On January 17th, the announcement of the national table tennis Asian Cup lineup caused quite a stir in the sports circle! The three Olympic champions Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, and Chen Meng were absent collectively, which was like a blockbuster bomb, instantly igniting heated discussions among fans.
Facing the sensitive issue of Ma Long and Fan Zhendong's omission, men's team head coach Wang Hao was somewhat reluctant to respond, which made many fans uneasy. However, women's team head coach Ma Lin appeared particularly candid and responsible. He clearly responded to the reason why Chen Meng did not participate: firstly, Chen Meng has withdrawn from the world ranking system; secondly, after communication between the team and her, it was determined that she would not participate in international competitions for the time being. Ma Lin's approach really did everything he should have done, and also greatly changed everyone's perception of him.
In fact, Chen Meng's situation is quite different from Fan Zhendong's. Chen Meng has no advantages in terms of age and condition. She might have made a wise choice by using the world ranking as an excuse to withdraw from international events. After all, young players like Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu are so strong now. If Chen Meng continued to compete with them for the Grand Slam, it might really be very strenuous. Now choosing to withdraw can also be considered as leaving herself some dignity.
It was also quite unexpected that Qian Tianyi was not included in the women's team lineup this time. Qian Tianyi was heavily cultivated during the previous Olympic cycle, and one would think she should have great potential, right? However, the reality is that her progress has not been significant, and many problems were exposed during foreign matches. Moreover, she was frequently photographed dating her boyfriend from the national badminton team, which touched upon the traditional taboo of the national table tennis team. However, the most critical factor is still her performance. In competitive sports, performance is the hard truth, and everything else must take a back seat.
Although Qian Tianyi's fame may be higher than Kuai Man and Shi Xunyao, judging from Ma Lin's evaluation, she ranks at most third among the younger generation. Now that Chen Meng has voluntarily vacated a spot, Qian Tianyi still failed to be selected, which indicates that her upward space is indeed not optimistic.
Looking at Kuai Man and Shi Xunyao, their selection was not accidental. Ma Lin highly praised them, saying that they are key players to be cultivated in the new cycle. Why were they chosen? On the one hand, judging from their playing style and recent performances against Japan's main opponents, they are indeed worthy of recognition; on the other hand, among the young players, they are also the best. The coaching staff also hopes to give them more opportunities to exercise through this Asian Cup, allowing them to grow rapidly and prepare for the competition in the Los Angeles cycle.
The announcement of the Asian Cup lineup actually reflects the generational change that the national table tennis team is experiencing. Veterans like Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, and Chen Meng have won countless honors for the country, but with the growth of age and changes in physical condition, they may need more time to adjust and rest. Young players like Chen Yuanyu, Huang Youzheng, Kuai Man, and Shi Xunyao are gradually emerging and taking on the hope of the future of the national table tennis team.
For the national table tennis team, generational change is an inevitable process. Young players need more opportunities to exercise and grow in order to continue to win glory for the country on the international stage. Although this lineup may surprise and disappoint some fans, we should also trust the coaches' choices and believe that these young players can perform at their level in the competition and bring us pleasant surprises.