Figure | Zhuang Zedong
The 26th World Table Tennis Championships in Beijing can be said to be a turning point in the history of table tennis in China, before, the Japanese team first defeated the Hungarian team, then defeated the Romanian team, until the 26th World Championships, the Japanese team has been in the world table tennis world, dominating for nearly a decade.
Since the 26th World Championships, the Chinese table tennis team has caught up, quickly overtaken the Japanese team, standing at the peak of the world, if you want to say who will push China's table tennis to the world peak, then you have to mention Zhuang Zedong.
Zhuang Zedong is recognized as the leader who led Chinese table tennis to the peak.
He is known as the "little tiger", his self-created "near platform fast attack" and "double-sided attack" technology, invincible in actual combat, relying on excellent technology, he alone won three consecutive table tennis men's single championships, which is china has never had since participating in table tennis.
After three consecutive championships, Zhuang Zedong galloped in the table tennis arena, and according to this momentum, Zhuang Zedong will become the brightest star in the table tennis industry.
But at the 31st Table Tennis Championships, he made a choice that not only changed the situation in the world, but also changed the trajectory of his life.
The 31st World Table Tennis Championships in Japan in 1971 were held in Nagoya, Japan. American athlete Cohen mistakenly walked into the car of the Chinese delegation, when he saw the people in the car knew that he had gone wrong, but the bold Cohen looked at the Chinese team members and did not feel strange, but was very excited. He spoke to the people in the Chinese delegation.
He said happily, "I know you guys. Then he took it upon himself to mention the names of each of them, as if he were an avid fan of the Chinese team.
Watching him talk endlessly there, the members of the Chinese team did not speak, after all, it was only at that time that Sino-US relations were still in a state of tension.
Picture | Zhou Enlai and Zhuang Zedong
The Chinese team members in the car were embarrassed, and Zhuang Zedong in the car wondered whether to ignore him in the end, after all, he grew up shouting the slogan of "hitting US imperialism".
At that time, he hesitated for a while, and Zhuang Zedong said: "The short moment of hesitation made me feel very painful. ”
Zhuang Zedong chose to break this embarrassment, he went to Cohen and sat down, and said, "I know you too, Mr. Glenn Cohen." ”
Cohen looked at Zhuang Zedongli's neat Chinese flat head and brushed his shawl's long hair: "Do you like this hairstyle?" ”
Zhuang Zedong's answer made Cohen dance happily, and Zhuang Zedong said: "The costumes and hairstyles are based on their own preferences, and we like them if you like them." ”
Then Zhuang Zedong pulled out a Piece of Hangzhou Brocade from the bag he was carrying, on which was embroidered a huangshan landscape painting, and Zhuang Zedong gave this tapestry to Cohen.
Zhuang Zedong said: "Although there is no contact between the US government and the Chinese government, the American people are good friends of the Chinese people, and we are very happy to have you on our car today, and in order to express our gratitude, we will give you this tapestry." ”
During the conversation, the car reached the gymnasium.
After getting out of the car, Cohen and Zhuang Zedong shook hands cordially to express their gratitude, and the moment when the two shook hands was captured by reporters.
Picture | Zhuang Zedong shakes hands with Cohen
The next day, Japan's Asahi Shimbun and other newspapers and periodicals published the photo on their front pages, and some even added a banner headline: "China and the United States are close." ”
Zhuang Zedong never expected that his small move would become an thaw in Sino-US relations.
After Cohen returned to the U.S. delegation, he explained the journey of taking the wrong car and accepting Zhuang Zedong's gifts to the heads of the delegation and the transporters, and the delegation immediately sent this information to Washington by telegram.
An hour later, Washington telegraphed: "Continue to engage, try to go to China." ”
After a game, in the gymnasium, Cohen pulled Zhuang Zedong to the side of the American team and introduced Zhuang Zedong to them, in order to thank Zhuang Zedong for the gift he gave, Cohen also prepared a gift for Zhuang Zedong: a sweatshirt printed with an anti-war logo, Cohen also deliberately pinned an American delegation medal on it, and then they also took a picture together.
Not surprisingly, this exchange with the American players and Zhuang Zedong was recorded again, and the next day the photo of Cohen giving Zhuang Zedong a gift was put on the newspaper, this time with the headline: "Li Shang Exchange" The two came and went, like throwing a boulder in a calm pool, stirring up layers of waves.
Photo | Mao Zedong and Zhuang Zedong (first from right)
A few days later, Laford Harrison of the American table tennis team suddenly took the initiative to come to the door to ask for a meeting.
Harrison made a surprising request, and after hearing that China had invited Colombian Canadian players to China, Harrison proposed that he wanted China to invite the U.S. team to China together.
