Another day of public outrage has arrived. After much anticipation, the roster for the 34th Table Tennis Asian Cup has finally been announced. As expected, Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, and Chen Meng, who were originally on the invitation list, have not made it onto the Asian Cup roster.
Upon the release of the list, netizens were in an uproar, with most expressing their support for Fan Zhendong. Brother Dong was initially on the invitation list, but... so his spot was taken, clearly giving his place to someone else, treating him like an outsider.
In contrast to the remarks by the women's team head coach Ma Lin, the men's team head coach Wang Hao's comments have been criticized by netizens.
Some netizens say, "White Gao hates Fan Zhendong more than 191, not even mentioning him, it's too heartbreaking! At least Ma Lin explained the situation with Chen Meng."
Other netizens say, "In the past, there was still consideration for the master-disciple relationship, but now there can be no psychological burden in scolding White Gao."
The women's team at least communicated with Chen Meng, while the men's team didn't even mention Fan Zhendong, so did the men's team not communicate with Fan Zhendong? "Wang, Lin, Liang, and Lin are currently the strongest in the team." Isn't Brother Dong part of the team? So is Fan Zhendong directly categorized as a retired player and kicked out of the team?
Although there was some mental preparation, it still feels like a blow. Ma Lin maintained basic decorum and respect, but Wang Hao seems to have put his change of attitude on full display.
It turns out that Fan Zhendong was truly forced to step back.