A bright red light streaked across the table tennis table
"Here we go again, how can this kid be so steady with this kind of spin?" The coach watching the game on the sidelines shook his head and sighed, looking at the little boy on the table with his eyebrows fluttering.
His name is Chen Xi, born in Nantong, Jiangsu Province in 1983, when he was only 6 years old. The racket rotated nimbly in his hand, and the seemingly difficult spinning skills were mastered by him.
Chen Xi started to contact table tennis just to enhance his physique, but he didn't expect it to be out of control. Gifted and intelligent, he quickly stood out in Nantong Amateur Sports School, and at the age of 12, he entered the Jiangsu Provincial Team.
In 1999, Chen Xi, who was only 16 years old, was selected for the national youth team and was regarded as a future star. However, the good times were short-lived, and 18 days later, he lost control after a loss and smashed his racket hard, and was expelled.
A year later he was again in the national second team. However, his temper persisted and he left the team again six months later. The two short national team lives have become an indelible wound in his heart.
Chen Xi was depressed for a while, and even thought about leaving table tennis. However, his natural talent and desire to win eventually brought him back to the green table.
The national team turmoil and sweet romance
In 2002, Chen Xi returned to the national first team as he wished. Under the guidance of doubles expert Ma Lin, he became more skilled and soon paired with Ma Lin to win multiple doubles titles.
At the 2004 Athens Olympics, the two won the first Olympic table tennis men's doubles gold medal for China, and it was also the first time Chen Xi stood on the Olympic podium.
However, the good times were short-lived. In the 2006 Asian Cup final, Chen Xi lost to teammate Wang Hao and lost the men's singles championship. After the game, he threw a tantrum on the pitch, kicking down a chair and swearing in a foul mouth.
This scene was posted on the Internet by the audience, causing an uproar.
After the game, the national team severely punished Chen Xi, in addition to fines for military training, and also asked him to go to poor areas to experience life. There, Chen had to work with the villagers to farm and take care of the pigs.
He didn't even know anything about the most basic farm work, and the villagers could only teach them in a hurry.
A week later, he was back in the team. This turmoil became the source of Chen Xi's name of "killing god", and it also left him with the impression of daring to love and hate in the minds of everyone. At the same time, a mysterious relationship quietly sprouts.
In 2009, the news of Zhang Yining and Xu Wei's marriage swept the Internet. Only then did everyone know that she had a New Year's friendship with Chen Xi. There is no way to know whether the two are really in love with each other, and netizens have mixed reviews of this "sister and brother love".
In this way, this legendary encounter finally ended with them missing.
Legend of God Slayer: The clash between perfect ball sense and out-of-control emotions
In the history of Chinese table tennis, there is a legendary nickname called "Killing God". Its owner is the amazing genius player Chen Xi.
Chen Xi's style of play is extremely aggressive, he plays fast attacks to the fullest, and his strong return ball has strong lethality. "His balls, his brain is full of dead words!" Xu Xin described.
However, behind the violent style of the ball is a temper that is difficult to control. In the 2006 Asian Games, Chen Xi lost the gold medal to Wang Hao, kicked down the chair and yelled on the spot.
Since then, he has been punished many times for losing control of his emotions, and has even been sent to experience life.
Why is his temper so out of control? A psychiatrist who has observed Chen Xi analyzed: "His self-esteem is abnormally high, and he is extremely eager to win, but whenever he can't achieve his goal, he will be extremely depressed and emotionally out of control."
Beneath the seemingly powerful exterior, there is an extremely fragile heart. Chen Xi's desire for victory made him a god of killing, but it also achieved the other side of his emotional out-of-control.
As everyone knows, it was this loss of control that finally restricted him from reaching the top of the table tennis world.
Xu Xin once advised him: "If you can stabilize your mind, you will definitely be able to surpass all of us and win the Olympic gold medal." Wang Hao also said, "I have always admired Chen Xi's talent, if it weren't for his temper, he would have stood at the top of the men's singles."
Fate gave Chen Xi an outstanding talent, and also made a joke that was difficult to overcome. This legendary killing god is too dazzling, and he has never been able to complete the final transformation.
Transform coaches and develop new talents
In 2013, Chen Xi announced his retirement and became the head coach of the Jiangsu men's team. After more than a decade away from the green table, he is determined to pass on what he has learned all his life.
At first, Chen Xi was very busy coaching. He was born to play only and knew little about guiding theory. So I began to soak in the library, learn Xi coaching knowledge overnight, and even buy foreign language coaching books online in person.
Gradually, he found the way and passed on the skills to the young players of the Jiangsu team. A milestone scene appeared in the 2015 National Games, when Jiangsu rookie Shi Zhihao defeated "Grand Slam" player Zhang Jike in the final and won the last point.
Chen Xi jumped up from his seat excitedly and hugged Shi Zhihao.
That year, Shi Zhihao was 19 years old, just like 19-year-old Chen Xi broke into the national team again.
Five years later, Liu Guoliang became the chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, and he decided to let the former star apprentices return to the national team to train a new generation of players. Chen Xi returned again, focusing on the training of new stars such as Xu Xin and Liang Jingkun.
"With Mr. Chen's meticulous guidance, my ball matching skills have improved a lot. Xu Xin said.
The rest of the team members also admired Chen Xi without exception. In their eyes, Chen Xi is not only a god-killing existence, but also a fatherly enlightenment teacher. And Chen Xi himself gradually found a new meaning in life - to pass on the peach and plum and create a new glory of Chinese table tennis.
The magnificent legend of national table tennis
In 1983, a talented table tennis player was born in Nantong. His name is Chen Xi, a name that is different and legendary.
He began to contact table tennis at the age of 6, and Chen Xi soon grew into a proud son of the sky. But his innate momentum and wildness also buried hidden dangers in the later part of his life. He was first selected for the national youth team at the age of 16, but was expelled 18 days later for breaking his racket; A year later, he was selected for the second national team, and he also left the team after 6 months.
In 2002, after the ups and downs, 19-year-old Chen Xi finally officially entered the national first team. Under the guidance of doubles expert Ma Lin, he quickly grew into a doubles hero of national table tennis.
At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Chen Xi and Ma Lin won the first men's doubles gold medal in the history of the Chinese team.
Four years later, at the Beijing Olympics, the Olympic Organizing Committee abruptly canceled the table tennis doubles event. This is undoubtedly a heavy blow to Chen Xi. In the Asian Cup of the same year, after losing the final, he was thunderous on the spot and was sent to a poor area to experience labor.
He returned to the national team a week later and officially won the title of "God of Killing".
In 2009, rumors of a relationship with Zhang Yining were a sensation. Announcing his retirement in 2013, Chen Xi began his coaching career, leading the Jiangsu team and the national team successively, and cultivating new stars such as Xu Xin.
In the hearts of the team members, Chen Xi is their most respected predecessor and mentor.
Today, Chen Xi's position in the history of Chinese table tennis development is beyond doubt. He is the first doubles world champion after the rise of the new generation of national table tennis, and he is also the first real "god-killing" player in the Chinese table tennis world.
The magnificent course of his life has created his legend. And his careful cultivation of later learning has also imprinted his god-killing legend in this sport for a long time.
Many years later, when people mention Chinese table tennis, they will definitely count this legendary name - Chen Xi.