"Today, it's a tough match" – As Marlon blurted out his English, the "octoon field" at Singapore's OCBC Stadium instantly boiled over.
Malone said in English: "I didn't expect to advance to the final. Three days ago, the WTT World Table Tennis Federation manager told me that if I won the championship, I wanted me to give an interview after the game in English. But I think tomorrow's game will be a tougher game, and maybe I won't have a chance to stand here and be interviewed, so I think I'll take this opportunity to speak in English today. The interview was interrupted several times by applause and cheers from the scene, and Malone's English surprised all fans.
This is a scene that happened more than a month ago after the semi-finals of the WTT Singapore Grand Slam men's singles, and Malone, who successfully advanced to the final, repaid the enthusiasm of fans around the world in an all-English communication after the game, and also strongly promoted the internationalization of table tennis.
Actively participate in international exchanges
As early as the 2019 ITTF Star Awards Ceremony, Ma Long, who was elected the best male athlete of the year, showed his excellent English expression ability. In 2021, Ma Long became the first athlete in history to win the Olympic table tennis men's singles championship in Tokyo, thus becoming an unprecedented Olympic hardware king and the first double-lap Grand Slam in the history of men's table tennis; coupled with the achievements of the first singles "Super Grand Slam" in the history of table tennis (Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, Asian Games, Asian Championships, Asian Cup, Tour Finals, National Games, National Championships), Ma Long's professional resume has been unmatched, and he has been crowned by the International Table Tennis Federation as the "best in history". As a result, the industry generally hopes that Malone will extend his influence beyond the table tennis world and China, becoming a world-class sports star on par with other sports (football, basketball, tennis, etc.) on a global scale. The first step is to communicate with a global audience and establish an international image.
Malone, who likes to take on new challenges, once said that he has been learning and trying English all along. During the WTT Singapore Grand Slam, the WTT World Table Tennis Federation communicated with Malone on how to promote and develop table tennis in the world, and Malone wanted to adopt the "English communication" method and had a positive and serious attitude. He said: "This opportunity to speak English on the spot is a breakthrough for me. At the Beijing Winter Olympics, Gu Ailing and Su Yiming were able to express themselves in English, which also inspired us table tennis players. It was a little difficult, but I wanted to challenge myself, so I made this decision. ”
The final result is also a pleasant surprise.
As a WTT World Table Tennis Federation official who agreed with Malone on an English interview, Yulia Nicola still remembers the scene of the day vividly: "I was chatting with my colleagues when I suddenly heard Malone say 'tough match( tough match) in English, and everyone in the stadium was super excited, and everyone started cheering wildly! At that moment, he built a bond with the fans and his ability to tell stories off the field was fully demonstrated. She thought Malone's expression was natural and comprehensive, surprising everyone: "It was agreed to do it only when he won his first Grand Slam title, but I think he chose the best time. I think because of this commitment, he will be a little nervous in the game, and he has made special preparations a few days in advance. He did it perfectly – that's the real champion, that's the style of the best player of all time. ”
In this regard, the CEO of the INTERNATIONAL Table Tennis Federation Group, Steve Denton, commented more intuitively: "Based on 10 points, I give Malone's speech an 8.8 points!" ”
For this English interview, Malone said that he did not know what kind of effect it would have. He had spoken English intermittently in previous competitions, and gradually he realized that although English was not a necessary skill for athletes, it helped to promote table tennis around the world and increase his personal sparkle. Malone said frankly: "I hope to lead by example and use this opportunity to influence more young athletes." ”
In the usual competition, Malone often communicates with foreign players in English and attaches great importance to English learning. During the month of surgery in the United States, he studied with professional teachers three times a week and made remarkable progress, and was able to have simple daily communication. "But there is not much deep communication, and systematic learning is still needed," Ma Long said, "I believe that as long as English is getting better and better, the opportunities for communication will become more and more frequent." ”
Promote the spread of table tennis culture
Language has always been one of the problems facing the spread of table tennis culture. The parties concerned have been creating opportunities to show the charm of the athletes, but unfortunately, during the translation process, the personalities of the athletes were weakened. Many table tennis players have unique personalities and interesting stories, but spectators on the spot and in front of the TV often can only see their performance at the competitive level, and cannot understand the athletes themselves more three-dimensionally. As a core element of sport, athletes are always the most important reason to attract fans. Presenting yourself and building closer ties in the way fans love is something that many athletes lack, and Malone has done just that.
Steve Denton highly recognized Malone's behavior: "It marks that table tennis is becoming a global sport. Stars are able to communicate with more people in the world – which is very important because the world loves our stars more. Malone has done a fantastic job and his behavior is encouraging. Yulia Nikolai said: "Hopefully this will be the standard because everyone wants to hear the champions tell their stories themselves." I heard that Fan Zhendong also learned well, maybe he can compare him with Ma Long (laughs). ”
Malone believes that foreign language communication has multiple practical meanings. First, it allows itself to communicate more with foreign athletes and foreign fans; secondly, because of the long-term competition abroad, foreign languages have become an essential skill in life. He also acknowledges the pressure of learning a foreign language: "It's a long process, it's unlikely you can say it well at once, maybe you learn five sentences today and five sentences tomorrow." But I will learn in an entertaining or pastimely way, and it is very helpful for athletes over time. ”
In fact, more and more athletes from China and other Asian countries are beginning to understand the importance of international exchange and pay more attention to foreign language learning. At the same time, exchanges need to be carried out in both directions, Steve Denton said: "China is the most important country in the world of table tennis, and I hope that more foreign stars can also learn Chinese when traveling to China." ”
The small ball turns the big ball
Malone's English interview not only directly narrowed the distance between players and fans, but also promoted the global spread of table tennis culture, but also had macro significance.
Steve Denton said: "China is the leader in table tennis and is rapidly rising to become one of the leading countries in the world today. Sport can effectively bring countries closer together, so table tennis can play a fantastic role in deepening the understanding of China and the world. The world can only be made happier if different cultures understand each other, are not afraid and embrace the diversity of the world. Table tennis can be one of the tools to achieve this. ”
Malone is sure that he will always be engaged in a career related to the promotion of table tennis. He said: "Whether as an athlete or as a coach after retiring – no matter what kind of status, I hope to make more people like table tennis; whether in China or abroad, I hope to attract them with the best performance." With the internationalization of table tennis, Ma Long expects that the audience of table tennis will become more and more diverse, which is beneficial to the sport itself, and he is full of confidence: "Table tennis has always been a good foundation in China, and it will become more international in the future." ”