tennis scene, how young is Japan's Matsushima Koki? Isn't Tomokazu Ishihara also a young player? If we want our national table tennis team to continue to dominate, we have to take the step of cultivating new players.
You may not know, but I just chatted with some industry friends the other day. They all say that the competition in the world table tennis arena is much tougher than before. South Korea's Wu Juncheng and France's Lebesson brothers, aren't they all in their early 20s?
Liu Guoliang made it clear on CCTV: build a new platform, form a new team, and match good coaches. After listening, I couldn't help but exclaim that this is what a master does!
After all, what the national table tennis team lacks most now is competitive young players. Wang Chuqin and Lin Shidong are doing well, but can we rely on them alone? Although the women's team Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu are powerful, can we just count on them?
Liu Guoliang's plan is as follows: focus on cultivation in the first year, let newcomers gradually mature in the second year, start sprinting in the third year, and fully prepare for the Olympics in the fourth year. This kind of gradual approach clearly shows the thinking of an experienced general.
By the way, He Xiaolong has been quite critical of the national table tennis team recently. First, he said that Chen Meng's championship had too much water content, then he said that Wang Chuqin was a flower in the greenhouse. This time, he didn't even spare Liu Guoliang.
I must say, as a journalist, you should be realistic. If you don't like fan culture and want to say something, there's no problem. But you can't just attack whoever you don't like, can you?
The national table tennis team indeed needs reform, but reform is not about starting over; it's about steadily moving forward while maintaining strength. Liu Guoliang's plan is great - it takes care of the veterans' performance while giving newcomers opportunities.
After all, what matters most in sports competition is strength. I hope that our national table tennis team can maintain its fighting spirit in the new cycle. Whether it's veterans or newcomers, they can shine on the court.
This reminds me of an old saying: "Those who do not plan for the whole cannot plan for a part." Liu Guoliang's plan this time is laying the foundation for the future of the national table tennis team. Let's look forward to it!
What do you think the future of the national table tennis team will be like? Welcome to share your thoughts in the comment section!