This is the initiative of the American team to ask for a visit to China. After learning of this incident, the Chinese representative in Japan said: "This is not a trivial matter, it needs to be reported to the central government, and the above decision needs to be seen." ”
The telegram was sent back to the country on the same day. Beijing replied: "Tell my American friends that they will have the opportunity to visit China." ”
Figure | China Table Tennis Team, Zhuang Guodong (fourth from right)
Later, Beijing revealed to Zhao Zhenghong, head of the Chinese table tennis delegation: After Mao Zedong saw the briefing on the contacts between Chinese and American team members, he attached great importance to it and proposed to talk to you several times a day in order to pay close attention to the development trend.
After much deliberation, Mao Zedong made a historic decision: to invite the American table tennis team to visit China.
When the news reached the Chinese table tennis delegation in Japan, everyone in the delegation was very happy, and Zhuang Zedong's face was also full of smiles.
They then extended an invitation to the U.S. table tennis team, and after receiving the formal invitation, all the members of the U.S. team stayed up all night excited.
On the same day, AFTER receiving the report from the Embassy in Japan, US President Richard Nixon was very shocked, and then he rejoiced, saying: "Our initiative against China is about to start with table tennis, which I did not expect."
He immediately approved and accepted the invitation of the table tennis team to visit China.
In April 1971, the U.S. table tennis delegation was invited to China, followed by a small group of American journalists.
This group of Americans was the first Americans to be allowed to enter the territory of New China since the founding of New China in 1949.
Under the leadership of Zhuang Zedong and others, they visited famous monuments and attractions such as the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace.
Zhou Enlai received the delegation and American reporters who had come from afar. He said: "Before the disconnection between China and the United States was interrupted, our exchanges were very frequent, and this time you were invited to China, which once again opened the door to sino-US friendly exchanges." ”
"I hope you will bring the enthusiasm of the Chinese people to the United States." Zhou Enlai's remarks left a deep impression on the AMERICAN delegation that came to China for the first time.
Figure | Middle-aged Zhuang Zedong Figure | Middle-aged Zhuang Zedong
In return, the U.S. table tennis team invited the Chinese table tennis team to visit the United States.
After the invitation message was sent to China, it was immediately sent for approval, and Mao Zedong directly replied: "Agree to this invitation." ”
In 1972, Zhuang Zedong, as the head of the Chinese table tennis delegation, visited the United States and was received by U.S. President Richard Nixon.
The exchange of visits between Chinese and American teams has caused quite a stir in the world, reuters reported: "The visit of the US table tennis delegation to Beijing and various indications that Beijing has unfreezed relations with the Western world." ”
The exchange of visits between the Chinese and American table tennis teams has caused a sensation in the world, and this incident has become an international event. Everyone has a hunch that China and the United States have been cut off from each other for many years and now have a new turning point.
This turnaround has also led Western countries to change their attitudes toward China.
Britain had been disconnected from China for more than two decades, resuming it shortly after the incident. The United States and the United Kingdom are actively working to upgrade their relations with China to the ambassadorial level.
At the same time, the Australian leader, calling Prime Minister Zhou Enlai, wanted a delegation of China to receive them in order to discuss the diplomatic and trade relationship.
The Australian leader said in an interview: "In the past few years, we have not had any contact with China, but now we find that such a policy is not right, Canada, Italy have recognized China, and now the US table tennis team has also entered China, we no longer need to hesitate." ”
U.S. President Richard Nixon, speaking to members of the editorial board, said: "Until the end of this century, we can no longer isolate this country with a group of hard-working and courageous people and great creativity." Whoever becomes president of the United States must end the isolation of China from the rest of the world. ”
"Ping-Pong diplomacy" has opened the door to Sino-US relations and brought China closer to the Western world.
From the moment Zhuang Zedong decided to come forward and speak to Cohen, Chinese and American table tennis players have formed an indissoluble relationship, when Zhuang Zedong not only achieved impressive results on the field, but also became a torchbearer to pass on the friendship between China and the United States. Zhuang Zedong made a great contribution. As a table tennis enthusiast, he is proud of the role table tennis plays in it.
Mao Zedong also praised Zhuang Zedong one after another: "Not only can the ball be played well, but it can also handle diplomacy, and it is politically minded." ”
After learning of Mao Zedong's praise, Zhuang Zedong said modestly: "This table tennis diplomacy has the honor of becoming the leading line of the country's diplomatic strategy, Sino-US relations have gone through several decades, the time to establish diplomatic relations has long been ripe, this is the necessary condition for this period of history, and table tennis is only a medicine primer, otherwise China's table tennis will not be able to hit the other hemisphere no matter how strong it is." ”
After returning from a visit to the United States, Zhuang Zedong was quickly promoted to chairman of the National Sports Commission. At that time, Zhuang Zedong felt very sudden, he said: "If you can get the world championship, you may not be a good minister." ”
Zhuang Zedong seemed a little uncomfortable with this sudden political life, and he still rode his old-fashioned bicycle to and from work.
