Table tennis: Swinging the racket billions of times, achieving a grand slam

Chapter 446 The members of the Gelaohui (Brotherhood of Brothers) never back down!

The back row of the stands.

VIP viewing area.

Wang Liqin crossed his arms, leaned slightly forward, and kept his eyes fixed on the young figure on the field.

Seeing Xie Mingyang go from losing the first game to leveling the score, then to a close battle, and finally prevailing with a score of 4-2, defeating Shinozuka Hiroto and advancing to the next round.

He slowly leaned back in his chair, letting out a barely perceptible sigh of relief.

"I wasn't wrong about this kid."

A hint of undisguised satisfaction appeared on Wang Liqin's lips.

Back then, Xie Mingyang was someone he personally discovered, overcame all opposition, and brought into the Shanghai team.

Xie Mingyang lived up to expectations. With his talent, diligence, and self-discipline, he won the men's singles championship at the National Youth Championships in just two or three years.

He entered the national team through the U16 selection competition, along with Chen Jin, Zhang Jiahao, and others.

In less than a year with the Chinese national table tennis team, Xie Mingyang's skills have improved by leaps and bounds compared to his time with the Shanghai team.

On the international stage, as a young player, his achievements, while far inferior to Chen Jin's, are still quite impressive.

At this Doha World Table Tennis Championships, she relied on her own strength to overcome all obstacles and secure her qualification.

Making his debut in a major competition, he lost the first game, but remained calm under immense pressure.

They were able to quickly adjust their mindset and tactics to turn the game around.

Such adaptability and mental resilience are extremely rare among young athletes.

To become a world-class player, while skill is important, a strong mentality is even more indispensable.

Although it was just a match, we can still glean a lot from it.

Qin Zhijian, sitting to Wang Liqin's left, opened his mouth upon hearing this, about to say something.

But he managed to hold back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

"Solid basic skills and resolute tactics."

Wang Hao nodded, "He has good football IQ and excellent mental fortitude. Given time, he will surely achieve great things."

"Let's see how far we can go in this World Table Tennis Championships."

After all, Shinozuka Daito, in terms of both individual strength and world ranking, is not a significant threat to any foreign player.

The Doha tournament is long and filled with top players.

The real test is yet to come.

"Xie Mingyang is only sixteen years old, and his future is promising."

Wang Liqin smiled slightly.

His tone carried expectations for Xie Mingyang.

At the same time, there was also a hint of worry.

Since taking over as president of the Table Tennis Association, in less than a month, through research, data analysis, team observation, and in-depth discussions with the coaching staff, he has become increasingly aware of the serious problems facing the development of the men's table tennis talent pool.

Mesozoic faults are particularly prominent.

It seems that Lin Shidong is the only one who is somewhat stable.

However, Lin Shidong still needs to hone his skills in major competitions, both mentally and in terms of experience.

For example, Xue Fei, Xiang Peng, Huang Youzheng, Chen Yuanyu, and others, judging from their performance in the Doha qualifying competition, were not even as good as Xie Mingyang and Zhang Jiahao, who were newcomers.

"However, given the current situation of the men's team, they may not be able to wait until the future."

Wang Liqin suddenly changed the subject. "Our goal is the Los Angeles Olympics three years from now, and everything we are doing now is in preparation for the Olympic gold medal."

"Ma Long's withdrawal from international competitions is a foregone conclusion. To put it another way, if we still have to rely on Ma Long to compete in the Olympics, then there is a real problem."

“Lin Gaoyuan has gone from being ‘Little General Lin’ to ‘Old General Lin’, and his condition has clearly declined. I’m afraid we can’t count on him anymore.”

“Liang Jingkun’s condition has improved recently, but how long he can maintain it is still unknown. Moreover, given his age, if he can make it to Los Angeles, he will be over thirty years old.”

"If you count on your fingers, of the five tigers of the Paris Olympic cycle, only Fan Zhendong and Wang Chuqin are left now."

Speaking of which.

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Everyone is well aware of Fan Zhendong's situation."

“He had talked to me before, saying he wanted to play in a European league.”

"The implication is that, putting aside the Los Angeles Olympics which are so far away, it is certain that Fan Zhendong will not be competing for the Chinese national table tennis team in the near future."

"Therefore, only Wang Chuqin remains."

"Among the middle-generation players, apart from Lin Shidong, the others may need a longer growth period."

Wang Liqin sighed, "Moreover, the growth cycle is accompanied by considerable risks."

"What if they don't grow up?"

"If we calculate it this way, to borrow a phrase from the men's football team next door, we don't have much time left."

A hint of worry flashed across Wang Liqin's brow. "The Asian Cup team competition in October is crucial for qualifying for the World Table Tennis Championships team competition in London next year."

"At that time, we hope that our men's team will not even be able to gather five truly capable and reliable players."

