Recently, the big event in the table tennis world is undoubtedly that Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng announced their withdrawal from the ITTF world rankings one after another, which has aroused wide attention and heated discussion.
After the Paris Olympics, Fan Zhendong's psychological pressure reached its peak, and he was unable to bear the new regulations of WTT. As for Chen Meng, long-term high-intensity training and competition have brought her body and spirit to the limit, and she also needs time to adjust. On the surface, the two seem to be in a similar situation, but in fact, Chen Meng's situation is indeed different from Fan Zhendong's.
As a member of the women's team, due to her older age and the echelon situation of the women's team, it seems normal for her to step down. Even if she didn't issue a statement and left the national team quietly, there might not have been much turmoil. However, she resolutely chose to unite with Fan Zhendong and confront the ITTF head-on. Behind this, there may be deeper reasons.
Perhaps, Chen Meng is speaking up for herself. In her statement, she mentioned that during the high-intensity preparation process of the Paris cycle, her body and mind were under great pressure, injuries continued, and the whole process was extremely difficult. She really needs time to adjust her physical condition and plan for her next career. The new rule of WTT's withdrawal fine has undoubtedly caused her great trouble. In this case, she chose to stand up and bravely speak out her thoughts and feelings, fighting for her rights.
But more importantly, Chen Meng may be supporting Fan Zhendong and doesn't want him to become a lone warrior. As the core figure of the men's team, everyone can see his pressure and difficulties. When facing the new regulations of the ITTF, he was the first to stand up and express his dissatisfaction and protest. And Chen Meng, as Fan Zhendong's teammate and friend, deeply understands Fan Zhendong's difficulties and understands his choice. Therefore, she chose to stand with Fan Zhendong and jointly express their demands to the ITTF.
Chen Meng's choice allows us to see her courage and sense of responsibility. When facing the new regulations of the ITTF, she did not choose silence or retreat, but bravely stood up with Fan Zhendong to fight for their rights.
Of course, Chen Meng's choice has also aroused some controversy. Some people think that as an athlete, she should abide by the rules of the ITTF and should not confront the ITTF head-on.
But what I want to say is that rules are dead, people are alive. When the rules are unreasonable, we should bravely stand up and put forward our opinions and suggestions instead of blindly obeying. Only in this way can we promote the development of sports and make sports competitions fairer, more just, and more open.
I hope that Chen Meng and Fan Zhendong's actions will attract the attention of the ITTF, and I also hope that they can continue to contribute to the table tennis cause in the future.