In the hustle and bustle of the sports world, the hot topic on the 27th was undoubtedly the decision of Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng to withdraw from the international rankings. The online public opinion is almost unanimous, with everyone standing by Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, believing that they are just bravely standing up against the unfair rules of WTT. In the hearts of fans, they have done nothing wrong; instead, they are fighting for their own rights.
This decision by Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng is undoubtedly a challenge to the WTT rules, which will result in their points being reset. Moreover, since Liu Guoliang, the head of the national table tennis team, is the main driver of WTT, it means that the future possibility of Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng representing the national team in competitions is almost zero. In other words, they bid farewell to the national team stage in this way. From their statements, Fan Zhendong still wants to continue to represent Shanghai in the National Games, while whether Chen Meng will participate in the National Games remains uncertain. However, if they want to step onto the international arena again, they have basically no chance.
While netizens are voicing their support for the two, they are also actively offering suggestions. Among them, a netizen named "Pea Cannon" proposed an ingenious suggestion. He strongly recommended that Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng join the Hong Kong or Macau teams and provided five reasons that sound quite reasonable.
Firstly, Hong Kong or Macau can only be considered as external associations, not foreign countries. Therefore, if Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng join Hong Kong or Macau, others cannot say that they are unpatriotic. In my view, this reason is crucial. Whether it's Fan Zhendong or Chen Meng, they are seen as very patriotic athletes in the hearts of fans. They have won countless honors, and if they play for Hong Kong or Macau, it would be for personal enjoyment and love of table tennis.
Secondly, both Hong Kong and Macau are currently lacking excellent table tennis players and would certainly welcome top-level players like Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng to join and enhance their strength. In fact, Macau has already included former national table tennis mainstay Zhu Yuling under its banner this year. Zhu Yuling is a good friend of Chen Meng from the same class, and she could completely convince Chen Meng to join the Macau team together, forming a sister duo. Hong Kong table tennis once had a high level, producing many top players who achieved excellent results in world competitions, but they were all from the mainland, so they would definitely be very welcome as well.
Thirdly, both Hong Kong and Macau belong to Chinese regions, where Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, as Olympic champions, enjoy extremely high popularity and commercial value. There should be no shortage of merchants inviting them to endorse products. Therefore, in terms of income, they would likely earn a substantial amount by representing Hong Kong or Macau.
Fourthly, in terms of language and culture, it would be relatively easy for Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng to adapt to Hong Kong and Macau, with little communication barriers. Especially Fan Zhendong, who grew up in Guangzhou and is proficient in Cantonese, would have no problem communicating with locals, achieving a seamless connection.
Fifthly, and most importantly, Hong Kong and Macau can participate in the National Games. Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng can represent Hong Kong or Macau in competitions against the main forces of the national table tennis team. With their abilities, defeating the current main forces of the national team would not be a problem, especially Fan Zhendong, who recently taught Lin Shidong and Wang Chuqin a lesson in the China Table Tennis Super League. If he continues to perform outstandingly at the National Games, it would be equivalent to slapping Liu Guoliang in the face, also allowing him to vent his anger.
In my opinion, in addition to these five reasons, there could be a sixth reason: they can continue to participate in international competitions without bearing such great pressure, simply enjoying table tennis. It can be seen from Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng's personal statements that they are very passionate about table tennis and do not want to leave it. However, the existence of fan culture has made them unable to bear it. Just like Zhu Yuling now, participating in some lower-level international competitions and enjoying them.
Of course, Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng should have clear future plans. Fan Zhendong is likely to develop in Shanghai, as he is already the vice-chairman of the Shanghai Youth Federation. Chen Meng, on the other hand, is the person who has won the most Olympic gold medals in the history of Shandong. If she stays within the system, she could at least become a cadre at the division level. As for representing Hong Kong or Macau, it is just a wild suggestion from netizens.
In summary, the withdrawal of Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng has allowed us to see some problems existing in the sports world and made us think about how to better protect the rights of athletes. Although their decision makes us feel regretful, it also allows us to see their courage and persistence. Let us look forward to their future path. No matter what way they choose to continue their table tennis career, we will give them our most sincere support and blessings.