Once, in the alley in front of his home, Zhuang Zedong, who was returning home from work, happened to meet a friend who had not been seen for a long time, and the friend saw that he was now the chairman of the sports committee, and even rode a worn-out bicycle. The friend said in a joking tone: "You have ascended six levels in a row on a rocket, and when you become a high official, you have not forgotten Ben, which is worth learning from us." ”
Zhuang Zedong's face was slightly red, and he looked a little embarrassed in the face of such praise, he said: "I know that I eat a few bowls of dry rice, and I will never forget my roots in the future." ”
During his time as chairman of the Sports Committee, he did not accept the house assigned to him by the organization, and he and his family still huddled in the small house of only fourteen square meters.
He laughed at himself: "My grandfather was a rich businessman in the northeast, and his family had 333 houses, and now that I am a high official, I only have a fourteen-square-meter house." ”
From a table tennis player to a ministerial-level official, Zhuang Zedong has never had the experience of official ups and downs, and accidentally fell into the abyss and came to the trough of life.
In 1976, after the end of the unrest, Zhuang Zedong was dismissed from his party post and work because he was used in the turmoil and did many wrong things.
After losing the high-ranking official Houlu, he successively worked in the Shanxi Table Tennis Team and the Beijing Children's Palace.
Not only is the official field frustrated, but Zhuang Zedong's life is also frustrated.
In that turmoil, the wife was not accustomed to what he did, she refused the material convenience brought by Zhuang Zedong's identity, preferring to ride to work rather than take Zhuang Zedong's car, and the feelings between them created a gap, and as time grew, the emotional crack became more and more difficult to repair.
With the breakdown of the relationship, although the two suffer together in the turmoil, they cannot escape the fate of divorce.
In 1985, you, Zhuang Zedong divorced his wife, Zhuang Zedong, who was in his forties, lost his wife at this age, and the child was also awarded to his wife by the court, as if in an instant, Zhuang Zedong lost everything. He has an income of more than 100 yuan a month, of which 70 yuan, he gives to his wife and children, only 30 yuan for himself, and life gradually becomes difficult.
But fortunately, this lonely and sad life did not last long.
A year later, he became acquainted with his second wife, Atsuko Sasaki.
As early as the 1971 World Championships in Japan, Atsuko Sasaki became a huge fan of Zhuang Zedong, but at that time, she applied to the Chinese delegation several times to see Zhuang Zedong, but was not allowed. At that time, the head of the Chinese table tennis team delegation also said: "This is a typical unrequited love." ”
In 1986, Atsuko Sasaki, who was working in China, accidentally learned that Zhuang Zedong had divorced his wife, and her good feelings for Zhuang Zedong, which had been silent for decades, became active again.
After many inquiries, she finally found Zhuang Zedong, who had lost his former glory, and launched a pursuit of him. She said, "I've always wanted to come and see you." ”
Zhuang Zedong was already disheartened after experiencing the ups and downs of his life and the sadness of his wife and children, but he did not expect that there were still fans who were obsessed with him.
Atsuko Sasaki seems to be a bright light, saving Zhuang Zedong, who has fallen into a cold night. Soon after, Zhuang Zedong began to associate with Atsuko Sasaki.
I thought that the next step for this pair of lovers in their forties was to directly enter the palace of marriage, but I didn't expect that there was still a hurdle waiting for them in front of them.
Atsuko Sasaki is Japanese, and her visa is about to expire and she is about to be sent back to Japan, but Zhuang Zedong's passport cannot be processed for a long time, and there is no way to accompany Atsuko Sasaki back to Japan.
In the general environment at that time, Zhuang Zedong learned that the reason why his passport could not be handled was that he could not marry a foreign woman, and he was angry, wrote an application and sent it to the central government, which was approved by various officials at all levels and finally reached the hands of Deng Xiaoping, who read the earnest and sonorous application and approved it with a pen.
Atsuko Sasaki was willing to renounce her Japanese citizenship and married Zhuang Zedong, and the two began a life of companionship for more than twenty years.
But the marriage of the two seems to have made no substantial change to Zhuang Zedong's poor life.
After Atsuko Sasaki lost her Japanese citizenship, she also lost her original job, and the two of them only lived on Zhuang Zedong's pension, and their lives were still miserable, but they had always been harmonious and harmonious, and there had never been any violent quarrels.
In 2008, Zhuang Zedong was diagnosed with cancer, and Atsuko Sasaki has been standing in front of Zhuang Zedong's bedside, waiting for Zhuang Zedong's diet and living, repeating this life every day for five years, and she did not complain that their life was happy. It can be said that Zhuang Zedong was the happiest at the lowest point in his life.
On February 10, 2013, Zhuang Zedong passed away under the torment of cancer, ending his legendary life.