Yesterday, Wang Chuqin's fan club proactively disbanded its fan group, drawing public attention. The national table tennis team has taken the initiative to cut ties with fan culture, but what actions will follow? Renowned media personality He Xiaolong posted an analysis on social media this afternoon, revealing that Liu Guoliang has yet to disband his own fan group, and he firmly believes that Liu Guoliang is finished.
Despite Wang Chuqin disbanding his fan group, demonstrating a stance of distancing from fan culture, Liu Guoliang, as the head of the national table tennis team, still has not disbanded his fan groups, with five or six still in existence. This stands in stark contrast to the current requirements of the General Administration of Sport to crack down on fan culture.
In He Xiaolong's view, why hasn't Liu Guoliang disbanded his own fan groups? Is there no one who has had a heartfelt conversation with him? There is only one reason: he is definitely finished, with others avoiding him and keeping their distance. He Xiaolong used a profound statement to express his thoughts: "Why is it that in such a chaotic table tennis circle, no one has severely criticized him or even published warnings against him? In matters like these, calmness is most feared."
He Xiaolong criticized a claim that Liu Guoliang made significant contributions to the commercialization of national table tennis. His main arguments are twofold. Firstly, before Liu Guoliang, the commercialization of national table tennis relied on Zhang Jike; without Liu Guoliang, fan culture could still form, just not in a dual-world dominance. Secondly, Liu Guoliang's marketing efforts are not for the national table tennis team but for his own WTT kingdom. If it were truly for the national team, the Super League should be the winner in terms of commercialization.
It can be said that He Xiaolong has a thorough understanding of Liu Guoliang's intentions. Despite the General Administration of Sport repeatedly calling for a crackdown on fan culture and People's Daily urging the disbandment of fan groups, Liu Guoliang's multiple fan groups remain active and have not been disbanded. This suggests that Liu Guoliang may have given up, resigning himself to his fate. Moreover, with so many close associates around Liu Guoliang, some of whom demanded his return during a national table tennis strike, one would think someone would remind him that the fan groups have not been disbanded, which might contradict the requirements of the sports administration.
In fact, over the past half year, the state has continuously issued regulations to combat fan culture, with People's Daily and CCTV both targeting the national table tennis team. If Liu Guoliang continues to ignore these calls and act as he pleases, it would be quite astonishing. Alternatively, it could be because Liu Guoliang holds three positions simultaneously, with interests from WTT and the International Table Tennis Federation also at stake, making it difficult for him to let go. For example, during the mixed team World Cup, the national team suddenly reorganized the Sha Tou combination, replacing the previously undefeated Lin Shidong and Kuai Man combination. Was this decision made for the victory of the team or for box office revenue?
For He Xiaolong, in recent times, he has consistently criticized Liu Guoliang and repeatedly stated that Liu Guoliang will definitely be removed from his position. Such remarks are not new. What is truly noteworthy are three points: firstly, he pointed out that Liu Guoliang's fan groups have not been disbanded, forming a stark contrast with the badminton team, which disbanded all its fan groups; secondly, he argued that without Liu Guoliang, the fan culture and marketing of national table tennis could still spread, eventually forming a fan effect, which is a natural development; thirdly, he claimed that Liu Guoliang's marketing efforts are not for the national team but for WTT. As the chairman of the WTT board, there is ample evidence that Liu Guoliang has deep interests with WTT, and if it's for WTT, it's also for his own benefit.
As for whether Liu Guoliang will indeed be removed from his position and whether he will face consequences as He Xiaolong suggested, only time will tell.