The story of the three musketeers of National Pingping: Ma Long is a late bloomer, Zhang Jike overtakes on a curve, and Xu Xin is interested
When we look back at the legendary story of the Chinese table tennis industry, we have to mention that unforgettable time. Zhang Jike, who can't wake up, Xu Xin, who shakes his head, and Ma Long, a hexagonal warrior, these three great golfers, once jointly created a rich legend in the history of Chinese table tennis. However, the saga did not last long, and its afterglow gradually faded. With the announcement of Zhang Jike's retirement, the iron triangle of National Table Tennis also ushered in a ruthless disintegration.
However, the most surprising thing is that these three good brothers, who were once inseparable, seemed to disappear from each other overnight after bidding farewell to the stadium. They who used to eat together, live together, train together, and even if they are retired, they should be lifelong friends, and they have chosen to keep their distance from Zhang Jike. This change can't help but make people think, can it be that the three brothers, who were once like glue, could not find a common harmony note on the stage of life?
This puzzle may be related to an incident in Zhang Jike, or it may be caused by their respective career and life choices, or some other reason. It is undeniable that Ma Long, Zhang Jike, Xu Xin, these three football legends, each have unique experiences and personalities. Ma Long is known as a "late bloomer", and his career has had ups and downs, but in the end it bloomed brilliantly. Zhang Jike once became the banner of the Chinese table tennis team with his tenacity and perseverance in overtaking on corners.
And Xu Xin may be interested, he injected his passion into table tennis, creating countless wonderful moments. Among these three players, each has their own light, but also shoulders heavy pressure. This may explain why they chose to stay away from each other after retiring. Maybe it's to rediscover yourself, redefine the direction of life, or escape the unpleasant experiences of the past. Whatever the reason, we should respect their choice.
The story of the three musketeers of National Table Tennis will forever leave a rich and colorful page in the history of table tennis, whether they get together again or not, we will miss this legendary time. This is the charm of the world of sports, and those stories, emotions and transformations will continue to inspire a new generation of golfers and continue to write a new chapter in the glorious tradition of Chinese table tennis. The legendary stories of three top table tennis superstars in the sports and entertainment industry have always been a topic of conversation.
Zhang Jike, Ma Long and Xu Xin, although they belong to the same national table tennis team, each has unique characteristics and personalities, which makes their relationship so compelling. Zhang Jike was jokingly called the "fierce tiger of the empire", showing his tenacious and domineering side. His growth path can be said to be expected. Zhang Jike's father, Zhang Chuanming, is a professional table tennis coach who planned his table tennis road early. At the age of five, he was led to the table tennis table and trained strictly by his father according to the standards of professional athletes.
This gave him a higher fighting power than other children at a young age, but also more expectations and pressure. Zhang Jike then entered the national team and was guided by former national athlete Xiao Zhan. This marked the beginning of his intensive training, dealing with thousands of ping-pong balls every day. This high-intensity exercise method has contributed to Zhang Jike's fierce and domineering playing style, especially famous for the backhand twisting and pulling of the whole Taiwan, and was jokingly called "overlord screwing" by netizens.
Each of Zhang's shots was accompanied by various counter-spins, making it difficult for opponents to cope. His ball is erratic and elusive, and even he can't predict where it will fly. Unlike Zhang Jike, Ma Long's road to table tennis began with his parents' expectations, and he did not show excellence at the beginning. I started learning table tennis because my parents thought it was a sport that exercised and was not prone to injury. However, Malone also began to learn table tennis at the age of five, and although he did not receive guidance from a professional coach, he continued to do so.
He was almost eliminated when he was in the provincial team, but luckily, coach Guan Huaan saw his potential and brought him to Beijing for more professional training. Although Ma Long seemed steady at the beginning and did not have the ruthlessness to attack the championship, Kwan Huaan believes that his stability is precisely the guarantee of future success. Sure enough, Ma Long performed well in the national second team, directly entered the national first team, and defeated Ma Lin at the National Games to win his first world championship.
His style of play is called "all-round" because he is proficient in a variety of techniques, including swinging short, cutting the ball, fast attack, etc., and has a clear advantage in both singles and mixed doubles. However, Xu Xin's road to table tennis seems a little "as you like". When he was in kindergarten, he ran faster than other children, and his talent was discovered by elementary school teachers. This kick-started his first encounter with table tennis. Although he was only exposed to table tennis for two months in the early days, his interest was already quietly growing by then.
In the following years, although he did not receive formal training, because of his strong interest in table tennis, his parents decided to send him to the sports school table tennis self-funded class. At first, Xu Xin played out of interest, but soon his achievements began to emerge. In the World Junior Table Tennis Challenge, he won three championships: team, singles and doubles, which made the table tennis community begin to value his potential. Later, Xu Xin was selected by coach Qin Zhijian of the national team and officially entered the national team.
Although he does not have Zhang Jike's determination to turn an iron pestle into a needle, he is considered a rare table tennis genius, and his unique achievements and playing style are unforgettable. At the 2009 World Cup, the young player won his first world title with an amazing performance, which was jaw-dropping. In this game, Xu Xin easily defeated the national team 3-0, putting a winning aura on his career. But he didn't stop there, and won the mixed doubles title several times, showing his all-round strength.
