As a seasoned sports blogger, my favorite sport to watch is the national table tennis team, especially the Shatou combination. I also have a special fondness for Xiaopang (Fatso) and Longdui (Dragon Team). Let's take a look at the latest news from the national table tennis team today.
Ma Long attended the Milan Fashion Week and even watched the show with Li Xian, sitting next to him without being overshadowed. In fact, he seemed to surpass Li Xian in presence. Dressed in a cold white skin tone and a blue jacket, Ma Long exuded a full sense of gentlemanliness. His image was reminiscent of a youthful college senior, making one wonder if he had gone to participate in a campus event. That day, besides Ma Long attending the fashion week, his wife also accompanied him, which was truly romantic. This couple is truly a sight to behold wherever they go, with Longdui maintaining his charm from years past and his wife remaining as beautiful and charming as ever. I'm completely sold on this couple, haha!
After watching Longdui, let's take a look at the latest developments of former Hebei player Zhong Ze Rui. He has recently taken over the Japanese team and boldly declared that he aims to approach China's goal of winning gold medals, which seems quite arrogant. Recently, the Japan Table Tennis Association announced the new cycle of coaching staff, with An Kawaichi and Zhong Ze Rui appointed as head coaches of the men's and women's teams respectively. Zhong Ze Rui is not Japanese; his original name is Wang Rui, and he hails from Hebei, China. He has cultivated outstanding players such as Hirano Miu. Despite the poor performance of the Japanese men's team at the Paris Olympics, the women's team displayed strong capabilities. The newly appointed coaches have set a medal target for the Los Angeles Olympics, aiming to dethrone the national table tennis team from its pedestal. To be honest, this fellow Zhong Ze Rui has made quite a leap, from being a mainstay of the Hebei team to becoming the head coach of the Japanese women's table tennis team. That's quite a big jump! However, considering the top-notch players he has cultivated, such as Hirano Miu and Kihara Miyuu, he certainly has some skills.
The current state of the Japanese women's table tennis team is indeed getting closer to the Chinese team. The Chinese women's table tennis team led by Ma Lin needs to step up their efforts! However, it must be said that Zhong Ze Rui has come a long way, from being an ordinary player to coaching in Japan, and now as head coach. These 18 years of effort have not been in vain! The competition between the Chinese and Japanese women's table tennis teams will surely become even more exciting in the future! After looking at the recent situation of the Japanese Association, let's see what's new with the Korean Association. Everyone knows Liu Chengmin, the gold medalist in the men's singles at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He actually celebrates the birthday of this Olympic gold medal every year. Honestly, Liu Chengmin celebrating the gold medal's birthday is quite a unique sense of ceremony. It was not easy for him to win that year, and this gold medal holds great significance for him, no wonder he cherishes it so much. That year, he was not favored before the match, but Liu Chengmin still defeated many strong opponents, including Ma Lin and Wang Hao, to win the championship. He is indeed remarkable, and the value of this gold medal is comparable to the gold medal we won from South Korea's women's archery at the 08 Olympics.
Next, let's see what's new with Liu Guoliang. Famous journalist He Xiaolong has once again come to ride the wave of popularity. He criticized Liu Guoliang, the chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, comparing him to Li Tie from the football world. He accused Liu Guoliang of having too much power and questioned the transparency of the table tennis field, as well as Liu Guoliang's personnel decisions and indulgence of fan culture. However, these accusations lack official conclusions and solid evidence. As the chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, Liu Guoliang holds important positions both domestically and internationally, but he has not been involved in any illegal actions. Regarding fan culture, the General Administration of Sport is actively addressing the chaos. Fans and netizens should maintain rational judgment, and time will reveal everything. To be honest, many of these so-called big Vs, upon closer inspection, their comments often smear the country and society. These individuals should be investigated more closely. They spread rumors all day long, and who knows what ulterior motives they might have behind the scenes. I hope the country takes this seriously.
Comparing Liu Guoliang to Li Tie right now is extremely irresponsible! Where is He Xiaolong's evidence? Although I have also questioned some of Liu Guoliang's statements, we cannot act recklessly. How can we compare Liu Guoliang to Li Tie? Firstly, they are not on the same level; secondly, their contributions to Chinese sports cannot be compared; thirdly, Chinese football is in constant decline, while table tennis stands tall and glorifies the world. Therefore, the two cannot be mentioned in the same breath. Chairman Liu Guoliang is still a great leader in table tennis. We should not negate him based on a rule from WTT. Liu Guoliang is the headmaster, but the rules are not made by him alone. Whether a system fully aligns with reality requires practical testing. We cannot rush to attack someone just because the wall hasn't fallen yet, but we insist on pushing it down. That would destroy a talent, which would be unfortunate for Chinese table tennis.
Finally, let's take a look at the news about the Asian Cup. The 34th Table Tennis Asian Cup is scheduled to be held in Shenzhen from February 19th to 23rd, with the number of participants increased to 32 men and women each. The national table tennis team has sent a strong lineup, with the men's team including six players such as Wang Chuqin and Lin Shidong, and the women's team consisting of six players led by Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu, aiming to regain the men's singles championship and pursue a sixth consecutive women's singles title. Currently, the men's singles seats are full, while there are still three women's singles seats undecided, with top players from Japan, South Korea, and other countries also participating in the competition. The national table tennis team has sent a lineup combining veterans and newcomers, with a clear goal of winning the championship. Especially for the women's team, Sun Yingsha is making her debut, and we expect her to perform outstandingly. A sixth consecutive women's singles title is not a dream. The current layout of the national table tennis team is reasonable and orderly, with a promising future. Practice will prove that as long as we pay attention to the alternation between old and new, carefully select and cultivate talents, and boldly use newcomers at the right time, while strictly preventing the emergence of gaps in the echelon, the strength of the national table tennis team will continue to rise, and we will produce talents, achieve results, create brilliance, and bring glory to the country!