"The gap between foreign players like Hugo, Tomokazu Harimoto, Moregard, and the Lebrunn brothers is getting smaller and smaller, and their impact is getting stronger and stronger. We have no room for error."

These words, spoken by Wang Liqin, carried a strange sense of sorrow.

Back in the day, Wang Zhizhi, Wang Junkai, and Ma Long faced challenges from foreign associations and even lost gold medals at the Olympics.

However, the three of them joined hands and supported each other, and during the 08 Olympics, the three national flags were raised at the same time, becoming a legendary and memorable scene in the world of table tennis.

Now, the two kings and one horse are fighting side by side again, but they are facing a situation where there is no one left to use.

How can one not feel moved?
Hear the words.

Qin Zhijian and Wang Hao exchanged a glance.

Both of them knew very well that Wang Liqin's concerns were not unfounded.

The lack of a new generation of players in the men's table tennis team is a major problem that is already obvious.

More importantly, as the head coach of the men's team, Wang Hao cannot avoid these issues.

"I bear undeniable responsibility for the problems in the development of the men's team's talent pool, and I apologize..."

Before Wang Hao could finish speaking, Wang Liqin waved his hand to interrupt him.

We understand your difficulties.

Wang Liqin said, "The gap in the talent pool is largely due to problems with youth training."

"As I mentioned in a previous meeting, we will increase our efforts to reorganize youth training and rebuild the talent selection mechanism for youth training."

"What we need to do now is to solve the problem of the generation gap in the middle generation."

Wang Hao pondered for a moment, his expression grave: "The lack of a middle generation in the men's team is indeed a problem, and a big one at that."

"Actually, I've been thinking about this for a long time and I have a bold idea."

Wang Hao raised his head, a resolute glint in his eyes, "Since the middle generation can't step up, we might as well go all out and allocate our limited resources to more energetic and adaptable young people, such as Xie Mingyang and Zhang Jiahao."

"Although this approach sacrificed Chen Yuanyu, Xue Fei, and Xiang Peng, which is a real pity, you have to give up something to gain something..."

The implication couldn't be clearer.

Qin Zhijian frowned and hesitated, "Isn't this... a bit too radical?"

"No, I think it's worth a try."

Wang Liqin said in a deep voice, "When the disease has reached the point of no return, it requires radical treatment."

"It's a bit painful, but as long as the treatment is effective, it's best not to delay."

This statement came out.

Qin Zhijian suddenly realized.

It is clear that Wang Liqin intends to give more opportunities to the new generation, such as Xie Mingyang and Zhang Jiahao, and to some extent, abandon those middle-aged people who are not up to the task, thus accelerating the generational transition.

"also."

Qin Zhijian had no further objections.

"Of course, it's just about allocating resources, not completely depriving the middle generation of opportunities."

Wang Liqin added, "Furthermore, we also need to see how Xie Mingyang and Zhang Jiahao perform at the Doha World Table Tennis Championships."

"If their performance is unsatisfactory, then give them more opportunities to participate in later competitions, such as the Yokohama Championship and the European Grand Slam, so that they can accumulate experience and grow quickly."

"By the time we reach the Asian Cup team competition, we may be able to form a new team with Chen Jin and Wang Chuqin as the core, and Lin Shidong, Xie Mingyang, and Zhang Jiahao as the backbone."

"They may be a bit young, but I believe in them. They have drive and potential to carry the banner of Chinese table tennis and continue its glory."

Without a doubt, Wang Liqin already had someone in mind to build the team.

Now, I'm just taking this opportunity to express my own thoughts.

As the saying goes, "No destruction, no construction." The gap in the men's table tennis talent pool may well present an opportunity.

This is a good opportunity to thoroughly reform and rebuild a new team for a new cycle.

"Chen Jin, Wang Chuqin, Lin Shidong, Xie Mingyang, Zhang Jiahao... two from the Beijing team, two from the Shanghai team... I see."

Qin Zhijian's heart sank slightly. "Fortunately, Zhang Lei had the foresight to recruit Xie Mingyang into the Beijing team first. Otherwise, wouldn't the main force of the men's table tennis team have become the domain of the Shanghai team?"

"It's a pity that Huang Youzheng is a disappointment, letting Zhang Jiahao seize the opportunity first."

"I wonder what kind of trouble Wang Liqin will cause when the coach selection process comes up later."

My mind hasn't changed.

But then Wang Liqin said, "Although the situation is urgent, there is still some time."

"The most urgent task is to perform well in this Doha match."

"We have five gold medals at the World Table Tennis Championships. I wonder how many we will ultimately win."

As for the women's team, I'm relatively relieved.

Both the roster depth and the individual skill of the players are sufficient.

The only variable is in men's doubles.

