Recently, Zhang Jike mentioned in a live stream an unknown but highly skilled table tennis player - Hao Shuai. Hao Shuai was once hailed as one of the "Six Little Dragons" of the national table tennis team alongside Wang Hao and Chen Qi, but ultimately could only serve as a practice partner within the national team, an experience that evokes emotion.
On January 18th, Zhang Jike started his live stream, saying: "Originally, when Wang Liqin played as the main force, Hao Shuai served as a practice partner. Later, when we became the main players, Hao Shuai remained a practice partner. Then, when Fan Zhendong became the main player, Hao Shuai also practiced for a period of time. But then, the young players gradually couldn't keep up with him, and Hao Shuai stopped being a practice partner." Zhang Jike's words revealed his deep regret for his old friend Hao Shuai's bumpy journey.
Hao Shuai, 41 years old, was once a star player of the national table tennis team, possessing a unique left-handed horizontal grip style. His fierce offensive in the first three shots made it difficult for opponents to cope. Legendary international table tennis player Waldner once gave him high praise. In 2009, Hao Shuai helped China win the World Cup team championship, an achievement that should have earned him a place in the history of the national table tennis team. However, fate seemed to be against him, and despite his outstanding skills, he repeatedly missed the opportunity to become a main player in the World Table Tennis Championships, eventually choosing to go to Japan to continue pursuing his table tennis dream.
Hao Shuai's career is full of regrets. Although his playing style is powerful, he has never been able to stand on the main stage of the international arena. When Wang Liqin was the main player, Hao Shuai silently served as a practice partner. As Zhang Jike and other new stars emerged, he still could not change his role. This situation of not being able to break through difficulties has caused many fans to feel sorry for him.
The 2005 World Table Tennis Championships became an important turning point in Hao Shuai's career. In a qualifying match, he once led Danish player Mads 3-0, seemingly on the verge of victory, but Mads' counterattack caused Hao Shuai to lose his composure and ultimately lose 3-4. This defeat became a thorn in his heart, deeply affecting his career. From then on, he seemed to have lost his past confidence and sharpness, repeatedly failing to enter the main lineup of the national team and could only serve as a long-term practice partner.
In 2007, Hao Shuai once again became the focus of public opinion due to an incident. During a team dinner, Hao Shuai frequently used his mobile phone to make calls without participating in the conversation. Head coach Liu Guoliang noticed this, walked over, took away his phone, and lightly slapped his head and left cheek twice. This incident was filmed and uploaded to the Internet, instantly causing a storm of public opinion.
The media reported extensively, and netizens discussed it fervently, accusing Liu Guoliang of being brutal. Although the then leader Huang Biao explained that this was just a misunderstanding and not really physical action, this incident still attracted great attention, and Hao Shuai became the focus again. This incident may have affected Hao Shuai's situation in the team and had an impact on his mentality.
Finally, in 2014, Hao Shuai made the decision to leave the national team and join the Japanese T League. For him, this might be a new beginning, allowing him to continue chasing his table tennis dreams in a new environment.
Looking back on Hao Shuai's career, there is no doubt that his skills are top-notch, but fate seems to always set obstacles for him at critical moments. Every time he approaches the peak, he encounters unexpected setbacks. The loss in the World Table Tennis Championships made him miss the opportunity to showcase himself, and although the "slap incident" was a misunderstanding, it had a profound impact on him. Zhang Jike's remarks in the live stream once again evoked memories of this veteran among fans.