Xu Xin's playing style is also his distinctive symbol, characterized by arc circle balls, and is jokingly called "three meters away, Xu Xin zone". This technique consisted of difficult spinning balls and pulling balls, earning him the nickname "Big Python". This nickname not only hints at his technical mastery, but also shows his ornamental play, which has attracted the love of many fans. However, what is even more impressive is the friendship between Xu Xin and his two friends, legendary players in the table tennis industry, Zhang Jike and Ma Long.
The three have many differences in personality and upbringing, but they are inseparable from table tennis, and they train and compete together. The scene at the Rio 2016 Olympics and their fingers were clasped together on the podium, which became a topic of conversation and showed the deep friendship of the three friends. However, the growth trajectories and career development of these three people are destined to be very different. Zhang Jike is known as the "bad boy" in the table tennis industry and has always played the role of a time bomb in the game.
Despite his outstanding results in the early days of the national team, notably winning Grand Slams at the London Olympics, his character is controversial. Some described him as often half-awake and a little unruly. Zhang Jike gradually dabbled in variety shows and advertising endorsements, which caused some controversy. His decision was seen by some as turning a table tennis star into a traffic star, and even forgetting his original intention, unfortunately Zhang Jike's retirement has become an irreversible trend.
Due to his worsening injury, he could no longer undergo systematic training and eventually had to withdraw from the national team. The root cause of these injuries can be traced back to intense table tennis training, especially after the 2016 Rio Olympics, where his health deteriorated dramatically. The former champion never set foot on the podium at the Rio 2016 Olympics and his illustrious career ended. However, the strangest thing is that since Zhang Jike retired from the professional arena, Ma Long and Xu Xin seem to have distanced themselves from him.
Although the connection between Ma Long and Xu Xin still exists, the communication between them and Zhang Jike seems to have been broken. This makes people wonder, why is the once glue-like Three Musketeers so obviously estranged? Perhaps this is because everyone's career path and life trajectory are different. Zhang Jike chose to get involved in the entertainment industry during his career, becoming a variety star and advertising spokesperson, while Ma Long and Xu Xin continued to focus on table tennis.
This different life choice may have led to their parting of ways later in their careers. In addition, the world of table tennis is extremely competitive, and players must dedicate themselves to training to maintain a top level. Perhaps Ma Long and Xu Xin believe that Zhang Jike's entertainment industry activities will distract them and may affect the state of training and competition. This may also be one of the reasons why they kept their distance from Zhang Jike.
Zhang Jike's wrong path
In the field of sports, China's sports champion Zhang Jike used to be a bright star. However, the recent series of negative news has plunged him into the vortex of public opinion. Although he has retired from table tennis, his activities in the entertainment industry have always attracted much attention. He has participated in variety shows and advertising endorsements and enjoys considerable commercial value. Despite his breakup with his ex-girlfriend Jing Tian, his popularity is still high. However, a revelation in March 2023 completely changed this image.
A person who called himself "Li Weiao" broke the news on Weibo, claiming that Zhang Jike passed the private video of his ex-girlfriend Jing Tian to others in order to pay off gambling debts. The news caused widespread concern and outrage, with many struggling to believe that a former Olympic champion would be involved in gambling debt. What is even more shocking is that the successive revelations revealed that Zhang Jike had borrowed money from friends many times, including Yuan Shanshan, Deng Sha and Ma Long. However, these borrowings are often used to pay off debts, and friends can hardly get them back.
This incident caused many people in the entertainment industry to regard Zhang Jike as an untrustworthy friend. In addition, there are some negative revelations about Zhang Jike's character. It was alleged that he had a bad attitude towards staff in private and often shouted to the dissatisfaction of staff. These negative news quickly spread on social media, causing widespread controversy. Zhang Jike's studio released a statement denying that he had a debt problem, but the statement raised questions in public opinion.
It is widely believed that the incident seriously affected Zhang Jike's image and called his credibility into question. Not only that, the former "Three Musketeers" of National Table Tennis also seem to be drifting away. Xu Xin is married and has children, rarely appears in the table tennis arena, and is suspected by some netizens that he is already in a "semi-retreating" state. Although Ma Long is still competing on the front line, he is 35 years old and is not far from retirement. These signs show that the three musketeers of National Table Tennis have different development trajectories, and the connection between them is gradually weakening.
However, Chinese table tennis has many new generation players, such as Wang Chuqin, Sun Yingsha, Xiang Peng, Xu Haidong, Qian Tianyi, Chen Meng and so on. They have begun to emerge as the new hope of table tennis. Although the brilliant achievements of the Three Musketeers have become legendary, Chinese table tennis will continue to maintain its glorious tradition and continue the history of victory. Regardless of the fate of the Three Musketeers after retiring, the glory they once brought to China will always be remembered in people's hearts.
This story is also a reminder that success and fame do not always guarantee a person's morals and conduct. In the eyes of others, Zhang Jike's image may have been eclipsed, but his story is also a profound reflection, reminding us to cherish and protect our own values and moral bottom line.