Of the four men's doubles players, all except Lin Gaoyuan are participating in the World Table Tennis Championships for the first time.

Moreover, Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao have no worries about their number of times they've partnered up or their competition experience.

"The women's singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles gold medals should be relatively secure."

Qin Zhijian pondered for a moment and said, "The most variable events are probably the men's singles and men's doubles."

"I have a lot of confidence in Chen Jin and Wang Chuqin. The men's singles championship should be a sure thing."

Wang Hao seemed confident and assertive, "Only the men's doubles... well, I'm more optimistic about Lin Shidong and Lin Gaoyuan."

After all, Lin Gaoyuan is a regular in doubles and has won many doubles championships, so he is very experienced.

Although Lin Shidong and Lin Gaoyuan haven't partnered much, their strength lies in their individual abilities.

Objectively speaking, they have a higher chance of winning than the completely new duo of Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao.

"To reiterate what I've always said, I don't expect to sweep all the gold medals at this Doha World Table Tennis Championships."

Wang Liqin solemnly stated, "But I hope that, at the very least, we can ensure a clean game and not give the public any opportunity to criticize us."

"clear."

Qin Zhijian and Wang Hao nodded in unison.

……

competition is over.

Xie Mingyang returned to the sidelines, packed his things, and then left the field, heading to the mixed zone.

Long guns and short cannons were already set up.

After a brief interview, Xie Mingyang slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed to the lounge alone.

open the door.

As expected, Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao had been waiting for a long time.

"Played well."

Chen Jin smiled and extended his palm.

"Near miss."

Xie Mingyang gave him a high five.

"They're having such a hard time even with a small player like Shinozuka Daito."

Zhang Jiahao curled his lip, his expression and tone full of disdain and ridicule, "Hey Xie, it seems you don't have much of a chance at this World Table Tennis Championships, at most you'll make it to the top 32."

As if he hadn't heard, Xie Mingyang completely ignored Zhang Jiahao's presence.

"The pressure at the World Table Tennis Championships is indeed much greater than I imagined."

Xie Mingyang let out a long breath.

He had played in many matches before.

WTT Championship, WTT Championship, Asia Cup... I've never felt this nervous before, it almost affected my performance.

"normal."

Chen Jin laughed and said, "To be honest, I was a little nervous about playing in the World Table Tennis Championships for the first time."

"Brother Jin, don't..."

Zhang Jiahao said with a long face, "Even you are nervous, then am I doomed?"

Chen Jin ignored Zhang Jiahao as well and said to Xie Mingyang, "Once you get past the first hurdle, the rest will be much easier."

"Ah."

Xie Mingyang nodded, "I hope so."

He said that, but he knew in his heart that the opponents in the World Table Tennis Championships were getting stronger and stronger.

Every match is a tough battle; there are no easy ones.

……

The next day, at one o'clock in the afternoon.

Secondary venue.

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao will play their first men's doubles match at the Doha World Table Tennis Championships.

Their opponents are the Polish pair of Samuel Kurczyki and Milos Redzimski.

Wang Hao personally served as the off-field coach for this match.

There are still more than ten minutes before the match starts.

Backstage.

Waiting area.

Zhang Jiahao suddenly frowned and whispered to Chen Jin beside him, "Oh no!"

"what happened?"

Chen Jin glanced at him.

My stomach feels a little uncomfortable.

Zhang Jiahao's face showed pain. "It's probably because I've been indulging in too much sex lately."

"what?"

Chen Jin frowned. "Excessive indulgence?"

What on earth did you do while you were alone in your room last night?
"The desire for food."

Zhang Jiahao chuckled.

"Don't let me down when it matters."

Chen Jin said solemnly.

"Don't worry, it's all better now."

Zhang Jiahao immediately straightened his back, patted his chest, and pretended to be bold, "We are a brotherhood, we never back down or act tough."

at the same time.

not far away.

Milos sat on pins and needles, his eyes darting back and forth towards Chen Jin, his legs trembling like a leaf.

Judging from his appearance, he was even more nervous than Zhang Jiahao.

During the World Cup group stage, he unfortunately encountered Chen Jin and was traumatized by Chen Jin.

Unexpectedly, in less than a month, he was going to have to fight Chen Jin again.

As soon as the results of the lottery were announced, he became restless and unable to eat or sleep.

Teammate Samuel immediately noticed Milos's tension and fear, and whispered reassuringly, "Hey, my dear Milos, relax."

"Although Chen Jin is strong in singles, it doesn't mean he's equally strong in doubles. These are completely different sports."

"Perhaps this is God's chance to give you revenge."

In the name of God, at least Milos's fighting spirit was aroused.

Milos took a deep breath, nodded, made the sign of the cross on his chest, and said with a devout expression, "God bless us, give us light and strength, and help us defeat Chen Jin, this great demon king."

(End of this chapter)